CSM Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility (EDIA) Award

sparkling gold star on pedestal

Nominations for 2024 CSM Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Award now open

The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) values equity, diversity and inclusive excellence in our health care, research, and medical education.  We recognize and celebrate those in the CSM community who are making a difference. 

Nominations are open until November 1, 2024, for the annual CSM Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Award. This Award was created to:

  • recognize the efforts of faculty members, learners, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and work units toward creating an equitable, diverse, inclusive culture at CSM, and/or within their community of practice. 
  • catalyse and champion EDIA-related activities within the school and help support recipient(s) to continue or expand their work.

One award of $1500 will be given to the award recipient or divided equally amongst those named in the winning nomination. The CSM EDIA Award is supported by a generous philanthropic donation by the Helios Group and matched by the Cumming School of Medicine.

The winning nomination of the CSM EDIA Award will be publicized by PESJO through its social media and newsletter and the recipient(s) will also be recognized at CSM's Celebration of Excellence event in 2025.

About the CSM EDIA Award

Email PESJO@ucalgary.ca with any questions.

The Adjudication Committee will review all nominee submissions for evidence of outstanding achievement in education/literacy, research, knowledge translation, policy, program/initiatives, advocacy activities that foster equitable and impactful change for those who traditionally have been under-represented in medicine and health sciences, including women, persons from racialized communities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons with diverse abilities, and persons from 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

The nomination can spotlight completed work that has occurred in the past year or ongoing work. Activities or achievements that fall outside this window, will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Adjudication Committee.

Examples of potential nominations

  • An ongoing action, initiative or program that helps students from equity-deserving groups
  • A tool or practice that improves inclusion of an equity-deserving group, such as increased accessibility for people with differing abilities, support for individuals from low socioeconomic groups, or an initiative that is designed to address racism or inequitable health outcomes
  • Research in equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility constructs or frameworks that contributes to our understanding and knowledge in this area
  • An initiative or action aiming at adapting or changing procedures, policies, or practices to make them fairer or more inclusive 
  • Exemplary leadership in fostering an inclusive workplace, learning campus or community of practice  
  • Developing an education resource(s) that improves cultural competency, skills, and understanding

Nominees must be CSM members.  For a group nomination, most group members OR the lead/co-lead of the group must be a CSM member.  A CSM member is defined as an individual(s) at CSM who is currently (at the time of nomination) or was (up to a year prior to the date of nomination) a:

  • Student/learner (including residents, fellows) 
  • Faculty member with an academic, clinical, or adjunct appointment 
  • Staff (including AUPE, MAPs)
  • Postdoctoral scholar
  • Department, Institute, Office, or work unit

Nominators are strongly encouraged to submit applications for individuals or groups that include nominees who self-identify with dimension(s) of equity-deserving groups such as women, persons from racialized communities, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, persons with diverse abilities, and persons from 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Award recipients/ongoing projects that have won the CSM EDIA Award in one of the three preceding years are not eligible.

Nominators must be CSM members. Students, faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and CSM units/offices are invited to submit nominations. 

A CSM member is defined as an individual(s) at CSM who is currently (at the time of nomination) or was (up to a year prior to the date of nomination) a:

  • Student/learner (including residents, fellows) 
  • Faculty with an academic, clinical, or adjunct appointment 
  • Staff (including AUPE, MAPs)
  • Postdoctoral scholar
  • Department, Institute, Office, or work unit

Self-nominations are welcome and self-nominations from individuals of equity-deserving groups are strongly encouraged.  Please include a letter of support that highlights the activities and/or achievements being addressed in the nomination. 

An award winner will be selected by consensus amongst Adjudication Committee Members, using the identified scoring criteria as listed below.

More than one award winner may be selected if one clear award winner cannot be determined.

Committee composition will aim to reflect CSM diversity, and consider dimensions such as gender, sexual orientation, racial, Indigenous, and ability diverse identities, in addition to CSM roles (Student, Staff, Faculty), discipline or home-unit (Office, Department, Institute), academic rank, and point along career trajectory, in its membership. 

The Committee will be chaired by the Associate Dean, CSM Precision Health and Social Justice Office, or delegate.

Submissions for the CSM EDIA Award will be scored using the following criteria:

  • Supports equitable and inclusive learning, teaching, research, and/or working environments at CSM (25%)
  • Combats stereotypes or discrimination AND/OR dismantles barriers, structural inequities, or inherent disadvantages AND/OR overcame similar challenges and hurdles to reach its goals (25%)
  • Demonstrates innovativeness and/or meaningful impact within CSM, University, or community of practice (25%)
  • Demonstrates engagement, collaboration, relationship-building with community partners and/or equity-deserving groups (25%)


Portrait of Dr. Turin-Chowdhury

2023 CSM EDIA Award Winner

The 2023 winner of the CSM Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (EDIA) Award is Dr. Tanvir Turin Chowdhury, Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine. 

Dr. Chowdhury has been recognized for his commitment and passion to foster social accountability and advance EDI through community engagement and within the research environment at the Cumming School of Medicine. He has developed several community-based participatory research initiatives, enabling immigrant perspectives and voices to shape health scholarship and nurture a sense of empowerment, including the Refugee and Immigrant Self Empowerment (RISE) initiative, Community Scholar and Citizen Researcher program and a Community Think-Tank. These innovative projects create meaningful community engagement and help to address disparities faced by members of racialized and immigrant communities in Calgary.  

By developing these bridges between members of structurally-marginalized communities and CSM, Dr. Chowdhury has embraced the Nothing About Us Without Us model. 

Congratulations to Dr. Turin Chowdhury on this well-deserved CSM EDIA Award!