TACC Trainee Leadership Award
The 2023 TACC Trainee Leadership Award recognizes the significant contributions of graduate students and post-doctoral fellows to the Network’s strategic objectives, i.e. discovery, capacity building and community engagement. Many TACC trainees are stepping up to various roles that have supported the growth and success of TACC activities and programs. This award will support additional contributions within the TACC network that go beyond the trainees’ own research projects. Examples of such contributions include trainees directly involved in Quebec 1,000 Families (Q1K) or those serving on TACC’s committees and workgroups, such as the Community Engagement Committee. Successful candidates will be offered a stipend of $10,000 CAD for a one-year period. The award can be held in conjunction with other fellowships.
Only applications from TACC trainee members will be considered. To become a TACC trainee, click here. Interested trainees must send their applications to info@rtsa-tacc.com . The application file must include (as 1 PDF file):
- the applicant’s CV (CIHR Biosketch format using the Canadian Common CV: save a PDF copy of the “DRAFT”);
- a cover letter (maximum 1 page) from the applicant indicating the TACC strategic objective(s) or committee(s) that interest(s) them and explaining how they are currently contributing to or how they plan to contribute to this strategic objective, the significance of their contributions, as well as their relevance to the applicant’s career;
- a letter of support from the applicant’s supervisor (maximum 1 page) and the strategic objective’s or committee’s lead (if the applicant is already contributing to a specific committee or workgroup).
Key Dates:
- Application opens: May 30, 2023
- Application deadline: June 30, 2023 at 5 pm EDT
- Announcement of results: August 1, 2023
- Funding start date: September 1, 2023
Please visit our website to learn more about TACC’s ongoing projects and committees. You can also contact us if you have any questions or to discuss ways that you can get involved within our Network.
2022-2023 Awardees

Discovery
Christian Sprang
MSc Student

Capacity Building
Melissa Fernandez
PhD Student

Community Engagement
Jeffrey McCrossin
PhD Student
Past TACC Trainee Leadership Award Recipients

Cynthia Di Francesco
Masters Student
” This was a unique opportunity to work with the Community Engagement Committee and take part in discussions and work important for connecting with and improving the quality of life of autistic individuals and their families. In collaboration with the Committee, I assisted with the development and execution of activities that aimed to promote engagement among the autism community, such as the Autism Festival. I also contributed to the development of a project aimed at promoting inclusive research practices through improving researchers’ understanding of the lived experience of autistics and providing recommendations and resources to improve and support inclusion among this population. “
” I am a biomedical engineering master’s student at McGill University, and I am developing a pediatric head coil for ultra-high field, 7 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This coil will specifically be used to support the Quebec 1000 Families (Q1K) research initiative in its objective to image children with autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders using 7 T MRI at The Neuro. The TACC trainee Leadership Award and my involvement in the TACC community in general have accelerated and improved the quality of my project by helping me make informed design decisions. These opportunities have also helped me develop research and career skills specific to autism research, which will be useful as I progress with my current project and in projects I undertake in the future. “

Christian Sprang
Masters Student

Afiqah Yusuf
Postdoctoral Fellow
” This leadership award gave me the precious opportunity to significantly contribute to the Q1K Project. I assisted in the development and implementation of the protocol for the Q1K Project, giving me insight and experience into the collaborative and creative process of realizing a state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary and family-focused protocol. “