Recipients of the 2017 Killam Program are announced

Ottawa, May 2, 2017 – The Canada Council for the Arts announced today the winners and recipients of the 2017 Killam Prizes and Fellowships. Celebrating 50 years of research and innovation, this prestigious program recognizes working scientists, writers, doctors and researchers who have dedicated their careers to solving challenges in our daily lives. They risk, innovate and lead the next generation of brilliant minds to a stronger future.

Killam Prizes

The Killam Prize honors eminent Canadian scholars and scientists actively engaged in research, whether in industry, government agencies or universities. Winners are a vibrant group of scholars, whose lifetime of work has impacted the lives of Canadians and citizens around the world. Each will receive a $100,000 prize and be honoured at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on May 30th.

• Social Sciences – John Borrows, University of Victoria, is a scholar and lawyer specializing in Indigenous legal rights and comparative constitutional law. He is a strong supporter of incorporating Indigenous legal concepts into the practice of Canadian Law. Dr. Borrows is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, Canada.
• Natural Sciences – W. Ford Doolittle, Dalhousie University, is an evolutionary and molecular biologist integrating the philosophy of biology and genomic research on notions of the “tree of life” and Gaia Theory. His work in molecular genetics includes the study of lateral gene transfer, a key driver of microbial evolution and the proposition of an alternative “web of life” theory.
• Humanities – Tom Hurka, University of Toronto, is a philosopher whose research and teaching are about moral and political philosophy, especially normative ethical theory and asking the question “What makes a good life?” According to Dr. Hurka, the answer is pleasure, knowledge, achievement, virtue, and friendship.
• Health Sciences – Julio Montaner, University of British Columbia, is a physician and HIV/AIDS researcher credited for saving millions of lives worldwide with his bold work on Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy and championing the “Treatment as Prevention” Strategy. He is also a supporter of harm reduction, including safe injection sites and needle exchange programs and is currently working with the World Health Organization on prevention strategies for viral hepatitis.
• Engineering – Molly Shoichet, University of Toronto, is a researcher whose work centers on tissue and polymer engineering, focusing on targeted drug delivery, tissue regeneration and stem cell research. She is a strong advocate of women in science and technology careers and is widely considered to be one of the world’s finest scientists.

Killam Research Fellowships

Over two years, $840,000 will be awarded in Killam Research Fellowships, granting six scholars full teaching and administrative release so they may pursue independent research on a specific project.

• Roberto Abraham, University of Toronto – Project: Probing the Low Surface Universe with Dragonfly
• Deborah J Cook, McMaster University – Project: Modifying the Microbiome in Critical Illness: The Potential of Probiotics
• Eric Helleiner, University of Waterloo – Project: Globalizing the Classical Foundations of International Political Economy
• Dominic McIver Lopes, University of British Columbia – Project: Being for Beauty: Aesthetic Agency and Value
• Louis Taillefer, Université de Sherbrooke – Project: High-temperature Superconductivity
• Christine Wilson, McMaster University – Project: Dense Gas and Star Formation in Galaxies: An ALMA Archival Project

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Learn more about the Killam program

• Winners and recipients are chosen by a selection committee of their peers.
• The Killam Prize was first awarded in 1981.
• Previous recipients include David Suzuki, Victoria Kaspi, Mark Wainberg, Nobel Prize winner Arthur MacDonald.
• The Canada Council received a donation through the will of Mrs. Dorothy J. Killam in 1965 to establish a Fellowship program (1968).
• In total, the Killam Trusts are valued at approximately $450 million, of which the Canada Council portion is $57 million.

Canada Council for the Arts

The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national public arts funder. We champion and invest in artistic excellence so that Canadians may enjoy and participate in a rich cultural life. In 2015-16 we allocated $157.4 million dollars towards artistic creation and innovation through our grants, prizes and payments. We also conduct research, convene activities and work with partners to advance the sector and help embed the arts more deeply in communities across the country. We are responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future for Canadians. The Canada Council Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts.

Tous les documents du Conseil des arts du Canada sont offerts en français et en anglais.