The Royal Society of Canada, The Canadian Academy of the Sciences and Humanities, is the senior national body of distinguished Canadian scientists and scholars. Its primary objective is to promote learning and research in the natural and social sciences and in the humanities.
History
The Society was founded in 1882 by the Marquis of Lorne, who was then Governor General of Canada. Succeeding governors general have served as patrons of the Society. The founding members included Sir Sanford Fleming, the originator of the world system of Standard Time, and Sir William Osler, one of the greatest physicians of his day. The original Society was subsequently incorporated by an act of Parliament and granted its Royal Charter in 1883.
Organization
The Royal Society of London and the Institut de France were the models for the Society. The Society today consists of approximately 1,800 Fellows being men and women from across Canada who are selected by their peers on account of their outstanding contributions to the arts and sciences. The President of the Society serves on the Governor General's advisory council on appointments to the Order of Canada. The Society is composed of three Academies:
- The Académie des lettres et des sciences humaines (Academy I)
- The Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (Academy II)
- The Academy of Science (Academy III).
Objects
The Society is dedicated to making available to the public its members' broad and varied knowledge to evaluate and advise on social, cultural, economic and scientific issues for the benefit of Canada. Further, the members are available to assess significant issues of value to Canadians and provide independent expert advice, notably to government, on matters of public policy through its program of Expert Panel reports. Its objects also include fostering the highest levels of learning and research in all areas of scholarship and recognizing outstanding achievements in research and innovation by electing new Fellows and by awarding medals and prizes. The Society actively promotes international collaboration with other national academies. Discussion and consideration of important topics is carried out by the organization of annual symposia.
Awards
The Society awards twenty different awards on an annual or biennial basis. Some of these include:
Fellowship
Election to Fellowship in the Society is the highest academic accolade available to scientists and scholars in Canada. After their induction in the Society, Fellows may use the postnomial FRSC for Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Francophone Fellows use MSRC for Membre de la Société royale du Canada. The postnomial is usually not translated but is kept in the language of the Fellow.
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