The call for applications is open for the Travel Enrichment Award. See eligibility requirements and criteria below or click here. Please feel free to distribute to other CWSS/SCM members not in the list, or people that will soon become members. You need to be a CWSS graduate student member to apply.
CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Award description:
The CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Award(s) will provide CWSS/SCM graduate student recipients with a five-day, four-night educational experience of their choosing as described by each participating host (table below). The award will broaden the recipient’s exposure to weed science beyond their educational institution and provide the opportunity to experience weed science in a different province, research program, and/or organization. Each of three awards will consist of $5000 CAD to cover expenses related to the travel enrichment experience.
The objectives of the CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Award(s) are:
- To provide CWSS/SCM graduate students with the opportunity to participate in a five-day, four-night educational experience with weed science professionals in a different province than that of their educational institution.
- To enhance the exposure of CWSS/SCM graduate students to different research programs, farming systems, and/or organizations.
- To develop and encourage networking opportunities between CWSS/SCM graduate students and weed science professionals.
Eligibility requirements:
Applicants must:
- Be a graduate (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) student attending a Canadian university with good academic standing, or a Canadian citizen graduate student (M.Sc. or Ph.D.) attending an international university with good academic standing.
- Be enrolled in a graduate student program with a thesis topic related to weed science.
- Be a registered member of the CWSS/SCM at the time of application.
Note: Awardees might be asked to summarize the travel enrichment experience in a 10–12 minute presentation (Specifics will be provided directly to each recipient).
Applications must include:
A completed application form (see below for an example or click here for downloading the form), including:
- Cover letter describing the applicant’s interest in weed science and the travel enrichment experience (max 1 page).
- Brief CV summary highlighting recent relevant experience (max 1 page).
- Graduate and undergraduate academic transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable).
- Two letters of support, one of which must be from the applicant’s graduate advisor (max 1 page).
Potential hosts:
| HOST | INSTITUTION | LOCATION | EXPERIENCE |
| Dr. Marie-Josée Simard | Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC | Marie-Josée Simard’s weed science lab works on the biology and ecology of problem weeds, such as allergenic weeds (common ragweed), crop-weed hybrids (canola-bird rape mustard, herbicide resistant and invasive weeds. She is also interested in weed detection using imagery and AI (in collaboration with Étienne Lord) as well as finding alternatives to pesticides. In 2026, our lab will be growing invasive amaranthus species (Amaranthus tuberculatus and A. palmeri) in the greenhouse to determine the relative competitive fitness of the species. We will also be evaluating the effect of cover crop termination on weeds and the effect of abiotic stresses on weed physiology (in collaboration with Martin Laforest). |
| Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill | Agriculture Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) | Charlottetown, PEI | Biology, ecology, and management of weeds in Atlantic Canadian cropping systems including field (corn, soy) and horticulture (potato, turnip, carrots, etc…) crops in a unique environment. Main projects involve the use, integration, and management of cover crops to enhance agroecosystem services, alternatives to glyphosate, and use of novel weed management tools including harvest weed seed control, electrical weeding, and abrasive weed management. |
| Dr. Yosra Menchari | Université Laval | Quebec City, QC | Biological and molecular detection of herbicide resistance in weeds/ Integrated weed management in organic cranberries. |
CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Application Form:
Send all applications in a single .pdf document to the CWSS/SCM Scholarships and Awards Chair, Leonardo Galindo Gonzalez (Leonardo.GalindoGonzalez@inspection.gc.ca) by October 19, 2025. On the subject field please place your full name followed by: application to the CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Award.
1. Applicant Name: ______________________________________________
2. Selection of Host for the CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience
First Choice: ___________________________________________
Second Choice: ________________________________________
Third Choice: __________________________________________
3. Cover Letter (max 1 page):
4. CV Summary (max 1 page):
5. Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Transcripts: (unofficial copies are acceptable)
6. Two letters of support (max 1 page, each) – these letters are to be sent directly from the two references to the email above, so they will not be part of your pdf document. Please indicate to your references they should place your full name and “CWSS/SCM Travel Enrichment Experience Award support letter” as subject in the email.