Latest News

Are you a grad student or postdoc interested in teaching in higher education? Are you curious about what kinds of teaching-related careers are out there, and how to get those jobs? Join us for an engaging and interactive online workshop to learn more! Everyone is welcome!

Date & Time:

Thu Apr 25th (2hrs)
[12pm EDT/11am CDT/10am MDT/9am PDT]

Registration Link: [Link]

Êtes-vous un étudiant diplômé ou un post-doctorant intéressé par l'enseignement dans l'enseignement supérieur? Êtes-vous curieux de savoir quels types de carrières liées à l'enseignement existent, et comment obtenir ces emplois? Rejoignez-nous pour un atelier en ligne engageant et interactif afin d'en savoir plus! Tout le monde est le bienvenu!

Date et heure:

Thu Apr 25th (2hrs)
[12pm EDT/11am CDT/10am MDT/9am PDT]

Lien d'inscription: [Lien]

The fifth annual Canadian 2SLGBTQ+ in STEM Conference (2slgbtqplusstem.wordpress.com) will take place May 2-4, 2024, at the University of Regina. This event celebrates diversity in STEM, highlights the contributions of the 2SLGBTQ+ community in science and engineering, and provides opportunities for interdisciplinary networking and collaboration.

Abstract submission is NOW OPEN. We encourage you to submit your abstracts at the following link before March 13th: https://forms.gle/Hv6BL5RLR6bswFyw9

Conference registration is also open. You can submit registrations to the following link:

https://forms.gle/d1YKiCQj82ziuaim6 

Please contact the organizing team at 2slgbtqplusstem@uregina.ca with any questions about this event.

La conférence canadienne 2SLGBTQ+ STEM se tiendra à l'Université de Regina du 2 à 4 mai, 2024. Cet événement  célèbre la diversité en STEM  et représente une opportunité pour l'établissement de liens interdisciplinaires.

La conférence aura lieu en anglais seulement.

La soumission des résumés est maintenant ouverte. Nous vous invitons à soumettre votre résumé avant le 13 mars sur le lien suivant: https://forms.gle/Hv6BL5RLR6bswFyw9

Les inscriptions sont aussi ouvertes pour le conférence. Vous pouvez vous inscrire sur le lien suivant: https://forms.gle/ze1fucGctDvF2ZuH9

N'hésitez pas à contacter l'équipe organisatrice (en anglais ou en français) à l'adresse 2slgbtqplusstem@uregina.ca.

EMBO Workshop: Plant Calcium Signalling will be held in Lisbon, Portugal from July 1-4, 2024. 

The deadline for registration is March 31, 2024, and the deadline for abstract submission is April 30, 2024.

For more information, please go to the event website by clicking on the link below:

https://meetings.embo.org/event/24-calcium-signaling

Plant Canada 2024 is now open for event registration and abstract submission! This event is taking place on July 6-10 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is a joint meeting for all societies, and will represent the CSPB-SCBV Annual General Meeting for 2024. To register for this event, submit your abstract, or reserve a hotel, visit the Plant Canada 2024 website. Register by April 15, 2024 to get an early-bird discount of $100 on your registration fee. Abstract submission ends May 17, 2024.

L'inscription à Plant Canada 2024 et la soumission des résumés sont désormais ouvertes ! Cet événement aura lieu du 6 au 10 juillet à Winnipeg, au Manitoba. Il s'agit d'une réunion conjointe pour toutes les sociétés, et représentera l'assemblée générale annuelle de la CSPB-SCBV pour 2024. Pour vous inscrire à cet événement, soumettre votre résumé ou réserver un hôtel, visitez le site Web de Plant Canada 2024. Inscrivez-vous avant le 15 avril 2024 pour bénéficier d'un rabais de 100 $ sur vos frais d'inscription. La soumission des résumés se termine le 17 mai 2024.

Are you a postdoc, research associate or new faculty member? Let us help you improve your visibility! The CSPB - SCBV is looking to feature out ECR members on our social media pages, website and in communications including our biannual bulletin. If you are interested in being featured please send a headshot, a short bio (<150 words) and your contact info (e-mail, social handles, website) to our Postdoc Rep Dr. Mark Minow at postdocrep@cspb-scbv.ca. We will accept features on a rolling basis.

As we move into the New Year, we encourage you to nominate an exceptional member of the Canadian plant biology community for a CSPB-SCBV Award today.

The Society is launching a new system for award nominations, which will allow for nominations to be submitted online through Google Forms. This replaces our previous format, which required nominators to submit packages via e-mail to the Award Committee Chairs. We hope this will make the award nomination process more transparent and accessible. As always full details of all Society awards can always be found in the CSPB-SCBV Bylaws.

Award nomination forms can be accessed on the respective award pages. Inquiries regarding awards can be sent to the respective awards committee email addresses which can also be found on these pages.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATION IS FEBRUARY 1, 2024

The following awards are open for nomination this year:

Early Career-Specific Awards
The RAGAI IBRAHIM AWARD: The purpose of the award is to recognize excellence in publication by graduate stu- dents. A peer reviewed paper either in print or on-line may be self nominated or nominated by the supervisor, and will be evaluated on the impact or potential impact that the work will have on plant biology.

The CARL DOUGLAS PRIZE: The Prize shall be awarded for outstanding contributions to plant biology by a post- doctoral fellow, based on initiative and originality of the research, productivity of the individual, and leadership during their postdoctoral fellowship. A postdoctoral fellow is an individual who has completed their PhD and is engaged in full-time re- search under the supervision of a mentor. Applicants shall have obtained their PhD no more than 4 years (i.e., 48 months) prior to the date of the submission of the application, although career breaks will be taken into account when applicants are nearing the end of this eligibility period (e.g. maternity or parental leave, caregiver’s responsibilities, illness, etc.). Applicants need not be Canadian citizens or engaged in a research program in Canada at the time of the nomination or during their postdoctoral fellowship. Preference will be given to applicants who are current members of the Society and have previously participated as a member of the Society.

Other Awards
The C.D. NELSON AWARD IN PLANT BIOLOGY: This award shall be given for outstanding research contributions to plant biology. Special consideration will be given to originality and independence of thought. Nominees shall have been in an independent, full-time research position for no more than 10 years, although career breaks will be taken into account when applicants are nearing the end of this eligibility period (e.g. maternity or parental leave, caregiver’s responsibilities, illness, etc.). Nominees need not be Canadian citizens or members of the Society but must be engaged in a research pro- gram in Canada at the time of the nomination.

THE GLEB KROTKOV AWARD: The Award shall be given for outstanding career service to the Society. The Award shall be awarded by decision of the Board of Directors on the recommendation of the Gleb Krotkov Award Committee. A nomination for the Award must be supported by one Full Member and shall be documented with a full curriculum vitae and a citation outlining the nominee’s outstanding career service to the Society.

CSPB-SCBV SOCIETY MEDAL: The Medal shall be awarded for outstanding career research and leadership contri- butions, primarily in Canada. A nomination for the Medal must be supported by one Full Member and shall be documented with a full curriculum vitae and a citation outlining the nominee’s outstanding career research and leadership contributions to plant biology.

DAVID J. GIFFORD AWARD IN TREE BIOLOGY: Given in recognition of outstanding contributions in tree biology, primarily in Canada. Nominees must be engaged in a research program in Canada at the time of nomination and shall have been in an independent, full time research position for >15 years. Nominations must be made by a Full Member in good standing and include a full CV, and a citation outlining the nominee’s outstanding and original research contributions.

It is my sad duty to inform the CSPB-SCBV community of the passing of Professor Derek Bewley. Please take a moment to read an excerpt from Kent Bradford and Henk Hilhorst’s professional obituary which will be available in its entirety in the spring Bulletin of CSPB-SCBV.

Robin Cameron, President of CSPB-SCBV.

in Memoriam: J. Derek Bewley 1943-2023

Kent J. Bradford¹ and Henk W. M. Hilhorst^2,3

¹Seed Biotechnology Center, Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA; email: kjbradford@ucdavis.edu

²Laboratory of Plant Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands and ³University of Cape Town, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Cape Town, South-Africa; email: henk.hilhorst@wur.nl and henk.hilhorst@uct.ac.za

Dr. J. Derek Bewley, Emeritus Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology (formerly Department of Botany) at the University of Guelph, Canada, passed away due to cancer on February 24, 2023. Derek was a towering figure in seed science over the past five decades, making critical research contributions to a wide diversity of topics. He completed his undergraduate degree in Botany and Biochemistry at the University of London in 1965 and his PhD with Michael Black at the same institution in 1968. He began his research career investigating the action of phytochrome in relation to gibberellin (GA) in stimulating germination of lettuce seeds. He then moved in 1968 to a postdoc with Abe Marcus at the Fox Chase Institute for Cancer Research in Philadelphia. He accepted a faculty position at the University of Calgary, Canada, and continued his work on seed germination and desiccation tolerance. In 1985, Derek moved to the University of Guelph to become the Chair of the Botany Department and to continue his work in seed biology. Derek completed his publishing career by contributing to an Annual Review of Plant Biology article on desiccation tolerance in 2020, his 275^th publication. While Derek’s research alone would ensure his recognition as a foundational plant biologist, his authorship of books has added substantially to his reputation and his impact on the field. In collaboration with Michael Black, he published two volumes of the Physiology and Biochemistry of Seeds in Relation to Germination. These books, along with the less research-oriented textbook Seeds: Physiology of Development and Germination (3 editions), introduced a generation of seed biologists to both the history of their field and its future directions. During his career, Derek supervised 46 students to a postgraduate degree, many of whom continued in academic or research professions, and mentored 54 postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists. Nationally and internationally, Derek served as President of the Canadian Society of Plant Biologists and as a Corresponding Member of the American Society of Plant Biologists. He is recognized as a Pioneer Member of the latter organization and also received its Charles Reid Barnes Life Membership Award. Derek, along with his mentor and colleague Michael Black, played critical roles in the establishment of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS) in 1999. Derek was President-elect from 2002-2005 and President from 2005-2008.

As President of CSPB-CSBV, it is my sad duty to inform the CSPB-SCBV community that Professor Mary E. Spencer passed away peacefully on December 18^th 2022 at the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre. Professor Spencer made outstanding contributions to the field of plant biology, specifically in understanding how ethylene is produced. Professor Spencer’s exceptional career was recognized by her election to the Royal Society of Canada as a Fellow in 1976 and an Order of Canada in 2001, among many other honours. She gave back to the plant biology community as an active member of the Canadian Society of Plant Biology / La Société Canadienne de Biologie Végétale in her role on several committees, as Western Regional Director, Vice-President and President. Her name and memory live on in the CSPB-SCBV Mary E. Spencer Award that was established in 2018, to recognize CSPB-SCBV members who have made outstanding contributions to plant biology research and public service to the plant biology community. A more detailed professional obituary by Professor Deep Saini will be posted in the next few months. 

Robin Cameron CSPB - SCBV President

The CSPB Western Regional Meeting 2023 is now open for registration and abstract submission!

The WRM will take place on May 1^st and 2^nd at the University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. in conjunction with the UVic Centre for Forest Biology Research Symposium.

Deadline for abstract submission: March 27, 2023

Deadline for free registration: April 11, 2023

Looking forward to seeing you in Victoria!

The Organizing Committee