MONTREAL, April 23, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - The new $1 million CAD Arctic
Inspiration Prize was launched today at the International Polar Year
2012 conference. The Prize will be awarded annually to recognize and
promote the extraordinary contribution made by teams in the gathering
of Arctic knowledge and their plans to implement this knowledge into
real world applications for the benefit of the Canadian Arctic, its
Peoples and therefore Canada as a whole.
The Arctic Inspiration Prize is made possible through the generous
endowment of the S. and A. Inspiration Foundation, the commitment of
the ArcticNet Network of Centres of Excellence to voluntarily manage
the Prize, as well as the contribution of numerous volunteers and
partners.
"The motivation for the Arctic Inspiration Prize is derived from our wish
as immigrants to contribute to the future of our adopted country of
choice with a focus on the Canadian Arctic and the major challenges to
its rapidly changing environment, culture, technology and economy. It is our dream and hope, that in addition to our contribution, other
individuals and organizations from north and south will contribute and
help make the Arctic Inspiration Prize a long lasting success" said Arnold Witzig, Director of the S. and A. Inspiration Foundation.
The Prize recognizes and encourages teamwork and collaboration among
diverse groups and organizations in addressing the causes rather than
the symptoms of issues of importance to the Canadian Arctic and its
Peoples.
"ArcticNet is proud and honoured to manage the Arctic Inspiration Prize.
The Prize is clearly aligned with our Network's vision of a future
where knowledge exchange, monitoring, modeling and capacity building
will have enabled scientists, Northerners and decision makers to
jointly attenuate the negative impacts and maximize the positive
outcomes of the transformation of the Canadian Arctic" said Martin Fortier, ArcticNet's Executive Director.
A Selection Committee composed of distinguished individuals known for
their commitment to the Canadian Arctic and its inhabitants will select
from one to five Prize winners annually, with associated awards
totalling $1 million. Current members of the Selection Committee
include Inuit Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Inuit
Juno award winner Susan Aglugark, CBC's Chief correspondent Peter
Mansbridge, Rhodes scholar and founder of Dechinta, Erin Freeland
Ballantyne and Queens University professor and Chair of the
International Polar Year 2012 Conference, Peter Harrison.
Teams may not apply directly for the Prize but need to be nominated.
Nominations Forms will be available on the Arctic Inspiration Prize
website on 31 May 2012.
The first Arctic Inspiration Prize Awards Ceremony will be held in
conjunction with the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting on the evening
of Wednesday 12 December in Vancouver B.C.
Additional information:
The S. and A. Inspiration Foundation was founded by Ms. Sima Sharifi and Mr. Arnold Witzig in 2008 as a
not-for-profit corporation, located in Vancouver, B.C. The foundation
has been active in charitable endeavours in the fields of education and
gender equality throughout the developing world. In 2011, they decided
to focus the activities of their foundation in Canada, their homeland
of choice.
ArcticNet is a Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada that brings together
scientists and managers in the natural, human health and social
sciences with their partners from Inuit organizations, northern
communities, federal and provincial agencies and the private sector to
study the impacts of climate change and modernisation in the Canadian
Arctic. Over 150 ArcticNet researchers and 700 graduate students,
postdoctoral fellows, research associates and technicians from 30
Canadian universities and 20 federal and provincial departments and
agencies collaborate on 36 research projects with more than 100 partner
organizations from 15 countries.
