Life Sciences BC Awards presented by Farris
The Annual Life Sciences BC Awards presented by Farris is an opportunity to celebrate the life sciences sector’s many achievements amongst peers, family, and friends. As Canada’s fastest-growing life sciences sector, our British Columbia ecosystem has never been stronger and is seeing unprecedented momentum in scientific discovery, innovation, capital attraction, and talent. In addition, BC life sciences innovation has been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. The LSBC annual awards is our moment to acknowledge and honour the efforts of all those who have invested their life’s work in advancing successful health innovations.
Nominations can cover the full spectrum of innovation in the human life sciences sector including; research and discovery, biotech, medical/digital technology, AI, and strategic business leadership. The awards recognize the achievements of individuals, companies, and organizations that have succeeded in advancing discoveries from bench to bedside. At the center of the life sciences sector is improving patients’ lives.
Recipients are nominated by their peers in the industry and then decided by a prestigious judging panel of industry leaders. Learn more about the nomination process and guidelines here. If you have any questions, please reach out to events@lifesciencesbc.ca.
To learn more about our 24th Annual Life Sciences BC Awards Gala, visit our events page. The Awards Gala is one of the many events hosted by Life Sciences BC each year and is a benefit of membership.
Award Categories
We have several prestigious award categories each year. Some awards will vary from year to year.
DEAL OF THE YEAR
This award honours an individual or an organization that from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022 has positively impacted the life sciences sector in BC. Organizations eligible to win this award include, but are not limited to, the areas of law, finance, accounting, economic development, incubation, clinical research, and consulting. This award is also open to significant collaborations, transactions, or innovations that have taken place with companies in the life sciences sector.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Advisor and/or engagement in a major transaction that had a transformative impact on a business (wider business impact, such as the development of new markets, products, services and/or technologies and the creation or retention of quality employment opportunities in BC)
- Advisor or organization has proven to offer quality services and/or solutions as recognized by collaborators
- Advisor or organization has proven ability to demonstrate return on investment
- Proven ability to present creative and innovative solutions that benefit BC’s life sciences community in the short and long term
DR. DON RIX AWARD FOR ACHIEVEMENT IN LIFE SCIENCES
This award is presented to an exceptional senior executive in celebration of an outstanding career within the life sciences sector. The individual’s contributions may be an innovation, new knowledge, or ways to improve professional practice. The performance will be based on several factors including financing, partnerships, accomplishments of milestones and growth.
AWARD CRITERIA
- May currently be living outside of BC, but must have made the majority of their contributions in BC
- Lasting impact of contribution(s) throughout their career
- Demonstration of leadership and inspiration to others in the sector
- Mentored young and upcoming members of the life sciences sector
- Overcoming of obstacles throughout their career
- Positive influence on the sector on a provincial, national and/or international level
- Was involved in significant deals that benefited the BC life sciences sector
Emerging Life Sciences Company of the Year Award
This award is presented to an early-stage life sciences company which, although not yet achieving commercial success, has demonstrated outstanding performance and realized significant milestones from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022 and is positioned well for potential future commercial success.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Company is headquartered in BC with their majority of operations here
- Company must have more than two years of operating results
- Company has added a minimum of 10 employees or full-time equivalents (including consultants), in the last two years
- Company has a proven ability to secure capital (through public, private or other sources) and has raised a significant round of capital in the last two years
- Company has had a key transaction from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022 that will benefit the company’s growth
- Company has a key market position/opportunity and/or strategic advantages with the possibility of leading to strong business results in the future
- Strategic decisions made by management (e.g. ability to raise capital, demonstrated ability to achieve profitability) that led to significant growth or expansion from January 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022
Genome British Columbia Award for Scientific Excellence
This award honours an individual located in BC who has received significant national or international recognition in the field of genomics/omics including bioinformatics and systems biology.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Scientific contribution to advancing the relevant fields of genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics or systems biology, including both the scientific task and how that task contributed to the resolution of the issue
- Multiple successful and key efforts utilizing original techniques or research methods in the relevant fields
- Monumental work or ground breaking discovery or innovation
- Commitment to collaborative and interdisciplinary research
- Technical and/or non-technical scientific achievement and/or challenge
- New successfully executed research of national and/or international importance
- Proven outcomes, benefits and/or extraordinary results and/or basis of implemented of commercialized innovative solution
Life Sciences Company of the Year Award
This award is presented to a company that is operating in the BC life sciences sector and whose accomplishments stood out from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022, because of a strong overall performance. This performance may be measured by achieving major milestones such as moving the business from an early stage to a more mature company, raising significant funds, launching a product on the market and/or achieving or nearing commercial success.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Company is headquartered in BC with majority of their operations here
- Company must have more than five years of operating results
- Company has secured capital of greater than $25M in capital or company’s annual revenue is projected to reach in excess of $10M
- Company has excellent and proven execution of business strategies
- Company has demonstrated effective leadership following a clear vision
- Company has a key market position/opportunity and/or strategic advantages leading to strong business results
Medical/Digital Technology Company of the Year Award
This award is presented to a company developing a non-biopharmaceutical medical technology that stood from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022. by achieving major milestones. This award acknowledges a unique solution or product that clearly demonstrates an alternative solution or a next-stage development in medical technology.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Company must be a medical device, diagnostics, digital health, AI or e-health company located in BC
- Company must have at least two years of operating results
- Company has raised greater than $5M in capital or company’s annual revenue exceeding $3M
- Company has a minimum of 10 employees, or full-time equivalents, including consultants
- The featured/key product or solution of the organization must be commercialized
- Company has excellent and proven execution of business strategies
- Company holds effective leadership following a clear vision
- Company has a key market position/opportunity and/or sustainable strategic advantages leading to strong business results
- Has been involved in a significant transaction in the last 15 months
Milton Wong Award for Leadership
This award is designed to recognize a company working in the life sciences and/or biotechnology industry in BC, who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the development of the sector. The award highlights the accomplishments of a company who has impacted and strengthened relationships with external supporters favouring the sector.
AWARD CRITERIA
Nominee’s positive influence and engagement in the life sciences community will continue for the foreseeable future.
- Must have achieved or is nearing significant commercial success
- Must be recognized for their commitment to promoting and supporting the life sciences sector in BC
- Must have contributed significantly to the development or success of the life sciences sector in the BC community in the past year
- Has positive impact on more than one organization in the BC life sciences community
Strategic Life Sciences Partner of the Year Award
This award acknowledges the outstanding contributions of corporations that significantly impacted the BC life sciences sector from April 1st, 2021 – March 31st, 2022. The award highlights the positive engagement with the sector that have directly resulted from active agreements and/or collaboration that this corporation is now involved in BC.
AWARD CRITERIA
- Company can be located inside or outside the province of BC
- Must be recognized for their commitment of promoting and supporting the life sciences sector in BC
- Must have contributed significantly to the development or success of the life sciences sector
- Has positive impact on more than one organization in the BC life sciences sector
- Investment and/or collaboration can cover a broad range of impacts (e.g. employment, supply chain, prototype development)
Winners of the 2022 awards
Congratulations to all our winners from 2022!
Life Sciences
Company of the Year
Acuitas Therapeutics
How to submit a nomination for a Life Sciences BC Award presented by Farris
We invite all members of the life sciences sector to submit a nomination to help celebrate the past successes of the sector.
Nominations are open to everyone, not just members.
Nomination Process and Guidelines
- All nominations are first received by Life Sciences BC who will confirm the eligibility of the nominee and review the nomination form before the nomination is reviewed by the adjudication committees. The adjudication committees are made up of distinguished leaders in the life sciences sector.
- Awards are only open to individuals and organizations that work and operate in the life sciences sector in BC, unless otherwise specified in the category criteria.
- The consideration period for the awards is from April 1st, 2021, to March 31st, 2022.
- Previous winners may receive an award in another category after two years have passed.
- All nominations must be re-submitted annually to be considered. It is the nominator’s responsibility to keep a nomination current.
- Nominations are to be submitted through an online form which can be found here.
- The maximum word count for all nominations is 500 words.
- Upon submission, all nominations become the property of Life Sciences BC and will be kept confidential.
- The identities of nominees will not be made public unless they win the award.
Decisions are final and may not be appealed. - Before announcing the winner, Life Sciences BC will determine that the nominee is willing to receive the award.
- Life Sciences BC will not make posthumous awards.
- If nominated, serving members of the adjudication committees will be prohibited from participating in the adjudication of the respective award
- The adjudication committees are under no obligation to grant an award in any category where, in its opinion, the quality of the nominations received does not warrant it. The committees may, at its discretion, select a nominee as the award recipient in a category other than the one(s) in which they have been nominated if they feel their achievements better suit another category.
- Nominators should not expect, nor ask for, Life Sciences BC staff to assist in the preparation of a nomination beyond general advice concerning the process, dates for submission and/or proper forms to use/submit. Life Sciences BC staff will not offer opinions as to a nomination’s chances of success.
Recipients are nominated by their peers in the industry and then decided by a judging panel. If you have any questions, please reach out to events@lifesciencesbc.ca.
Nominations Now Closed
Nominations will re-open for the 2022-2023 season in May 2023.
The Life Sciences BC Hall of Fame coming soon