About the Award

The NSERC Herzberg Medal, the Council's highest honour, recognizes research contributions characterized by both excellence and influence – two qualities that defined Dr. Herzberg's illustrious career. It is awarded annually to an individual who has demonstrated sustained excellence and influence in research, for a body of work conducted in Canada that has substantially advanced the natural sciences or engineering fields.

NSERC's objectives

The award is meant to celebrate Canada's most outstanding scientists and engineers and to raise public awareness about the major contributions that Canada's top researchers make to international science and technology, and to bettering people's lives.

The NSERC Herzberg Medal

In honour of the late Dr. Gerhard Herzberg, Canada's 1971 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, NSERC has dedicated its highest award to his memory.

In addition to the medal, the winner is guaranteed $1 million to use for his or her own university-based research or to direct in some related way such as the establishment of research scholarships, fellowships or chairs in his or her name in Canadian universities. The monetary award will be distributed over a five-year period.

If the winner already has an NSERC Discovery Grant, his or her grant will be increased to $200,000 for each of the five years. If the grant is currently greater than $150,000, it will be topped up by $50,000.

A winner who is not an NSERC Discovery Grant recipient may direct the full $200,000 to university research endeavours such as scholarships.

The NSERC Herzberg Medalist will be selected from three finalists who will each receive an NSERC Award of Excellence. The two finalists who are not selected as the Medalist will receive $50,000, applicable to their university research or to the establishment of research scholarships, fellowships or chairs in their name in Canadian universities.