WGRF Increases Funding For Graduate Scholarship Program

Jul 23, 2020

The Western Grains Research Foundation has announced a $1.5 million dollar investment in Graduate Scholarships at the University of Manitoba, the University of Alberta, and the University of Saskatchewan.

WGRF Board Chair Terry Young says over the next five years they will be investing $300,000 per year in Graduate Scholarships.

Mary Buhr, Dean of the University of Saskatchewan says WGRF’s increase in scholarships speaks to their commitment to invest in agriculture through supporting our future scientists and leaders.

Young says WGRF has made it a priority to increase research capacity in Western Canada, this increase in funding towards graduate scholarships will help support the training of highly qualified professionals that can move into research or other positions impacting western Canadian crop production.

Dr. Stanford F. Blade from the Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sciences with the University of Alberta. says this investment by western Canadian farmers will build a stronger future for agriculture by unleashing the curiosity and creativity of our graduate students during their studies and throughout their careers.

The scholarships are available to students pursuing their Masters or PhD in any of WGRF's priority research areas.

Martin Scanlon, Dean of the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences says they are grateful for initiatives such as the Western Grains Research Foundation Graduate Scholarship program, which supports new researchers in their studies on cropping systems and sets them on a path to success in Western Canada and beyond.

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Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.