Toronto, ON – March 18,2026. In 2024, the Weston Family Foundation launched the Northern Conservation Program to support projects that deliver tangible biodiversity conservation outcomes in northern Canada. The Program prioritizes Indigenous-led and partnered initiatives and aims to expand protected areas while strengthening long-term stewardship of lands and waters.
We are pleased to introduce the 2025 cohort of grantees for the Northern Conservation Program. Recipients include Indigenous governments and organizations, conservation partners, and community-led initiatives working to advance protected and conserved areas and strengthen stewardship across northern landscapes.
Their projects support Indigenous leadership in conservation, protect culturally and ecologically important lands and waters, and help sustain healthy ecosystems and wildlife for future generations.
Introducing the 2025 Northern Conservation Program Grantees!
Dehcho First Nations
Project Name: Edéhzhíe Protected Area Sustainable Stewardship Project
The Edéhzhíe Protected Area Sustainable Stewardship Project is an Indigenous-led conservation initiative led by Dehcho First Nations to protect and care for one of Canada’s largest Indigenous protected areas. Through community-based Guardians work, the project strengthens land stewardship by monitoring wildlife and ecosystems, documenting environmental change, and integrating Dene knowledge into day-to-day stewardship practices. Funding from the Weston Family Foundation enhances operational capacity, training, and equipment for on-the-land stewardship, supporting healthy lands, waters, and wildlife across Edehzhie and reinforcing community leadership in conservation.
Dena Kayeh Institute
Project Name: Dena Kēyeh Sōgadze’ī (We are Caring for Dena Country): Kaska Stewardship Training Program
The Kaska Land Stewardship Certificate Program is an Indigenous-led education and capacity-building initiative designed to strengthen long-term stewardship of Kaska Dena traditional territory in northern British Columbia and the Yukon. Grounded in Kaska knowledge systems and land-based learning, the program brings together Elders, Guardians, youth, and academic partners to deliver training that blends Indigenous ecological knowledge with contemporary stewardship tools. The program builds a new generation of land stewards equipped to respond to climate change, support Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, and guide sustainable land and water governance across Kaska territory.
Nature Conservancy of Canada/ Cree Nation Government
Project Name: Supporting Expansion of the Network of Cree-Led Protected Areas in Eeyou Istchee
This project supports Cree-led conservation initiatives to expand a network of protected areas across Eeyou Istchee, the traditional territory of the Cree people in northern Quebec. Led by the Cree Nation Government and Cree communities, in partnership with the Government of Quebec, the initiative safeguards culturally and ecologically important lands essential to the Cree way of life while responding to growing land-use pressures and conservation challenges. The Nature Conservancy of Canada supports planning by integrating Western science and Cree knowledge, with a focus on biodiversity protection, climate resilience, and strong community engagement.
Ya’thi Néné Land and Resource Office (YNLR)
Project Name:Establishing Protected Areas in Nuhenéné (Athabasca Denesųłine Traditional Territory)
Ya’thi Néné Lands and Resources, representing the three Athabasca Denesųłiné First Nations and four municipal communities, is leading the establishment of Etthén Néné Stewardship Areas (ENSAs) across approximately 1.2 million hectares in Nuhenéné, the traditional territory of the Athabasca Denesųłiné people in northern Saskatchewan. Grounded in Denesųłiné knowledge and informed by interviews with more than 350 community members, ENSAs protects critical barren-ground caribou habitat, historic travel routes, and culturally significant lands while supporting biodiversity, cumulative effects management, and sustainable economic development.
Saulteu First Nations
Project name: Restoring Biodiversity and Enhancing Indigenous Stewardship in Klinse-za/Twin Sisters Park and Protected Area
This project supports the long-term recovery of southern mountain caribou while strengthening Indigenous-led conservation in the expanded Klinse-Za Park and Protected Area. Guided by Wahkôtowin, the laws of kinship and interconnectedness, Saulteau First Nations is leading habitat restoration, monitoring, and stewardship activities to protect culturally and ecologically significant landscapes. Guardian and research collaborations integrate Indigenous knowledge and Western science to enhance understanding of biodiversity and restore critical habitats in northeast British Columbia.
Since time immemorial, the great rivers of northern Quebec have served as vital routes for the Innu First Nation to access their territory and practice their traditional way of life, Innu Aitun. The Muteshekau Shipu (Magpie) and Mishta Shipu (Moisie) rivers are two major waterways that this project seeks to protect permanently, along with their vast watersheds and the biodiversity they sustain.
Building on partnerships between First Nations, municipalities, and environmental and citizen groups, the project conducts biocultural inventories, organizes community expeditions, and advances efforts to secure long-term protection of these lands and waters.
World Wildlife Fund Canada in partnership with Taloyoak Umaruliririgut Association
Project Name: Advancing Aqviqtuuq Inuit Protected and Conserved Area on the Boothia Peninsula in Taloyoak, Nunavut
Aqviqtuuq is a proposed Inuit Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) led by the Hamlet of Taloyoak in Nunavut, grounded in Inuit stewardship that has existed since time immemorial. The initiative aims to protect ecologically and culturally important lands, waters, and wildlife while strengthening Inuit governance, decision-making, and intergenerational knowledge transfer. By bringing together Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit and modern science, the project supports Guardian programs, sustainable harvesting practices, and a conservation-based economy that contributes to long-term resilience across the Kitikmeot region.
York Factory First Nation
Project Name: Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynitamuk (Our Land We Want to Take Care Of) Indigenous Protected Area.
The Kitaskeenan Kaweekanawaynitamuk project brings together five Cree Nations to explore the creation of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) across their shared ancestral homelands in northeastern Manitoba. Initiated by York Factory First Nation, the project collaborates with Fox Lake Cree Nation, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Shamattawa First Nation, and War Lake First Nation. Guided by the Nayhenaway Ininewuk (Cree People) laws, governance, and knowledge systems of each community, the initiative aims to protect culturally and ecologically significant lands while strengthening Indigenous stewardship for future generations.
August 5, 2025 – 2024 marked a year of meaningful progress for the Weston Family Foundation, and we are proud to celebrate the collective achievements made possible through collaboration with our staff, advisors, grantees, and partners across Canada.
Grounded in our mission to champion learning and innovation in support of the well-being of all Canadians, the Foundation continues to serve as a catalyst for change through its focus on healthy aging and healthy ecosystems. In 2024 alone, the Foundation donated more than $66 million across these funding priorities. This impact reflects the dedication and vision of our entire community, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible.
This year, instead of a traditional year-end letter, we’re excited to share our first-ever Year in Review video. It offers a glimpse into the work the foundation supports—bold ideas brought to life through collaboration, all with a focus on lasting impact.
“Our work may appear diverse, but it is all aligned under one vision: the well-being of Canadians, this video highlights just a few examples of the progress made in 2024 and the many incredible organizations and individuals we partnered with along the way.” says Garfield Mitchell Chair, Weston Family Foundation
As the Foundation continues to evolve its funding strategy, these moments serve not just as milestones, but as powerful reminders of the impact of purpose-driven work—and of the Canadians who make it possible.
Faire progresser les connaissances pour contribuer à la protection et à la restauration de la biodiversité boréale
TORONTO, ON – Le 17 juillet 2025, Nous avons l’honneur de dévoiler les lauréats des bourses de la famille Weston pour la recherche nordique 2025. Créé il y a 18 ans, le programme continue de soutenir les chercheurs en début de carrière dont les travaux permettent de mieux comprendre le Nord canadien et de préserver sa biodiversité unique. À l’issue d’un examen indépendant de plus de 90 candidatures provenant de partout au pays, 30 chercheurs ont été sélectionnés pour recevoir un financement:
15 étudiants à la maîtrise (20 000 $ sur un an)
11 étudiants au doctorat (120 000 $ sur trois ans)
4 étudiants au postdoctorat (110 000 dollars sur deux ans et un montant annuel allant jusqu’à 10 000 $ pour couvrir les frais de déplacement et de participation à des conférences)
Depuis 2007, la Fondation de la famille Weston a soutenu plus de 400 chercheurs dans le cadre de ce programme, dont les bourses figurent parmi les plus importantes et les plus prestigieuses dans le secteur des sciences naturelles nordiques au Canada.
La cohorte de 2025 mènera des recherches innovantes dans des domaines allant de la glaciologie et de l’océanographie à l’écologie des espèces et aux changements climatiques. Voici quelques-uns des projets qui obtiendront du financement:
Explorer les réactions des espèces marines de l’Arctique aux variations de la glace de mer
Étudier la régénération des forêts boréales après un incendie et les implications sur les écosystèmes de la forêt.
Travailler en collaboration avec les communautés autochtones pour tresser les savoirs autochtones avec la science.
Pleins des autres projects!
Dans le cadre du programme, les lauréats des bourses pour la recherche nordique sont encouragés à travailler en partenariat avec les communautés nordiques et autochtones – une approche qui se reflète dans la conception et la mise en œuvre de nombreux projets choisis pour 2025.
Nous remercions sincèrement les évaluateurs, les établissements de recherche et les collectivités qui continuent à soutenir et à guider ces chercheurs.
Faites la connaissance des lauréats des bourses de la famille Weston pour la recherche nordique 2025 et apprenez-en plus sur leurs projets de rechercheici.
Advancing knowledge to help protect and restore northern biodiversity
TORONTO, ON – July 17, 2025, We are honoured to share the recipients of the 2025 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research. Now in its 18th year, this program continues to support early-career researchers whose work deepens our understanding of Northern Canada and safeguards its unique biodiversity.
Following a competitive, arms-length review of over 90 applications from across the country, 30 scholars have been selected to receive funding:
15 Master’s students ($20,000 over one year)
11 PhD students ($120,000 over three years)
4 Postdoctoral Fellows ($110,000 over two years, with up to $10,000/year for travel and conference expenses)
Since 2007, the Weston Family Foundation has supported more than 400 researchers through this program—one of the most substantial and prestigious awards for northern natural sciences in Canada.
The 2025 cohort will lead innovative research in fields ranging from glaciology and oceanography to species ecology and climate change. Funded projects include:
Exploring Arctic marine species’ responses to shifting sea ice patterns.
Studying post-fire recovery of boreal forests and implications for forest ecosystems.
Working with Indigenous communities and braiding Indigenous Knowledge with science.
And more!
As part of the program, Northern Scholars are encouraged to work in partnership with northern and Indigenous communities—an approach reflected in the design and implementation of many 2025 projects.
We extend our sincere thanks to the reviewers, research institutions, and communities that continue to support and guide these scholars.
Meet the 2025 Weston Family Northern Scholars and learn more about their research here.
Sarah Cook joined the Weston Family Foundation in January 2022 as a Grants Coordinator. She is responsible for supporting the operational needs of programs related to the Weston Family Microbiome Initiative and Northern Science and Knowledge.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Sarah worked on the Operations and Finance teams for a number of Canadian and international non-profit organizations including the Stephen Lewis Foundation and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Development Studies and a Postgraduate Certificate in International Development Management.
The Weston Family Awards in Northern Research were established in 2007 with the goal of investing in early-career northern researchers whose work aims to protect and restore northern biodiversity in Canada. Since their inception, the Awards have supported over 430 researchers from more than 40 different academic institutions, forming a community of Weston Family Northern Scientists who are at the forefront of northern scholarship and who are helping shape a better future for Canada and the world.
Weston Family Awards in Northern Research winners undertake projects that range across the country, and across a broad spectrum of fields and disciplines in the natural sciences, including the study of Canada’s northern ecosystems, biodiversity, oceanography, glaciology, geography, and the environment.
In the 2026 program year, the Weston Family Foundation will aim to support: • Up to 15 awards for master’s students, valued at $20,000 over one year • Up to 10 awards for doctoral students, valued at $120,000 over three years • Up to 5 awards for postdoctoral fellows, valued at $130,000 over two years
For more information about this exciting program, including project details, applicant eligibility, and scientific or geographic scope, please review the documents below. After reviewing the documents, if you still have questions, please email northernawards@westonfoundation.ca
Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: November 26, 2024, 3:00pm ET
The Weston Family Foundation is open to new and innovative ways to significantly advance conservation and stewardship in northern Canada.
The Northern Conservation Program aims to support projects that will deliver tangible, realistic results for biodiversity conservation, and demonstrate how ongoing stewardship of conserved lands will be accomplished. The Foundation recognizes that Indigenous communities are critical planners and stewards of northern ecosystems, and as such we welcome and encourage projects that are Indigenous-led or Indigenous-partnered.
The outcomes of the Northern Conservation Program are:
Protect/Conserve: An increase in conserved northern land and ocean areas that are of high value for biodiversity or for resisting or adapting to climate change
Manage/Steward: An increase in northern land and ocean areas that are governed and stewarded with ecologically and culturally sustainable policies and practices that support nature conservation and the protection of biodiversity.
Successful projects will focus on:
the establishment of land and ocean protected and conserved areas
stewardship measures that maintain conservation of northern biodiversity in protected or conserved areas.
Projects must demonstrate that they take place in one or both of the “Areas of High Value for Biodiversity,” being:
areas of significantly high value for northern biodiversity; or
areas that are of high value for resisting or mitigating the impacts of climate change and/or providing options for wildlife and ecosystems to adapt to climate change.
Funding available per project: a minimum of $450,000 to a maximum of $1,500,000 CAD per project. We are aiming for average grant sizes of $750,000.
Important dates:
Information Webinars:
October 16 at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET
October 23 at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET
Letter of Intent deadline: November 26, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
Proposal deadline: February 18, 2025 3:00 p.m. ET (estimated)
Award announcement: Spring 2025
For more information about this new program, including project details, applicant eligibility, and scientific or geographic scope, please review the documents below.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any inquiries related to the program. You are welcome to send questions to the Northern inbox, northern@westonfoundation.ca.
Continuing 17 years of funding to scholars committed to science research in the North
TORONTO, ON – July 29, 2024, Today, we have the honour of sharing the winners of the 2024 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research. After receiving over 80 applications from across the country, a total of 28 were selected following a rigorous arms-length review process – 15 Master’s Students, 11 PhD students and 2 Postdoctoral Fellows. All will receive funding to study biodiversity, among other priorities, across northern Canada. This year, each academic level received the highest amount we’ve ever offered, meaning:
Master’s students received awards valued at $20,000 over one year
Doctoral students received awards valued at $120,000 over three years
Postdoctoral fellows received awards valued at $110,000 over two years, with up to $10,000 per year for travel and conference expenses
Since launching in 2007, the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research have supported 350+ early career northern scientists focusing on research in natural sciences. Of the 28 projects funded this year, studies include:
Exploration of how continual permafrost thaw and rapid but extensive fires affect the storage and flux of water within boreal peatland
Identifying and comparing marine movement patterns and spawning locations of Arctic char
Studying the drivers and management of cyanobacteria blooms, including addressing knowledge gaps that exist between climate change and bloom formation across lake trophic scale and latitudes
Understanding the tundra’s vulnerability to climate-exacerbated changes in fire regimes and refining estimates of tundra carbon recycling
As part of the Weston Family Awards in Northern Research, Northern Scholars were encouraged to co-design their research with northern communities. This can be seen in the number of students who are working directly with Indigenous communities and working to braid Indigenous knowledge with academic scientific methodology.
To learn more about the 2024 Weston Family Awards in Northern Research Scholars and their projects, click here.
David Bysouth (he/him) joined the Weston Family Foundation in December 2023. He is responsible for managing the programming related to Northern Science and Knowledge.
Prior to joining the foundation, David worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Guelph, where, as a soil and ecosystem science researcher, he collaborated with communities in the Northwest Territories to understand the environmental impact of converting boreal forest to agriculture as a means of improving food security. He has also spent time understanding historical environmental conditions of peatlands in the Hudson Bay Lowlands region of Northern Ontario.
David has a PhD in Integrative Biology from the University of Guelph, a MSc in Earth Science from the University of Toronto, and a BSc in Life Sciences from McMaster University.
Letter of Intent Submission Deadline: June 21, 2024
The Weston Family Foundation is pleased to launch a new program focused on protecting and restoring biodiversity in Northern Canada.
The Northern Biodiversity Research Program is seeking to fund applied research projects that have a demonstrated opportunity to influence conservation policy or practice in order to improve outcomes for northern ecosystems and biodiversity.
The goal of the Northern Biodiversity Research Program is to:
Produce high-quality research findings on northern biodiversity in Canada; and
Utilize the generated findings and knowledge at conservation decision-making processes in support of improved northern biodiversity outcomes.
Six projects were awarded in the Northern Biodiversity Research Program, to learn more about these projects, click here.
Successful Projects will focus on:
Population dynamics, ecology, health, disease, contaminants, or management studies of species of importance for northern ecosystems
The response of ecosystems to the impacts of climate change
The impact of anthropogenic activities on species or ecosystems
Funding available per project: A minimum of $600,000 and a maximum of $3,000,000 CAD per research project will be given out for projects. Projects can extend up to three years.
Important dates:
Letter of Intent deadline: June 21, 2024 at 5:00pm ET
Proposal deadline: September 11, 2024 at 5:00pm ET
Award announcement: November 2024
For further information about this exciting new program, including project details, applicant eligibility, and scientific or geographic scope, please review the documents below.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with any inquiries related to the program. You are welcome to send questions to David Bysouth, Program Manager for the Northern Science and Research Committee at david.bysouth@westonfoundation.ca
