Canada Foundation for Innovation supports new Governor General’s Innovation Awards

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is proud to support the new Governor General’s Innovation Awards, announced this morning by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston in a speech delivered to members of the Economic Club of Canada. The awards, established by His Excellency, will celebrate the nation’s most dynamic thinkers, risk-takers, entrepreneurs and innovators whose ideas are changing Canada and improving the lives of its citizens.

The annual award will recognize the achievements of a range of Canadian innovators — from youth who have had a significant impact within and beyond their communities to established innovators whose contributions to a variety of sectors have brought about substantial benefits to society. Their valuable contributions have helped position Canada as a progressive nation capable of succeeding, and leading, in an increasingly globalized world.

The CFI will manage the adjudication process for the award, drawing on the best practices of the well-established and highly rigorous merit-based review process it uses to award funds for research infrastructure projects at universities and colleges across the country. The CFI will convene a group of experts, who themselves are accomplished innovators, to assess the nominees.

 “The CFI is pleased to play a role in helping highlight some of Canada’s most creative and entrepreneurial minds through the Governor General’s Innovation Awards,” says Gilles Patry, President and CEO of the CFI. “Every day, Canadians benefit from social and commercial innovations. These awards offer the opportunity to celebrate the exceptional and transformative thinkers behind them.”

While the CFI will manage the adjudication process, the Office of the Governor General will oversee the Innovation Awards program and the Rideau Hall Foundation will gather and align resources from philanthropic and corporate sectors.

The inaugural awards ceremony to be celebrated at Rideau Hall in 2016. For further details about the new award, visit www.gg.ca.