Ottawa – June 22, 2010 - Forty-one high school students from across the country, a record number, are vying for the top prize of $5,000 toward tuition in Gowlings’ 7th Annual Biotech Essay Contest for 2010. Students must submit a 1,500 word essay outlining the top biotechnology story of the year.
Launched during National Biotechnology Week in 2004, the contest supports students entering a Canadian post secondary institution in a life sciences-related field by awarding up to $5,000 towards first year tuition to the top essay writer. New this year, second and third place winners receive a laptop and iPod Touch* respectively.
“We are very pleased at the level of interest in the contest, as well as the variety of ideas shared by students across Canada. Gowlings has a robust life sciences practice with more than 150 members, over 40 of which have a life sciences-related degrees. This contest gives us an opportunity to support the next generation of biotech leaders, and to showcase the variety of career options available to students in this field,” said Jane Clark, National Leader, Life Sciences and partner with Gowlings’ Ottawa office.
Gowlings partnered with Bioscience Education Canada and BIOTECanada to promote the event, and with the Ontario Genomics Institute and Johnson & Johnson to form a judging panel of legal, education and industry leaders. The competition officially closed on May 30, 2010; judges convene later this month to make their top three selections. Winners will be notified mid-July with an official presentation during National Biotechnology Week 2010, Sept. 17-24.
“It’s exciting and fun to be involved in judging this contest,” said Lesia Babiak, Chair, Government Affairs Council, Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies in Canada and first-time contest judge. “It’s great to see so many talented individuals interested in pursuing a career in life sciences. This bodes well for the future of our industry.”
Previous winners are from Cobble Hill, BC; Winnipeg, MB, Woodstock, ON; Ottawa, ON and Calgary, AB.
For more details, please visit www.gowlings.com/essaycontest
*iPod Touch is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a sponsor of, nor a participant in, this promotion.
Jane Clark, National Leader, Life Sciences
T: 613-786-0187
Jane.clark@gowlings.com
Gowlings is one of Canada’s largest law firms, with offices across the country, as well as in Moscow and London. The Firm offers a diverse range of services to assist Canadian and international organizations in achieving their business objectives. Recognized for excellence in business law, advocacy, and intellectual property, Gowlings provides dedicated industry expertise in the resource, infrastructure, life sciences, government, financial services, technology and manufacturing sectors. Combining traditional legal services with innovative solutions in a number of highly specialized areas of law and business, Gowlings is Canada’s go-to law firm. Visit www.gowlings.com.
