Research Impact Canada Engaged Scholarship Award for Graduate Students 2025

Research Impact Canada (RIC) is committed to maximizing the impact of research for the public good in communities. RIC aims to develop the capacity for knowledge mobilization and support activities related to the impacts of research in Canada and beyond. The network is dedicated to developing institutional capacity to support creating and assessing the impacts of research, scholarship, and creative activities by developing and sharing best practices, services, and tools.

	Overview of the RIC Engaged Scholarship Award for Graduate Students
Prize	A cash prize of $3000 CAD for doctoral students and recent doctoral graduates or $2000 CAD for Masters’ students and recent Masters’ graduates Invitation(s) to present their engaged research project A post on the RIC website featuring their engaged research project A social media post on LinkedIn directing people to the post on the RIC website featuring their engaged research project
Application Deadline	February 24, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
How to Apply	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) 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. A letter from an academic supervisor describing your journey, evolution, lessons learned from this engaged scholarship experience. Applications are accepted in English or French.

Overview

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.

This award is not meant to fund research. This award recognizes excellence in engaged scholarship and knowledge mobilization. 

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.

Engaged scholarship refers to deep collaboration during research processes. Often, this goes beyond presenting at an academic conference, publishing in academic journals or writing op-eds. For some resources on knowledge mobilization, please visit the following links:

• Introduction to Knowledge Mobilization
• Knowledge Mobilization Planning Template
• Storytelling for Impact: Humanize the Numbers
• A Start-to-Finish Guide to Building and Navigating Partnerships
• Accessible and Inclusive Event Planning for Knowledge Mobilization
• Infographic Design for Knowledge Mobilization

You may also wish to take a look at the projects of our 2024 RIC Engaged Scholarship Award winners for examples of knowledge mobilization activities:

• Liam Michaud, York University. (Project: A Legal & Policy Ethnography in the Toxic Drug Overdose Crisis: Experiences of people who use drugs of reforms across health & justice sectors.)
• Dina Idriss-Wheeler, University of Ottawa. (Project: Exploring intimate partner violence (IPV) and access to services in Ontario’s journey from pandemic lockdown to recovery: Perspectives from IPV survivors and service providers.)
• Bincy Baby, University of Waterloo. (Project: User Experience with Medication Adherence Technologies: Determining Usability by Capabilities in Older Adults.)
• Ronessa Dass, McMaster University (Project: Defining the impacts of brain fog in Veterans with chronic pain.)

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, the applicant must:

• Be a graduate student registered at one of RIC’s Canadian university institutions, at a year-two stage or part-time equivalent (Master’s or Doctorate candidate), in any discipline, or be a recent graduate (up to one year after graduation date). 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 (see definition below) that resulted in increased awareness of targeted audiences or changes in actions, practices, guidelines, attitudes, policies, etc.
• Demonstrate knowledge mobilization activities that have been implemented or executed to some degree or are at least in the process of being implemented or executed.

Selection Process and 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 review committee. The review committee consists of staff who work at RIC member institutions. Each application will be assessed based on the following criteria (please make sure you are providing examples for each selection criteria as appropriate):

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.	25%
Engaged Scholarship	Indicators include: The applicant provides relevant evidence of the engaged scholarship or knowledge mobilization activities implemented in the project through a demonstrated history of or planned initiatives. 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.	30%
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.	25%
Relevance of lessons learned	Indicator includes: The applicant provides a reflection on lessons learned.	10%
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.	10%

Contact

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