Submit a
Nomination
Nomination
Countdown
Key Dates
Nominations for the 2027 International and Global Health Awards are due by 11:59 pm PDT on October 1, 2026.
Nominations for the 2027 Momentum Awards are due by 11:59 pm PDT on July 15, 2026.
This are strict deadlines. Nominations received after this date will be considered for the following year.
The 2026 recipients were announced on March 31, 2026, and their awards will be presented in October of 2026.
Submit a nomination
Anyone can nominate a Canada Gairdner awardee. Review our guides below, take a look at the FAQs and submit your nomination through our online nomination portal.
Interactive online information sessions are available from May to early September for those interested in the award and nomination. Please register for a session here or connect with Sarah Devonshire.
Faqs
Who selects the Gairdner Award Laureates?
The awards are decided upon by committees of scientific peers relevant to the award’s area of focus.
The International Award is selected by two committees, the Medical Review Panel and the Medical Advisory Board.
The first committee is the Medical Review Panel, whose members are primarily Canadian researchers representing the breadth and diversity of the Canadian research community. The Medical Review Panel evaluates the pool of eligible nominations for the International Award and elevates a list of leading candidates to the Medical Advisory Board for further review.
The Medical Advisory Board is comprised of leading international researchers in biomedical science, including major institutional leaders and past Gairdner Laureates. The Committee strives to represent a wide range of experience, expertise and knowledge from the international scientific community. Medical Advisory Board members undertake a thorough review and discussion process for each elevated nomination, with the final decision being made by blind ballot vote.
The Global Health Award is selected by the Global Health Adjudication Committee, made up of leading researchers in those areas that are relevant geographically, socially and scientifically to the practice of Global Health, including past laureates of the Award. Global Health Adjudication Committee members undertake a thorough review and discussion process for eligible nominations, with the final decision being made by blind ballot vote.
The Momentum Awards are selected by the Momentum Award Adjudication Committee which brings together Canadian and international senior scientific research administrators and international mid-career research peers to evaluate the submissions for the Momentum Award. Committee members undertake a thorough review and discussion process for eligible nominations, with the final decision being made by blind ballot vote.
- Nomination
Our Awards
The Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate the world’s best biomedical and global health researchers through annual prestigious awards. Since 1957, 443 awards have been bestowed on laureates from over 40 countries, and of those awardees, 103 have gone on to receive Nobel Prizes.
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Canada Gairdner International Award
Five awarded annually. Awarded to outstanding biomedical scientists who have made original contributions resulting in an increased understanding of human biology and disease.
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John Dirks Canada Gairdner Global Health Award
One awarded annually. Awarded for scientifically based research that has improved the health and well-being of those facing health inequities worldwide.
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Peter Gilgan Canada Gairdner Momentum Award
Two awarded annually. Awarded to mid-career researchers working in Canada who in their last six active years have produced exceptional scientific research contributions with continued potential for impact on human health.
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