A $6 million scholarship fund to help UBC recruit and retain the provinceB次元官网网址檚 brightest graduate student academic minds was unveiled today at the UBC Okanagan campus.

The merit-based graduate student scholarship funding will be administered by UBC, making 400 awards of $15,000 each available for eligible domestic students.

The potential for UBC to match those scholarships has also been undertaken through the universityB次元官网网址檚 Blue & Gold fundraising campaign.

The graduate scholarships are research focused with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, along with professional, indigenous and regional programs.

B次元官网网址淕raduate level research pushes the boundaries of human knowledge. UBCB次元官网网址檚 position as one of the top research universities in the world is due in large part to the talent of its masters and doctoral students at both UBC campuses,B次元官网网址� said Santa Ono, UBC president and vice-chancellor.

B次元官网网址淭hese scholarships encourage our most innovative and creative researchers to excel without limits.B次元官网网址�

Melanie Mark, B.C. Minister of Advanced Education, Skills and Training, says the provincial investment in graduate students is long overdue, and helps counter competitive funding initiatives offered by other provinces to draw B.C.B次元官网网址檚 top graduate students away.

Mark said itB次元官网网址檚 important that groundbreaking research is supported here because it leads to evolution changes in how B.C.B次元官网网址檚 economy can grow and prosper.

Examples of that were cited by two UBCO grad students. Matthew Noestheden has developed a new test to detect wildfire-tainted wine grapes, helping wine producers better manage their crops during the wildfire season. Sydney Morgan is doing research on wine microbiology.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e always been passionate about applied research, but without the support of graduate-funding agencies, the financial realities of supporting a young family would have precluded this opportunity for me to pursue post-graduate education,B次元官网网址� said Noestheden.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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