National Killam Program at the National Research Council (NRC)

The National Killam Program is administered and delivered by the National Killam Program Office at the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). In 2022, the Killam Trusts, the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA), and the NRC signed a Memorandum of Understanding to transition the National Killam program to the NRC.

With a strong commitment to research excellence, the NRC is committed to long term engagement with key stakeholders to support program delivery and continuous improvement.

Killam Prizes, Dorothy Killam Fellowships and Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships
The National Killam Program consists of the Killam Prizes, Dorothy Killam Fellowships and Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships.

Killam Prizes
The Killam Prizes are awarded to active Canadian scholars who have distinguished themselves through sustained research excellence, making a significant impact in their respective fields in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, and engineering.

Dorothy Killam Fellowships
The Dorothy Killam Fellowships provide support to scholars of exceptional ability by granting them time to pursue research projects of broad significance and widespread interest within the disciplines of the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, health sciences, engineering or studies linking any of these disciplines. These Fellowships are specifically targeted to mid-career researchers in need of relief from teaching and administrative duties to focus on their research career.

The Dorothy Killam Fellowships centre the program on Dorothy Killam’s vision, aligned with her goal of increasing the scientific and scholastic attainment of Canadians.

Dorothy Killam established a perpetual trust to realize her vision to build Canada’s future through advanced study and fund generations of scholars in Canada. A Dorothy Killam Fellow is a leading researcher whose superior, ground-breaking and transformative research stands to positively improve the lives of Canadians. A Dorothy Killam Fellow is also someone whose work reflects one or more of the Killam attributes:

• Inclusive Collaborator – whose work exemplifies inclusion and understanding of people, cultures and needs with participation among economic, social and cultural backgrounds.
• Barrier Breaker – whose original, transformational, future focused generation of knowledge and/or technology stands to change the way we live.
• Research Leader – who activates thoughtful cooperation among scholars, disciplines and institutions.

Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships
The Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships honour Dr. Paul Corkum’s outstanding contributions to research in Canada. The fellowships create opportunities for mid-to-late career Canadian and international scholars to collaborate with NRC researchers. This new program provides opportunities for external scholars to have access to the NRC’s unique infrastructure and resources, and work with an NRC researcher to further Dorothy Killam’s vision of building Canada’s future through advanced study.

The NRC is also committed to making a positive difference for its stakeholders and serving Canada with integrity, accountability, and openness. In support of the National Killam Program, the NRC developed a robust conflict of interest management procedure and governance framework to manage potential, real or perceived conflict of interest. The NRC’s role is to administer and deliver the National Killam Program.  The NRC has no role in decision making regarding winners of the Killam Prizes and the Dorothy Killam Fellowships. The NRC President, alongside Killam Trusts approve recommended winners of the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships. Clear policies, responsibilities and decision-making authority were implemented to ensure that the National Killam Program is administered and delivered by the National Killam Program Office (NKPO) at the NRC with integrity and transparency.

Advisory and Oversight Structure
The following bodies enable the administration and delivery of the National Killam Program:

The National Killam Program Advisory Board (NK PAB) is an external advisory board providing input on strategy and program operations. The NK PAB is comprised of senior members chosen from among Canada’s research excellence stakeholder community who offer strategic advice and serve as champions for the National Killam Program.

The National Killam Selection Committee (NKSC) is a standing committee responsible for recommending winners for the Killam Prizes, the Dorothy Killam Fellowships and the Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowships. Members are recognized experts with national and/or international stature who support the National Killam Program definition of research excellence, and are committed to upholding Killam values in their deliberations.

The National Killam Program Office (NKPO): The NKPO is hosted at the NRC and is responsible for the administration of the National Killam Programming consistent with the objectives of Dorothy J. Killam’s Will.

Should you have any questions, please contact the NKPO at KillamProgram-ProgrammeKillam@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca.