OUR IMPACT
What is Unrestricted Giving?
Every year, we provide no-strings-attached (unrestricted) donations, empowering our beneficiaries to allocate the funds according to their most critical and pressing needs.
Traditional research funding, while valuable for specific projects, often lacks flexibility for exploring unforeseen opportunities and retaining top talent. Unrestricted funding is the vital force behind scientific exploration, providing researchers the freedom to pursue innovative ideas, respond to emerging challenges, and adapt swiftly.
This flexible funding is crucial in our rapidly evolving world. It fosters an environment where researchers can reshape the world of cancer research, and represents a commitment to a brighter, more hopeful journey towards a cure.
Thanks to Défi Canderel donors, more than $25 million was raised for cancer research over 35 years. Your generous contributions have funded the following initiatives:
Scholarships
Canderel Awards are designed to help in attracting and retaining exceptional students and postdoctoral fellows who require funding until they can be supported by external agencies.
Canderel Fellowship Awards
The Canderel Fellowship Awards have been an essential component of Défi Canderel’s funding since 1991. By offering a partial stipend of up to $25,000 per year to incoming postdoctoral fellows, this Fellowship allows the Goodman Cancer Institute and the Montreal Cancer Institute to attract outstanding young cancer researchers.
Canderel Entry
Studentship Awards
The Canderel Entry Studentship Awards are given to first-year graduate students who have been recruited through the Goodman Cancer Institute’s Student Recruitment Days process. Recipients are selected based on academic excellence, leadership capacity, and interest in research. They are awarded $15,000 to support their ongoing education and impact in the field.
Master’s and
Doctoral Scholarships
The Montreal Cancer Institute offers financial assistance to Master’s and doctoral students, with support extending up to a maximum of $24,000 per year per recipient.
Awards
Canderel Conference Travel Awards
The Canderel Conference Travel Awards, established in 1995, aim to facilitate the participation of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in national and international conferences. Recognizing the importance of experiential learning beyond traditional classrooms and the collaborative nature of cancer research, these awards empower attendees to enhance presentation skills, expand scientific knowledge, and forge valuable research partnerships with industry leaders.
Marilyn Wener Excellence Award
In 2012, the Marilyn Wener Award of Excellence was created to honour the memory of Jonathan Wener’s mother who died of multiple myeloma. Every year, this scholarship is awarded to a student from both institutes in recognition of their dedication to cancer research and philanthropic contribution.
Recruitment Support Funds
Recruitment Support Funds
These funds are used to host an annual in-person recruitment and selection event where committee-identified top trainees are invited to interview with Goodman Cancer Institute researchers to secure a placement as a graduate student in their laboratory.
Défi Canderel donations also contributed to generating competitive start-up recruitment packages for 16 early career investigators who have gone on to secure federal and provincial funding in their early years.
Internships
Internships
Canderel Rising Star Awards
Canderel Rising Star Awards support outstanding undergraduates aspiring to pursue careers in medical research through a summer internship lasting a minimum of 10 weeks at the Goodman Cancer Institute, combined with a $3,000 stipend.
Canderel Grant
The Canderel Grant allows the Montreal Cancer Institute to offer vital support to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students who have demonstrated exceptional performance, fostering an environment that encourages their continued engagement in groundbreaking laboratory work. With a maximum annual award of $2,000, this grant serves as a catalyst for nurturing academic excellence and innovation within the research community.
EQUIPMENT
Défi Canderel has funded the purchase of vital state-of-the-art equipment, empowering researchers to delve deeper into their work, fostering an environment where exploration and innovation flourish in the collective pursuit of advancing cancer research.
Thanks to our donors, the Montreal Cancer Institute has been able to acquire the following scientific equipment:
- Licor Scanner
- ChemiDoc Imaging Device
- Incucyte Imaging Apparatus
- Varioskan
- 3D Printing Platform
- Cell Sorter
Meet Researchers Funded By Your Donations
Goodman Cancer Institute Trainee
Recipient of the 2023 Canderel Graduate Studentship Award
Goodman Cancer Institute Trainee
Recipient of the 2023 Canderel Graduate Studentship Award
Manuela Santos Laboratory, Montreal Cancer Institute
Recipient of the 2023 Canderel Bursary
Dominic Roy Laboratory,
Montreal Cancer Institute
Recipient of the 2023 Canderel Bursary
Inspiring Community in Cancer Research
(Knowledge) Sharing is Caring
Défi Canderel’s ongoing commitment has enabled active participation by the Montreal Cancer Institute and the Goodman Cancer Institute in substantial research initiatives, fostering close collaboration with dedicated researchers.
These projects, made possible through Défi Canderel’s funding, mark notable strides in the realm of cancer research. By cultivating cooperation, these endeavours enhance the impact of research and create synergy between experts, maximising the chances of significant discoveries to improve understanding and treatment of cancer.
Building National Networks
One of the biggest benefits that has come out of the partnerships between the Montreal Cancer Institute and the Goodman Cancer Institute is the creation of major provincial and national research networks that build on the spirit of collaboration and collective energy to tackle cancer’s greatest challenges.
The partnerships forged by directors Morag Park and Réjean Lapointe with Anne-Marie Mes-Masson have given rise to initiatives such as the Quebec Cancer Consortium (QCC) and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Research Network, reflecting our community’s commitment to advancing our knowledge, understanding and treatment to combat cancer.
35 Years of Landmark Discoveries
Discovery of a Cancer Biomarker
Identification and characterization of the MET oncogene
