Centre on Aging student award recipients
The Centre on Aging recognizes student award recipients at a student awards ceremony held in the fall. Student award recipients come from diverse faculties from across UM.
Funding and awards
The Centre on Aging has several funding opportunities that are meant to encourage the furthering of studies in aging and gerontology. These awards/fellowships have been made available through gifts and donations made to the Centre on Aging.
On this page:
Application submissions and student eligibility
The application period is now closed. Applicants will be contacted at a later date once the adjudication committee has met.
The Centre on Aging student awards, Alzheimer Society Graduate Student Fellowships, and University of Manitoba Retirees Association Scholarship are three separate applications. Graduate Students who intend to apply for all three awards must complete three separate application forms.
To be eligible to apply for any of the awards tenable in the 2024–2025 academic year, students must intend to register full time in the upcoming year (for the Fall and Winter terms).
Aging research definition
For the purposes of the student awards, the research should focus on some aspect of the aging process or study older participants/subjects. Studying diseases as the focus, even if that disease commonly occurs in older people, might make the application ineligible for funding.
Aging terminology
The Centre on Aging expects the use of appropriate and respectful language when describing older adults. Refer to the American Psychological Association's guidelines for bias-free language as it relates to age inclusivity and respect, as outlined on their Web site.
Centre on Aging awards
The following awards are available through the Centre on Aging. Alzheimer Society Graduate Student Fellowships, and the University of Manitoba Retirees Association Scholarship, are available through separate applications.
Dr. Barbara Payne Scholarship ($800*)
Eligibility requirement
- Full-time students enrolled in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Manitoba, in a Master’s or Doctoral program;
- have achieved a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 (or
equivalent) based on the last 60 credit hours (or equivalent); - and is conducting or will conduct thesis research in the area of social gerontology.
Social gerontology is the study of the social process of aging and the interaction of older adults with their environments, including issues such as the contributions of older adults to the community, services provided in the community for older adults, and the utilization of group residences and communities for older adults (American Psychological Association)
Centre on Aging Betty Havens Memorial Graduate Fellowship ($2000*)
Eligibility requirement
- Is enrolled full-time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, in either the first or second year of a Master’s program, or is within the first four years of a Doctoral program, and whose research focuses on aging;
- Has achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 based on the previous 60 credit hours (or equivalent) of study;
- Has demonstrated outstanding interest or commitment to research in aging; and,
- Is not a recipient of a major award valued at $10,000 or greater in the year in which the award is tenable.
Jack MacDonell Scholarship for Research on Aging ($4000*)
Eligibility requirement
- Is enrolled full-time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, in either the first or second year of a Master’s program, or is within the first four years of a Doctoral program, and whose research focuses on aging;
- Has achieved a minimum grade point average of 3.5 based on the previous 60 credit hours (or equivalent) of study;
- Has demonstrated outstanding interest or commitment to research in aging; and,
- Is not a recipient of a major award valued at $10,000 or greater in the year in which the award is tenable.
Esther and Samuel Milmot Scholarship ($1000*)
Eligibility requirement
- The Esther and Samuel Milmot Scholarship is available to Faculty of Arts graduate or undergraduate students ONLY.
- Full-time students pursuing a program which bears on gerontology either in the Faculty of Arts or in the Faculty of Graduate Studies with the principal field of study in a department of the Faculty of Arts.
* The value of these awards is dependent on the available annual income of the fund. The amount listed is the minimum to expect.
Student award facts and figures
How to apply for the Centre on Aging awards
- Download and review the updated application guidelines in the Centre on Aging student awards information sheet.
- Download the application form.
- For this year's awards, a cover letter is not required. Instead, provide the Reference letter guidelines for student awards to your Advisor and Faculty. This document outlines key points your reference(s) needs to include in their letter of reference.
- Check the boxes for the Centre on Aging awards you are applying for.
- Graduate students and Undergraduate students (Faculty of Arts only) should download and complete the following application forms:
- Centre on Aging Student award application form 2024–2025
- Advisor/Faculty reference cover letter 2024–2025 (To be provided to your advisor and reference, and returned by BOTH your advisor and reference).
- Provide e-copy of transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended by the deadline. This includes any international institutions. Applicants can provide e-copy official or *unofficial transcripts in any of the following ways:
- Transcripts emailed directly from the academic institution to Nicole Dunn. UM transcripts can be ordered through Aurora. Select ‘Centre on Aging, University of Manitoba’.
- Transcripts emailed to the applicant from the academic institution, and then forwarded to Nicole Dunn (please include the original email from the academic institution in the forwarded email).
- Hard copy transcripts uploaded by the applicant and emailed to Nicole Dunn. Retain the paper copy of any uploaded transcripts, as you may be asked to provide it for verification purposes.
- An *unofficial transcript may be submitted for UM transcripts by following these instructions: umanitoba.ca/registrar/transcripts
- If you have questions about the application process, review the Centre on Aging Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) first. We also recommend reviewing the section Tips for writing a successful application. Any other inquiries about the Centre's student awards can be directed to Nicole Dunn.
- Complete the application package in full and return it electronically to Nicole Dunn by the deadline.
It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the letters of reference are sent and received by the Centre on Aging on or before the deadline.
- All applicants will be contacted by the Centre on Aging once the Scholarship Adjudication Committee has convened and made their decision based on the Criteria for adjudication.
Award conditions for all applicants and award recipients
- Students should review the award conditions
- Applications and references must be received by the specified due date at 4 p.m., using the fillable application form.
- Include a description of the proposed research and a statement of its relevance to aging.
- Provide e-copy transcripts from all post-secondary institutions via email from the academic institution, forwarded by the applicant via email from the academic institution, or scanned hardcopies sent by email.
(See point 5 How to apply for the Centre on Aging awards) - Two faculty references familiar with the applicant’s work are to be forwarded by the referee directly to the Centre on Aging, on appropriate forms. One of these must be from the applicant's advisor (graduate students only).
- The awards will be payable in instalments during the period of September 1 to May 1 of the year awarded.
- Each award may not be held more than once during a specific degree program.
Additional conditions for graduate students
An electronic copy of the recipient’s thesis/dissertation or link to MSpace, when completed, must be submitted to the Centre on Aging.
Centre on Aging acknowledgement
Recipients must acknowledge the financial support provided by the Centre on Aging in any publications during the term of the award or that arise in whole or in part as a result of the award.
Award decisions
Recipient selection and appeals
The Scholarship Adjudication Committee will be comprised of individuals from various disciplines.
The Centre on Aging does not have an appeal process for decisions made by the Scholarship Adjudication Committee. The decisions made are considered final.
Award recipients will be contacted by the University of Manitoba Financial Aid and Awards office by the fall with final decisions.
Criteria for adjudication
Student award applications are judged based on the following criteria:
- Academic record (GPA, awards, progress in program) (40 per cent)
- Research project (25 per cent)
- Research experience, publications, and presentations (25 per cent)
- Letters of support (10 per cent)
Centre on Aging award recipients
The 2022-2023 student award recipients were announced at the Centre on Aging's virtual student award ceremony and Speaker Series held on November 25, 2023.
Congratulations to all the Centre on Aging 2024–2025 student award recipients!
- Jack MacDonell Scholarship in Aging: Samah Ahmed
- Jack MacDonell Scholarship in Aging: Aneet Saran
- Esther & Samuel Milmot Scholarship: Li-elle Rapaport
- Betty Havens Graduate Fellowship: Samah Ahmed
- Barbara Jean Payne Memorial Award in Social Gerontology: Georgia Gopinath
Frequently Asked Questions
Most commonly asked questions about the Centre on Aging application process
Tips for writing a successful student award application
- Pay attention to all the informational documents shared for the awards before you start your application. Read the Guidelines, FAQ, use of appropriate langue article, definition of aging research, and application form so you know what is expected of you.
- Double and triple check your eligibility for each award you are applying.
- Start your application EARLY. We cannot stress this enough.
- Some things will take time. For example, if you attended an international institution, it can take 6-8 weeks to receive a transcript.
- Do not expect your references to drop everything they are working on to complete a reference letter for you the night before the application is due. It’s disrespectful of their time and they will not be able to provide you with the best quality reference letter if they feel rushed. Give them the time to truly reflect on your skills by requesting a reference letter well before the deadline.
- READ the instructions on the application and ensure you have answered every single question. There should not be any blanks. If something does not apply to you, use n/a (not applicable).
- Ensure your proposal is written clearly and concisely. Avoid dense prose. Make this an easy read for a reviewer.
- Choose your words carefully. Use of inappropriate language may result in unfavourable results.
- It is wise to have your advisor review your proposal for feedback and to be aware you are applying for a Centre on Aging Student award.
- Write your research proposal so anyone can understand your research. The reviewers may come from any discipline at the University of Manitoba. Avoid using discipline specific jargon unless you can easily define it.
- Ensure your proposal is logical. There should be a clear link from your rationale for the study to your methods and anticipated outcomes.
- Have others review your full application for errors and comprehension. Try to ask both people within your discipline as well as people not in your discipline. For example, you could ask a fellow student and a family member to review it (unless the family member is an expert in your field of study!).
- Keep to the guidelines. One page maximum is one page maximum. This is where being clear and concise is important and helpful.
- Ask for help and ask questions—if they are not addressed in any of the other documents provided to aid in your application.
You might be interested in
The University of Manitoba offers additional awards and supports for students interested in aging.
Contact us
Centre on Aging
338 Isbister Building
183 Dafoe Rd
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada
204-474-8754
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm