We are excited to announce that Trent University in collaboration with the IIES has been selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious 2025 Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) grant program. With this grant, the IIES will coordinate the United Global Plan of Action for One Health and One Climate initiative, which involves critical collaborations with partners in Chile, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Vietnam and beyond. This project is one of 22 supported by the QES program’s $6.2 million in funding, distributed to Canadian institutions to address climate adaptation, resilience, and response on a global scale.
This initiative aligns closely with the IIES’s mission to support academic and research enterprises in environmental science, environmental management, and sustainability.
By facilitating the exchange of highly qualified personnel (HQP)—students, faculty, and postdoctoral fellows—between member institutions and promoting international collaboration, the IIES works to meet the research needs of academic, governmental, and industrial partners. These efforts promote the global exchange of knowledge and expertise while addressing shared environmental challenges.
The primary objective of the IIES is to empower collaborative research and policy development by supporting activities such as student and faculty travel, workshops, and international exchanges. The QES program funding further strengthens this objective by offering Canadian students unparalleled opportunities to engage in global study and research while welcoming international scholars to Canada to contribute to the IIES network.
Over the next four years (2025-2028), 24 researchers of the IIES network will join 2,672 alumni and active Queen Elizabeth Scholars globally and represent the next generation of environmental leaders who can tackle the complexities of climate change.
The primary objective of the IIES is to empower collaborative research and policy development by supporting activities such as student and faculty travel, workshops, and international exchanges. The QES program funding further strengthens this objective by offering Canadian students unparalleled opportunities to engage in global study and research while welcoming international scholars to Canada to contribute to the IIES network. Over the next four years (2025-2028), 24 researchers of the IIES network will join 2,672 alumni and active Queen Elizabeth Scholars globally and represent the next generation of environmental leaders who can tackle the complexities of climate change.
This grant also reflects the high quality of Trent University’s research and its leadership in advancing solutions to environmental challenges. Through its collaboration with the IIES, Trent will continue to support students, faculty, and researchers as they develop innovative approaches to creating a more sustainable and resilient future.
The IIES commends Trent University for its efforts to fulfill this shared vision and mission and expresses gratitude to the Rideau Hall Foundation, Universities Canada, and the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program for supporting these initiatives. Together, these efforts represent a significant step forward in building a global community dedicated to environmental sustainability and resilience. To learn more about the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program, please visit the link below. In January 2025, the IIES will establish a steering committee to pilot the QES initiative and provide detailed instructions to potential scholars and host institutions to join this program.
