The Results of the Merit Awards 2025-27 Cycle

The Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine is delighted to announce the results of the 2025–2027 Merit Awards Program.

The Merit Award Program is dedicated to supporting the academic activities of our faculty members. This year, we received 65 applications, representing a remarkable 30% increase from the previous cycle, along with a significant rise in the overall quality of submissions. The program remains highly competitive, and all applications underwent a rigorous review process. As a result, a total of 24 awards will be granted this cycle.

These include three Excellence in Research Awards, 15 Merit Awards, one Education Award, one Quality Assurance Award, and four Early Investigator Awards. We congratulate all recipients and thank every applicant for their outstanding contributions to our academic community.

In addition, 18 applicants will receive Research Commendation Awards to recognize the high ranking of their applications. While these commendations do not include funding, the applications were identified as being of a high standard that merits support. Therefore, these awards underscore the recipients’ significant accomplishments and the competitive nature of this year’s program.

The department distributed over $1 million in funds through this Merit Awards competition cycle. We maintain an assertive position in obtaining research funding to distribute amongst our investigators, and we sincerely appreciate this support from the university.

The department remains committed to working closely with the Office of Advancement and other stakeholders to identify additional funding opportunities that will continually support our faculty's outstanding research efforts.

We extend our warmest congratulations to all successful applicants and our sincere appreciation to everyone who submitted an application for consideration. The exceptional quality of this year’s submissions was truly impressive, reflecting the dedication, creativity, and deep expertise of our faculty researchers. Your commitment to advancing knowledge and innovation continues to inspire and elevate our academic community.

On behalf of the department, we congratulate the investigators listed below.

Excellence in Research ($60,000 per annum)

 Merit Awards ($40,000 per annum)

 Education Award ($40,000 per annum)

 Quality Assurance Award ($40,000 per annum)

Early Investigator Award ($30,000 per annum)

Research Commendation Award (Non-Funded)

The Review Process

The review and scoring processes for the Merit Awards Program were designed to be as fair, thorough, and unbiased as possible. Each application was reviewed by four independent peer reviewers selected from a pool of knowledgeable, senior internal and external faculty. These experienced faculty members reviewed and scored each application using a standardized scoring system. The 38 faculty members who served on the College of Reviewers are high-quality scientists, educators, and quality improvers from the University of Toronto.

We sincerely thank them for their expertise and commitment to delivering knowledge to help score the applications. View the list of reviewers.

The department website provides additional details about the application package, review processes, and comments related to conflicts of interest.

To maintain the integrity and impartiality of the Merit Awards Program, Dr. Brian Cuthbertson, Vice Chair of Research and Innovation, was excluded from all stages of the adjudication process. This decision was made to prevent any potential conflicts of interest, as Dr. Cuthbertson is also an applicant for the award. By removing him from the review, evaluation, and decision-making processes, we ensured a fair and unbiased assessment for all candidates.

To learn more about the scoring criteria, visit our website.

Additional Recognition

Finally, we thank the administrative team for their invaluable support in developing the new application portal, addressing inquiries, and overseeing the application process.