CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Awards

The CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Awards are intended to highlight and celebrate the contributions of Canadian researchers in HIV/AIDS research in Canada and internationally. The awards are intended for individual researchers.

One nominee will be selected for each category. The Awards ceremony will be held at the annual CAHR conference:

Basic sciences
Clinical sciences
Epidemiology and Public health
Social sciences
Community-Based Research

Eligibility

To qualify for nomination, please consider the following eligibility criteria.

At the time of application, the nominee must have five to fifteen years of research experience working as an independent or Principal Investigator (i.e. since faculty appointment is in academia).

The nominee must be a faculty member at a Canadian university and/or independent researcher at a Canadian institution involved in research. We also welcome nominations of organizational employees who are working primarily as researchers.

No self-nominations will be accepted. A second party must nominate a nominee.

Award winners must attend the next annual CAHR conference and in particular the Awards Ceremony. Prior to submitting a nomination, please confirm with your nominee that they are available to attend the conference in its entirety.

For the CAHR-CANFAR Excellence in Research Award for community-based research, eligible candidates must be aligned with the CIHR definition of community-based research.

CAHR is committed to equity and inclusion, and welcomes applications from diverse Indigenous, cultural and regional communities, across gender and sexuality spectrums and from people with disabilities.

Awards Available

One award per research stream will be bestowed each year.

Nominations must clearly state only one of the following research streams:

Basic sciences
Clinical sciences
Epidemiology and public health
Social sciences
Community-Based Research

Successful nominees will receive free registration to the next CAHR conference. By accepting a nomination, nominees agree to attend the conference if they receive the award.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers will consider the following criteria:

Extent to which the nomination package outlines:

Proof of the nominee’s dedication as an active contributor to HIV research (general and in their specific stream)
Proof of the nominee’s high-quality research achievements through published works, presentations, and active projects
Evidence of a desire to synthesize, apply and translate past, present, and future research into the advancement of the Canadian and Global movements to end HIV

Additional Award Information

Please keep the following in mind when completing your nomination package and communicate these terms to the nominee.

The nominator is responsible for providing all the information and support materials. CAHR will not follow-up if components are missing. Additionally, no extra material will be considered or seen by the adjudication team.
Please ensure that any scans are clear and legible.
Please notify CAHR if any contact information changes.
All award winners are expected to meet the commonly held standards of professional ethics and scientific integrity.

How to Apply

To nominate a colleague, a complete awards package must be submitted via CAHR’s online application system.

A complete application must include:

Completed nomination form
Statement of nomination
Two (2) letters of recommendation
Nominee’s curriculum vitae (CV)

Applications are no longer being accepted for 2025.

Award Decision

All applicants will be contacted via email by CAHR regarding the outcome of the adjudication process. At such time, winners will be asked to accept their award, and confirm their attendance at the upcoming CAHR conference.

Award winners must consent to have a short biography posted on the CAHR and CANFAR websites and to be shared with funders for future organizational opportunities.

Personal Information

The Privacy Act gives individuals the right to access and request correction of personal information about themselves. CAHR and CANFAR will protect personal information as required by the Privacy Act.

Winners

2025

Basic Sciences: Paul McLaren (University of Manitoba)
Clinical Sciences: Melanie Murray (University of British Columbia)
Epidemiology-Public Health: Lawrence Mbuagbaw (McMaster University)
Social Sciences: Amaya Perez-Brumer (Dalla Lana School of Public Health)
Community-Based Research: Renee Masching

2024

Basic Sciences: Nicolas Chomont (Université de Montréal)
Clinical Sciences: Alice Tseng (University Health Network)
Epidemiology-Public Health: Kate Salters (Simon Fraser)
Social Sciences: Daniel Grace (Dalla Lana School of Public Health)
Community-Based Research: James Watson (St. Michael’s Hospital)

2023

Basic Sciences: Zabrina Brumme (Simon Fraser University)
Clinical Sciences: Bertrand Lebouché (McGill)
Epidemiology-Public Health: Nathan Lachowsky (University of Victoria)
Social Sciences: Carmen Logie (University of Toronto)
Community-Based Research: Marilou Gagnon (University of Victoria)

2022

Basic Sciences: Mohammad Ali Jenabian
Clinical Sciences: Cecilia Costiniuk
Epidemiology-Public Health: Angela Kaida
Social Sciences: Adrian Guta
Community-Based Research: The Thrive PRA Team (Sharyle Lyndon, Antonio Marante, Patience Magagula, Claudette Cardinal)

2021

Basic Sciences: Ralph Pantophlet
Clinical Sciences: Alex Wong
Epidemiology-Public Health: Mark Gilbert
Social Sciences: Sarah Flicker
Community-Based Research: Randy Jackson

2020

Basic Sciences: Lena Serghides
Clinical Sciences: Patrick O’Byrne
Epidemiology-Public Health: Claire Kendall
Social Sciences: Robert Lorway
Community-Based Research: John Kim

2019

2018

2017