CANADIAN SOCIETY OF EVIDENCE-BASED POLICING
CAN-SEBP PRACADEMIC
AWARD NOMINATION
Presented at the annual Building Bridges Conference. The CAN-SEBP Awards recognize exceptional individuals who bridge the gap between research and practice, advancing evidence-based policing and public safety across Canada.
Pracademic of the Year Award Criteria
The 'Pracademic of the Year' award recognizes an exceptional individual who is a current, serving member of a Canadian public safety service. This member demonstrates outstanding commitment to bridging the gap between police practice and research, championing the value and operationalization of evidence-based policing (EBP) or evidence-informed policing (EIP), and embodying the highest standards of character and professional curiosity.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the award, the nominee must:
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Be a Current Member of a Canadian Public Safety Service: This includes, but is not limited to, police services, correctional services, fire services, and emergency medical services (EMS).
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Demonstrate Efforts Beyond Normal Duties: The efforts, initiatives, or projects put forward for consideration must clearly demonstrate work that goes above and beyond the nominee's standard, expected work responsibilities.
EVALUATION METRICS
Core Pracademic Excellence (70% Weighting)
This section focuses on the practical application and dissemination of evidence-based practice.
Criteria: Operationalizing Evidence & Research
Passionately demonstrating efforts to identify, translate, and implement policing research into practical, positive improvements in policing practice.
Examples of Evidence: Developing and testing a new evidence-based strategy, implementing a research finding into a policy/tactic, leading a randomized controlled trial (RCT) or similar evaluation, or successfully integrating a research partner into an operational project.
Criteria: Critical Thinking & Evaluation
Demonstrating a high degree of critical thinking by challenging the status quo, carefully evaluating the effectiveness of existing practices, and thoughtfully considering both the efficacy and ethical implications of new evidence-based approaches.
Examples of Evidence: Documented analysis of a current practice, design of a rigorous evaluation plan (even if small-scale), or leading discussions that necessitate a critical review of operational norms.
Criteria: Engagement & Dissemination of EBP/EIP
Providing ongoing support and work to engage in and/or actively spread the value of evidence-based/evidence-informed policing, seeking to embed research in a practical sense within the wider policing community.
Examples of Evidence: Delivering presentations (internal or external), publishing articles or papers, creating training materials, mentoring colleagues in EBP, or actively engaging with academic partners or research organizations.
Character & Mindset (30% Weighting)
This section focuses on the nominee's personal and professional attributes that enable them to be an effective pracademic.
Criteria: Curious Mindset & Intellectual Humility
Displaying a deep curious mindset and a willingness to ask difficult questions, seek out new knowledge, and acknowledge the limits of current understanding. This is paired with the intellectual humility to adapt their perspective when presented with compelling evidence.
Examples of Evidence: Participation in diverse learning opportunities, documented instances of changing a project's course based on new data, or seeking out varied, non-traditional sources of information to inform practice.
Criteria: Professional Integrity and Collaboration
Exemplifying outstanding character through high ethical standards, professional integrity, and a collaborative approach to research and implementation. The nominee should be a respected and trusted leader or colleague in their pursuit of evidence.
Examples of Evidence: Strong letters of support from both internal colleagues and external research partners, demonstrable history of ethical data handling, and success in building inter-agency or police-researcher partnerships.
SUBMISSION & SELECTION PROCESS
Submissions, including a nomination form and supporting documentation (e.g., detailed account of the nominee’s work, letters of support, and evidence examples), must be made to the Board of Directors of CAN-SEBP by the specified deadline. The Board will review submissions against the established criteria, with the nominee scoring highest across the weighted sections selected as the CAN-SEBP Pracademic of the Year.
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