Application Deadline Approaching for Ages Foundation Fund scholarships and bursaries for research at rare

This Earth Day (Friday), Southbound Drivers on Blair Road Are Invited to Give Two Bucks (or more) to Preserve Our Natural Spaces Now and for the Future

Graduate students looking to fund environmentally-related research projects in environmental science or arts have until midnight on Sunday, April 30 to apply for the Ages Fund Research Fellowships and Bursaries Program. The fund is open to Canadian and International graduate students planning to do research projects at the rare Charitable Research Reserve. Each year, two $5,000 scholarships are awarded, along with up to five $1,000 bursaries. 

Approved graduate student research projects will have access to the preserved natural areas of rare in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. These areas offer relatively undisturbed sites close to urban areas, offering points of comparison for research.

“We’ve hosted several projects that have used rare as a control site to study the impact of urbanization on local wildlife,” explains James Bow, communications officer at rare. “Last year, we were pleased to host Alannah Grant, a PhD Candidate at the University of Guelph working on a project on the influence of environmental stress on urban and rural eastern grey squirrels. Megan Schmidt of the University of Waterloo worked on gathering data on the carbon dynamics of Southern Ontario swamps, which expands our understanding of how these lands absorb greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide and methane.” 

The fellowship program includes a $5,000 award in support of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Colour (BIPOC) graduate students. The research the award funds must have an environmental component and take place at least partly at the rare Charitable Research Reserve between May 2023 and April 2024. The winning applicants will be required to provide a final report to rare a year after receiving their prize, which includes a list of any presentations or publications of the work to date. 

The successful applicant will be notified on or before July 15, but applications can be awarded earlier, depending on the proposed start date of the research. Further details and the application form can be found at raresites.org/research/scholarship/

The rare Charitable Research Reserve is an urban land trust and environmental institute protecting and preserving over 1,200 acres of environmentally sensitive lands in Waterloo Region and Wellington County. The Ages Foundation Fund was established by a supporter at rare seeking to support research at the site and help environmental scientists at the start of their careers. In the nearly fifteen years since rare partnered with the Ages Fund, over $100,000 in fellowships and bursaries have been awarded.

To Learn More: https://raresites.org/research/scholarship/

To Submit: If you are not currently conducting research at rare, download and complete the rare Research and Land Use Application Form, including Appendix One. Note you are required to submit one letter of recommendation with your application (see pg. 10 for more details).

If you are currently conducting research at rare and have already completed a research application form for your project, download and complete Appendix One. This will be reviewed in conjunction with your research application.

Any Questions: Please contact James Bow, Communications Officer at rare at james.bow@raresites.org