Cannon Lachapelle Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking

This award recognizes undergraduate and graduate students who embody entrepreneurial thinking.

Please note: the application processes for undergraduate and graduate students are different. Be sure to follow the correct process for your stream.

The Cannon Lachapelle Award in Entrepreneurial Thinking now includes two streams:

the undergraduate award
the graduate award

This award celebrates students who embody ingenuity and entrepreneurial thinking in their academic and personal pursuits. Recipients demonstrate creativity, innovation, and a drive to make meaningful impact—whether through research, new approaches to complex problems, launching ventures, or building community through entrepreneurial initiatives.

The undergraduate award was established through a generous donation from Dr. M. Elizabeth Cannon and Dr. Gérard Lachapelle to support the integration of entrepreneurial thinking into the student experience at UCalgary. The graduate award, created in 2019 through an anonymous donation inspired by Dr. Cannon’s impact, will be renamed in 2025 to honor both Dr. Cannon and Dr. Lachapelle.

“The Cannon Lachapelle Award is not only to reward some of the best ingenuity by students, but is also a vehicle to highlight the growing, impactful innovation community at the University of Calgary. Their innovation and creativity, along with potential impact of their entrepreneurial ideas, provide tremendous inspiration for the future of our city and province.”

Dr. Elizabeth Cannon

President Emerita, University of Calgary

Value

Undergraduate students: Four $10,000 awards available.
Graduate students: Up to five $30,000 awards available.

Citizenship

Unrestricted

Deadline

Undergraduate students: May 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. MST.
Graduate students: May 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MST.

Undergraduate students

Questions about the Undergraduate award or application? Email the Hunter Hub directly at hunterhub@ucalgary.ca

Eligibility

This award is open to all returning undergraduate students across all Faculties at the University of Calgary. A minimum 2.60 GPA is required.
One $10,000 award is for an Embedded Certificate in Entrepreneurial Thinking student. The other three $10,000 awards are for returning undergraduate students in any discipline.
Application

Applications for undergraduate students are currenlty closed.

Graduate Students

Questions about the Graduate award or application? Email the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) directly at gsaward@ucalgary.ca.

Eligibility
- Open to graduate students registered full-time in a thesis-based graduate program in the Faculty of Graduate Studies
- Students must submit an application describing how their research-related entrepreneurial activities will contribute to the growth and vitality of the community through one or more of the following:
  - Entrepreneurial research
  - Innovative approach to solve multidimensional problems
  - Development and operation of a business or social enterprise
  - Community building through innovation
Application

The Notice of Intent submissions are now closed.

The Cannon Lachapelle Award for undergraduate students recognizes those who demonstrate creativity, ingenuity and a passion for applying ideas in ways that support the UCalgary campus community and beyond.

Matthew Topham, Cumming School of Medicine
Aminreza Abbasi, Faculty of Science
Ben Chernesky, Faculty of Arts
Ayushi Choudhary, Haskayne School of Business

11 UCalgary students turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s possibilities Read the full story

The Cannon Lachapelle Award for graduate students recognizes those who have exceptional entrepreneurial spirit. The 2026 receipients reflect the creativity, leadership, and impact the awards are designed to support.