Scholarships
Please download and read the FULL application instructions before you complete the application form.
The deadline to apply is January 31, 2026 at 11:59 pm PST.
Note: Applicants will only need to submit one application to be considered for all the scholarships, for which they are eligible. For more details on eligibility criteria, please see the descriptions below.
The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) now offers six annual scholarships. These scholarships are awarded to graduate students enrolled full-time in a Canadian university or college. It is a requirement for the applicants to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
All six scholarships are awarded through a single application process. Selection of the award recipients is based on the overall ranking of the applications.
NHC Water Excellence Scholarship – $5,000
This premier scholarship will be awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants. Funding is provided by Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC).
WSP Scholarship for Indigenous Students in Water – $2,000
Awarded to the highest ranked Indigenous applicant who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship.
Harker/Cameron – Women in Water Scholarship – $2,000
Awarded to the highest ranked female applicant who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Jennifer Harker and Valerie Cameron.
Rick Ross Student Scholarship – $2,000
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Rick Ross.
Ken Thomson Scholarship – $2,000
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to honour the legacy of the late Ken Thomson.
CWRA Memorial Scholarship – $1,500
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship represents a tribute to CWRA members through their colleagues’ donations.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents attending a Canadian university or college, enrolled in full-time graduate studies in any department in both fall and winter terms of the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Applicants must be graduate students whose research-based program of study focuses on applied, natural, or social science aspects of water resources.
- To be considered for the Scholarship for Indigenous Students in Water, the applicant must self-identify as an Indigenous student on the application form. Prior to the awarding of this scholarship, the successful applicant will be contacted by the CWRA to provide documentation of, or a description of, their Indigenous heritage. CWRA understands that Indigenous ancestry can be difficult to document, and if necessary, various forms of confirmation will be considered.
- To be considered for the Harker/Cameron Women in Water Scholarship, applicants must self-identify as a woman on the application form.
- Prior to the awarding of each of the six scholarships, successful applicants will be contacted by the CWRA and asked to provide documentation of their Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
- The recipient must agree to have their name and photo(s) published in both CWRA internal and external communications (e.g., website, social media, newsletter, Water News, etc.).
Application Process
- Access to the CWRA online application portal will open October 3, 2025.
- The application deadline for submission is January 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST.
- Applications will be completed by the student.
- The student applicant must complete the application form via the online application portal at https://cwra.org/en/awards/scholarships/.
- Following the online submission of the application form, the applicant must prepare and submit their research project description using the template provided here (Password: Scholarships). The completed project description must be emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Committee as described on the template.
- Supporting documents (transcripts and letters of reference) must be mailed or emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Committee by institutions or referees, as described below.
- Applicants will be contacted seven (7) days prior to the submission deadline if their application remains incomplete at that time.
- Applicants must obtain and arrange for delivery of the following supporting documents for a complete submission:
- Proof of the applicant’s full-time enrollment. This document is often obtained through the same office as transcripts. If not available, a confirmation letter on the applicant’s department letterhead is deemed acceptable.
- Official undergraduate education transcript (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the undergraduate institution).
- Official graduate education transcript (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the graduate institution).
- Two letters of reference from persons with a knowledge of the applicant’s research or professional experience (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the referee).
- An outline of the applicant’s research project and its relevance to sustainable water resources (5,000 words). The outline should include project research methods, type of data and analysis, as well as the expected outcomes. The project description should be reader-friendly to non-specialists.
- Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and letters of reference can either be emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Chair at scholarships@cwra.org or mailed directly to the following physical address. Information received via mail must be postmarked prior to the application deadline.
CWRA Scholarship Chair
c/o Nicholas Kehler
B626 – 13 Evergreen Place
Sanford, MB R0G2J0
- Applications can be submitted in French or English.
- It is the student applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all application documents are uploaded to the application portal by the application deadline, and that the documentation or references from the appropriate person or institution are emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Chair by the application deadline or mailed to the CWRA Scholarship Chair postmarked prior to the application deadline.
- Notification will be provided to all applicants prior to March 31, 2026.
- All successful applicants will be required to provide banking details for payment and their Social Insurance Number for tax form purposes.
- All applicants are encouraged to also submit an abstract to the 2026 CWRA National Conference. Information on the Call for Abstracts, and abstract submission deadlines, will be available here: conference.cwra.org
Application Review and Award Notification
The CWRA scholarships are awarded primarily based on academic excellence as well as project relevance to water resources management and development. When applicants are equal based on these criteria, selection will be based on encouraging diverse geographic reach and a diverse technical focus. Equity and diversity will also be valued.
A formal awards presentation will be held during the CWRA 79th Annual Conference in Winnipeg, Manitoba (June 15-19, 2025). Scholarship applicants are encouraged to consider submitting an abstract for the conference. Details can be found at: conference.cwra.org.
Questions about the application process should be sent to the CWRA Scholarship Chair via email: scholarships@cwra.org.
L’Association canadienne des ressources hydriques (ACRH) offre désormais six bourses annuelles
Ces bourses sont remises à des étudiant·e·s aux cycles supérieurs inscrit·e·s à temps plein dans une université ou un collège canadien. Les candidat·e·s doivent être citoyen·ne·s canadien·ne·s ou résident·e·s permanent·e·s.
Les six bourses sont attribuées au terme d’un seul processus de candidature. La sélection des lauréat·e·s est fondée sur le classement global des demandes.
Bourse Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) – 5 000 $
Bourse prestigieuse remise au·à la candidat·e le mieux classé·e parmi l’ensemble des demandes. Financement offert par Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC).
Bourse WSP pour les étudiant·e·s autochtones en eau – 2 000 $
Attribuée au·à la candidat·e autochtone le mieux classé·e n’ayant pas déjà obtenu une bourse de rang supérieur. Financement offert par WSP.
Bourse Harker/Cameron – Femmes et eau – 2 000 $
Attribuée à la candidate la mieux classée n’ayant pas déjà obtenu une bourse de rang supérieur. Cette bourse souligne l’héritage de Jennifer Harker et Valerie Cameron.
Bourse étudiante Rick Ross – 2 000 $
Attribuée au·à la candidat·e le mieux classé·e n’ayant pas déjà obtenu une bourse de rang supérieur. Cette bourse rend hommage à l’héritage de Rick Ross.
Bourse Ken Thomson – 2 000 $
Attribuée au·à la candidat·e le mieux classé·e n’ayant pas déjà obtenu une bourse de rang supérieur. Cette bourse honore la mémoire de Ken Thomson.
Bourse commémorative de l’ACRH – 1 500 $
Attribuée au·à la candidat·e le mieux classé·e n’ayant pas déjà obtenu une bourse de rang supérieur. Elle rend hommage aux membres de l’ACRH grâce aux dons de leurs collègues.
Admissibilité
- Les candidat·e·s doivent être citoyen·ne·s canadien·ne·s ou résident·e·s permanent·e·s, inscrit·e·s dans une université ou un collège au Canada, en études supérieures à temps plein dans les trimestres d’automne et d’hiver de l’année universitaire 2025-2026.
- Les candidat·e·s doivent être des étudiant·e·s aux cycles supérieurs inscrit·e·s à un programme de recherche portant sur les aspects appliqués, naturels ou sociaux des ressources hydriques.
- Pour être considéré·e pour la Bourse WSP pour les étudiant·e·s autochtones en eau, la personne doit s’auto-identifier comme Autochtone dans le formulaire de demande. Avant l’attribution de la bourse, l’ACRH communiquera avec la personne retenue afin d’obtenir une confirmation ou une description de son héritage autochtone. L’ACRH reconnaît que cette ascendance peut être difficile à établir et, au besoin, divers moyens de confirmation seront pris en compte.
- Pour être considérées pour la Bourse Harker/Cameron – Femmes et eau, les personnes candidates doivent s’identifier comme femme dans le formulaire de demande.
- Avant l’attribution de chacune des six bourses, l’ACRH demandera aux personnes retenues de fournir une preuve de citoyenneté canadienne ou de résidence permanente.
- La personne lauréate doit accepter que son nom et ses photos soient publiés dans les communications internes et externes de l’ACRH (p. ex. site Web, médias sociaux, infolettre, Water News, etc.).
Processus de demande
- L’accès au portail de demande en ligne de l’ACRH ouvrira le 3 octobre 2025.
- La date limite pour soumettre une demande est le 31 janvier 2026 à 23 h 59 (HNP).
- Les candidatures sont déposées par l’étudiant·e.
- La personne candidate doit remplir le formulaire de demande via le portail en ligne : https://cwra.org/fr/awards/scholarships/.
- Après la soumission en ligne du formulaire, la personne candidate doit préparer et transmettre la description de son projet de recherche en utilisant le gabarit fourni ici (mot de passe : Scholarships). La description complétée doit être envoyée directement par courriel au Comité des bourses de l’ACRH tel qu’indiqué dans le gabarit.
- Les documents à l’appui (relevés de notes et lettres de référence) doivent être postés ou envoyés par courriel directement au Comité des bourses de l’ACRH par les établissements ou les répondant·e·s, comme décrit ci-dessous.
- Les candidat·e·s seront contacté·e·s sept (7) jours avant la date limite de dépôt si leur demande demeure incomplète à ce moment-là.
- Les candidat·e·s doivent obtenir et organiser la transmission des documents à l’appui suivants afin que leur demande soit complète :
- Preuve d’inscription à temps plein. Ce document est souvent délivré par le même bureau que les relevés de notes. S’il n’est pas disponible, une lettre de confirmation sur papier à en-tête du département de la personne candidate est jugée acceptable.
- Relevé de notes officiel des études de 1er cycle (posté ou envoyé par courriel directement au Comité des bourses de l’ACRH par l’établissement).
- Relevé de notes officiel des études supérieures (posté ou envoyé par courriel directement au Comité des bourses de l’ACRH par l’établissement).
- Deux lettres de référence de personnes connaissant la recherche ou l’expérience professionnelle de la personne candidate (postées ou envoyées par courriel directement au Comité des bourses de l’ACRH par les répondant·e·s).
- Résumé du projet de recherche et de sa pertinence pour la gestion durable des ressources hydriques (max. 5 000 caractères). Le résumé doit inclure les méthodes de recherche, le type de données et l’analyse, ainsi que les résultats attendus. Il doit être rédigé de manière accessible à un lectorat non spécialiste.
- Les relevés de notes officiels (1er cycle et cycles supérieurs) et les lettres de référence peuvent être transmis par la poste ou par courriel directement à la présidence des bourses de l’ACRH (scholarships@cwra.org) ou par la poste à l’adresse suivante. Les documents envoyés par la poste doivent porter un cachet postal antérieur à la date limite de candidature :
CWRA Scholarship Chair
c/o Nicholas Kehler
B626 – 13 Evergreen Place
Sanford, MB R0G2J0
- Les demandes peuvent être soumises en français ou en anglais.
- Il est de la responsabilité de la personne candidate de s’assurer que tous les documents de candidature sont téléversés sur le portail en ligne au plus tard à la date limite, et que les documents ou références transmis par les établissements ou personnes appropriés soient envoyés directement par courriel à la présidence des bourses de l’ACRH ou postés avec un cachet antérieur à la date limite.
- Une notification sera envoyée à toutes les personnes candidates avant le 31 mars 2026.
- Toutes les personnes lauréates devront fournir leurs coordonnées bancaires pour le paiement ainsi que leur numéro d’assurance sociale aux fins fiscales.
- Toutes les personnes candidates sont également invitées à soumettre un résumé à la Conférence nationale 2026 de l’ACRH. Les informations concernant l’appel de résumés et les dates limites de soumission seront disponibles à l’adresse : conference.cwra.org
Évaluation des candidatures et attribution des bourses
Les bourses de l’ACRH sont attribuées principalement en fonction de l’excellence académique ainsi que de la pertinence du projet pour la gestion et le développement des ressources hydriques. Lorsque les candidatures sont jugées équivalentes selon ces critères, la sélection visera à encourager une diversité géographique et une diversité des thématiques techniques. L’équité et la diversité seront également prises en compte.
Une cérémonie officielle de remise des prix aura lieu dans le cadre du 79e congrès annuel de l’ACRH à Winnipeg (MB), du 15 au 19 juin 2025. Les candidat·e·s aux bourses sont invité·e·s à envisager la soumission d’un résumé pour la conférence. Les détails sont disponibles à l’adresse suivante : conference.cwra.org.
Toute question concernant le processus de candidature doit être adressée à la présidence des bourses de l’ACRH par courriel : scholarships@cwra.org.
2023-2024 Scholarships
Information about the 2023-2024 Scholarships are now available online. Please download and read the full application instructions above before you apply online at the link below.
The deadline to apply for the 2023-2024 Scholarships is January 31, 2024.
2022-2023 Scholarship Applications
The application for the CWRA graduate scholarships to be awarded in 2023 is now open. Applicants will submit one application to be considered for all the scholarships for which they are eligible. For more information on the scholarships that will be offered, please see the descriptions below.
Important Dates
The application deadline for submission is January 31, 2023.
Notification will be provided to all applicants prior to March 31, 2023.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents attending a Canadian university or college, enrolled in full-time graduate studies in any department in both fall and winter terms of the 2022-2023 academic year.
- Applicants must be graduate students whose research-based program of study focuses on applied, natural, or social science aspects of water resources.
- To be considered for the Golder Scholarship for Indigenous Students in Water, the applicant must self-identify as an Indigenous student on the application form. Prior to the awarding of this scholarship, the successful applicant will be contacted by the CWRA to provide documentation of, or a description of, their Indigenous heritage. CWRA understands that Indigenous ancestry can be difficult to document, and if necessary, various forms of confirmation will be considered.
- To be considered for the Harker/Cameron Women in Water Scholarship, applicants must self-identify as a woman on the application form.
- Prior to the awarding of each of the six scholarships, successful applicants will be contacted by the CWRA and asked to provide documentation of their Canadian citizenship or permanent residency.
Application Process
- Access to the CWRA online application portal will open October 27, 2022.
- The application deadline for submission is January 31, 2023.
- Applications will be completed by the student.
- One portion of the application will be submitted by the student applicant via the online application portal linked on this page.
- Several supporting documents need to be mailed or emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Committee by institutions or referees, as described below.
- Applicants will be contacted seven (7) days prior to the submission deadline if the application remains incomplete at that time.
- Applicants must prepare or obtain the following documents for a complete submission:
- Proof of the applicant’s full-time enrollment at their academic institution. This is to be provided in the form of a confirmation letter on the applicant’s department letterhead.
- Official undergraduate education transcript (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the undergraduate institution).
- Official graduate education transcript (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the graduate institution).
- Two letters of reference from persons with a knowledge of the applicant’s research or professional experience (mailed or emailed directly to CWRA Scholarship Committee by the referee).
- An outline of the applicant’s research project and its relevance to sustainable water resources (500 words). The outline should include project research methods, type of data and analysis, as well as the expected outcomes. The project description should be reader-friendly to non-specialists and contain as little jargon as possible.
- Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts and letters of reference can either be emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Chair at scholarships@cwra.org or mailed directly to the following physical address. Information received via mail must be postmarked prior to the application deadline.
Mailing address:
CWRA Scholarship Chair
c/o Nicholas Kehler
99 Commerce Drive
Winnipeg, MB R3P 0Y7
- Applications can be submitted in French or English.
- It is the student applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all application documents are uploaded to the application portal by the application deadline, and that the documentation or references from the appropriate person or institution are emailed directly to the CWRA Scholarship Chair by the application deadline or mailed to the CWRA Scholarship Chair postmarked prior to the application deadline.
- All applicants will receive a student membership to CWRA that will be valid from March 2023 to March 2024.
- Notification will be provided to all applicants prior to March 31, 2023.
- All successful applicants will be required to provide banking details for payment and their Social Insurance Number for tax form purposes.
- All applicants are encouraged to also submit an abstract to the 2023 CWRA National Conference. Information on the Call for Abstracts, and abstract submission deadlines, will be available here: conference.cwra.org
Application Review and Award Notification
The CWRA scholarships are awarded primarily based on academic excellence as well as project relevance to water resources management and development. When applicants are equal based on these criteria, selection will be based on encouraging diverse geographic reach and a diverse technical focus. Equity and diversity will also be valued.
A formal awards presentation will be held during the CWRA 76th Annual Conference in Canmore, Alberta (June 18-21, 2022). Scholarship applicants are encouraged to consider submitting an abstract for the conference. Details can be found at: conference.cwra.org.
Questions
Questions about the application process should be sent to the CWRA Scholarship Chair via email: scholarships@cwra.org
Meet the 2025 Scholarship Recipients
The winners of the 2025 Scholarships were notified in April and were announced at the National Conference in May. You can read more about each student and their work online now.
Scholarships Overview
The Canadian Water Resources Association offers five annual scholarships to graduate students whose programs of study focus on applied, natural, or social science aspects of water resources. A new, sixth scholarship was added in 2022. Scholarship applications typically open in November and are due by the end of January. Please view the application documents for details. Students are responsible for compiling their own application materials and submitting them through our website.
Our past winners are listed here.
Questions? Please contact the Scholarship Chair at scholarships@cwra.org
Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC) Water Excellence Scholarship ($5,000)
This premier scholarship will be awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants. Funding is provided by Northwest Hydraulic Consultants (NHC).
WSP Scholarship for Indigenous Students in Water ($2,000)
Awarded to the highest ranked Indigenous applicant who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship.
Harker/Cameron – Women in Water Scholarship ($2,000)
Awarded to the highest ranked female applicant who has not already been awarded a higher scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Jennifer Harker and Valerie Cameron.
Rick Ross Scholarship ($2,000)
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Rick Ross.
Ken Thompson Scholarship ($2,000)
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher scholarship. This scholarship is presented to honour the legacy of the late Ken Thomson.
Memorial Scholarship ($1,500)
Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher scholarship. This scholarship represents a tribute to CWRA Members by their colleagues’ donations.
Support the Scholarship Program
Make a donation to support the CWRA scholarship program. A charitable tax receipt is provided for all donations to the CWRA of $15 or more.
