Centre on Aging awards

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.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for any of the awards tenable in the 2025–2026 academic year, students must intend to register full time in the upcoming year (for both the Fall and Winter terms). 

Review the checklist of eligibility and application requirements for all awards adjudicated by the Centre on Aging for more information. Ensure you meet all eligibility requirements prior to applying.

In addition to the award eligibility criteria, all applications must meet the definition of aging research and use appropriate terminology throughout their application package.

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.

• Each award may not be held more than once during a specific degree program.
• 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.
• Recipients will be asked to present their proposed project at the Centre on Aging's virtual Student award ceremony and Speaker Series held in the fall.

Criteria for adjudication

Student award applications are judged based on the following criteria:

• Research experience, publications, and presentations (20 per cent)
• Outstanding interest in or commitment to research in aging (10 per cent)
• Research project (25 per cent)
• Strength of recommendation forms (10 per cent)
• Academic record (GPA, awards, progress in program) (35 per cent)

The stage in career will be taken into account. 

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.

Administration of the awards is handled by the Faculty of Graduate Studies and/or Financial Aid and Awards. Recipients will receive notice from one of these units by the fall with final decisions.

Congratulations to all the Centre on Aging 2024–2025 student award recipients!

• Jack MacDonell Scholarship for Research in Aging: Thomas Rawliuk
• Jack MacDonell Scholarship for Research in Aging: Parisa Tabeshmehr
• Esther and Samuel Milmot Scholarship: Georgia Gopinath
• Centre on Aging Betty Havens Memorial Graduate Fellowship: Aneet Saran
• Dr. Barbara Payne Scholarship: Li-elle Rapaport

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.

• List of past recipients of the Centre on Aging student awards 1996–2024 (PDF)