Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) scholarship recipients are forward-thinking future leaders in the agri-food and rural sectors.

The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance's HQP scholarship program [1] is jointly sponsored by the Alliance and Food from Thought [2]. The HQP scholarship program supports the development of highly skilled graduates to become future researchers, policy-makers, business leaders and innovators who can meet the changing demands of the agri-food industry.

The program includes an Innovation and Entrepreneurship course, in which students partner with external organizations to solve real-world challenges. HQP scholarship recipients conduct graduate research projects that address Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) priorities [3] and support the mission and vision of the Food from Thought program.

Meet the 2019 HQP scholars

Meet the HQP scholars who embarked on the program in 2019/20. Each link will take you to a biography where you can learn more about scholars' research and collaborations, their motivations and the potential impacts of their research.