Scholarships
SaskCanola is committed to improving Saskatchewan agriculture by directly investing in initiatives that strengthen the grower community. Two scholarship programs ensure growers will continue to have the agronomic support they need for successful canola production and that industry will have research scientists for future generations.
Undergraduate scholarships support future agrologists and shape the next generation of agronomists. The Dr. Keith Downey Undergraduate Scholarship offers $2,500 each to four students studying towards their agriculture degrees at the University of Saskatchewan. The recipients must be children of levy-paying Saskatchewan canola farmers.
Graduate student scholarships support canola researchers in developing research capacity in Saskatchewan. The prestigious Dr. Roger Rimmer Award for Excellence in Graduate Research offers $18,000 per year for a maximum of two years to four students in a MSc or PhD program at the University of Saskatchewan for projects focusing on either canola development or utilization.
2024 Graduate Scholarship Recipients
Nirpesh Dhakal
Chemical Engineering
Nirpesh is focused on value addition of canola meal by extraction of nutrients in the form on amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, for use as a “canola meal extract” in microbial media in industrial fermentations.
Hansanee Fernando
Plant Science
Hansanee is developing a systematic yield prediction model by using remote sensing technology to identify factors that drive canola yield, including mapping the long-term stability of canola yield across fields.
Cresilda Alinapon Biology
Cresilda is studying the molecular function of Plasmodiophora brassicae effector proteins to understand and combat clubroot disease in canola, aiming to develop clubroot-resistant canola cultivars.
Kate Sauser
Ag & Resource Economics
Kate is researching the impact of herbicide-tolerant canola and no-till practices on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration, and sustainability in Saskatchewan, with the goal of informing policy to enhance sustainable practices and recognize farmers' contributions to climate change mitigation.