The Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance and Food from Thought fund the Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) Scholarship Program to support the development of highly skilled graduates who can meet the changing demands of the agri-food and rural sector. HQP scholarships are awarded to master's and PhD students to support them while undertaking research that meets research priorities from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
Funding for HQP scholarships is awarded through an annual, competitive program. Applications are reviewed based on the proposed research, student goals, experience, and academic background and benefits of the scholarship to the student.
The University of Guelph administers the HQP Scholarship Program and makes recommendations on funding awards to OMAFRA.
This page includes projects that were approved in 2020 for the 2020/21 funding cycle.
Protection & Assurance
Microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs): A promising technology for smart food packaging
Research Summary
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Developing innovative refrigeration and packaging technology for frozen food products. |
Lead Applicant
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Kasra Ghasemi |
Effect of feed additives on calf health, growth, behaviour and welfare
Research Summary
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Investigating how plant- and bacterial-based feed supplements, as well as calf personality, affect calf health, growth and welfare, particularly under stressful situations. |
Lead Applicant
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Brooke McNeil |
Probiotic supplementation to dairy calves to improve animal health and performance while reducing antimicrobial use
Research Summary
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Examining the effects of the probiotic supplement Lactobacillus helveticus on dairy calf health and antimicrobial use. |
Lead Applicant
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Lautaro Rostoll Cangiano |
Role of abnormally regulated inflammatory responses in development of bovine respiratory disease
Research Summary
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Investigating how risk factors for bovine respiratory disease contribute to the development of pneumonia. |
Lead Applicant
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Saeid Tabatabaei |
Field testing of biocontrol agents against Fusarium head blight in wheat for reduced vomitoxin
Research Summary
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Developing a biological control spray to manage Fusarium head blight, one of the most important fungal diseases affecting Ontario wheat production. |
Lead Applicant
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Jake Gregory |
Stewardship
Quantifying the impact of climate change on soil organic matter in Ontario
Research Summary
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Using digital soil mapping to estimate future soil organic matter levels in Ontario. |
Lead Applicant
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Emma Chappell |
Carbon-sequestering technology for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing fertilizer requirements
Research Summary
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Developing a soil fertilizer from minerals that can capture carbon from the atmosphere to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil health. |
Lead Applicant
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Hiral Jariwala |
The role of soil health and soil phosphorus source in determining soil phosphorus recommendations for forage crops species
Research Summary
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Examining the role of soil health on phosphorus availability and testing of struvite, a phosphorus-containing mineral, on crop performance. |
Lead Applicant
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Puja Lamichhane |
Climate change effects on nutrient dynamics in the hydrosystem of a Great Lakes clay plain setting
Research Summary
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Investigating how climate change affects nutrient transport from agricultural sources in the Great Lakes basin. |
Lead Applicant
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Hannah May |
Impacts of organic and inorganic amendments on chemical behaviour of phosphorus in a complex soil system
Research Summary
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Investigating soil phosphorus before and after phosphorus application using magnetic imaging and examining mechanisms involved. |
Lead Applicant
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Busayo Kodaolu |
Genomic analysis of Sclerotinia stem rot (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) resistance in Canadian soybean germplasm
Research Summary
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Identifying genetic regions in soybeans associated with resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot, a common soybean disease in Canada caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. |
Lead Applicant
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Deus Mugabe |
Plastic makes perfect: A value chain analysis of single-use plastics in the agri-food sector
Research Summary
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Exploring barriers to eliminating single-use plastics across the agri-food value chain (farmers, wholesalers, retailers and restaurants). |
Lead Applicant
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Emily Robinson |
Business risk management policy, yield resiliency and on-farm climate change adaptation efforts
Research Summary
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Understanding how Business Risk Management programs affect technology adoption in the agriculture sector. |
Lead Applicant
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Livia Sente |
Economic Development
Investigating protein complexes associated with starch synthesis in cereals: A proteomic approach using Blue-Native PAGE
Research Summary
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Investigating and characterizing proteins involved in early corn crop development. |
Lead Applicant
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Caroline Reisiger |
Exploring the potential of plant-derived flavonoids to improve crop performance in response to abiotic and biotic stress
Research Summary
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Investigating natural plant compounds called flavonoids to protect crops from heat, drought and pathogens, and to increase shelf-life. |
Lead Applicant
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Luis Eduardo Peña Barrena |
Estimating energy balance and providing individualized nutrient supplementation to dairy cattle using automated technology
Research Summary
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Using automated technologies to improve energy balance and feeding programs of individual dairy cattle |
Lead Applicant
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Patty Kedzierski |
Cell free DNA in seminal plasma as a biomarker of human and bovine male fertility
Research Summary
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Investigating cell free nucleic acids in seminal plasma and their relationship with male fertility for both the agricultural and human fertility industries. |
Lead Applicant
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Vanessa Zak |
Policy solutions for labour shortages in the Ontario agri-food sector: An international comparative review
Research Summary
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Addressing labour shortages in the Ontario agri-food sector through a comparative policy review with other regions. |
Lead Applicant
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William Helps |
Development of biopolymeric composites made with Ontario ciomass for engineering multi-layer cast film in packaging applications
Research Summary
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Using Ontario biomass (plant material) to develop ecofriendly and economically feasible biocomposites for packaging applications. |
Lead Applicant
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Aarsha Surendren |