Role of the Foundation in the Funding Ecosystem
The Caroline Durand Foundation is a major private philanthropy organization in Quebec dedicated to supporting medical research. Created from the estate of the late Caroline Durand, the foundation focuses on funding scientific research in three priority health areas: eye diseases, hearing and aging, and acute traumatology.
Major Funded Initiatives
The foundation made an exceptional donation of 15 M$ to the Université de Montréal's Faculty of Medicine to establish three research chairs, each worth five million dollars:
- Chair in Cellular Therapy for Eye Diseases (held by Professor May Griffith)
- Chair in Hearing and Aging (held by Professor Jean-Pierre Gagné)
- Chair in Acute Traumatology (held by Professor Louis De Beaumont)
Additionally, the foundation supported the creation of Cardio F at CHUM, Quebec's first expert center in women's cardiovascular health.
General Evaluation Criteria
The foundation targets francophone university hospitals in the Montreal region that are engaged in scientific research addressing heart, eye, and ear diseases. Funding is directed toward research chairs, laboratory equipment, and clinical programs.
Transparency and Governance
The foundation maintains a board of directors with clear ethical guidelines. Past administrators have included professionals from finance, healthcare, and law. The foundation has a code of ethics governing director conduct and conflict of interest situations.
History and Evolution
Initially focused on supporting Montreal's francophone university hospitals with equipment purchases, the foundation took a new direction five years ago by reorienting its philanthropic activities toward research. In its early years, the foundation donated over seven million dollars to hospitals including Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Sacré-Cœur, Sainte-Justine, Notre-Dame, Saint-Luc, Hôtel-Dieu, and the Montreal Institute of Geriatrics.