A unique research grant competition at The University of Winnipeg is connecting university researchers with private donors who share their academic interests.
Five research projects each received a $9,200 grant from The University of Winnipeg Foundation and donors in the 2025 UWINnovate Competition. The grants were awarded in January 2026 and are active for one year.
UWINnovate is an amazing way for donors and the community to dive deep into why UWinnipeg is a great place!
Liz Simmie
UWINnovate is a funding competition developed by the Foundation in collaboration with the University’s Research Office, with support from UWinnipeg Advancement to distribute funding from generous private donors who wish to support researchers whose work creatively addresses complex scientific or social challenges. UWINnovate was previously launched as the Venture Fund Group initiative in 2024.
Researchers enter the competition by submitting a three-minute video outlining their work in plain language. Applications are then evaluated on their involvement and benefit to UWinnipeg students, the benefits of the research to Canadians, and the project’s overall impact and innovative potential.
“UWINnovate allows donors to learn about all the innovative research going on at UWinnipeg directly from the researchers themselves,” said Liz Simmie, co-founder of Honeytree Investment Management and a UWINnovate investor. “For those of us outside academia, it is a great crash-course in research, but the best part is, it really helps you understand all the groundbreaking work being done right downtown in Winnipeg. From medical advancement to solving educational challenges, UWINnovate is an amazing way for donors and the community to dive deep into why UWinnipeg is a great place!”
Applications to the 2026 UWINnovate Competition will open in October.
Meet the recipients
Dr. Melanie Martin
Bringing Vision to the Operating Room
Dr. Melanie Martin, Professor in the Department of Physics and Acting Associate Dean of Science, has assembled an interdisciplinary team to develop a new imaging protocol which will enable the use of PET (positron emission tomography) imaging in the operating room so surgeons can find and remove any tumor cells left behind before finishing the surgery.
“One of the reasons brain tumors are so hard to cure is that the tools we have now are not able to detect if neurosurgeons have removed the entire tumor,” Dr. Martin explained. “Even if just a few tumor cells are left behind, the tumor can regrow. Often the tumor regrows stronger and more resistant to treatment.”
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav
Pioneering Targeted Therapies and Tests for Colorectal and Breast Cancers
Dr. Anuraag Shrivastav’s lab is developing simple, cost-effective tests to prevent and detect colorectal cancer early, aiming to reduce screening barriers and enhance patient quality of life. The team is also addressing the challenge of aggressive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).
“It primarily affects younger women and currently has a poor prognosis,” said Dr. Shrivastav, Professor in the Department of Biology.
By focusing on this critical unmet medical need, Dr. Shrivastav’s team is pioneering targeted therapies for treating TNBC.
Dr. Angela Failler
Remembering the Deadliest Terror Attack in Canadian History: Building a Public Exhibit on the 1985 Air India Bombings
The 1985 Air India bombings remain the deadliest terror attack in Canadian history. Yet 40 years later, most Canadians know very little about this world-changing event, which is at risk of fading from public memory. Notably, there has never been a public exhibit on the Air India bombings in a national museum or gallery in Canada.
“There has, however, been a call to action by surviving family members to build one,” said Dr. Angela Failler, Professor and Canada Research Chair in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. “We have heard this call and are in preliminary conversations with families and museums to develop it.”
This research creation project holds tremendous potential for UWinnipeg researchers and students to be a part of a first-of-its-kind exhibit that will benefit all Canadians.
Dr. Kishi Anderson Leachman
A Pilot Study Applying Maslow’s Hammer Test Framework for Strategic Engagement of Educational Assistants in Inclusive Schools
This one-year pilot study will engage three or four inclusive schools in Manitoba, using a framework designed to help schools reflect on why and how they engage educational assistants (EAs) to support students with disabilities. Dr. Anderson Leachman, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, along with student research assistants, will work with superintendents, principals, vice-principals, teachers, EAs, and learning support staff to test and refine this framework.
“The goal is to provide schools with a practical, evidence-informed tool that ensures EA support is purposeful, aligned with student needs, reduces over-reliance, and promotes independence for students with disabilities,” said Dr. Anderson Leachman. “Ultimately, the project seeks to shift the conversation from ‘We need more EAs’ to ‘We are using EAs more effectively,’ fostering more inclusive classrooms where every student can thrive.”
Dr. Katharina Maier
Encampment Management: The Experiences of City Staff, Encampment Residents, and Housed Neighbours
Over the past five years, homeless encampments have sharply increased across Canada. These informal settlements have become one of the most visible signs of the country’s homelessness crisis, placing mounting public and political pressure on municipalities to “do something” about their growth. But cities often lack clear guidance, adequate support, and reliable evidence on what strategies are effective.
“Little research has examined how current municipal responses actually affect those involved—particularly the people living in encampments, the city workers on the front lines, and the surrounding communities,” said Dr. Katharina Maier, Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice.
She and her team aim will examine how two cities, Regina and Winnipeg, respond to homeless encampments through policies, practices, and everyday decisions. Their research will explore how these responses are experienced by city staff, encampment residents, and housed community members, and provide cities with ethical, sustainable, and evidence-based recommendations.
