The Ontario government is celebrating the province's top researchers with the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize. The annual award celebrates five scholars in the early stages of their careers already making significant contributions in the Nobel Prize fields of chemistry, economic science, literature, physics and physiology/medicine. These award winners are honoured for their hard work and innovative research, which will generate new ideas and discoveries to enhance the province's economic growth and competitive edge.
The Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Jill Dunlop, Minister of Colleges and Universities and Dr. John Charles Polanyi, Nobel Laureate in chemistry celebrated the winners at a ceremony held on February 21 at Queen's Park.
"These awards represent the past, present and future of research excellence in the province," said Minister Dunlop. "Dr. Polanyi, along with this year's five prize winners, embody the long tradition of exceptional innovation in Ontario - as well as the opportunities for discovery that still lie ahead. I'm proud to honour their incredible work and their dedication to building a better future for all Ontarians with their ground-breaking research."
The 2023 Polanyi Prize winners are:
- Dr. Elisabeth Prince, University of Waterloo, Chemistry
- Dr. Tianyi Wang, University of Toronto, Economic Science
- Dr. Ryan Cloutier, McMaster University, Physics
- Dr. Maya Fishbach, University of Toronto, Physics
- Dr. Kevin Champagne-Jorgensen, University of Toronto, Physiology/Medicine.
Research by this year's Polanyi Prize winners cover a range of diverse subject matter, including:
- Developing new solutions to plastic waste,
- Examining the impacts of politics on civil liberties and media freedom,
- Identifying potentially habitable worlds in other solar systems,
- Revolutionizing our understanding of stars, galaxies and cosmology, and
- Preventing the progression of multiple sclerosis and other brain diseases with gut microbes.
"This is the thirty-sixth year that our province has celebrated five scholars of high promise in the name of Alfred Nobel, outstanding Swedish inventor and idealist," said Dr. Polanyi. "Since it's creation, this award has garnered international acclaim and respect, as demonstrated when the King and Queen of Sweden came to Toronto to distribute the prizes in person a few years ago. How splendid that Ontario's commitment to the prizes has now been renewed (and increased) for the year of 2023! I speak as one who participated in the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes in Stockholm - Nobel believed original thinking could save the world. The challenges of this year cry out for the courage to think anew."
Ontario's research sector is a key source of innovation and commercialization, making it one of the leading contributors to the province's global competitiveness and productivity. Prioritizing the creation, protection and commercialization of intellectual property will support long-term economic growth and help ensure all Ontarians benefit from the inventions and discoveries that result from publicly funded research and innovation.
Quick Facts
- Established in 1987, the Polanyi Prizes are the highest recognition researchers can receive from the province of Ontario.
- The prizes are in honour of Dr. John Charles Polanyi, winner of the 1986 Nobel Prize in chemistry.
- The 2023 award winners will each receive $25,000 in recognition of their exceptional research, an increase of $5,000 from last year to support and acknowledge the value of their work.
- A panel directed by the executive heads of the Council of Ontario Universities selects prize recipients from a collection of nominees each year. The winners are nominated by the deans of university graduate schools across Ontario.
- Ontario is home to several other exceptional Nobel laureates, including Dr. Donna Strickland, Dr. Arthur B. McDonald and Alice Munro.
- The province is investing in innovation by supporting Ontario's research capacity in talent, infrastructure and operations; providing funding for basic, applied, and experimental research; and facilitating connections between the postsecondary education sector, research institutes and industries. Government support for research helps create new products, technologies and companies, driving investments in the economy.
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