Graduate Award Search

Arrell Food Institute Scholarships [E5966]

The Arrell Food Institute is not currently accepting applications for 2025-2026.

The Arrell Food Institute Scholarships of $50,000 per year available to doctoral and masters level students to support research focused on agriculture and food. Submit an application for admission to an eligible University of Guelph Graduate program by February 28, and a complete application (includes: statement of research and personal motivation; letter of support from prospective Guelph supervisor; and a CV) are due to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies by March 5 annually. In the event that either due date falls on a weekend, the deadline will become the working day (normally Monday) immediately following the deadline date. Selection will be based on: outstanding academic achievement; relevance of proposed research and personal motivation to the vision of the Arrell Food Institute; commitment to non-specialist engagement, as demonstrated in the CV; and the interview with the scholarship selection committee. Other conditions of this award include: award recipients will be expected need to register for UNIV*6050 in their first year or commit to an equivalent experiential learning opportunity. In second years and onwards, recipients will be expected to contribute an equivalent amount of time to collaborative projects with AFI and other Scholars; award recipients must maintain satisfactory progress in their graduate program; in all circumstances, clear, mutually agreed expectations between the recipient and their supervisor are optimal for the scholar’s success; a change in supervisor will be considered, subject to the agreement of the new supervisor, the graduate chair(s) in the relevant department(s) and the AFI Director; recipients of the Arrell Food Institute Scholarships will be known as the Arrell Scholars; and parental leave or other caring responsibilities will be considered under the normal terms offered by the University of Guelph; deferral of start will be considered for one year subject to the Supervisor’s agreement and a justification rationale. It is preferred that six month notice of any deferral is given, unless circumstances preclude that; students awarded an Arrell Scholarship at the Masters level who subsequently apply for and transfer to Doctoral studies are permitted to do so, subject to the prior approval of the Supervisor, AVP Graduate Studies, and the AFI Director. However, their scholarship will only cover their studies under their original award timeframe (e.g, Masters level for a total of 6 semesters for a total of $100,000, payable in installments of $16,667 per tri-semester period or $50,000 per year). The financial implications of the student’s continued Doctoral studies will be borne by the student. Students awarded an Arrell Scholarship at the Doctors level who subsequently apply for and transfer to Masters studies are permitted to do so, subject to the prior approval of the Supervisor, AVP Graduate Studies, and the AFI Director. However, their scholarship will be changed from a Doctoral level scholarship to a Masters level scholarship (total 6 semesters of funding). Criteria for a single semester scholarship extension will include a) a significantly detrimental situation that is outside the control of the student in question; b) that the extension has the support of the supervisor and AFI Director; c) that the student is close to finishing their course, and the extension will give them sufficient time to do so; d) a consideration of the other sources of financial and practical support available to the student. This award cannot be held with the Ontario Graduate Scholarships/QEII-Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology, Trillium Scholarships, the Brock Doctoral Scholarship, Dairy Farmers of Ontario Doctoral Research Assistantship, Trudeau Doctoral Scholarship, or Tri-Council Scholarships, including the Vanier.

Students entering a full-time graduate program in the fall semester following the application deadline with a minimum first-class (A-) admissions average, whose research aligns with the vision of the Arrell Food Institute. Up to 40 percent of the award recipients at any time may have pursued prior undergraduate or graduate degrees at the University of Guelph.