The Impact Award for Disability Research, established in 2026 by the Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons (CFPDP), recognizes outstanding contributions to disability research in Canada.

The award, created by CFPDP’s Founding Chair, The Honourable Vim Kochhar, is in response to the limited number of major honours dedicated specifically to this field. Inspired in part by the 2025 induction of Dr. Tom Chau of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame, recognizing his work in advancing communication technologies for children and youth with severe physical disabilities, the Foundation sought to establish a national platform to celebrate Canadian researchers who are creating similar impact.

The inaugural award will be presented at CFPDP’s 43rd Annual Great Valentine Gala on February 13, 2027, and annually thereafter.

The Impact Award for Disability Research is intentionally broad, welcoming nominations of Canadian mid- and senior-career investigators from across disciplines whose work meaningfully improves the lives of people with physical disabilities. This includes, but is not limited to, investigators from the social sciences and policy; urban planning; sciences pertaining to accessibility relating to media, transportation, housing, built-environment, public spaces, employment and education; engineering and assistive technology; and health disciplines including nursing, medicine, speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, music therapy, psychology and social work.

The award recognizes an individual whose active program of research has had a significant impact on the lives of people with physical disabilities. It focuses on demonstrated real-world impact, not lifetime achievement.

Eligible work must be current or recent and show clear evidence of impact (full details available in the nomination form).

The winner of the Impact Award for Disability Research will be honoured for their research and receive $100,000. This personal award is payable directly to the recipient, not to their institution, and may not be shared.

Submissions anticipated from, but not limited to:

Key Dates

Submission deadline: 11:59 pm, October 16, 2026 (EST)
Recipient announcement: Early February 2027
Award presentation: February 13, 2027

CFPDP is committed to maintaining the highest standards of fairness, transparency and integrity. Selection Board members will be required to declare any real or perceived conflicts of interest, including relationships with nominees from their institutions, professional networks or research teams, and to recuse themselves from the review and scoring of any nomination where impartiality could reasonably be questioned.

In the event of a tie following scoring and deliberation, the final determination will be made by the Award Co-Chairs. This decision shall be final and binding, and neither CFPDP, the Selection Board, nor the Co-Chairs will enter into further correspondence or discussion regarding the outcome.

Expenses (non-transferable) will be covered for the award recipient to attend the Great Valentine Gala, including a Canada-wide economy return flight, airport transfers and two nights of hotel accommodations.