Key details
Stipend: $7, 500
Supervision: Supervisor or co-supervisor support is required*
Application deadline: May 29
*Supervisor or co-supervisor must be (or become) a Collaborative Centre member and be from one of our four founding faculties:
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine,
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy
- Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing
2026-2027 Graduate Fellowship
The 2026-2027 Graduate Fellowships will support PhD students (current or incoming) who are seeking to develop or deepen their research engagement with climate change and health, planetary health, or health system sustainability through their dissertation research. Fellowships will be awarded for the 2026-2027 academic year and include a one-time stipend of $7,500.
Applicants need to meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Must be a current or incoming graduate student from any University of Toronto research-intensive PhD program where
- the student’s dissertation research is already focused on climate change and health, planetary health, or health system sustainability
- the student and supervisor can identify opportunities to strengthen engagement with climate change and health, planetary health, or health system sustainability through their dissertation research
- Must have a supervisor or co-supervisor from one of the Collaborative Centre’s four founding faculties and who must be (or become) a member of the Collaborative Centre
- Must be a participant or alumni of our Student Training Program
The following information is required to submit an application:
- CV
- Expression of interest
- Why you are interested in participating in this fellowship program and how it will enhance your academic or professional career
- What your specific interests are in climate change and health, planetary health, or health system sustainability and how you think it relates to your areas of research or professional interest
- How your education and background to-date will support your success in this fellowship
- Letter of support from supervisor or co-supervisor(s) that confirms
- support for the student’s engagement with with climate change and health, planetary health, or health system sustainability through their dissertation research
- support for the student’s participation in the graduate fellowship and Student Training Program (if not STP alumni)
- the student’s potential to benefit from the fellowship
- the co/supervisor is from one of the four founding faculties* and has Collaborative Centre membership (standing or pending)
- Attest to being “in good academic standing”
- Attest to participation requirements (coordinate a research event, attend occasional in-person meetings, attend the 2026 Climate & Health Conference, produce a personal statement, submit necessary information to become a member, and STP requirements, if applicable)
*The Collaborative Centre’s founding faculties are the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, and Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing.
Successful applicants are required to complete the following:
- Coordinate a research event (e.g., workshop, etc.), with support from the Collaborative Centre, that features one or more experts in the dissertation topic area or related topic of interest (students are not expected/required to present their own work) within the 2026/2027 academic year
- Attend occasional in-person meetings – planned around fellow schedules a couple times per semester – as opportunities to engage with the cohort of fellows, discuss your research, and support workshop planning, over a meal
- Attend the Collaborative Centre’s 2026 Climate & Health Conference (in person; fee waived) on October 23, 2026, at the University of Toronto’s Conference Centre
- Produce a personal statement on the experience, for use in the Collaborative Centre’s annual report or other communications
- Submit a brief bio and a headshot for our website (which may be referenced in an annual report)
- May 29: Application deadline
- June: Application review period
- July: Notification of decision
Meet our 2025-2026 Graduate Fellows
Yasmin Aboelzahab
Yasmin’s doctoral research explores the role of pharmacists in supporting newcomer international students as they transition to the Canadian healthcare system. Yasmin’s research also investigates the use of virtual care as a flexible, accessible, and scalable approach to raise awareness and provide health-related knowledge to international students. Her previous research explored decreasing psychological stress associated with the recent diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease.
Antonia Maria Di Castri
Antonia’s doctoral dissertation looks critically at public health approaches to preventing tick-borne diseases using more-than-human theories of health rooted in epistemic, social and ecological justice. Her previous research has been in the areas of social and behavioural vaccinology looking at issues of access, consent, trust, healthcare professional culture, (mis/dis)information and vaccine policy.
Aden Fisher
Aden’s doctoral research focuses on the implications of a health-supporting food system on dietary transitions and cultural food within the context of the climate crisis. His previous research focused on the relationship between youth food-climate activists and the City of Toronto as part of the Youth Climate Action in Toronto project partnership.
Sarah Jarvis
Sarah’s doctoral research examines human nutrition and dietary patterns at the intersection of population and planetary health, and tools to support evidence-based dietary guidance. Sarah is developing a comprehensive database to assess the health and environmental impacts of foods in the Canadian context using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach.
Navisha Weerasinghe
Navisha’s doctoral research critically examines the historical, policy, material, socioeconomic and environmental conditions that shape the use of gloves in hospitals settings. This includes understanding tensions between patient safety, hospital-based infection control and the medical device industry, as well as examining the decision-making processes that are mobilized to promote or discourage glove use in practice. Her previous research looked at mapping the existing evidence on the role and impact of plastics in health products and their packaging.