Metsoc Research Excellence Award
The MetSoc Research Excellence Award was established by the Aluminum Company of Canada Limited for “a highly significant contribution to the field of metallurgy”.
THE CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR IS OPEN for 2025. The deadline is February 20, 2025.
This award is supported by:
2025 Recipient
Frank Cheng
Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of Calgary
Dr. Frank Cheng is a Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Calgary. With a global reputation as a leader in energy pipeline research, Dr. Cheng specializes in corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, and integrity management of pipelines transporting hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and oil/gas. He has authored four books and published 350 peer-reviewed journal papers. The H-index is 87. He has received numerous recognitions from leading agencies and associations, such as Ives Award of the American Society for Materials (ASM), Troconis de Rincón Award of the Association for Materials Performance and Protection (AMPP), Uhlig Award of the National Association of Corrosion Engineering (NACE), Advanced Materials Laureate of the International Association of Advanced Materials (IAAM), Distinguished Materials Scientist Award and Metal Chemistry Award of MetSoc, and Distinguished Lectureship Award of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE). He also holds the Fellowship of NACE, Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), Chinese Society for Corrosion and Protection (CSCP), Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals (IMMM), and IAAM. Dr. Cheng is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pipeline Science and Engineering.
| 2024 – Dongyang Li | 2023 – Priti Wanjara | 2022 – Mihaiela Isac |
| 2021 – Boyd Davis | 2020 – Vladimiros Papangelakis | 2019 – Hani Henein |
| 2018 – not attributed | 2017 – George Demopoulos | 2016 – Z. Xu |
| 2015 – Daolun Chen | 2014 – M. Sahoo | 2013 – C. Ravindran |
| 2012 – David S. Wilkinson | 2011 – Gary R. Purdy | 2010 – Mahesh Chaturvedi |
| 2009 – A. Plumtree | 2008 – R. Berezowsky | 2007 – G. A. Irons |
| 2006 – Engin Ozberk | 2005 – David Dreisinger | 2004 – J. Laskowski |
| 2003 – G. Kaiura | 2002 – J.A. Szpunar | 2001 – T.T. Chen |
| 2000 – H. McQueen | 1999 – E. Krause | 1998 – R. Meadowcroft |
| 1997 – N.J. Themelis | 1996 – J.A. Finch | 1995 – G.C. Weatherly |
| 1994 – J.E. Dutrizac | 1993 – E.B. Hawbolt | 1992 – J.E. Gruzleski |
| 1991 – A. McLean | 1990 – J.J. Jonas | 1989 – E.W. Dewing |
| 1988 – J.K. Brimacombe | 1987 – R.I.L. Guthrie | 1986 – S.N. Flengas |
| 1985 – G.M. Ritcey | 1984 – C.R. Masson | 1983 – W.- K. Lu |
| 1982 – E. Peters | 1981 – W.G. Davenport | 1980 – F. Weinberg |
| 1979 – J.M. Toguri | 1978 – H. Ross | 1977 – A. Hone |
| 1976 – W.M. Williams | 1975 – K.W. Downes | 1974 – W.M. Armstrong |
| 1973 – J. Leja | 1972 – J. Convey | 1971 – C.S. Samis |
| 1970 – W.H. Gauvin | 1969 – F.A. Forward | 1968 – J.S.G. Kirkaldy |
| 1967 – W.C. Winegard | 1966 – L.M. Pidgeon, M.B.E. |
Criteria
The Metsoc Research Excellence Award is the award for contribution to the metallurgy or materials field by a MetSoc member academic or research scientist in any Canadian research laboratory or Canadian university. The award recognizes a lifetime contribution to teaching and research or outstanding individual work resulting in a significant breakthrough in metallurgy or materials practices.
There is no cash prize for this award.
Origin
The Alcan Award was established by the Aluminum Company of Canada Limited in 1965 for the Metallurgy & Materials Society of CIM (Metallurgical Society then) to recognize “a highly significant contribution to the field of metallurgy”. The award was renamed the Research Excellence Award sponsored by Rio Tinto in 2015 and Rio Tinto has continued to support this award through donations to the CIM Foundation.
All nominees must have a minimum of five years of CIM National membership and be in good standing. Membership is not required to be consecutive but the member has to have the current and previous year in good standing. Exceptions to this membership requirement may be made in the case where a candidate has a substantial historical record of contributions to MetSoc. The contributions and impact must be to the benefit of Canada.
The award nomination program is closed for 2025.
The nominator has 6 steps to complete. The documents can be uploaded to our online nomination system.
- Fill in the contribution box – a summary of why this person is being nominated (see item 3) with any information listed above that is not included in the CV.
- Fill in the citation – in 15 words this person is being recognized for.
- The CV should contain the items listed below. If the CV does not contain these items, consider adding them to the Contribution box and letter statement:
- Major contributions relevant to the award
- A record of at least five relevant patents and/or papers authored by the nominee plus a count of other patents and papers
- A service history related to CIM/MetSoc if applicable
- A record of the years of membership in CIM
- A listing of volunteer activities if applicable
- A listing of awards previously received
- A listing of academic achievements
- One written letter by the nominator on letterhead describing in full length why this candidate is nominated for the award.
- A minimum of 3 Endorsers (outside of company colleagues) – these endorsers simply must support with an online approval click, however, a supporting letter is also welcomed and encouraged.
- Research Excellence Award: This award requires an additional letter of support by a peer in the field on letterhead for a total of 2 letters included in the nomination package. Additional weight and marks may be considered by the committee if additional written letters of peer support are added to the nomination package (Max 5 additional uploads will be allowed).
General Policies
- A nominator can put forward only one candidate up for nomination in each award category.
- No Member of the Executive Board shall be nominated for a MetSoc administered award while in office. The nomination will be held until the term on the executive board is expired.
- Each award shall be made from time to time as circumstances warrant with no more than one award recipient per year.
- The nominators are responsible for verifying that all conditions of the award have been satisfied and all procedures were properly followed in making the nomination.
- All nominations will stand for three years.
- The adjudication of the award shall be made by the MetSoc Awards Committee of The Metallurgy and Materials Society of CIM.
- The award shall be presented at the Awards Banquet of the Conference of Metallurgists.
- Posthumous awards will be allowed only if the candidate has already been shortlisted.
- Self-nominations are not permitted.
