Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies Dr. Jim McDonald Scholarship 2024-2025

The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS), with the support of the family of the late Dr. Jim McDonald, sponsors one scholarship for Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada currently enrolled in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities whose research focuses on northern regions and their inhabitants in Canada. Special consideration will be given to Community-based-research, interdisciplinary research and local Indigenous collaboration, as will those applicants who can demonstrate a specific focus to their project.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirments
• Interview Process
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineJanuary 31, 2025
• Value$5,000 
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorAssociation of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies
• Eligible CountryCanada

Benefits

 The Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS), with the support of the family of the late Dr. Jim McDonald, sponsors one scholarship valued at $5,000 

Requirements

You must:

• be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident;
• be enrolled full-time in college or university at the time of application AND over the tenure of the award;
• not concurrently hold two ACUNS awards, but you may hold other awards and financial support while holding an ACUNS award;
• include a northern fieldwork component in your research that is conducted between May (in the year you receive your award) and the following March or May (depending on specific award). Note: fieldwork is not required for the Gunther Abrahamson Research and Management Award; and
• conduct your research project in the North as defined here 

Interview Dates and Process

Applications are invited from students:

• who are engaged in research culminating in a thesis or other such document;
• whose program makes a contribution to the North; and,
• who demonstrate leadership in northern scholarship.

 The selection committee will be guided by the following considerations:

• academic record
• the quality of the written application
• the potential benefits of the proposed research
• the referees’ reports
• the applicants’ leadership skills and interest in, and commitment to northern scholarship

The research project must involve a fieldwork component that is conducted in northern Canada or the circumpolar north between May of the year the scholarship is awarded and March of the following calendar year.

Application Deadline

January 31, 2025

How To Apply

Are you qualified and interested in this opportunity? Kindly go to Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies on acuns-awards.smapply.ca to apply

There are three parts to the CNST application, the application form, referee’s reports and transcripts. All three parts must be submitted before January 31.

Application 

Please read award guidelines and instructions carefully before completing the form. In order to apply, you will be required to create an ACUNS account by clicking the signup button at www.acuns.ca. Once you have registered, you will receive an email to confirm. Your ACUNS account will allow you to save your application and track the progress of your application(s), referee reports and transcripts. 

Referee Reports 

For this award, applicants are asked to have two referees complete the online Referee’s Report. One of the referees must be the supervisor of the research project. During the application process, you will be asked to enter the names and email addresses of the individuals you will ask to serve as referees in support of your application. Referees will receive an email directly which will include the report to be completed. If you are applying to more than one ACUNS Award, your referee is required to complete a separate form for each application. Upon submission of the Referee Reports, your ACUNS Account will be updated to reflect its completion.

Transcripts

Please upload digital copies of official transcripts to the application website.

Please note that it can take several weeks to have official transcripts ordered and delivered. It is highly recommended that you order these well in advance of the application deadline. 

Application Review, Award Decisions & Payment

• For projects including field research outside of Canada, the relevance and benefit of the circumpolar (Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the USA-Alaska) fieldwork to Canadian northern scholarship must be clearly indicated.
• Applications are reviewed by a multi-disciplinary committee; technical jargon should be kept to a minimum.
• Applications to more than one ACUNS Award require each referee to complete a separate report for each application.
• Award recipients are identified in May and only successful candidates will be notified.
• Payment will be issued in instalments and is to be used as a stipend.

For more details, visit Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies Dr. Jim McDonald Scholarship webpage