The Frank S. Shea Memorial Award honours the student making the best presentation regarding an aspect of or with implications for economic or applied geology. If the winner of the Science Atlantic Best Paper Award gives an economic or applied geology presentation, then the Shea Award will go to the economic or applied geology presentation judged to be next best.

The Frank s. Shea Memorial Award is sponsored by the Mining Society of Nova Scotia. Organized in the 1890s to promote the mineral industry, to share technical knowledge and to encourage fellowship, this Society was one of the founding members of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (CIM), the premier mining organization in Canada. The Society is pleased to support this award honouring a student, the contributions of Frank Shea, and the economic impact of geology on the Canadian economy.

The award consists of a cash prize of 500$ for the student and 100$ toward that student's club.

During some 27 years, Frank Shea was engaged in mineral resources exploration and development activities in the Atlantic region. For more than 10 years he served as Chief Geologist and division director of the Mineral Resources and Geological Services Division in the former Nova Scotia Department of Mines.

Frank graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in 1954 with a BSc in geology. He continued his studies at Dalhousie University, receiving his Master’s degree in 1958. Frank had a great love for his native province and promoted its welfare by assisting mineral exploration and research projects whenever and wherever he could. He was a strong supporter of educational programs in geology such as the geology field school at Crystal Cliffs near Antigonish and prospector training.