UBC Reports | Vol. 47 | No. 08 | Apr. 19, 2001

Digest

Donner blitz

Three books published by UBC Press have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2000/2001 Donner Prize. The award recognizes the best book on Canadian public policy. Seven finalists were chosen from a field of 59 submissions. UBC Press finalists include Citizens Plus: Aboriginal Peoples and the Canadian State by Political Science Prof. Emeritus Alan Cairns; Cycling into Saigon: The Conservative Transition in Ontario by David Cameron and Graham White; and Heavy Traffic: Deregulation, Trade and Transformation in North American Trucking by Daniel Madar.

The winner, to be announced May 8, will receive $25,000. Two runners-up will be awarded $10,000 each.

`S marvelous, Synergy

Nominations are sought for the Synergy Awards. Given by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Conference Board of Canada, the national award recognizes collaboration between universities and industries in Canada in research and development.

Past UBC-industry collaborations which have received the award include QLT Phototherapeutics Inc. and PAPRICAN.

The deadline for nominations is June 1.

For more information visit www.nserc.ca/programs/synerg/.

It's telemental, really

The Mental Health Evaluation and Community Consultation Unit (MHECCU) has received $400,000 in funding from Health Canada to develop telemental health services to rural and remote communities in B.C. Part of the Community Mental Health Division in UBC's Dept. of Psychiatry, the unit will be able to increase access, efficiency and quality of mental health services offered through videoconferencing. Video education and training on a range of mental health issues for practitioners and families will also be supported with the funding.

MHECCU is one of five funded projects valued at a total of $7 million through the Canada Health Infostructure Partnerships and announced on campus recently by Federal Health Minister Allan Rock.

Headed by Psychiatry Assoc. Prof. Elliot Goldner, MHECCU is a non-profit organization that focuses on mental health service delivery, research and evaluation to support improvements in mental health services in B.C.