The CSPC Science Policy Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to science policy, and throughout their career have championed and inspired the science policy community in Canada. This award recognizes the work of individuals who have worked in science policy over a period of many years and made a deep impact in Canadian science policy.
The Lifetime Achievement Award is nominated and selected by the CSPC Board of Directors. CSPC encourages all individuals and/or organizations to forward names of any persons who they believe might deserve to be nominated for this award to CSPC (info@sciencepolicy.ca). The CSPC is committed to the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and encourages individuals from all groups to apply. An individual may win the CSPC award only once.
2023 – Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:
Dr. Henry Friesen
Senior Fellow and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba
Dr. Friesen, a distinguished figure in endocrinology, is celebrated for a decades-long career marked by pioneering research and transformative leadership. His groundbreaking work significantly influenced the understanding of hormones and their impact on health. Notably, he played a pivotal role in reshaping medical research in Canada, co-founding the Canadian Institutes for Health Research and contributing to the establishment of Genome Canada. Dr. Friesen’s journey from medical student to a renowned authority in endocrinology includes key roles in the University of Manitoba’s Department of Medicine. His leadership, recognized with various awards, emphasizes a holistic approach to health research.
2022 – Lifetime Achievement Award Winner:
Sheila Watt-Cloutier
Citizen Advocate on Environmental, Cultural and Human Rights
Sheila Watt-Cloutier has been selected as a result of so many years of exceptional contribution and leadership over the course of her career in bringing Indigenous perspectives and knowledge to national and international policymaking, in particular on environmental health, sustainability and preservation.
She has raised awareness of the threat of climate change in the Arctic and its relationship to human rights and Indigenous rights in Canada, and globally, She has been clearly articulating the interconnectedness of Inuit culture, the environment, the economy, foreign policy, global health, and sustainability. Her work with the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment integrated traditional and western knowledge and evidence, bringing a human face to climate change in the Arctic. She has inspired the science policy community across Canada with her insights, courage, and voice.
