The Wladimir A. Smirnoff Fellowships – 2023

The Wladimir A. Smirnoff Fellowship is a joint initiative of the Société d’entomologie du Québec (SEQ), Quebec Society for the Protection of Plants (QSPP) and Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service (NRCan – CFS).

Each $3,000 scholarship is awarded to a student who pursues graduate studies in the fields of forest entomology or forest phytopathology in Quebec.

  • The deadline for application is April 21, 2023.
  • Award winners will be announced in May.
  • Awardees will be required to commit to presenting their research at a minimum of 2 dissemination events organized by the awarding organizations: 1) Formal award ceremony (oral presentation via videoconference in June 2023); 2) QSPP or SEQ annual conference, as an oral presentation (highly recommended) or poster.

NOTE: Award winners may apply for a second scholarship (maximum of two scholarships per graduate cycle). These applications will then be evaluated on the same basis as those of other applicants.

Eligibility criteria

The applicant must:

  • Be a Canadian citizen;
  • Be a member or become a member of the Société d’entomologie du Québec (SEQ) or the Quebec Society for the Protection of Plants (QSPP); (Become a member of the SEQ or the QSPP by clicking on the links)
  • Pursue, in the academic year following the application, for at least one semester, full-time graduate studies at a Québec university;
  • Ensure that these studies relate to forest entomology or forest phytopathology (development of new pest control, prevention and detection approaches, development of application technologies for biological pesticides, improvement of knowledge of the ecology and physiology of pests, development of decision-support tools for pest management, etc.);
  • Have the support of a research director for the project.

Selection criteria

As an indication, here are the selection criteria that are taken into consideration:

  • Quality of the candidate’s academic record
  • Letter of interest
  • Value and originality of the proposed project
  • Relevance and potential impact of the project
  • Logistical and financial feasibility of the project

Other information to provide

Attach an appendix titled Research work experience. It must include the following:

  • Position held
  • Task description
  • Place of work
  • Supervisor’s contact information
  • Start date of graduate studies and expected graduation date
  • Letters of support from the research director and a supervisor regarding work experiences illustrating the applicant’s ability to complete the project. The letter of support must certify that the student is registered as a full-time student.

Attach an appendix titled Research project description. It must include the following:

  • Description of the project (maximum 4 pages)
  • Research work plan, schedule and budget
  • Institution attended within the framework of the project
  • Contact information of the research director
  • Contact information of co-directors or scientific partners

Registration instructions

Before submitting your application by e-mail, please ensure that it includes, in one PDF file, all of these documents in the following order:

Required documents:

  1. The completed registration form
  2. A letter of interest (maximum of 300 words)
  3. A copy of proof of Canadian citizenship
  4. A copy of all academic transcripts (undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees, if applicable)
  5. An appendix titled Research work experience
  6. Two letters of support: 1) from a research director and 2) an immediate actual or recent supervisor
  7. An appendix titled Research project description
  8. A copy of the curriculum vitae
  9. A copy of university diplomas

Send the requested PDF document to the following e-mail address: candidatures@boursessmirnoff.ca

Please indicate « Smirnoff Fellowships » in the e-mail subject line.