Five University of Winnipeg Faculty of Graduate Studies students – Annie Martel, Hassan Abdulkadir, Isabella Lu, Ayomide Fatogun, and Pranav Sadana – have received $12,000 Master’s Studentship Awards through Research Manitoba’s 2023 Grants and Awards Competition.
Being a full-time student, family man, former refugee, and a new permanent resident in Canada, this grant is indispensable.
Hassan Abdulkadir
The annual competition recognized 31 Master’s Studentships, 18 PhDs in Health Research Studentships, and three Health Research Postdoctoral Fellowships, for a total investment of $962,010 between Research Manitoba and its partners.
“We are thrilled to see Research Manitoba continue to recognize and support the talent of UWinnipeg graduate students. In addition to providing financial support, these awards grow students’ confidence by validating the significance of their research projects,” said Dr. Manish Pandey, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. “Our students demonstrate dedication and passion in the pursuit of their research, and we are proud to witness their hard work rewarded through receipt of the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentships.”
The Master’s Studentship Competition supports highly qualified students preparing for careers as independent researchers in industry, within the healthcare system, and in other environments, thus attracting and retaining the best students within Manitoba.
This year’s UWinnipeg recipients are represented in the Social Sciences and Humanities and Natural Sciences and Humanities categories.
Meet the students!
Annie Martel, Master of Environmental and Social Change, received $12,000 for the project Métis Knowledge, Climate Change Risk Assessment, and Adaptation Planning in Michif Communities in Southeastern Manitoba, supervised by Drs. Ian Mauro and Ryan Bullock.
“Receiving the Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award is an honour and I am extremely thankful for this opportunity,” said Martel. “This funding will allow me to spend more time focusing on my thesis going into my second year of my program. The connections that this award provides, along with the financial support, is extremely appreciated and will positively impact my research.”
Hassan Abdulkadir, Master of Arts in Applied Economics, received $12,000 for the project Does Rainfall Cause Food Security? The Nexus Between Rainfall and Food Insecurity in the Horn of Africa, supervised by Dr. Melanie O’Gorman.
“Securing this funding from Research Manitoba is more than just an endorsement of my research; it’s a vital resource that propels my work,” said Abdulkadir. “Being a full-time student, family man, former refugee, and a new permanent resident in Canada, this grant is indispensable. It helps me balance my family responsibilities and my studies, allowing me to focus on my academic contributions. I’m truly grateful for this honour.”
Isabella Lu, Master of Science in Bioscience, Technology, and Public Policy, received $12,000 for the project The Role of Milk-Derived Exosomes on NF-κB-Mediated Proinflammation and NRLP3 Inflammasome Formation, supervised by Dr. Sanoji Wijenayake.
“I learned about Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award from my lab mates. My supervisor was also very supportive and they encouraged me to apply for the award,” said Lu. “It is really amazing to receive the award because it can support my graduate study financially and gives me more time to focus on my research project about milk-derived exosomes on neuroinflammation.”
Ayomide Fatogun, Master of Science in Environmental and Social Change, received $12,000 for the project Aerial Surveys of Moose Using Drone and Satellite Imagery in Manitoba, supervised by Dr. Christopher Storie.
“I am very grateful to receive a Research Manitoba Master’s Studentship Award,” said Fatogun. “This funding will positively impact my project by providing resources to conduct additional field surveys and achieve beneficial outcomes.”
Pranav Sadana, Master of Science in Bioscience, Technology, and Public Policy, received $12,000 for the project Do Endangered Little Brown Bats (Myotis Lucifugus) Use Heterothermy to Help Build Fat Reserves for Hibernation?, supervised by Dr. Craig Willis.
“I am immensely grateful to Research Manitoba for supporting my research on fall ecophysiology of endangered little brown bats,” Sadana said. “Through this work, I hope to be able to understand physiological and behavioural strategies, for example torpor expression, used by these bats to accumulate hibernation fat reserves and inform conservation measures for the recovery of an endangered species in Manitoba (and Canada).”
Research Manitoba promotes, supports, and coordinates the funding of research excellence and innovation in health, natural and social sciences, engineering, and the humanities in Manitoba. Research Manitoba supports local talent development by providing research support to early career researchers and graduate students, along with fostering strategic partnerships to strengthen research and innovation.
