Dr. John Polanyi wins Canada's most prestigious science award

“The NSERC Herzberg Medal recognizes Canadian researchers whose work embodies the same combination of influence and excellence exemplified by Dr. Herzberg during his lifetime,” commented Dr. Fortier. “John Polanyi certainly epitomizes these values, through his research, as well as through his work in shedding new light on the social implications of science.”

The other finalists for the NSERC Herzberg Medal are Dr. Gilles Brassard of the Université de Montréal and Dr. Graham Bell of McGill University. They will each receive a $50,000 research grant. As first-time finalists, Dr. Polanyi and Dr. Bell will also receive the NSERC Award of Excellence.

The NSERC Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal will be presented at a ceremony this evening in Ottawa. At the same event, NSERC will honour six rising stars of Canadian research as winners of the NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowships.

NSERC is a federal agency whose vision is to help make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for the benefit of all Canadians. The agency support some 25,000 university students and postdoctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 11,000 university professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,400 Canadian companies to participate and invest in university research projects.

For background on the NSERC Herzberg Medal, visit www.nserc.gc.ca/herzberg/e.

For more information, or to arrange an interview with Dr. John Polanyi, please contact:

Doré Dunne
Manager, Public Affairs
NSERC
Tel.: 613-996-4690
Cell: 613-851-8677
E-mail:

Martine Perreault
Media and Public Affairs Officer
NSERC
Tel.: 613-996-7238
Cell: 613-794-9170
E-mail: