IDRC invites applications for the John G. Bene Fellowship 2026

Open

Scope

IDRC has helped graduate students undertake research in the field of international development since 1982. The Bene fellowship, a bequest from the estate of John G. Bene, is offered to Canadians and permanent residents of Canada pursuing master’s or doctoral studies at a Canadian university. Candidates should have an academic background that combines an interest in forests (landscape and forest management and restoration, forestry, agroforestry), environment, ecology and food systems, with a social sciences lens (gender and inclusion, Indigenous knowledge and science, biodiversity conservation, governance of nature).

This fellowship aims to facilitate practical field research on gender-responsive integrated forest, landscape and food systems restoration and management including within fire prone, degraded or disputed landscapes. Linking the broader climate-food-inclusivity nexus, it emphasizes nature-based solutions and approaches that have the potential to drive transformative change for smallholder farmers, including youth, women, and Indigenous communities in developing countries. The successful candidate will propose research that benefits less privileged people in…