Graduate Student Award of Merit

This is the call for applications from chemistry for a new award opportunity from SWAAC. The competition region for the inaugural award is Ontario. This year, Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada (SWAAC) is pleased to offer one award in the amount of $4,000. The recipient will be a women graduate or undergraduate student who advances equity, diversity, and inclusion within and/or outside their institution through outstanding dedication and excellence or community outreach and activism. Each participating institution may submit one nomination to the agency competition in January.

SWAAC is committed to prioritizing equity in this application process. We especially encourage nominations from students who identify as LGBTQ+, racialized, Indigenous and/or students with disabilities to apply for this award.

Please submit your application as a single .pdf file to Darlene (dhagen@uwo.ca ) by end of day on November 6, 2022. Should more than one application be received, they will be ranked before the top application from Chemistry is sent to the Faculty of Science for further evaluation. Finally, SGPS will decide on the applicant to be put forward from Western. Further details about the award and application can be found below.

EligibilityWomen registered in graduate or undergraduate programs are eligible to be nominated. Students should demonstrate an exceptional commitment to and engagement with a particular issue of social justice, community, and/or community organization.  Such community activism can take place on or off campus. 

Criteria1. Strong academic performance.2. Evidence of leadership with respect to equity, diversity, and inclusion, through such activities as:

  • involvement in student organizations
  • participation on committees (student committees and university committees)
  • organization of special events, conferences, etc.
  • involvement in advocacy groups
  • involvement in volunteer organizations, within the campus setting and/or in the general community.

 

Application

Biographical Data (2 page max) – should include information about former and current studies, areas of interest, research, publications, other awards, interests outside the university, and community or volunteer work.  It should be in a narrative form 12pt Times New Roman black font with normal margins, and is an opportunity for the nominee to tell the adjudication committee some things about herself, and to explain at greater length her background/interests/passions/ambitions/volunteer work.

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Official up-to-date transcripts
  3. Three letters of reference or endorsement of the candidate (choice is the candidate’s; each should be 2 pages max, 12pt Times New Roman, addressed To Members of the Awards Selection Committee, on letterhead, signed, and dated) and the letters must address the criteria for selection (academics and EDI leadership)

Contact

Full details are posted here on the SWAAC site: http://www.swaac.ca/graduate-student-award-of-merit.html . If you have any questions about the application or require further information, please contact Rosalyn Figov, SWAAC Registrar and Treasurer at rosalyn.figov@utoronto.ca