UBC Reports | Vol. 47 | No. 06 | Mar.
22, 2001
New foundation honours Michael Smith’s wish
A new health foundation that the B.C. government recently
contributed $110-million to create is already accepting applications
in its bid to attract and keep the best young brains in science.
The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research will recognize
the legacy of UBC Biotechnology Prof. Emeritus Michael Smith, a
Nobel Prize-winner who died last year.
“This is an excellent way to honour Michael Smith and carry on
his efforts to attract the best and the brightest young scientists
to B.C. and keep them here,” says Indira Samarasekera, vice-president,
Research.
The deadlines for the foundation’s first two competitions for
the career and five-year trainee awards are April 24 and May 8 respectively.
The funds will be used over five years to support the recruitment,
training and retention of health researchers by paying their salaries.
In five years, the fund should support 255 researchers at teaching
hospitals, universities and in the biotechnology industry.
The foundation is the result of a year-long effort by the Coalition
for Health Research, which represents B.C.’s key provincial teaching
hospitals, universities, community health organizations and biotech
companies. The coalition is chaired by UBC Pediatrics Prof. Dr.
Aubrey Tingle, who will serve as chief executive officer of the
foundation.
Foundation directors will include Samarasekera; Pediatrics
professor Dr. Judith Hall; Bill Barrable, CEO of the B.C. Transplant
Society; Simon Sutcliffe, CEO of the B.C. Cancer Agency; and Bruce
Clayman, vice-president of research at SFU.
For more information visit www.msfhr.org.
