Global Grant Scholarship

(for study starting in Rotary Year 2024-25)

Global Grant Scholarships (value: US$30,000) support full-time, in-person graduate study in one of The Rotary Foundation’s seven areas of focus by students from District 5360 at universities outside of Canada. Preference may be given to students starting new programs of study, normally at the master’s level. The Rotary Foundation’s seven areas of focus are peace and conflict prevention/resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development, and supporting the environment. Scholarships are available for 2024-25, and study must start after July 1, 2024. Rotarians, descendants of Rotarians, or ancestors of Rotarians are not eligible for this scholarship.
 
District Application Deadline: January 19, 2024
 
Application Link: Submit a completed application form, copies of university transcripts, your CV and two confidential letters of reference that speak to your involvement in one of The Rotary Foundation's areas of focus to Hendrik Kraay, Rotary District 5360 Scholarship Team Lead.
 
For More Information, see the biographies of recent successful applicants (below) or email Hendrik Kraay, District 5360 Scholarship Team Lead, 403-852-9531.
 
 
Meet our Scholars

Robert Falconer
MPhil/PhD in Social Policy
London School of Economics and Political Science (Rotary Club of Northwick Park, District 1130, and Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park, District 5360), 2023-24
 
Robert Falconer’s research focuses on the impacts of public policy on public attitudes and behaviour towards marginalized groups. He is particularly interested in the adoption of the made-in-Canada Private Refugee Sponsorship model by other countries and the potential effects this program has on sponsors themselves and their social networks of non-sponsor friends and family. He is pursuing an MPhil/PhD in Social Policy at the London School of Economics (LSE) and intends to pursue an academic career in public policy.
 
Robert has established an early track record of publications on public policy and migration to Canada and worked as a researcher for the University of Calgary School of Public Policy. He has provided expert commentary to the media on these subjects and has testified before federal and provincial committee meetings on the same issues. He looks forward to providing policymakers, media, and the public with a practical voice on the policies that create welcoming communities for all Canadians, new and old.
 
 

Christopher Klune
MA in Education Policies for Global Development / MA in Social Policy (Dual Degree)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona / University of Bremen / University of Cyprus (Rotary Club of Barcelona, District 2202, and District 5360)

As an undergrad and teacher, Chris developed a deep passion for education, teaching, and learning. His experience as a K-12 teacher abroad and in Alberta revealed the multi-layered and complex factors influencing education systems and student learning. He became interested in how public policy, technology, and education systems interact to help or hinder school communities in pursuing engaging and equitable learning for all students. As such, he once again needed to become a student and is pursuing a dual Masters of Education Policies for Global Development and Social Policy as part of the Erasmus GLOBED program, where he will study at three universities: the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Bremen, and the University of Cyprus.
 
Before this, Chris worked as a teacher in Jordan and on three school boards in Alberta. He also worked in the nonprofit and international development sectors with the Breakfast Club of Canada and the Aga Khan University in Nairobi. He has volunteered with several global organizations like the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Sustainable Solutions Network. He was an active community member as an undergraduate at the University of Calgary, where he received his Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Arts in History.
 

Kaitlyn Paltzat
MSc in Global Health
University of Geneva (Rotary Club of Lausanne and District 5360), 2022-2024
 
Kaitlyn is passionate about the many biological, social and political factors that influence health worldwide. She is particularly interested in newborn, child, and maternal health, with a special interest in how changing global landscapes can impact this essential demographic. She will pursue a Master of Science in Global Health at the University of Geneva and intends to intern at one of several NGOs located within Geneva during her studies there.
 
Before this, Kaitlyn received her Bachelor of Health Sciences degree from the University of Calgary, majoring in Biomedicine (Honours, First Class). Her passion for global health was sparked when she was selected to participate in the first-ever Cumming School of Medicine Uganda Global Health Field School in 2019. There, she worked directly with rural community members and local stakeholders to identify health concerns and develop solutions.

Lindsey Carlene Scott
MSc in Bioscience (Cell Biology, Physiology, and Neuroscience)
University of Oslo (Oslo International Rotary Club, District 2310, and District 5360), 2022-2024
 
Lindsey is passionate about investigating the pathological mechanisms of disease to inform the development of disease therapies and preventative treatments. She received a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship to pursue a Master of Bioscience with a focus in Cell Biology, Physiology, and Neuroscience at the University of Oslo in Norway. Her program aims to provide students with an understanding of the cellular and physiological processes that underlie disease and apply this knowledge in a research environment.   
 
Before receiving a Global Grant Scholarship, Lindsey received a President's Admission Scholarship, a June Dawson Memorial Alumni Scholarship, and a Fairfax Financial Holdings Bursary to complete her Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours, First Class) at the University of Calgary. Lindsey majored in Biomedical Sciences and earned a place on the Cumming School of Medicine’s Dean’s List for 2020 through 2022. She also received recognition for her scientific communication regarding the COVID-19 vaccines.

Sari Ohsada
MSc in Environmental Change and Management
University of Oxford (Rotary Club of Canmore and Rotary Club of Faringdon and District), 2020-21
 
Sari Ohsada is passionate about exploring environmental justice issues in diverse geographies and understanding the challenges and opportunities for societies to pursue just or fair transitions. Just Transition is a broad concept concerned with how transitions to a low carbon economy are inclusive, recognizing the different burdens and benefits that individuals and societies face.
 
Sari was awarded a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship in 2020 to undertake her MSc degree in Environmental Change and Management at the University of Oxford. There, she researched on Just Transition framings around Alberta’s thermal coal phase-out and its implications for equity and justice. Following her year, Sari received Distinction on her paper and presented her personal reflections at the 2022 Rotary District 5360 Conference in Cochrane (link). She donated the speaker honorarium back to ShelterBox, a humanitarian aid charity providing emergency shelter and supplies to thousands of families worldwide following the disaster.

Dominic Igbelina
MSc in Global Health Policy
London School of Economics and Political Science (Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park and Rotary Club of Hendon), 2020-21
 
Dominic has a strong passion for addressing challenges in the area of disease treatment and prevention. He received a Global Grant Scholarship to support his Master of Science (MSc) degree in Global Health Policy from the London School of Economics (LSE). The MSc program helps students develop deeper and conceptual understandings of global health issues, as well as the analytical skills to provide viable solutions to shared health concerns.
 
During his scholarship period, Dominic researched pharmacotherapeutic and psychotherapeutic treatment modalities for Body Dysmorphic Disorder. He also supported rare disease research in juvenile dermatomyositis and idiopathic myopathies in his capacity as Study Coordinator for the Juvenile Dermatomyositis Cohort Biomarker Study and Repository (JDCBS), based out of the University College London.

Ahmed Ali
Masters in Business Administration in International Business with a Concentration in Emerging Markets
MIB Trieste School of Management
(Rotary Club of Calgary Heritage Park, District 5360, and Rotary Club of Trieste, Italy), 2019-20
 
Ahmed Ali is a passionate and community-driven leader who has pursued a career supporting and developing community capacity in different parts of the world. Before his educational and career pursuits, he began by giving back to various non-profit organizations, such as the Edmonton Africa Centre and Big Brothers and Big Sisters. His drive to see marginalized communities thrive and display their resiliency led him to create several programs, including a youth basketball league, incorporating mentorship by connecting young people with excelling professionals and postgraduate students in the African Canadian community in Western Canada.
 
With an interest in the holistic approach to social systems, Ahmed pursued the study of the development, structures and human social behaviour. His progressive academic pursuits began in Canada's capital by studying at the University of Ottawa and completing an Honours Bachelor of Social Science with a sociology specialization. He advanced his community engagement knowledge by working in outreach positions and direct service roles that worked alongside various vulnerable populations. He was able to develop an empathetic approach by working with newcomers to Canada, racialized youth and persons experiencing homelessness. It was within these complex experiences that challenged Ahmed to pursue a Master of Social Work Degree at Sir Wilfrid Laurier University, where he completed a concentration in Community, Planning, Policy and Organizations.
 

Mairéad Whelan
MSc in Water Science, Policy, and Management,
University of Oxford (District 5360 and Rotary Club of Faringdon and District, England), 2019-20

Mairead Whelan’s academic interests lie in the intersection between water, the environment, and population health. She is especially interested in global health, and how clean water, water scarcity, and climate change influence the spread of water-related illness and zoonotic disease. While at Oxford, she focused her learning on water management and infectious disease, contributing expertise in public health to a highly interdisciplinary program and faculty. She studied at Green Templeton College, a graduate college founded with a focus on health, humanitarianism, and social sciences. Aside from completing her classwork and enjoying the beautiful city of dreaming spires, Mairead also volunteered to mentor high school students in Oxford thorough their A-level research courses and was a member of the Oxford Union Debate Society. Mairead was set up to do fieldwork in the Ebro Basin in Spain and also complete her MSc dissertation fieldwork in Ghana evaluating the water, sanitation, and hygiene health conditions in live marketplaces when the COVID-19 pandemic hit – a very unconventional scholar experience! Although the situation meant cancelling these plans, Mairead re-routed her dissertation to focus on helping with the pandemic response effort and completed her analysis on how equity in access to water, sanitation, and hygiene may be impacting the dispersion of COVID-19 cases in the developing world.

 

Brandon McNally, MA in International Relations, Leiden University, The Netherlands
(Rotary Club of Lethbridge East and Rotary Club of The Hague International),
Global Grant Scholar, 2018-2020

 
Brandon McNally received a Global Grant Scholarship for his Advanced MSc in International Relations and Diplomacy from Leiden University in The Netherlands. The program provides training in the areas of mediation and negotiation while providing an in-depth study of the areas which affect the international realm (such as law and the economy). Throughout the program, Brandon focused on evaluating the connection between the environment, peace and conflict. He researched topics ranging from climate change and terrorism in West Africa, geoengineering governance, and the environment as a factor inducing cooperation between Pacific island countries. Brandon participated in two internships, the first with an international consulting firm and the second with a social enterprise that is developing a device to bring connectivity to rural off-grid Africa households.

Brandon obtained a BA in Political Science with a minor in Religious Studies from The University Lethbridge.

Aneel Brar, PhD in Medical Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK
(Rotary Club of Red Deer East and Rotary Club of Faringdon & District)
Global Grant Scholar, 2018-2019

 
Aneel Brar received a Global Grant Scholarship to fund the second year of his PhD studies in medical anthropology at the University of Oxford. His work focuses on disempowered women in rural Rajasthan, India—specifically on how social forces become embodied as illness among pregnant women and young mothers. Aneel’s objective as a medical anthropologist is to translate lessons from research into policies and programs that reduce structural violence and advance health equity.
 

Jay (Yuan) Wang, MSc in Molecular Biosciences in Neuroscience, Interdisziplinären Zentrums für Neurowissenschaften (IZN), Universität Heidelberg, Germany (Rotary Club of Calgary Olympic and Rotary Club of Heidelberg-Schlöss), Global Grant Scholar, 2017-19

 
 
Jay Wang was born in China and grew up in Calgary. He received his Bachelor of Health Sciences, majoring in Biomedical Sciences, from the University of Calgary in 2014 with First Class Honours. A recipient of the President’s Award for Excellence in Student Leadership, the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship, and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Scholarship, Jay has a passion for science, learning, volunteerism, community services and global development. From collecting minerals and fossils to astrophotography, there are not many scientific fields that he is not interested in. Starting research in high school, he has experience in both medical and astrophysics research. Nothing fascinates him more however than the brain! Jay held a Global Grant Scholarship from District 5360 to study Master of Neuroscience at Heidelberg University, Germany; the Rotary Club of Heidelberg-Schloss was his host club.

Leah Schmidt, MPhil in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies, University of Cambridge, UK (Rotary Club of Calgary and Rotary Club of Cambridge South), Global Grant Scholar, 2017-2018

Leah is an MPhil student in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge (Queen’s College), where she studies feminist approaches to international relations and security studies, with a focus on theorizing embodied subjects under violence. Leah has worked with Amnesty International, Global Affairs Canada, and the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations (NYC) and is a passionate advocate for politicalized marginal identities.
 
In her previous professional experience, she has supported research on the national American Women’s Rights policy blueprint for the 2017 Federal Presidential Administration under the National Organization for Women; spent three years leading queer advocacy and safe space creation as Coordinator of the University of Calgary Student’s Union Q Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity; was selected as the Girls and Young Women’s Advisory Council Representative under Status of Women Canada; and served as a post-secondary representative for the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women and the Disabled Woman’s Network of Canada. She has also served in various conference leadership positions for the National Collegiate Conference Association (National Model UN), University of Calgary High School Model UN, the national Political Science Students’ Association, World Health Organization Simulation, and has led the University of Calgary Model United Nations Team to rank in the Top 50 North American Teams, among involvement with numerous other student clubs and organizations.

Sarah Pousette, MA in International Economics with a concentration in Development Economics, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland (Rotary Club or Calgary-Heritage Park and Genève-Internationale), Global Grant Scholar, 2016-2018.

 
Sarah initially moved to Calgary from Prince George, British Columbia, to train for Long Track Speed Skating at the National Training Centre located at the Olympic Oval. After several years of skating and school, Sarah decided to trade her Olympic ambitions for a new dream of working in the field of International Development.

Jiliane Golczyk, MA in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action, Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), France (Rotary Club of Red Deer and Rotary Club of Paris-Alliance), Global Grant Scholar, 2016-17

 
Prior to beginning her Master's program, Jiliane has worked as a Page in the House of Commons, as a Parliamentary Tour Guide, and as an English Teacher in Istanbul. While completing her Master's degree, Jiliane worked as an analyst for Noria Research and volunteered extensively with migrants and refugees in the Paris region as a member of Sciences Po Refugee Help.

Mark Brown, MBA in Social Enterprise, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Great Britain (Rotary Club of Calgary and Rotary Club of Faringdon & District), Global Grant Scholarship, 2015-16

 
Mark Brown graduated from Western Canada High School in Calgary and received his BSc from the University of Victoria in 2010. After working with Engineers without Borders, he founded an agricultural investment fund in Ghana to assist small farmers in developing their businesses. Too large to benefit from microcredit financing and too small to access conventional bank loans, these small farmers are unable to develop the full potential of their businesses. In 2015-16, Mr. Brown held a Global Grant Scholarship from District 5360 to study social entrepreneurship at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
 
In February 2016, Mark wrote about his experience at Oxford:
 
I have decided to design my career to work on the world’s most important problems. The first chapter drew me to economic development in Ghana through agriculture. After consulting with Engineers Without Borders for a few years, I started...

Reema (Romá) Souraya, MA in International Education Policy, Harvard University, United States (Rotary Club of Calgary-Heritage Park and Rotary Club of Malden), Global Grant Scholarship, 2015-16

 
Romá Souraya received her BA in international relations from the University of Calgary in 2015 and received a Global Grant Scholarship to study international education policy at Harvard University. A native of Calgary, she lived in Lebanon and Brazil. She was the first person in her family to earn a university degree. As a student in Calgary, she volunteered with the Calgary Bridge Foundation for Youth, where she worked to help immigrant youth who were having difficulties in school.
 
Upon completion of her studies, Ms. Souraya took an internship with Girl Rising in New York, an NGO that promotes education for girls.
 
See where Romá Souraya’s career has taken her since her Global Grant Scholarship by visiting her Linkedin page.

Danielle (Danny) Trudeau, MA in Disaster Management, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Rotary Club of Calgary-Crowchild Urban Spirits and Rotary Club of Copenhagen International), Global Grant Scholarship, 2013-14

Ms. Danielle (Danny) Trudeau, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Calgary-Crowchild Urban Spirits, completed her MA in Disaster Management at the University of Copenhagen in 2014. Having worked in disaster relief for the Red Cross, this program was a natural progression for Ms. Trudeau’s career and opened numerous doors for her. “Thanks to the support of Rotary,” writes Ms. Trudeau, “completing the Master of Disaster Management has opened up more opportunities than what I could have ever imagined. I am so thankful for all the opportunities I have had to date and looking forward to seeing what’s next around every corner.”