Three Canadian scientists working in fields ranging from the big questions of cosmology to the tiny world of quantum computing were named finalists for a prestigious national science award on Wednesday.

Cosmologist Richard Bond, quantum computing pioneer Gilles Brassard and John Jonas — a leader in temperature deformation in metals — are the finalists for the Gerhard Herzberg Canada Gold Medal for Science and Engineering, given annually by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).

Bond, of University of Toronto, is one of the world's leading cosmologists. He is highly cited for work in the physics of the very early universe, and the origin and evolution of cosmic structure, dark energy and dark matter.

Brassard, of the Université de Montréal, is best known for his work in quantum information processing, particularly his development in 1984 of a method of quantum cryptography — a means of securing information by tying it to the quantum states of subatomic particles.

Jonas, of McGill University, is known for introducing a method of controlled rolling in the manufacture of steel sheeting, which produced a stronger metal for use in constructing such heavy equipment as oil pipelines, rigs and platforms.

The NSERC Herzberg Medal is named for Gerhard Herzberg, the Canadian Nobel laureate who won the prize for chemistry in 1971 for his contributions to the field of molecular spectroscopy.

The award will be given at a ceremony in Ottawa on March 19. The winner's research funding will be increased to $1 million over the next five years.

Last year's winner was David Dolphin, the lead creator of Visudyne, a widely used anti-blindness drug.