With generous support from Weston Family Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada (WCS Canada) is pleased to offer research fellowships to graduate students (Master's and Doctoral).

Purpose: To advance Wildlife Conservation Society Canada’s conservation goals at two long-term sites, the Northern Boreal Mountains (Yukon/British Columbia) and Ontario’s Northern Boreal, by generating relevant scientific information. 

Award Details

WCS Canada will award one-year fellowships of between $5,000 and $20,000 each. The amount of funding awarded will be determined in part by the applicants’ financial needs and the number of applications received.

The Fellowship awards are intended to:

• Support research that is relevant to WCS Canada’s conservation objectives at their two long-term sites in the boreal region of Northern Ontario, and the Northern Boreal Mountains of Yukon and British Columbia. Research that takes place outside of these sites, but that generates relevant conservation information may also be eligible.
• Provide all or partial funding for graduate-level, field research activities for students to carry out their thesis-related research. Fellowship awards are not intended to support student stipends; however, stipends and salaries for field assistants are eligible.

Fellowship awards are available for project activities beginning on or after April 1, 2021.

Eligible Projects

The proposed research project must help advance WCS Canada’s conservation objectives at one of its two long-term sites (the boreal region of northern Ontario or the boreal mountains of Yukon and British Columbia or increase conservation knowledge that is relevant to one or both of these sites. Relevant research areas include, but are not limited to, studies of: aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems; wetland, riparian, and peat land ecosystems; species management/conservation; ecosystem connectivity; ecological changes resulting from climate change; sustainable harvesting of fish and/or wildlife; and socio-ecological effects of natural resource development or management, especially cumulative effects of multiple development projects.

Eligible Applicants

1. Fellowship applicants must be pursuing a graduate degree in conservation science, or in a related field such as landscape ecology, natural resources management/conservation, conservation planning, conservation biology, environmental studies, wildlife/plant/fisheries ecology or socio-ecological studies.
2. Individuals who have received a WCS Canada Weston Family Foundation Fellowship award in a previous year may reapply. 2020 Fellows who have projects that have been extended beyond one year in response to COVID-19 may also re-apply for 2021. Applications to support an additional year of the same project will be considered. Applications from past grantees for new projects will also be considered. For example, a student that received a Fellowship award for Master's research may submit an application to support their PhD research.

For more information, visit Weston Family Foundation.