Overview

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Research Fellowship Program (RFP) is a small grants program designed to build capacity for the next generation of conservationists by supporting individual field research projects that have a clear application to the conservation of threatened wildlife and wild places.

The WCS Canada W. Garfield Weston Fellowship Program was established in 2009 with generous support from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. The goal of the program is to increase conservation science for Canada’s boreal regions, and to train the next generation of Canadian conservation leaders. The Fellowship program annually supports graduate students pursuing field research with clear applications to WCS Canada’s long-term conservation sites in northern Canada: the boreal region of northern Ontario and the northern boreal mountains of Yukon and British Columbia.

With generous support from the Weston Family Foundation, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada is pleased to offer one-year Boreal Research Fellowships to graduate students pursuing their Master’s or Doctoral degree. Successful applicants will receive financial support for their projects along with mentorship from WCS Canada scientists and an opportunity to network with other Fellows and Fellowship alumni.  Here is a short report on what our Fellowship program has accomplished.

Weston Family Boreal Research Fellowships support field-based research that contributes to WCS Canada’s conservation objectives or priority research projects in the Ontario Northern Boreal and the Northern Boreal Mountains of BC and Yukon. We encourage research that partners with Indigenous communities in these regions. Research that takes place outside of these areas and supports WCS Canada’s vision and mission may also be eligible.

Recipients of Weston Family Boreal Research Fellowships are encouraged to participate in mentorship opportunities on science communication, policy, conservation, and knowledge sharing and co-creation with Indigenous communities. Fellows will also report on their projects through an online seminar series.

In addition to our regular Fellowship awards, we are broadening allowable project expenses to support engagement and partnership with Indigenous communities. We will also accept proposals for projects that aim to discuss research ideas and priorities with Indigenous communities or share the results of research in ways that are meaningful to the communities.