Nomination Guide

IMPORTANT: Please read this nomination guide, and collect the necessary information as outlined within the guide, before completing and submitting the online nomination form.

You may also download and print this nomination guide for reference.

If you have read the nomination guide and have collected all of the necessary information, you may now proceed to Step 2: The Nomination Form.

What is the 3M Environmental Innovation Award?

The 3M Environmental Innovation Award was established in 2009 by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and 3M Canada to recognize outstanding individuals in business, government, academia or community organizations whose innovative contributions to environmental change are benefiting Canada and Canadians.

The Award seeks to celebrate individuals involved in a local, regional or national project, program or initiative that has provided innovative solutions that protect, restore or preserve the environment.

Please submit your completed nomination online no later than 2 pm EST on August 31.

Who is eligible?

All nominees should be active participants in or leaders of projects or activities that have community support and are ethical, environmentally-sound and solution-oriented.

Nominees may include individuals who are pioneering environmental initiatives in their communities or places of employment.

No employee of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Canadian Geographic or 3M Canada is eligible to nominate candidates or receive this award.

All nominations must be made by a third-party. No self-nominations accepted.

How do I submit a nomination?

Your submission must be made online using the online Nomination Form;

The Nomination Form requires that you complete an online Nomination Summary and provide supporting materials for the nomination.

What is the Nomination Summary?

The Nomination Summary should provide a brief background of the nominee by addressing the following questions.

1. When did the project begin and, if relevant, when was it completed?

2. What makes this work innovative? How does it stand out from the crowd? Is this a model that others can apply to similar environmental problems?

3. How effective has it been? What are the tangible environmental benefits? How have these been measured?

4. How has this project affected, influenced and engaged others in the community? How far-reaching are its scope and impact in involving others? How has it changed the actions, attitudes and perceptions of others?

5. How viable and sustainable is this work? Are there plans to expand or enhance this initiative? What steps are being taken to make this happen?

6. What has impressed you about the actions of the nominee? What is he or she doing that others are not?

What kind of supporting materials should I provide?

Additional documentation in electronic form should be submitted to support the nomination and verify claims made in the nomination summary. We do not require full résumés. Instead, focus on the area of work for which the nominee is recommended.

These materials may include newspaper and magazine articles, news releases and background information about the nominee from websites and other sources.

It is important that you follow these guidelines to ensure that your nominee’s Nomination Summary and supporting materials can be readily circulated to all members of the panel of judges.

Please ensure that you have collected all of the necessary documents on your hard drive before beginning the online nomination. The nomination form should take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete.

How do I submit my Nomination Form?

Please submit your nomination using the online Nomination Form.

Your Nomination Summary and Supporting Materials must be attached to the online form.

Who judges the nominations?

Nominations will be reviewed by a cross-Canada panel of judges. The jury will be chaired by Bruce Amos, Vice-President of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

The panel of judges will consider all nominees for the 3M Environmental Innovation Award and determine the three finalists and the eventual winner.

Nominations will be judged according to the following criteria:

A. Innovative — The nominee has demonstrated originality in his or her commitment to working toward a solution for an environmental concern.

B. Effective — The nominee has identified a specific environmental concern or problem and has a plan of action for addressing the problem and has demonstrated measurable results.

C. Influential — The nominee has earned the attention and support of the public.

D. Viable — The nominee’s initiative must be economically feasible and sustainable.

E. Sustainable — The benefits of the innovation should be environmentally-, socially- and financially-sound and ethical.

F. Distinctive — The nominee’s innovation is distinct from other approaches or projects.

When will the winner be announced?

The winner and finalists for the 3M Environmental Innovation Award will be announced in the fall at the Annual College of Fellows dinner.

If you have read the nomination guide above and have collected all of the necessary information, you may now proceed to Step 2: The Nomination Form.

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