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Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique

The Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique is a registered charitable organization established to recognize and foster excellence in the geotechnical field in Canada.
The Foundation funds the awards, prizes and distinguished lectures of the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS), and supports other activities that recognize geotechnical excellence.
On our website you will find information about the specific activities the Foundation supports, and how you can contribute to this support. You can also read about upcoming events such as the Cross-Canada Lecture Tours.
We hope you find the information on our site to be useful. If you would like more information about the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique and its activities, please contact one of the Executive Committee members listed on the Contact Us page.

Mission

The Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique Foundation was established to recognize and foster excellence in the geotechnical field in Canada by funding the awards, prizes and distinguished lectures of the Canadian Geotechnical Society (CGS) and by funding other opportunities for the benefit of the profession.

Objectives

By maintaining an adequate funding base through investments and soliciting donations from individuals, local groups and private industry, the Foundation has the following objectives:

to provide funding for the Geotechnical Awards and Prizes recommended by the CGS;

to support the Geotechnical Research Board (GRB) through an annual award provided to the presenter of the Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium and provide funding for the Colloquium Lecture Tour;

to provide funding for the Cross-Canada Lecture Tours;

to establish funding for geotechnical scholarships;

to support other activities that recognize geotechnical excellence.

Administration

The Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique is run by volunteer members and a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors of the Foundation consists of the President, Past-President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Members include approximately twenty CGS Members who meet annually (concurrent with the CGS Conference) to review policy, program, progress, annual reports and budgets. The Board of Directors and activities of the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique are totally separate from CGS, though each runs activities and services that are complementary to the other.

History

The Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique succeeds the Canadian Geotechnical Fund and Geo Contributions. The Canadian Geotechnical Fund was set up in 1970 by the Canada Associate Committee on Geotechnical Research (ACGR) of the National Research Council to “recognize and foster excellence in the geotechnical field in Canada”. The Canadian Geotechnical Fund started from royalties derived from the post-conference sale of the proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering held in Montreal in 1965. It was augmented with royalties from the sale of “Muskeg and the Northern Environment in Canada” in 1977, and earnings from the International Symposium on Landslides held in Toronto in 1984. These funds were invested, and the earned income is used to support the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique’s mission.

In 1989 the ACGR terminated the Canadian Geotechnical Fund and transferred approximately $72,000 to Geo Contributions and with it, the responsibilities for promoting, supporting, recognizing, and rewarding excellence in the geotechnical field in Canada. In 2000 Geo Contributions was re-named the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique.

Since 1989, the CGS has provided Geo Contributions, and now the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique, with a $300,000.00 interest free loan. As a registered charitable organization, the Canadian Foundation for Geotechnique has obtained necessary additional funds by soliciting donations from Local CGS Sections, from CGS Members and through corporate sponsorship.