Mrs Hesta MacDonald, in memory of her husband, the late Dr. Stewart MacDonald, has generously provided funding to create a yearly Award for Excellence in health research on Prince Edward Island.

The Dr. Stewart MacDonald Health Research Excellence Award will be presented by Mrs. Hesta MacDonald each year to a member of the PEI HRI who has shown excellence in health research during the previous year. The value of the award (up to $1000) will be determined by interest investment on the gift fund.

Eligibility Requirements
Nominated candidates for this award must be full members of the PEI HRI who are currently conducting health-related research on Prince Edward Island. They may be researchers with university, government, or an agency operating within Prince Edward Island.

Application Process
Eligible candidates will:

• be nominated by a colleague in a letter to the PEI HRI;
• provide a letter to the PEI HRI acknowledging nomination and describing their research;
• provide a current Curriculum Vitae to the PEI HRI.

Selection Process
The PEI HRI will collect the information submitted for nominated candidates. The PEI HRI Research Committee will select the award recipient. Criteria for consideration include:

• Acknowledgment of excellence in research by the nominee’s peers;
• Success in competitive funding arenas;
• Publications in peer reviewed journals within the past five years, and;
• Contribution to research within the university and the discipline.

Other Information
The Dr. Stewart MacDonald Health Research Excellence Award will be awarded to an individual researcher and NOT to a research project. It is a recognition of personal research excellence. No restrictions are placed on the use of the award by the recipient.

The deadline for 2009 applications is April 15, 2009 at 4pm.

For more information, please contact the PEI Health Research Institute at (902) 894-2812 or peihri@upei.ca.