The University of Guelph has selected sixteen outstanding graduate students to receive exclusive Food from Thought Research Assistant awards for 2018-19. Beginning with the fall semester, the new cohort of research assistants will undertake research projects with sector partners that build on the core goal of the Food from Thought program: to increase the sustainability and productivity of global food systems using the power of big data, advancements in DNA sequencing, leading-edge agri-food research, and biodiversity science.
The seven masters and nine PhD students, representing five of the University of Guelph’s seven colleges, have been selected based on their excellent academic performance, passion for solving global issues through innovative research methods, and entrepreneurial spirit.
“We’re thrilled to have such an impressive cohort of students joining Food from Thought as Research Assistants,” says Malcolm Campbell, Vice President (Research) at the University of Guelph. “This is a highly competitive program, and the successful candidates have all demonstrated great research capability in areas surrounding the challenges of food productivity and sustainability.”
The cohort will receive practical training in skills related to communication, knowledge mobilization, personality dynamics and project management. Along with the new Arrell Food Scholars in the Arrell Food Institute, the research assistants will work in multi-disciplinary research teams with U of G experts, industry and community partners to tackle real challenges in sustainable agriculture and food production. The topics of focus for last year’s cohort were food waste, big data/technology in agriculture, food literacy, and climate change.
“Working together with community groups and partners on real world projects helps prepare students to become leaders in the agri-food sector, and can also lead to increased sustainability and economic growth locally,” says Evan Fraser, Scientific Director of Food from Thought.
Food from Thought intends to transform our understanding of the ecosystems we depend on for food, at scales that range from global, to landscape, to micro. Food from Thought statistics at a glance:
- 35 Principal Investigators across three universities
- 80+ co-Investigators and collaborators
- 190+ students and postdoctoral fellows
- 65+ partners and knowledge users
- $100 million in cash and in-kind partner contributions
