RIC Engaged Scholarship Award for Graduate Students

Applications are now closed for the 2024 edition of the Research Impact Canada Engaged Scholarship Award.

This award recognizes engaged scholarship, co-creation of knowledge, and integrated knowledge translation efforts among graduate students of our Canadian member institutions, regardless of discipline.

Award Overview:
Prize: $2000 for Masters, $3000 for Doctorate 
Eligibility: Masters and Doctorate students from Canadian RIC-member universities 
Deadline: February 25^th 2024 at 11:59 PM PT 

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, the applicant must:

• Be a graduate student registered at one of RIC’s Canadian academic member institutions, at any stage of their program (Masters or Doctorate candidate), in any discipline, or be a recent graduate (up to 1 year after graduation date) from one of RIC’s Canadian academic member institutions. Click here for the list of eligible institutions.
• Be leading or have led a significant research project (e.g. research for a thesis or dissertation) following engaged scholarship principles (high quality scholarship, reciprocity, identified community needs, democratization of knowledge, and boundary-crossing) that resulted in increased awareness of targeted audiences or changes in actions, practices, guidelines or policies.

Application Procedures

To apply, please submit the following through the online application system:

• A completed online application form
• An application letter (2 pages maximum)
• A CV (3 pages maximum)
• 2 letters of support (2 pages maximum per letter of support)

1. A letter from project knowledge users, participants, collaborators, or partners describing the importance of your contribution to changes or impact in their actions, practices, guidelines or policies, etc.
2. A letter from an academic supervisor describing your journey, evolution, lessons

Applicants may submit their application in the official language of their choice – English or French.

Contact

For questions or further information, contact Sandy Chan at sdychan@yorku.ca.

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Additional Details:

The RIC Engaged Scholarship Award for graduate students recognizes engaged scholarship (making research with the people who benefit from it), co-creation of knowledge or integrated knowledge translation efforts among graduate students of RIC’s Canadian member institutions, regardless of their discipline.

A successful project meaningfully incorporates:

1. The principles of engaged scholarship

The principles of engaged scholarship focus on high-quality scholarship, reciprocity, identified community needs, democratization of knowledge, and boundary crossing. Engaged scholarship leads to increased awareness of research by diverse audiences beyond academia or changes in actions, practices, guidelines, or policies. Engaged scholarship consists of doing research in deep collaboration with the people who can benefit from it.

2. Knowledge mobilization

Knowledge mobilization refers to the multidirectional flow and uptake of research knowledge between researchers and knowledge users in order to accelerate and increase the impact of research. Knowledge mobilization activities support engagement, collaboration, and knowledge exchange throughout and beyond the research process.

Please note that engaged scholarship refers to the process of conducting research in deep collaboration with the people who benefit from it. It is not:

• Presenting your research at an academic conference
• Publishing your research findings in an academic journal
• Writing an op-ed

For examples of engaged scholarship activities, please see the projects of our 2023 RIC Engaged Scholarship Award winners:

• Erin Ratelle, University of Alberta. (Project: Falls Prevention in Long Term Care using Machine Learning)
• Indira Riadi, Simon Fraser University. (Project: Developing Inclusive Digital Mental Health Services/Interventions Based on the Mental Health Priorities of Community-Dwelling Older Adults)
• Yehudis Stokes, University of Ottawa. (Project: Identifying, Measuring, Implementing, and Evaluating Trauma-Informed Care in Practice)
• Ashley Kyne, Simon Fraser University (Project: A Culturally-Informed Examination of Correlates of Crime among Indigenous Peoples)
• Jasmine Kowalewski, University of Alberta. (Project: Exploring the Effects of Activism: Promoting Indigenous Youth’s Voices)
• Vida Forouhar, Concordia University. (Project: Weight Bias: Trends among the Canada Public and Relationships with Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour)

Selection Criteria

RIC is seeking projects that can demonstrate evidence of integrated knowledge mobilization and/or knowledge user or stakeholder engagement, or public outreach either at the local, regional, national, or international level. The project should provide evidence of increased awareness of targeted audiences beyond academia or changes in actions, practices, guidelines, or policies.

All eligible applications will be reviewed by the Adjudication Committee. The Adjudication Committee is made up of members of the RIC Network. Each application will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Selection Criteria	Description	Weight
Relevance, importance, and clarity of the application	Indicators include: – The research project is relevant and important. – The engaged scholarship activities are relevant and important. – The application is well written, clear, and easy to understand.	3/12
Engaged Scholarship	Indicators include: – The applicant provides relevant evidence of the engaged scholarship or knowledge mobilization activities implemented in the project. – The applicant demonstrates how principles of engaged scholarship were considered and implemented throughout the project. – The applicant demonstrates meaningful involvement of knowledge users, relevant parties and/or partners throughout and beyond the research process. – The applicant demonstrates the benefits or potential benefits of engaged scholarship for all relevant parties and partners.	4/12
Desired/Potential/Promise of impact and outcomes	Indicators include: – The applicant demonstrates leadership for creating impact or potential impact with the project. – The impact or potential impact of the project is clear and relevant. – The applicant demonstrates the value of collaboration and engagement with partners to create impact or potential impact in this project.	3/12
Relevance of lessons learned	Indicator includes: – The applicant provides a reflection on lessons learned.	1/12
Contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion	Indicator includes: – The applicant thoughtfully reflects upon how their projects might relate or contribute to equity, diversity, and inclusion, including reconciliation and decolonization.	1/12