Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

The John G Bene Fellowship application window is October 19, 2026 to November 30, 2026; up to ten awards of a maximum of CA$30,000 are available. 

IDRC has helped graduate students undertake research in the field of international development since 1982. The Bene fellowship, a bequest from the estate of John G. Bene, is offered to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. Candidates should have an academic background that combines an interest in forests (landscape and forest management and restoration, forestry, agroforestry), environment, ecology and food systems, with a social sciences lens (gender and inclusion, Indigenous knowledge and science, biodiversity conservation, governance of nature). 

The fellowship aims to facilitate practical field research on gender-responsive integrated forest, landscape and food systems restoration and management including within fire-prone, degraded or disputed landscapes. Linking the broader climate-food-inclusivity nexus, it emphasizes nature-based solutions and approaches that have the potential to drive transformative change for smallholder farmers, including youth, women, and Indigenous communities in developing countries.   

This call for funding is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. The award under this call will cover costs of field research conducted for a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in one or more countries of the Global South.  

Eligibility

This call is open to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. The award under this call will cover costs of field research conducted for a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation in one or more countries of the Global South. Please consult the detailed call document for more specific eligibility requirements.

For this competition, applicants submit directly to the  funding agency as per their instructions. Applications are not submitted through Memorial's Researcher Portal, nor to the Faculty of HSS, or Research, Initiatives and Services (RIS).