Need $20 million? Come to Alberta

The Canadian province of Alberta is linkurl:offering up;http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/press/2007-02-14.php to three "superstar" biomedical researchers $20 million ($17 million US) each, distributed over 10 years, to move to Alberta and conduct research there. Half of the money comes from the funding agency Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR), and the province's three universities (University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and University of Lethbridge) will pony up t

| 1 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
1:00
Share
The Canadian province of Alberta is linkurl:offering up;http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/press/2007-02-14.php to three "superstar" biomedical researchers $20 million ($17 million US) each, distributed over 10 years, to move to Alberta and conduct research there. Half of the money comes from the funding agency Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research (AHFMR), and the province's three universities (University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and University of Lethbridge) will pony up the rest. AHFMR describes an eligible scientist as "a mid-career investigator with an outstanding record of accomplishments in health research who is prepared to relocate to Alberta full-time for the duration of the award." The agency plans to announce the first winner in 2008. AHFMR CEO and President Kevin Keough told me on the phone this morning that part of the $20 million could go to things other than direct research, such as salary, equipment or additional personnel. "We are going to be fairly open-minded about what the funding will be used for." He said the $20 million figure is designed to attract "high flying people on an upward trajectory," who will already have a "fair amount" of funding they would have to leave behind. The organization has prioritized projects involving disease prevention, food and health, maternal and child health, and health issues in rural and remote environments. It's been a big month -- recently, tycoon Richard Branson linkurl:offered a $25 million prize;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/51104/ for the best plan to remove greenhouse gases. AHFMR says theirs is the biggest health research award ever offered by a Canadian provincial agency. If you've heard of any other biggies, let us know.
Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Alison McCook

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide