Over the last year, we have been raising funds to support TIRF’s Russell N. Cambell (RNC) Doctoral Dissertation Grants (DDG) award, a distinction bestowed annually upon the highest-rated DDG recipient. The RNC DDG is named after one of TIRF’s founding Trustees, the late Dr. Russ Campbell, a wonderful colleague to many TIRF supporters, an outstanding friend to others, and a dear mentor to individuals who were guided by Russ during their careers. Having had met our initial $25,000 goal by September 2023 and later our $50,000 goal by March 2024, we are moving onto the next stage of our endowment campaign during this year’s mid-year appeal, which will span from May 31st through July 31st.

As reported elsewhere via TIRF communications, money raised for the RNC DDG fund is being used to establish an endowment, so that both the DDG program and the RNC award honoring the memory and legacy of Russ may live in perpetuity. Our next goal is to raise a total of $100,000.
Why this amount?
Our aim for the endowed fund is to yield 5% annually, or $5,000 per year. Doing so would allow TIRF to ensure the maximum DDG award of $5,000 is provided annually for the RNC award recipient. Assuming normal economic market conditions and occasional continued donations to the endowment, a fund that reaches $100,000 in total will ensure our goals are met.
We would be thrilled to have you consider donating to the endowment. Your gift is viewed as supporting the future of our field through the important research our DDG awardees will do, as well as the impact they will make on others’ lives. Receiving a DDG not only provides the recipient financial assistance, but also welcomes them to the network of TIRF while providing them a boost of confidence and a validation of their work, as our past grantees have said.
You may click here to support the RNC DDG endowment, if you are interested. We thank you in advance for considering our request!