B.E.S.T. Project Fund

Overview

In 2010 a Bishop’s graduate (who wishes to remain anonymous), with a strong belief in our University and a desire to help our most promising students achieve their full potential, made a gift to establish the B.E.S.T. Project Fund.

The B.E.S.T. Project Fund is the premiere experiential learning opportunity at Bishop’s.

This unique fund is intended to assist students to determine their career paths and realize their ambitions.

The funds are awarded to students whom the Selection Committee believes have the potential for significant achievement and impact once they graduate from Bishop’s.

All project proposals should:

• Assist the student in defining and/or achieving their career objectives.
• Include a significant interaction with a mentor.
• Articulate how the project relates to the student’s area of academic interest or links to future studies or career directions.
• Describe how this learning experience will be shared with the Bishop’s community upon the student’s return to campus in the fall.

Here are the successful applications for project funding in 2025:

• Anthony Asselin, a Physics and Astronomy student, undertook a research project focused on computer simulation of gravitational orbits of a stellar-mass black hole.
• Tyler Bimm, a Chemistry student, undertook a research project focused on green chemistry principles, with the goal of developing a sustainable method for synthesizing quaternary carbon centres (an essential process in pharmaceuticals).
• Wei Cao, a Computer Science student, participated in a research project using an advanced graph signal processing method to capture electroencephalogram (EEG) data.
• Giavanna Clarke-Jolly, a Biology student, undertook a collective storytelling, music, and video-movement project to increase visible representation of women from all walks of life.
• Gavin Corallo, a Biology student, participated in an internship at the University of Michigan’s Paleobotany Laboratory, with a focus on plant fossils.
• Emilie Des Marchais, a Psychology student, participated in an internship at UQAM’s LESPI laboratory, focusing on sexual education research, curriculum development, policy analysis and knowledge mobilization.
• Grace Devitt, an Education student, participated in an art therapy internship in Switzerland, working with a certified art therapist to organize, produce and facilitate workshops and events.
• Serhii Dutov, a Biochemistry student, participated in a research internship in Switzerland focused on genetics and computational biology and bioinformatics.
• Anastasija Ferraby, a Biology Health Science student, participated in a research internship at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute in Calgary, focusing on understanding the healing response in the heart following cardiovascular injuries.
• Rosalyn French, a Biology student, participated in an internship with the ORCA Program in Peru, learning about marine species conservation and rehabilitation through academic and fieldwork-based training.
• Zed Mehta, a Religion, Society and Culture student, attended the Lechaion Harbor and Settlement Land Project archaeological field school in Corinth, Greece.
• Markayza Mitchell, a Sociology student, undertook a project to record a reggae music album in Jamaica while learning about the social aspects of music and Jamaican cultural heritage.
• Gabriella Ramesa Lapeyrie, a Biology Health Sciences student, participated in a doctor-shadowing program through Harvard Medical School.
• Megan Tailleur, a Psychology student, participated in a summer internship at a community organization that provides housing and support services to adults experiencing mental health challenges.

Range of Funding

Applicants may request up to a maximum of $7,000 in support. These funds may be used to fund:

• Travel* or accommodations if the project takes place outside of Lennoxville/Sherbrooke.
• Purchasing necessary equipment (which would remain property of Bishop’s upon completion of the project), supplies or related fees.
• Workshop fees.
• Conference fees.
  • Participation in a conference will be considered by the committee, but there must be strong reasoning as to why it would be an exceptional experience for the B.E.S.T. Project Fund to support; for example, presenting a paper or a poster at a conference.
• As a general rule, compensation is not provided for lost earnings; however, this may be considered under exceptional circumstances.
• The range of funding requested in 2025 was from $500 to $7,000. The average funding requested was $5,200. The average funding awarded was $4,200.

Eligibility

Applicants for B.E.S.T. Project funding must be full-time students at Bishop’s and be endorsed by a Bishop’s faculty member or senior administrator as a sponsor/mentor for the project.

Students must have completed at least one year of full-time studies at Bishop’s prior to starting the project. The student must not receive Bishop’s academic credit for the project.

The project may take place during the academic year, the spring or the summer, and must be completed while the student is a full-time student at Bishop’s.

Students not returning to Bishop’s University will not normally be considered except under exceptional circumstances.

A student may apply for one project per year. Preference is given to applicants who have not previously received funding.

The student must have a minimum 70% cumulative average in courses taken at Bishop’s. The cumulative average for last year’s recipients was 88.5%.

Application Process

The application period for 2026 has now closed.

The details of the B.E.S.T. Project Fund will appear on the Bishop’s website and shared via internal communications to students. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Haddon, Manager, Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor, at shaddon@ubishops.ca or 819-822-9600, ext. 2424.

Applications must be submitted electronically by completing the online form.

The B.E.S.T. Project Selection Committee will review applications with a goal of advising students and their sponsors of the Committee’s decisions in early March.

The Committee may wish to interview students prior to making a final decision.

Each application must include:

• An explanation of the project and how it fulfills the objectives of the Fund.
• The intended outcome or goal of the project.
• The timeline for the project.
• A detailed budget and the amount of financial support requested from the Fund.
• A reference letter from the sponsor/mentor which states why the candidate should be considered and why the project will help the student achieve their goals. The sponsor/mentor letter should also include how they will provide active support/supervision to the student before and during the project.
• A biography of the student.
• If the proposal includes participation in a program, include specifications of the program, as well as what makes it exceptional.

Additional Information

* The B.E.S.T. Project Fund is not a travel fund. Consequently, if travel is proposed, the applicant must demonstrate why a similar experience could not be attained without such travel.

If you are participating in an internship or a program and have not yet received notice of acceptance, you may still submit your project for review. If you receive B.E.S.T. funding, your remittance will be conditional until you receive official acceptance to the internship or program.

Frequently Asked Questions