About the Challenge

Begun in the Toronto area in 1994, these annual science competitions are intended to raise awareness among students, educators and the public about the emerging science of biotechnology and its applications in health care, agriculture and the environment. The supporting organizations hope to encourage more students to pursue studies and careers in biotechnology, which will be one of the major knowledge-based industries in the 21st Century. Each SABC features the outstanding work of high school students who have conducted research projects and experiments of their own design in some area of biotechnology. Cash prizes are awarded to the top five or six student teams and their schools based on the recommendations of judges from the scientific and education communities as well as the biotechnology industry. In Saskatoon, the competition is open to senior elementary school students. In many regions, a lecture series on various aspects of biotechnology is also offered to local schools as part of their visit to the SABC.

In 1996-97, the program expanded to Montreal and to London, Ontario. The Ottawa region became the newest site in the fall of 1997. The biotechnology associations in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, British Columbia and Saskatchewan launched SABC events in the fall of 1998. In 2000, new programs were set up in Manitoba and Edmonton, Alberta. New Brunswick and Calgary, Alberta became SABC sites in 2002. The2005 competition marked the addition of Prince Edward Island as a participating region in the SABC program.

The merger of Aventis with Sanofi Synthelab early in 2005 to form sanofi-aventis, the world’s 3rd largest pharmaceutical company, necessitated a change of name for the biotechnology competition formerly known as the Sanofi-Aventis Biotechnology Challenge (SABC).

Our 2010 Brochure (click to download)