The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Women's Leadership Development Awards

The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund provides leadership development opportunities for women (including trans women and non-binary people) in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Manitoba. Over the next two years, $50,000 will be made available annually. Once expended, unless renewed, the fund will terminate.

Full-time or part-time academic faculty members with a primary appointment in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences are eligible to apply to the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund for support for academic leadership training.

Students (full-time or part-time) and post-doctoral trainees (including residents) who are presently enrolled in a program of study within the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences are also eligible to apply to the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund for support for leadership training.

The number of awards may vary; however, at most, there will be two student/postdoctoral awards per year for the term of the fund.

An online application form must be completed. The application requires:

A) Identification of a recognized leadership development course or program [may be local, national or international].

B) A statement providing:

1. Evidence of the applicant’s leadership activities and initiatives;
2. The applicant’s goals in pursuing leadership training; and
3. A plan for applying new leadership skills to enhance the applicant’s academic career and/or use these skills in academic service to the University of Manitoba.

C) An EDI statement addressing the following:

• Personal connection: How do your experiences inform your commitment to gender equity and inclusion in leadership?
• Past actions: Provide 2-3 concrete examples of how you've advanced equity or inclusion, including context, your role, and impact.
• Future practice: How will you embed EDI principles in your leadership? What systemic barriers will you address, and how will you stay accountable?
• Learning: Where do you see opportunities for your own continued EDI growth?

D) A detailed budget estimate that includes the cost of the course/program, travel costs, accommodation costs, and miscellaneous costs directly associated with accessing the course/program.

In addition to the application, the applicant must supply:

1. A curriculum vitae
2. A letter of support from the faculty member’s Department Head/College Dean or the student’s post-doctoral trainee’s program director or supervisor, including:
   • acknowledgement of potential absences, as required, to participate in the course/program of choice; and
   • approval for participation in the training program; and
   • specific examples of the applicant’s leadership and potential and commenting on how the training will strengthen their future leadership opportunities.

Support is provided for the direct costs of academic leadership development opportunities. All items must be essential to completing this training. Expenses incurred prior to the fund start date will not be eligible for support. There should be no overlap with existing funds – the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Leadership Fund is not intended for the top-up of existing funding requests.

As demand for funds is expected to exceed available funds, not all meritorious proposals can be supported. The maximum award will be $10,000 for Faculty members and $5000 for students, and may be less.

In short, only reasonable requests for training programs can typically be met by this fund. Applicants must develop their proposed budgets with these figures in mind and provide a detailed budget justification.

Applications for support will be reviewed and adjudicated by members of the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Awards Committee. Applications are assessed based on the following criteria:

• Evidence of the applicant’s experience in leadership activities: applications will be evaluated based on the quality, rather than the quantity, of past experience.
• The applicant’s potential as a future academic leader.
• For applications from faculty members: alignment between the applicant’s goals and the requirements of their academic unit.
• Demonstrated understanding of EDI in academic leadership, including the relevance and specificity of examples.
• Letter of support, assessed based on confirmation of support for participation; specific evidence of leadership and potential; and alignment between the proposed training and the applicant’s leadership goals.

One competition is held annually. The application deadline date is Monday June 1, 2026.

The Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Leadership Fund will be administered through the Office of the Vice Dean, Academic Affairs, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Professional development supported by the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund must comply with University policies related, but not limited to, leadership development programs, travel, etc.

The award recipient is responsible for the use of the funds and for any over-expenditure.

Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Leadership Fund awards normally terminate after 1 year of the date of the award notification letter, and any unspent funds will automatically be returned to the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Fund. Awardees may request, in writing, that the award period be extended. The request should go to the appropriate contact person in the Office of the Vice Dean Academic Affairs not later than one month prior to the end date of the award. Such requests must include a justification for the extension. Extensions will be allowed at most for 12 months.

Within three months of the completion or termination of the award, the recipient must submit to the Office of Academic Affairs: confirmation of attendance (certificate or receipt) and a final report.

The report should not exceed one page and should describe what was accomplished, and a summary of the awardee’s plans for next steps in leadership development.

Award-holders are requested to acknowledge the assistance of the Winnipeg Foundation Martha Donovan Leadership Fund in all publications and media coverage resulting from this support.