Sponsored by the E. W. R. Steacie Endowment Fund (Supported by the CSC Board and some Subject Divisions of the CIC and CSC)
The E. W. R. Steacie Award is presented to a scientist who has made a distinguished contribution to chemistry while working in Canada.
View the Terms of Reference and list of Past Winners
The 2026 winner of the E. W. R. Steacie Award is:
Eugenia Kumacheva, MCIC
University of Toronto
Eugenia Kumacheva is Professor of Chemistry in the University of Toronto. She is a University Professor, which is the University’s highest distinction given to <2% of the Faculty. In 2002-2020, she was Canada Research Chair in Advanced Polymer Materials, and in 2020-2025 she held the position of Distinguished Professor.
Her research interests are in the area of soft matter, with a focus on the fundamental chemistry, physics and applications of polymers, gels, colloids, foams, liquid crystals, and biological systems. She actively uses in her research microfluidics and 3D printing. Eugenia has published 2 books, 10 book chapters, and >315 papers. She has given >330 invited, keynote, and plenary lectures, as well as public lectures. Eugenia Kumacheva holds >40 patents and is a founder of two startup companies.
Eugenia Kumacheva is a Fellow of the Royal Society (Canada) and Royal Society (U.K.). Among her international awards are the ACS Polymer Chemistry Award (USA), the Guggenheim Fellowship (USA), De Gennes Prize (U.K.), Chorafas Foundation Award (Switzerland), and Humboldt Research Award (Germany). She is a recipient of the prestigious national awards such as the Henry Marshall Tory Medal (Royal Society of Canada), Killam Fellowship (Canada Council of Arts and Science), Clara Benson Award (Canadian Council of University Chemistry Chairs) and Macromolecular Science and Engineering Award (Chemical Institute of Canada). She is a recipient of the CIC Medal given “as a mark of distinction and recognition to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the science of chemistry or chemical engineering in Canada”. In 2020, Eugenia Kumacheva has been recognized as an Officer of The Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest civilian honors.
Eugenia serves or served on multiple national advisory boards, e.g., the Security and Disruptive Technologies Research Centre (NRC), Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Vanier-Banting Advisory Board (NSERC Canada), and New Fellows Committee (Royal Society of Canada), as well as international advisory boards, including the European Union Science Council, Max Planck Institute (Germany), RIKEN Institute (Japan), Flanders Foundation (Belgium), New Fellows Committee (Royal Society, UK), Brookhaven National Laboratory and MSERC NSF Center (U.S.A.). Eugenia is an active proponent of the involvement of women in STEM. She is an Associate Editor of Science Advances and serves on Editorial Boards of multiple scientific journals.