NSERC Announces $35,000 in Prizes for Canada’s Top Science Promoters

Individual winners ($5,000 each) this year are:

• Philip J. Currie (Drumheller, Alberta) (403) 823-7707;
• Sid Katz (Vancouver, British Columbia) (604) 822-1947; and
• Mark Winston (Burnaby, British Columbia)
  (604) 291-4459

Organizational winners ($10,000 each) this year are:

• Canadian Association for Girls in Science (Mississauga, Ontario) (905) 567-7190; and
• Deep River Science Academy (Deep River, Ontario) (613) 584-4541.

“The passion and creativity that the Michael Smith Award winners bring to the work of science promotion enrich all Canadians,” said Dr. Brzustowski. “Their accomplishments are key contributions to this country’s developing science and innovation culture. ”

“A good understanding of science and technology is part of an essential education for all of us as citizens in today’s knowledge-intensive society,” he added. “These prize winners have played an important role in fostering this understanding, by successfully capturing the excitement of discovery and innovation.”

The winners will each be presented with a medal bearing Dr. Smith’s likeness in a ceremony at Science World British Columbia on November 22, 2004. Michael Smith won a Nobel Prize in 1993 for his breakthrough contribution to genetic research.

Tickets for the awards ceremony and dinner are available at $65 each from Science World British Columbia ((604) 443-7431 or http://www.scienceworld.ca/michaelsmith.php) until noon (PST), Wednesday, November 17.

Science and Engineering Research Canada (more commonly known as NSERC) is a key federal agency investing in people, discovery and innovation. It supports both basic university research through research grants, and project research through partnerships among postsecondary institutions, government and the private sector, as well as the advanced training of highly qualified people.

For complete details on the achievements of each of the winners, visit NSERC’s Web site at http://www.nserc.gc.ca/msmith/msawards/the_awards_e.htm.

For more information, contact:

Michael Dwyer
Media and Public Affairs Officer
NSERC Newsbureau
Tel.: (613) 992-9001
E-mail: michael.dwyer@nserc.ca

Background on Winners

For more than 30 years, Philip J. Currie’s name has been virtually synonymous with dinosaurs in the Canadian public’s mind. Dr. Currie was the scientific mastermind behind the creation of the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, which is now one of Canada’s most popular museums and a world-renowned centre for the study of dinosaurs. Dr. Currie has brought dinosaurs and their worlds to millions of Canadians through countless radio and television programs as well as innumerable public lectures, youth programs, films and children’s books. In 2003, Time magazine hailed him as one of Canada’s top five explorers.

Sid Katz, a professor of pharmacology and Executive Director of Community Affairs at the University of British Columbia, has greatly contributed to science awareness and public education in Canada. A respected academic, researcher, communicator, educator and volunteer, he has played an active role in breaking down the barriers between the research community and the general public. His parallel career as a science and health broadcaster has allowed him to take university knowledge to a general audience via national radio and television, film documentaries, newspaper articles and public speaking. As Executive Director of Science World in Vancouver, CEO of the Ontario Science Centre, and Chairman of the Education Committee of Genome BC, Dr. Katz has helped enhance elementary and high school curricula with internet activities, bringing science to life for countless schoolchildren.

An acclaimed international scholar in the field of insect communication, Mark Winston of Simon Fraser University has used his passion as the Bee Man to effectively engage diverse audiences in the excitement of science, and beyond that, to stimulate debate about the role of science in our everyday lives. From community initiatives in urban landscapes, and active engagement of young people in classrooms, to films, interviews, popular articles and internationally lauded books, Dr. Winston has been an enthusiastic communicator of science. He urges his own students to be strong advocates and encourages others to participate in critical dialogue about social issues.

The Canadian Association for Girls in Science is an association run by girls for girls. It all started in 1992 when a young girl of 9, Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko, noticed that her friends lacked an interest in science and research. In response, she decided to start a club dedicated to science, technology, engineering and math. During the past 11 years, thousands of young girls from age 7 to 16 from across Canada have joined, whether as part of a local chapter or as a virtual member. In addition to ongoing exchanges via the Web site, monthly meetings with scientists help keep members in the know.

For some 17 years the Deep River Science Academy (DRSA) has encouraged high school students from across Canada to pursue science or engineering careers by exposing them to real-life research. Under the supervision of a professional researcher from one of DRSA's research partners, pairs of high school students are teamed up with an undergraduate university student tutor for six weeks to pursue one of the research partner's projects. With the help of DRSA's many volunteers, over 1,000 high school students, and 500 undergraduate university student tutors, have experienced every stage of genuine scientific enquiry.