Janssen Canada aspires to contribute to the elimination of health inequity by advancing opportunities for organizations, stakeholders and colleagues to build a more equitable, inclusive and healthier country. As part of this commitment, Janssen Canada established the Janssen Fund for Equity and Inclusion through a series of endowments to help address health inequity and provide ongoing support to future leaders in healthcare.

The endowments have been established across six universities in Canada: Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster University, Queen’s University, University of Calgary and University of Toronto. Each school received a dedicated endowment to be independently administered and awarded to students from equity deserving groups pursuing undergraduate and graduate studies in health and medical sciences. Income generated by the endowment will continue to grow over time, creating guaranteed sustainability of the funds and support for deserving students in perpetuity.

“We are incredibly excited about the impact that these funds will have on students and communities this year, and in the years to come,” said Dr. Ebele Ola, Vice President, Medical Affairs. “Everyone should have an equal opportunity to achieve their best health, yet there is evidence of longstanding health inequity in Canada, leading to poorer health outcomes for a growing number of Canadians. This endowment is one of the initiatives we are taking to address these challenges. Investing in initiatives to support equity deserving groups as future leaders in healthcare will help improve the health system’s ability to advance the best care for all patients,” noted Dr. Ola.

Awards from the Janssen Fund for Equity and Inclusion will be/have been initiated in the 2022/2023 school calendar year.