Launching the Canadian Student Activation Fund!

Young Canadians are the future of food as consumers, innovators, and researchers. To generate momentum in Canada’s emerging cellular agriculture ecosystem, New Harvest is challenging students to think big and explore creative ways to innovate, create, and become early leaders in the next generation of food and food biomanufacturing.

With the support of the Consecon Foundation, New Harvest is launching the Canadian Student Activation Fund, a fund to support student-run cellular agriculture community initiatives at Canadian institutions. The fund’s goal is to support projects that aim to activate the student community and grow the Canadian cellular agriculture ecosystem, such as founding a student club or iGEM student team, or hosting a local cell ag conference or hack-a-thon. Get creative!

• The fund will provide up to $2,500 CAD to high school and post-secondary students at Canadian institutions, as well as the support and connection to the broader cellular agriculture ecosystems needed to ensure project success.
• At least 10 awards will be disbursed in 2025.

Applications will be received on a rolling basis until December 1st, 2025, or until all funding has been allocated.

As Canada faces increasing supply chain insecurity across global markets, now is the time to think creatively to shape a more sustainable food system by building on the country’s growing momentum in cellular agriculture – and that means empowering our students! Through creative thought leadership, Canada has the potential to generate a wide variety of food from cells – be it cultured meat products or alternative proteins and food additives from precision fermentation and waste valorization streams. We hope this fund will help activate students across Canada to think creatively about bringing cell agriculture to their campuses.

Questions? Reach out to my colleagues Miranda at miranda@new-harvest.org and Bre at breanna@new-harvest.org! Bre has administered several catalytic grant programs with New Harvest over the years, and together, we would be happy to take any questions or requests for clarification.

Hope to hear from you!

P.P.S. Students are also eligible to apply for the Meat the Future Challenge – applications extended to April 4! Details here.