The Vanier Medal

An Award in Public Service Excellence

First presented in 1962, The Institute of Public Administration awards the Vanier Medal as a mark of distinction and exceptional achievement to a person who has shown distinctive leadership in public administration and public service in Canada, or who has made a significant contribution in the field of public administration or public service in Canada.

Georges Vanier, then Governor General of Canada, consented to have the medal known as "The Vanier Medal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

IPAC will confer awards at the 2026 National Public Service Symposium in Ottawa from October 5 to 7, 2026, where the Vanier Medal recipient will deliver a speech.

Submission Process 

Access the Nomination Form - Open for 2026

Access Nomination Form

Access the Nomination Form - Open for 2026

Read about the Past Annual Conference (2025)

Trust, Change, and Public Administration

About the Award

This award is given annually to an individual with long-term, dedicated service in the field of public administration. Nominees will have an exceptional record of remarkable achievements in a variety of different positions, having navigated and managed complex problems over a number of years. They will have made a highly significant and valuable impact on the public interest and contributed to increased confidence and trust in public administration. Nominated individuals must be able and willing to provide an insightful lecture at a future IPAC event.

 

Key Dates

Winner Announcement: IPAC 2026 National Public Service Symposium in Ottawa

Nomination Deadline: May 30th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT

Adjudication of IPAC Awards has a two-tier process. The nominations are screened by an awards committee that will develop a shortlist of the nominations. The jury will then determine the winner for each category.

 

Read the (2025) awards shortlist

Submission Process

 

All submissions for IPAC awards will use the same nomination form. Nominations must include a concise description of the nominee and/or the nominee’s initiative that commenced and was implemented in the previous year. Descriptions should be no longer than 1000 words. Nominators should not be directly involved with the work of the nominee. Reference letters are critical; each nomination must be accompanied by a maximum of three references with a minimum of 2 external. Letters should be 750 words or less and written by individuals who were not directly involved with the nominee’s work. 

 

Click Here to Access the Nomination Form
To submit a nomination, fill in this nomination form and submit it before the closing date. Winners will be contacted before the 2025 National Public Service Symposium in September.

If you need to confirm receipt, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected]