🎓Fully Funded MSc & PhD: Improve Soil Health and Yield Utilizing Cover Crops in the Northwest Territories, Canada
đź“š About Future Harvest Partnership
Applications are now open for a fully funded MSc & PhD scholarship Canada opportunity. This research position focuses on Improve Soil Health And Yield Utilizing Cover Crops In The Northwest Territories. Successful candidates will receive full tuition coverage along with a competitive stipend.
These positions can be based in Waterloo, Ontario or the Northwest Territories. Ideal candidates will spend 4-5 months conducting field data collection in the Northwest Territories. Evaluation of applications will begin in November and continue on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
The Future Harvest Partnership represents a multi-year collaboration between Wilfrid Laurier University, the Territorial Agrifood Association, and the Government of the Northwest Territories Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. An interdisciplinary team of leading academics from across North America supports this initiative. Indigenous Governments and traditional knowledge also inform the research approach. Together, these partners engage with food producers and local communities of the Northwest Territories. Through this collaboration, they co-create research and generate useful insights for innovation and policy. With this knowledge, they aim to inform the development of a climate-resilient local food system.
🎯 Scholarship Overview
đź“ť Research Project
Improve soil health and yield utilizing cover crops in the northwest territories
While there are several farmers already operating in the NWT, they face numerous environmental and economic hurdles. The challenges include a short growing season, prolonged sun exposure, shallow or nutrient deficient soils, little to no summer precipitation, understudied biological actors in the soil, and high import costs for soil amendments, seeds, and irrigation equipment. There is a need for NWTspecific research to support and scale commercial farming with the aims of improving food security and reducing carbon emission associated with the food system. Cover cropping is one farming practice that can help alleviate the economic and environmental hurdles farmers face, while also building soil health and soil carbon and reducing water use and costs associated with imported soil amendments.
đź“‹ Key Responsibilities
- The ideal graduate student will help develop NWT-tailored research on cover cropping. This includes evaluating the impact of cover crops on soil health, soil carbon, and soil biology.
- Additionally, the student will assess the effect of cover crops on improving low productivity soils. Feasibility studies will also be conducted, examining timing, seed mixture, and seed production for NWT conditions.
- Through this project, the student will support key goals such as reducing carbon emissions, improving soil health, and reducing external input use. Another important responsibility involves creating NWT-specific growth and yield curves.
- Furthermore, the PhD student will work closely with FHP post-doctoral fellows. Together, they will develop knowledge mobilization pieces that communicate recommendations for cover cropping in the NWT.
âś… Eligibility Criteria
- A successfully completed BSc/MSc in Agriculture, Ecology, GIS, and Remote Sensing
- Previous experience in cover cropping, small-scale farming, and/or sustainable farming practices is preferred
- Ambition to publish research results in top interdisciplinary journals
đź‘Ą Professor/University group/Wetsus supervisor(s):
Students will enroll in the graduate program of the Department of Biology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, ON (program link). They will join Dr. Jennifer Baltzer’s research group (forestecology.ca).
đź“ť How to Apply
Interested students should send the following documents:
• resume
• unofficial transcript
• optional writing sample
• cover letter indicating motivation, barriers, career interruptions, or other life events (optional)
Applications should be sent directly to:
Dr. Kwaku Lich
Wilfrid Laurier University
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