New prize celebrates Canada’s young mental health researchers with annual award of $100,000

The Royal receives $1M from Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada to establish The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research

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OTTAWA, ONTARIO (April 9, 2015) – The Royal has received a $1 million gift from The Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada to establish a new annual research prize to recognize excellence in mental health research in Canada. The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research will award $100,000 to an early-career researcher (or a team of up to three researchers) each year.

“Mental illness is a huge burden on our society; it affects individuals and families on a deep personal level and it costs our economy billions of dollars every year. Research in the field of mental health is of critical importance. We want to encourage Canada’s outstanding young researchers to pursue discovery and innovation that will lead to breakthroughs in mental health care. This is why we have partnered with the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation to create The Royal Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research” – George Weber, President and CEO of The Royal.

The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research is an annual national prize to recognize and support Canadian early-career researchers with a focus in the area of mental health and encourage them to continue to pursue their research in Canada. The prize will recognize those with a demonstrated track record of excellence in clinical research, innovative thinking, collaboration, imagination and originality. The competition will occur once a year for at least 10 years.

“Mental Health is an increasingly important area that needs more resources, that’s why the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation has supported the creation of The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research. Together with The Royal, we want to nurture new talent so that the field of mental health research continues to grow, bringing better health to Canada and the world.” – Dr. Chris Carruthers, Chair of the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada

This is the second $1 million gift that The Royal has received from the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation in support of mental health research. In 2014, the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation partnered with DIFD and The Royal to create the DIFD Mach-Gaensslen Chair in Suicide Prevention Research. Together these gifts demonstrate and strong and ongoing commitment to promote discovery in the field of mental health and encouraging doctors to make research an ongoing part of their careers.

“The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. Every day we are increasing our understanding of the brain yet it still holds many mysteries. There are brilliant young researchers in Canada capable of unlocking these mysteries and improving the lives of people with mental illness. The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research will help to push their research forward and broaden our understanding of the mind.” – Dr. Zul Merali, President and CEO of The Royal’s Institute of Mental Health Research.

The competition for 2015 is now open and the deadline for applications is July 15. Researchers can view the prize criteria and submit their applications at www.theroyal.ca/research. The first recipient of The Royal-Mach-Gaensslen Prize for Mental Health Research will be announced in Ottawa this Fall.

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About the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation

The Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada honours the lives of Vaclav F. Mach, a successful businessman, and his wife, Dr. Hanni Gaensslen (MD) by supporting research related to the fields of cardiology, oncology, and psychiatry. Since 2000 the Foundation has donated more than $3 million dollars to medical student research initiatives and other research projects at universities and hospitals across Canada in order to promote discovery and encourage young doctors to make research an ongoing part of their careers.

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