Government of Canada Honours Nelson Mandela with 20 Inaugural Scholarships

December 16, 2015 – Ottawa, Ontario—The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

The Government of Canada has awarded 20 inaugural scholarships to graduate students at the masters and doctoral level, in honour of the late Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa and anti-apartheid leader.

The Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) to Honour Nelson Mandela were announced following the death of the South African leader in December 2013. They are intended to honour Mandela’s legacy and pursuit of peace, democracy and freedom through learning.

The 10 masters and 10 doctoral recipients are from the following institutions: Dalhousie University, Université Laval, McGill University, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, Queen’s University, Trent University, York University and The University of British Columbia.

The recipients include:

• Cecilia Jennings, a Master of Arts student studying geography at Queen’s University, who, in partnership with Pictou landing First Nation, will look at indigenous youth expressing their rights and using arts-based inquiry to address environmental injustice.
• Jordana Waxman, a doctoral student in clinical developmental psychology at York University, who is studying how the behavioural and physiological response to pain and other distress develops in infants, as well as the relationship between distress responses and infant mental health.

Quick Facts

• The CGS to Honour Nelson Mandela recognizes scholars conducting research in one or more of five areas championed by the former President of South Africa: national unity; democracy, freedom and human rights; leadership; children’s participation in society; and children’s health.
• Recipients of the CGS to Honour Nelson Mandela were selected by the degree to which the subject matter of their proposed research aligns with Nelson Mandela’s legacy, and the potential of their proposed research to contribute to promoting better understanding of subjects and issues important to Nelson Mandela.
• The competition is administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Quotes

“We are pleased to support the aspirations of young scholars and researchers through the Canada Graduate Scholarships program. I congratulate the recipients on earning this special distinction—the Canadian Graduate Scholarship to honour Nelson Mandela—and I wish them well in their studies. The Government of Canada is committed to supporting research and making Canada a global centre of excellence in research, innovation and higher learning.”

—The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

“We have funded many of Canada’s best researchers, students and postsecondary institutions in the deep conviction that social science and humanities research is absolutely essential to enhancing our well-being and quality of life. These awards examining values championed by Nelson Mandela demonstrate that conviction.”

—Dr. Ted Hewitt, President of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

“The recipients of these scholarships are future leaders in Canada’s research community. By awarding them this special honour we trust these brilliant young people will be further inspired and encouraged as they apply their knowledge and creativity in exploring issues that were important to Nelson Mandela and that remain challenges in our world today.”

—Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Related products

• List of Recipients

 

Associated links

• Canada Graduate Scholarships to Honour Nelson Mandela

Contacts

Media Relations
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
343-291-1777
ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca

Yoan St-Onge
Communications Advisor
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
613-947-6560
yoan.st-onge@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Media Relations
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
613-941-4563
mediarelations@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

About SSHRC

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences. By focusing on developing Talent, generating Insights and forging Connections across campuses and communities, SSHRC strategically supports world-leading initiatives that reflect a commitment to ensuring a better future for Canada and the world. For more information, visit the SSHRC website.

About CIHR

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada’s health research investment agency. CIHR‘s mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to enable its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened health-care system for Canadians. Composed of 13 institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 13,700 health researchers and trainees across Canada.

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