The Killam Program at the Canada Council for the Arts is separate from the Council's regular publicly funded programs for professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. The Canada Council's Killam awards are funded through lifetime and testamentary gifts from Mrs. Killam. The Killam Selection Committee, composed of 15 eminent Canadian scholars appointed by the Canada Council, chooses the recipients of two categories of awards:

Killam Prizes:
The Killam Prizes are awarded annually to distinguished Canadian scholars in the fields of health sciences, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities. Normally, one prize of $100,000 is awarded each year in each of the five fields. The Killam Prizes are intended to honour eminent scholars actively engaged in research in Canada in universities, hospitals, research or scientific institutes or other equivalent or similar institutions. They are designed to encourage continuing contribution to scholarly research in Canada. The prizes are not related to a particular achievement but rather are given in recognition of a distinguished career and exceptional contributions in one of these fields. The Prizes are awarded in the expectation that the scholars will continue to contribute to the Canadian research community. They are only awarded to Canadian citizens and must be nominated for the award by experts in the field.

Killam Research Fellowships:
Killam Research Fellowships provide release time and are valued at $70,000 per year. The funds are paid to the university or research institution which employs the Fellow. The university or research institution that employs the Killam Research Fellow is expected to relieve him or her of all teaching and administrative responsibilities, and to continue to pay the Fellow's full salary and benefits during the full tenure of the fellowship. The fellowship funds assist the university or research institution in defraying the costs of replacing the Fellow and in paying the Fellow's salary and benefits during the two-year fellowship period. Fellowship recipients must obtain support for research and laboratory costs from other sources.

Established scholars with substantial research publications over a significant period of time are eligible. Typically, the recipients of the Killam Research Fellowships awarded annually are full professors in Canadian universities with a track record of 20 years or more. The Fellowships allow them to pursue a specific research project in any of the fields of the humanities, the social sciences, the natural sciences, the health sciences, engineering and studies linking any of the disciplines within these fields. The Fellowships are offered for a period of two years, subject to review at the end of the first year. Canadians may hold the Fellowship in Canada and elsewhere, while permanent residents of Canada may hold the award only in Canada.

For further information:
Killam Program
Canada Council for the Arts
P.O. Box 1047
350 Albert St.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1P 5V8

Tel: (613) 566-4414 ext. 4083
Toll Free: (800) 263-5588 ext. 4083
Fax: (613) 566-4430
E-mail: Killam@canadacouncil.ca  
Web site: www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/killam