for Gene Researcher for a Week Application
Support the Canadian Gene Cure Foundation
Since 1999, the Canadian Gene Cure Foundation has been enabling Canadians to lead the world in the discovery and advancement of cures of inherited diseases through supporting the human genetics community.
Virtually all diseases have a genetic component. Some are the result of faulty genes passed down the generations, some of new mutations, and some of an interaction between a person’s genetics and their environment.
- Life shattering diseases such as cystic fibrosis, juvenile diabetes and muscular dystrophy come down to a roll of the genetic dice.
- Common chronic disorders like heart disease, high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, diabetes, cancer and obesity have a genetic component that influences susceptibility.
You can make a difference!
Your support for the Canadian Gene Cure Foundation helps advance medical genetics research in Canada:
- Canadian scientists will discover cures and treatments for medical genetic disorders,
- a world class, connected medical genetics research community will continue to flourish in Canada, and
- Canada’s brightest students will consider medical genetics research as a career.
CGCF is funded entirely through private support. We welcome donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and governments to support our strategic areas of focus: strengthening Canada’s research community, supporting collaborative research and inspiring young Canadians.
Join us in helping find cures for some of the world’s most devastating diseases. For more information on how you can support world class medical genetics research, please contact:
Donate one of the following ways:
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Send a Cheque To:
The Canadian Gene Cure Foundation
#1203, 4464 Markham Street
Victoria, BC V8Z 7X8Be sure to include your complete name and address so that we may issue a charitable receipt.
If you have any questions regarding donations please email
The Need
Did you know?
- Genomics plays a role in nine of the ten leading causes of death in the United States, most notably cancer and heart disease. These diseases are partly the result of how genes interact with environmental and behavioural risk factors, such as diet and physical activity.
- A large number of children’s hospitalizations are due to diseases that have genetic components. By studying the relationship between genes, environment, and behaviours, researchers and practitioners can learn why some people get sick, while others do not.
Society needs better medical solutions to human disease: imagine a cure for cancer or prevention for Alzheimer's disease. As scientists learn more they are finding that our genetics play a role in almost every disease, from single gene diseases like cystic fibrosis to common conditions like heart disease. Even our ability to respond to infectious diseases rests in our genes.
The future of effective, affordable medical treatment lies in a better understanding of our genetics, and the interaction between our genes and environmental triggers for disease.
Canada has a vibrant, cooperative community of medical genetic researchers with the potential to lead the world. In order to stay on top of our game, and to continue to make ground-breaking advances in the field of medical genetics, we must work together.
- Publicly funded researchers need both moral and financial support,
- Researchers need opportunities to network and learn from each other, and
- The field needs to attract the best and brightest students as they make their career choices.
The goal of Canada’s medical genetics research community, and ours, is to find treatments, and ultimately, cures for some of the world’s most devastating diseases.
General Donation
Donors can provide the Foundation with the greatest flexibility to be responsive to existing and new priorities by making unrestricted or broadly targeted donations. However, if you would like to direct your donation to a specific need, you have the option to direct your funds.
Research Grants
The Canadian Gene Cure Foundation annually awards grants for leading genetic research conducted within Canada. Scientists rely largely on receiving funds from non-governmental organizations such as the Foundation, in order to continue with their research. Since its inception, CGCF has awarded grants into areas of Diabetes, Down Syndrome, and Adverse Drug Reactions in Children, to name a few. Donations are critical for the success of genetics research in Canada.
Gene Researcher for a Week
Gene Researcher for a Week (GRFAW) is an initiative of the Canadian Gene Cure Foundation that began in 2003. Different from other mentorship programs, GRFAW provides a hands-on experience. This program places grades 11 and 12 students in a lab of a top Canadian scientist for one week, giving them an opportunity to engage both with people and the science. This unique experience inspires many students to pursue an education and career in the sciences.
Scriver MD/PhD Scholarship Program
The Scriver MD/PhD Scholarship program assists students pursuing both their medical degree and PhD simultaneously. These scholarships have been awarded in conjunction with CIHR and the Canadian Genetic Diseases Network. The objective of this scholarship is to help develop Canadian researchers with a clinical understanding, specifically through their training period.