Weston Family Awards in Northern Research
About Weston Family Awards
Weston Family Awards in Northern Research
Since 2007, the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research (previously The W. Garfield Weston Awards in Northern Research) have provided unparalleled support to young scientists in Canada pursuing research in Canada’s North. Funded by the Weston Family Foundation (formerly The W. Garfield Weston Foundation), these annual awards are some of the most prestigious in the country for students pursuing a master’s degree, a doctoral degree or postdoctoral fellowship. Over 270 early-career researchers have been selected to receive an award since the program’s inception, forming a community of Weston Family Northern Scientists who are at the forefront of northern scholarship and who are helping shape a better future for Canada and the world.
Weston Family Award winners undertake research projects across a broad spectrum of fields and disciplines in the natural sciences, including studies of northern ecosystems, biodiversity, flora and fauna, meteorology, oceanography, glaciology, geography and environmental studies.
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COVID-19: Information and resources
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions to northern regions in Canada have been imposed to reduce the risk of transmission to vulnerable northern communities. While this is a critical step in ensuring the safety and well-being of all, many research permits have been suspended as a result and upcoming trips to northern regions for fieldwork, research, and community engagement have been cancelled or postponed.
Below is a link to helpful resources and information compiled by ArcticNet regarding travel restrictions to northern regions and various regional updates. Please continue to consult local, provincial/territorial and federal websites and information from public health officials to stay up to date on the latest recommendations surrounding travel, research activities and public safety.
Resources from ArcticNet: https://arcticnet.ulaval.ca/covid-19-update
2021 competition
The 2021 competition is now open. The deadline to apply is January 27, 2021 5:00 p.m. (EST)
- Master’s level awards guidelines
- Doctoral level awards guidelines
- Postdoctoral fellow awards guidelines
Apply now through the online portal
Meet past award winners
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McKenzie KuhnUniversity of Alberta
2018-2019 doctoral awardMcKenzie Kuhn
University of Alberta
McKenzie Kuhn is a doctoral student at the University of Alberta studying the rate of methane emissions from lakes in the Northwest Territories and northern parts of Alberta.
Her research could lead to important insights into how these natural sources of methane – a potent greenhouse gas – contribute to greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and how these emissions will change over time. The results could help government and policy makers in Canada’s North set more specific reduction targets for carbon emissions.
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Allison PattersonMcGill University
2018-2019 doctoral awardAllison Patterson
McGill University
Allison Patterson is a doctoral student at McGill University studying the movement patterns and behaviour of thick-billed murres, an abundant species of Arctic seabird, off the coast of Coats Island in Nunavut.
Thick-billed murres have been identified as a priority species within the Arctic. By using biologgers – a type of electronic sensor tracker that is attached to an animal and used to collect information such as location, traveling speeds, local environmental conditions, and more – Allison is able to track the movement of these birds during the winter and monitor their behaviour during the ten months of the year that they are at sea.
This work is part of an international collaboration with researchers from Denmark, France and Canada that is helping inform government ministries, such as Parks Canada, on the planning of marine-protected areas in the North.
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Matthew AsplinUniversity of Victoria
2016-2017 postdoctoral fellow awardMatthew Asplin
University of Victoria
Matthew Asplin recently completed his postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Geography at the University of Victoria and now works in the private sector at ASL Environmental Sciences Inc. as a scientific project manager.
During the tenure of his award, Matthew used data analysis tools commonly found in the artificial intelligence sector to analyze the meteorological drivers of storm surges in the Western Canadian Arctic, which have the potential to impact coastal Northern Indigenous communities.
By advancing this work further into the realm of artificial intelligence, Matthew’s work could help alert local Indigenous communities to risks in their area and inform future Arctic shipping and economic development activities.
Weston Family Prize
Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research
At this point in time there are no plans to continue with the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research in its current form. Therefore, we are not accepting applications for the award this year.
Operating between 2011-2019, the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research recognized nine senior Canadian researchers who have made important contributions to the study and understanding of Canada’s North.
The prize was awarded based on nominations from other researchers in the field. It included a cash prize and support for a research fellow to pursue scientific research and field work, attend conferences/scientific meetings, and engage with Northern communities.
List of past prize winners:
- 2019-2020 : Wayne Pollard, Université McGill
- 2018-2019 : Derek Muir, Environnement and Climate Change Canada
- 2017-2018 : Michel Allard, Université Laval
- 2016-2017 : John England, University of Alberta
- 2015-2016 : Ian Stirling, University of Alberta
- 2014-2015: Dr. Charles Krebs, University of British Columbia
- 2013-2014: Dr. John Smol, Queen’s University
- 2012-2013: Dr. Louis Fortier, Université Laval
- 2011-2012: Dr. Serge Payette, Université Laval
Contact us
For more information about the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research or the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research, please contact:
Daphne Wellman
Program officer
Tel: 613-563-1236 ext. 219
westonawards@univcan.ca
About Weston Family Foundation
At the Weston Family Foundation, more than 60 years of philanthropy has taught us that there’s a relationship between healthy landscapes and healthy people. That’s why we champion world-class health research and innovation with the same passion that we support initiatives to protect and restore biodiversity in our unique landscapes. We take a collaborative approach to philanthropy, working alongside forward-thinking partners to advance Canada and create lasting impacts. We aspire to do more than provide funding to enable others to find transformational ways to improve the well-being of Canadians.
Since the Foundation’s beginning, each generation of our family has taken an active role in our grant-making to spark new ideas, shepherd promising initiatives, and scale ambitious projects. With every advance, we move forward together.
