Wladimir
A. Smirnoff (1917 - 2000), the scientist  A
native of Russia, Wladimir A. Smirnoff became interested in
forest pest control at an early age. After pursuing graduate
and doctoral studies in forestry at St. Petersburg State University,
he left his country for 10 years of productive research at
the Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA) in
Morocco while completing a doctoral degree in science at the
Sorbonne in Paris.
In 1957, he accepted a position as an insect pathology researcher
with the Canadian Forest Service - Laurentian Forestry Centre.
Over the next 28 years, he made a significant contribution
to the development and recognition of insect pathology.
His great contribution to biological forest pest control
was made possible by his powers of persuasion in promoting
the use of Bacillus thuringiensis, a microbial insecticide,
to control spruce budworm, the most destructive insect in
the coniferous forests of North America. During his career,
Wladimir A. Smirnoff published more than 300 scholarly articles
and won many awards, including the prix Léo-Pariseau
presented by the Association canadienne-française pour
l’avancement des sciences. He was a lifetime member
of the Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec,
member emeritus of the Société d’entomologie
du Québec and of the Association des biologistes du
Québec, researcher emeritus at the Centre de recherche
en biologie forestière de l’Université
Laval, researcher emeritus at the Canadian Forest Service
and named a member of the Order of Canada in 1997.
A prolific researcher, Wladimir A. Smirnoff was above all
a nature lover, and was particularly fond of the Laurentian
forest. His splendid paintings, infused with delightful flowers,
dreams and symbols, reflect this love.
The fellowship that bears his name will be awarded for the
pursuit and promotion of research in the fields that captured
the interest of this great scientist.
| Wladimir
A. Smirnoff Fellowship |
 |
The Wladimir A. Smirnoff Fellowship is a joint initiative
of the Société de protection des forêts
contre les insectes et maladies (SOPFIM) and Natural Resources
Canada – Canadian Forest Service (NRCan – CFS).
- A $5,000 fellowship will be awarded annually
to each of two Master’s or Ph.D. students in biological
forest pest control at a Quebec university.
- The deadline for submission
of applications is January 31st of each year.
- The names of the recipients will be announced in
mid-March, and the fellowships will be available
as soon as the recipients enroll in the programs.
- At the request of the two funding organizations, the
recipient should agree to participate in promotional activities.
NOTE : In order to allow a recipient to complete
his/her research project, the recipient may submit an
application for a second consecutive year. To do
so, he/she must complete and return the application form
along with a satisfactory progress report before November
15. If the report is considered to be satisfactory by the
two funding organizations, and if sufficient funds are
available, the fellowship will be renewed.
| Eligibility
criteria |
|
The applicant must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
- have an undergraduate degree or be close to obtaining
one;
- be enrolled in a full-time program at the graduate or
post-graduate level during the year following the application,
for at least two semesters;
- study biological forest pest control (development of
biological insecticides, development of new control strategies,
development of application technologies for biological
insecticides, etc.);
- have the support of a research director for the project.
| Selection
criteria |
|
Provisional list of selection criteria:
- Quality of the academic record;
- Relevance of the project;
- Contribution of the proposed research to the advancement
of knowledge in the field of biological forest pest control;
- Value of the proposed project;
- Candidate’s ability to complete the project;
- Logistical and financial feasibility of the project;
- Uniqueness of the project.
| Additional
information |
|
(PLEASE TYPE)
Attach an appendix entitled Research
experience. Include the following:
- Position held;
- Description of duties;
- Work location;
- Contact information for immediate supervisor;
- Period of employment.
- Letters of support from the thesis director and from an
immediate supervisor about the applicant's work experience
to illustrate his or her ability to complete the project.
Attach an appendix entitled
Research project description. Include the
following:
- Description of the project;
- Work plan, schedule and research budget;
- Institution involved in the project;
- Contact information for the research director;
- Contact information for joint managers and/or partner
scientists.
| Procedure |
|
Complete on screen the registration
form (PDF document, 90 ko),
print it and send it, along with the requested documents (appendices),
to:
WLADIMIR A. SMIRNOFF FELLOWSHIP
SOPFIM
1780 Semple
Quebec City, Quebec G1N 4B8
NOTE: Registration forms and eligibility criteria
are available at the SOPFIM office or at the universities
concerned.
The forms are also available on the Web at
the following addresses:
Fellowship
Applicants - Selected Projects |
|
Fellowship applicants
- 2002: Richard Berthiaume
- 2003: None
- 2004: Richard Berthiaume and Julie Blais
- 2005: Julie Blais and Satinder K. Brar
- 2006: Satinder K. Brar and Olivier Morisset
Selected projects
 Mr. Richard Berthiaume,
a PhD student at the Université Laval’s
Faculty of Forestry and Geomatics.
He works at the Laurentian Forestry Centre, under the co-direction of Dr.
Christian Hébert. His research will clarify the interaction between
the hemlock looper and its main natural enemy, Telenomus coloradensis, a
highly efficient egg parisitoid responsible for a decline in looper epidemics.
The following are some recent comments by Dr. Christian Hébert concerning
Mr. Berthiaume’s research: “Richard Berthiaume’s research
will be useful to forest managers, the MNRF and the SOPFIM. He will be submitting
his PhD thesis shortly, and has been awarded a post-doctoral bursary by the
FQRNT to continue his research on population ecology. He will be doing research
on the winter biology of the looper. This knowledge is essential for improving
predictions of infestations and determining what influence climate change
will have on this pest.”
 Ms. Julie Blais is an MSc student in Plant Biology at
Université Laval.
She works at the
Laurentian Forestry Centre, under the co-direction
of Dr. Christian Hébert. Her project deals with
the development of a parasite of the hemlock looper,
an insect that has been causing significant damage
in Quebec’s coniferous forests. Ms.
Blais has presented her research on a number of occasions
at seminars, and is planning to complete her studies
in December 2006.
 Ms. Satinder Kaur Brar
is a PhD student at the Université de Québec
INRS-ETE.
Her project involves the development of a biological pesticide from wastewater
and sewage sludge. Her research is directed by Dr. R. D. Tyagi. She works
in close collaboration with Dr. José Valero. During a presentation
of her research to employees of the SOPFIM last May, Ms. Brar stated that
she has succeeded in monitoring issues concerning the contaminants found
in sludge. Her method is ready to be tested in the field. She should complete
her research this year, and will then carry out cost-benefit analyses of
the commercial production of Bt using sewage sludge.
 Mr. Olivier Morisset
is an MSc student at the INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier.
His project involves the development of a new biological control tool for
fighting against infestations of certain forest pests. His research is directed
by Dr. Claude Guertin. He is particularly interested in the mass production
of a fungus that lives as a parasite on the hemlock looper. Olivier is just
beginning his research.
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