Applications for 2017 Canadian Nuffield Farming Scholarships are due April 30.

Scholarships are awarded to individuals with a passion for agriculture and a desire to expand their knowledge, pursue new ideas and share their findings with others, for the betterment of Canadian agriculture.

Applicants should be in mid-career, between the ages of 25 and 45 (guideline) with a minimum of five years of agricultural business or farming experience and the management ability to step away from current duties in order to pursue their studies.

Scholars must travel for a minimum of 10 weeks, with a minimum of six consecutive weeks in one leg of their travel. Scholars must complete their project within two years of winning the award and must produce a written report and present their findings upon return.

Four scholarships of $15,000 each are available for 2017.

• Glacier FarmMedia, in its fifth year of partnership with Nuffield Canada, will support a national scholarship.
• The Alberta Wheat Commission scholarship, new in 2017, will go to an Alberta resident involved in the western Canadian grain sector or directly connected to primary grain production whose research will focus on a study that benefits the wheat sector.
• The Western Grains Research Foundation scholarship, new in 2017, is for scholars directly involved in the western Canadian field crop sector, preferably a producer or individual actively involved through extension or research.
• The Grain Farmers of Ontario scholarship is for a study that benefits the Ontario grain sector.

Application forms can be downloaded from nuffield.ca.