Nominations open for this year’s Herzberg Medal

Ottawa, ON March 11, 2003 With its April 15 submission deadline fast approaching, nominations are being sought for this year’s NSERC Herzberg Medal. Named in honour of the late Dr Gerhard Herzberg, Canada’s 1971 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, the medal is the NSERC’s highest honour, and recognizes research contributions characterized by both excellence and influence two qualities that defined Dr Herzberg’s illustrious career.

The medal 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.

In addition, 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.

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.

Last year’s recipient was University of Ottawa chemist Tito Scaiano, who won for his meticulous, three-decades-long probing of the interactions of light and molecules. Dr Scaiano was awarded $250,000 over the next five years to supplement his existing research funding of $1 million from NSERC.

The recipient may be a scientist or engineer from a Canadian university, government lab or private firm.

More information on submitting nominations is available on NSERC’s website at www.nserc.ca.