Today, the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, and the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced $10 million in additional funding to the Gairdner Foundation through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). This new investment, provided in Budget 2024, will be used to increase the value of Gairdner's flagship prize, the Canada Gairdner International Award, from $100,000 to $250,000. Five of these awards are given annually to outstanding biomedical scientists whose unique scientific contributions have increased the understanding of human biology and disease.
Since 1957, the Gairdner Foundation has recognized scientific excellence around the world. Nearly 70 years later, Gairdner continues to celebrate achievement in biomedical and global health research with its suite of Canada Gairdner Awards, the country's most prestigious awards in the biomedical sciences. Through its outreach activities, the Gairdner Foundation also increases public awareness of science and strengthens Canada's reputation as a world leader in research and innovation.
Past Gairdner Award winners include researchers responsible for life-changing scientific discoveries that have contributed to global scientific knowledge, saved countless lives, and improved the health and well-being of people around the globe. Notable past research projects include the discovery of cancer stem cells that revolutionized the treatment of leukemia and other cancers, the rapid development of mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, and the design of game-changing new treatments for diabetes and obesity.
The winners of the 2025 Canada Gairdner Awards will be announced on April 11 in Toronto and broadcast via livestream.
