Research Awards

Rising Star Award

The Rising Star Award celebrates an outstanding early-career investigator, within five years of their first faculty appointment, whose basic or clinical research is already shaping the future of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) research. Extensions to the five-year window are available for those who have taken parental, medical, or other approved leaves of absences.

Recipients are recognized at the annual Meeting of the Minds conference in Toronto, where they’ll have the opportunity to present their work as featured speakers.

Nominations for this award close on August 21, 2026, 5:00 pm ET. The recipient will be notified by the end of September.

Nomination Criteria

• Open to IBD scientists and researchers in Canada within the first five years of their first faculty appointment

• Nominations must be submitted by fellow scientists or IBD researchers 

Past Recipients

2024      Dr. Eileen Crowley, London, ON
2023      Dr. Heather Armstrong, Winnipeg, MB
2022      Dr. Christopher Ma, Calgary, AB
2021      Dr. Amanda Ricciuto, Toronto, ON
2020      Dr. Yasmin Nasser, Calgary, AB
2019      Dr. Neeraj Narula, Hamilton, ON
2018      Dr. Sanjay Murthy, Ottawa, ON
2017      Dr. Reena Khanna, London, ON
2016      Dr. Eric Benchimol, Nepean, ON

Nomination Form 

Nominations for this award are now closed. Please check back later to nominate a candidate for the 2027 award.

Contact

For questions about Crohn's and Colitis Canada research grants or awards, please contact:

Research Grants Administrator
Tel: (416) 920-5035 ext. 252
Email: research...crohnsandcolitis...ca