Events and Activities

The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS) is delighted to announce the recipients of its 2026 awards programme, recognizing four outstanding doctoral researchers whose work will advance knowledge and understanding of Northern Canada.

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For more than fifty years, ACUNS has supported the next generation of northern scholars through the Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST). Made possible through the generosity of donors, the awards help graduate researchers undertake innovative fieldwork and community-engaged research across the North, while contributing to the development of future leaders in northern scholarship.

 

The 2026 recipients represent a remarkable breadth of disciplines, reflecting both the diversity of northern research and the complex challenges facing northern and Indigenous communities.

 

This year's recipients are:

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• Rachel Lackey (McGill University), recipient of the Dr. Weston Blake Jr. Memorial Doctoral Scholarship, whose research investigates groundwater systems in permafrost regions and supports community-based groundwater monitoring in northern Canada.

• Claudia Haas (Wilfrid Laurier University), recipient of the Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) Scholarship, whose work explores collaborative approaches to wildlife monitoring and conservation in partnership with the Łutsel Kʼe Dene First Nation.

• Stephen Bathory (University of Calgary), recipient of the Dr. Jim McDonald Scholarship for Northern Research, whose research examines Indigenous Treaty Organizations established through modern treaties and the ways legal obligations shape their governance and operation.

• Amy Klepetar (University of Northern British Columbia), recipient of the Kay and Peter McGeer Scholarship, whose research is the first to investigate the relationship between air quality and human health in the neighbouring communities of Kitimat and Kitamaat Village, British Columbia.
   

Together, these projects span environmental science, public health, Indigenous governance and law, wildlife conservation, and community resilience. While addressing diverse questions, each reflects ACUNS' longstanding commitment to supporting research that is collaborative, community-informed, and relevant to the North.

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ACUNS congratulates all four recipients and thanks the donors whose continuing generosity makes these awards possible. The Association looks forward to following the progress of their research and sharing their achievements with the wider northern research community.