A group shot of all finalists standing in front of the National Research Council Canada building May 6th, 2009.

Scott Adams (center) with Mark Lievonen (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
1st Prize Winner, Scott Adams, Saskatoon

Joseph McNeil (center) with Colette Rivet (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
2nd Prize Winner, Joseph McNeil, Nova Scotia

Binudith Warnakulasooriya (center) with Dr. Pierre Coulombe (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
3rd Prize Winner, Binudith Warnakulasooriya, Manitoba

Caitlin Martin Newnham (center) with Dr. Martin Godbout (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
4th Prize Winner, Caitlin Martin Newnham, Southwestern Ontario

Melanie Gallant (center) with Manon Harvey (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
5th Prize Winner, Melanie Gallant, Prince Edward Island

Kirsten Larson (center) with Catherine Conrad (left) and Tony Clement (right) at the National Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent Challenge 2009 Competition
Commercial Prize Winner, Kirsten Larson, Northern Manitoba

The first national competition among the first place winners from each regional SABC program was held at the BIO 2002 conference in Toronto in June 2002. More than $18,000 in cash prizes was awarded to the competing teams. For the past five years, the national competition was held via video-conferencing facilities from the National Research Council of Canada. Each first place regional team presented their research to a panel of judges gathered at the NRC headquarters in Ottawa.

In 2009, with support from BioTalent Canada the competition will be face-to-face where 14 regional winners will compete for the National title in Ottawa. The top 2 winners of the National SABC Competition will be able to compete in the sanofi-aventis International BioGENEius Challenge at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) Annual International Convention.