Gairdner Foundation
The Gairdner Foundation is a Canadian science foundation based in Toronto . It was donated in 1957 by James Arthur Gairdner (1893–1971), a Toronto businessman. It is intended to recognize and reward outstanding scientific achievements in medicine and the life sciences .
The foundation awards several renowned medical prizes. The award winners present their research projects as part of the week-long Gairdner National Program at several Canadian academic institutions.
In 2008, the Canadian government supported the foundation with 20 million Canadian dollars (CAD) , which raised all prize money to 100,000 CAD and offered the new Canada Gairdner Global Health Award . The awards have been renamed the Canada Gairdner […] Awards . There were 383 awards.
Prices
The prizes awarded are:
- The Canada Gairdner International Award has been presented since 1959 and is considered one of the most prestigious medical prizes ever. About a quarter of its wearers later won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine .
- The Canada Gairdner Wightman Award is named after Keith JR Wightman (1914–1978), who was the first to receive it in 1976. Outstanding Canadian leaders in medicine and medical research are honored.
- The Canada Gairdner Global Health Award has been presented since 2009. It recognizes scientific achievements that have brought about or can bring about a significant improvement in health in developing countries .