At Harm Reduction International Conference 2017, in Montreal we launched the Brooklyn McNeil Rae of Hope Award to honor the best scientific abstract in the area of harm reduction or drug policy.

Brooklyn McNeil Rae a vocal advocate for safer injection sites and a vital support in the lives of many people who use drugs in Toronto, Canada. As a harm reduction activist whose life was cut too short as a result of an opioid overdose, Brooklyn’s spirit serves as an unwavering reminder of the need to conduct research and evidence-based advocacy to prevent the senseless loss of lives that could be avoided with drug policies grounded in evidence and human rights.

The aim of the award is to encourage high-quality scientific research to support evidence-based advocacy efforts in drug policy reform. The winner receives a waiver to publish in the peer-reviewed open-access Harm Reduction Journal, as well as CAD $750 (or equivalent in local currency).

Previous Winners: 

• 2025 Poonman Women (Nepal) – “Enforcement of Harm Reduction: Prevention, Healthcare and and Treatment Services for Women Who Use Drugs in Nepal”
• 2023 Tam Nguyen Thi Minh and Diep Nguyen (Vietnam) – “Results after 6-month pilot implementation of the methadone take-home program in Vietnam”
• 2019 Marielle Marcaida (Philippines) – “Understanding the Narratives of Pateros Mothers’ Activism under the Philippine Drug War”
• 2017 Elaine Hyshka (Canada) – “A comparative analysis of provincial and territorial harm reduction policy in Canada”