This text is part of the special section Les prix de l’Acfas
For his 100e anniversary, Acfas offers itself two new prizes, in addition to the ten that already exist. Starting next year, the Association will highlight an emerging researcher and another who has the audacity to work in French outside Quebec, in a minority context.
A first prize will recognize the commitment of a researcher to research in French outside Quebec, in a minority context. Whether through publications in French, the organization of scientific activities or popularization in French, the winner will have promoted Francophone scientific vitality in a predominantly Anglophone environment. Sponsored by the Association of Canadian Francophonie Colleges and Universities, it will be named the Gilles Paquette Prize.
“This former president of Acfas relaunched our entire regional network and our branches across Canada in 1987,” explains the current president, Jean-Pierre Perreault. “Today, we have branches in Toronto, Sudbury, Acadia, Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan. »
The second new prize will celebrate an inspiring research journey by an emerging researcher. “We want to recognize the diversity, richness and originality of certain paths, and reward people who stand out for their ability to project themselves into the future and make a difference,” says Mr. Perreault. Encouraging the next generation has been part of our mission since day one, it was the very desire of the founders of Acfas. The Acfas Relève prize, sponsored by the Ministère de la Langue française du Québec, may be given to students enrolled in the master’s or doctoral program or to postdoctoral fellows who have presented their work at the previous Acfas Congress.
From two to twelve prizes
These two additions will complete the range of ten prizes awarded by the organization each year.
“The Acfas prizes have been awarded since 1944. They have become prestigious because they are historic,” maintains Mr. Perreault, who says he is constantly impressed by the quality of the nominations. In the first years, only two prizes were awarded: the Léo-Pariseau medal, which rewards a researcher in the field of biological sciences or health sciences, and the Urgel-Archambault medal, intended for a specialist in the physical sciences, mathematics, computer science or engineering.
Since then, Acfas has incorporated all areas of knowledge and research into its mission. In addition to the fundamental sciences, the Acfas prizes celebrate the humanities and social sciences, from which education sciences stand out, which have held their own prize since 2020.
“As we celebrate the 100e anniversary of Acfas, we want to bring out this historical character,” summarizes Mr. Perrault, proud that Acfas is one of the rare century-old associations in Quebec. The two new prizes reaffirm the pan-Canadian character focused on the future of scientific research at Acfas, alongside partners specific to each prize. “Our many partners allow us to realize to what extent Acfas brings together a whole series of organizations to work for the good of science and promote innovation in French. »
As another historical nod, the organization put up for sale, during the gala, two hundred herbariums, all unique, which showcase Quebec flora. They are the result of a project carried out with the Institute for Research in Plant Biology, in memory of Brother Marie-Victorin, one of the founders of Acfas, and his masterpiece, Laurentian florafrom 1935.
In defense of science in French
To be awarded an Acfas prize, do you have to write your scientific publications in French? “No, answers Jean-Pierre Perreault clearly. The candidates are French-speaking people or are at least Francophiles. These are people who have made great ends of their careers in French. The president of Acfas, who is a molecular biologist and expert in RNA and viroid enzymology, says he himself regularly publishes his work in English. “But I do a lot of popularization in French, and we speak French in my laboratory. »
If the decline of French in scientific publications is undeniable, “it is not the hobbyhorse, according to Mr. Perreault. Everything about science communication is also very important. And we have plenty of new means of communication in front of us. »
However, one of the obstacles to publishing in French is the lack of access to subsidies, recognizes Mr. Perreault. In its brief submitted during the pan-Canadian consultations on official languages, Acfas pointed out the flaws in the system for evaluating applications for funding for French-speaking researchers outside Quebec. “If the applicants tell themselves that they have a better chance of getting a positive response by submitting their application in English, there is a good chance that their subsequent publications will be in English,” said Mr. Perreault. Under the aegis of Acfas, a French Research Assistance Service is being set up by the Quebec Ministry of Canadian Relations and the Canadian Francophonie, to provide Francophones in a minority context with support equivalent to that available to their English-speaking peers.
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