BIOSCAN December 2007
Message from the Chair
Well it is finally here and I’d like to welcome you all to the new Bioscan enewsletter! We know it’s taken a little longer than originally anticipated to get it up and running, but we wanted to be sure it was working the way we had envisioned it before we launched it.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank Bonnie Kuehl and all the members of the communications committee who spent hours and hours putting the new site together and perfecting its look. As well I’d like to mention that Biotechnology Focus is now our new webmaster.
Now that 2007 is drawing to a close, we can look back at the year and how it played out. Overall, we are really pleased with how things went in 2007. We’ve experienced great growth in our membership and sponsorship in this past year. TBI is also going to end the year with a surplus, which was the plan all along.
We are sending the message out to everyone that TBI is extremely healthy and we’re very excited about the new website. In case some of you don’t know, we’ve also changed our website address to www.ontbi.org.
News for 2007 included growing our Platinum members from one to five. As well, our corporate members, which grew from 32 to 38.
Response to this past year’s Awards Gala, Golf Tournament and Research to Revenue was fabulous and we expect next year to be no different.
Looking ahead to 2008 we’ve got a few things on the go. First off, TBI has added its signature to the Scientific Research and Experimental Development (SR&ED) program. Basically what our requests boil down to is to increase the program from $2 million to $10 million and also to relax the CCPC status.
TBI is also looking to do more advocacy and public policy work. There is an opportunity for the industry to come together and re-visit the life science strategy that we put together in 2005. We’ll be looking at that over the next couple of months and providing our input to Queen’s Park.
The other thing TBI has been working on is a five year plan and how to create a full time secretariat with full time staff. We are hoping to let the membership know in early January how we’re rolling out 2008.
We’re excited to remind people of the ‘Celebration of Success’ President’s Awards Gala taking place on Feb. 26 at the Four Season’s Hotel in Toronto. This is a ‘must attend’ function for all of us who support biotechnology in Canada. A first class ambiance will provide a background for you and your colleagues to come together in recognition of individuals who have contributed so much to this great sector.
Our 2007 TBI Awards Gala recipients are: Alan Bernstein - Lifetime Achievement Award; Susan Smith - Community Service Award; David Lindsay - Public Service Award and John Goudey – Volunteer Recognition Award.
We look forward to another busy and productive year in 2008, hope to see you all at the upcoming events!
Grant Tipler,
President, TBI
Up Coming Events
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December 20 2007 TBI Breakfast Toronto
Be sure to come out and join us for the last breakfast meeting of the year on December 20, where guests will be treated to a Member Marathon.
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Announcing the 2008 Annual TBI GALA - " A Celebration of Success"
The Biotechnology Initiative (TBI) invites you to join in a 'Celebration of Success'. TBI is hosting their annual President's Awards Gala in Toronto on February 26, 2008.
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News
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October 18-TBI Breakfast
The October TBI breakfast was one that won’t be soon forgotten as attendees arrived at Metro Hall to the deafening sound of a fire alarm, postponing the start by an hour. Guests made the best of the situation using the delay as an opportunity to network with each other.
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September 28: Ontario Political Update breakfast
The presentations at the TBI Ontario Political Update breakfast given by political analyst and president of the Devon Group Bob Richardson and Angus Reid Strategies vice president public affairs Craig Worden 10 days before the Ontario election proved accurate with the Ontario Progressive Conservatives paying a heavy price for taking a controversial stand on funding for faith-based schools.
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7th Annual Golf Classic
TBI had its’ 7th Annual Golf Classic where 144 people enjoyed a beautiful day at Copper Creek Golf Club.
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University of Guelph tour
TBI’s mandate is to promote, educate, inform, network and advocate on behalf of Queen’s Park. TBI tries to combine all of those traits by educating with fellowship, while visiting interesting places.
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TBI Survey Results - What TBI is doing to serve its members better for a new and improved TBI
TBI members stress that enhanced networking opportunities is one of the main issues when it comes to TBI events. This was concluded by information gathered from a TBI online survey meant for its members, which took place April 16-May 11, 2007.
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Member News
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Outstanding Canadian Teachers Will Be Recognized in Communities Where Amgen Operates
MISSISSAUGA, ON. (Nov. 1, 2007) – Amgen Canada today announced that, for the first time, the Amgen Award for Science Teaching Excellence (AASTE) will be open to teachers in Canada. The award is designed to recognize and honour extraordinary science teachers at the K-12 level in British Columbia and Ontario where Amgen has facilities, who significantly impact their students through exemplary science teaching and who achieve demonstrated results in student learning.
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Industry Events
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BioPartnering North America
6th Annual BioPartnering North America Investing in Global Partnerships
February 3-5, 2008 Vancouver, B.C., Canada Westin Bayshore Resort |
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Mechanics of Starting a Business
December 12, 2007
5:30PM - 6:30PM MaRS Centre Auditorium 101 College St, Toronto |
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Brown Bag Research Ethics Discussion Groups - Ethical Issues in Research in Concurrent Disorders
December 13, 2007
12:00PM - 1:00PM Toronto, ON |
Click here to view more events
www.ontbi.org/Events
CONTACT US
To include your announcement on TBI’s web site or upcoming Bioscan newsletter, send your release to news@ontbi.org
Please forward all releases as word documents.
