Awards and Funding
Department Administered
Undergraduate Essay Awards
Deadline to Apply: August 31 (annually)
Sponsored by the department, this award is open to all undergraduate students enrolled in a sociology course who have written an essay or term paper as part of the course requirements (excluding Sociology 401, 403, 407 and 408).
Value:
1st Place $100 Book Prize and Citation
2nd Place $50 Book Prize and Citation
3rd Place Citation
Sponsored by funds from the Bill Meloff Memorial Teaching Award (2013-14 to 2022-23 inclusive), This award is open to all undergraduate students enrolled in a Sociology course who have written an essay or term paper as part of the course requirements (excluding Sociology 401, 403, 407 and 408). The paper must be theoretical in focus, although it may address empirical or policy-relevant topics.
Value:
1st Place $100 Book Prize and Citation
Eligibility and How To Apply
- The nomination year is from September to August (includes Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer).
- A paper can only be submitted for one of the awards - either the "Sociology Undergraduate Essay Award" or the "Theory Undergraduate Essay Award", but not both.
- Each instructor may nominate up to three essays annually.
- Students may self-nominate papers, but may submit only one paper per nomination year. (In a situation where multiple papers have been submitted for one student in a nomination year, the student will be given the choice of which paper should be considered and which of the two awards it should compete for).
- Nominations (paper and completed nomination form) must be received by the Undergraduate Advisor (5-27 Tory) by August 31. The nomination can be submitted electronically to socundergrad@ualberta.ca (preferred), or a hard-copy can be dropped off in 5-27 Tory or placed in the Assignment Drop Box outside 5-21 Tory.
- Papers must be submitted in the original form without alteration, comments, or marks. Also, the student's name, ID#, course number and instructor's name must be removed from the paper, to assist with the anonymity required during the adjudication process.
- The winning essays will be selected in the fall term following the nomination deadline of August 31.
- Prize recipients will be notified through their University of Alberta email address, and will be able to pick up the award in the Department of Sociology or arrange for it to be mailed to the mailing address they specify.
- Award recipients will be advertised in the Sociology Undergraduate Newsletter and on the 5th floor Tory in the Department of Sociology.
Centrally Administered Awards
There is now one central application for continuing and convocating scholarships and awards (with the exception of athletics funding and study abroad awards). The application is open from January 15 - April 1, with awards announced in June. The application portal can be accessed through Bear Tracks. Please see Undergraduate Awards for more information.
Funded by friends and family of Charlene Marshall
Conditions: Awarded to students with a GPA of 3.0 or greater enrolled in any year of a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology or Criminology. Selection based on academic standing. Preference given to honors students with financial costs associated with University approved educational travel opportunities.
Examples of eligible educational travel opportunities include, but are not limited to, attending conferences, training or work seminars, study abroad programs, and work experience programs.
Conditions: Awarded annually to a student in the BA (Criminology) Program who has attained the highest grade point average in the third year of study while carrying 30 units of course weight in that year. Scholarship money will be divided equally among recipients in the event of a tie.
Conditions: To be awarded annually on the basis of superior academic achievement to a student entering the fourth year of the BA (Honors) program in Sociology.
Conditions: Awarded to a student with superior academic achievement (minimum 3.5 GPA) entering the third year of a degree program in the Faculty of Arts majoring in Sociology. Selection based on academic standing with preference given to a student with a record of community service and/or volunteer activity.
Conditions: To be awarded annually on the basis of satisfactory academic achievement and financial need to a student/students in the fourth year of the Honors, or Specialization Program in Sociology, area of concentration-population (demography). If the number of eligible students is more than one, the scholarship money will be divided equally among them. In the event that there are no eligible students at the undergraduate level, this scholarship may then be given to a student in an MA program whose research work is centered on demography.
Endowed anonymously.
Conditions: To be awarded annually on the basis of academic standing and financial need to an undergraduate student enrolled in a four year degree program in the Department of Sociology.
Value: Sterling Gilt Medal
Conditions: Awarded to the student convocating from Honors Sociology with the highest standing on the final two years. The medal will be awarded only if the student attains superior academic achievement, otherwise a book prize of $50 will be provided.
Other Funding Opportunities
Research Funding
- Roger S. Smith Undergraduate Researcher Award (Paid Summer Research Opportunity)
- URI Undergraduate Researcher Stipend
Indigenous Awards/Scholarships and Financial Support
Community Engagement and Leadership Awards
- Community Service Learning (CSL) Awards and Scholarships
- Green and Gold Student Leadership and Professional Development Grant
- Student Life and Learning Enrichment Fund
Education Abroad Awards
External Funding
Bursary Funding
2020 Award Recipient Spotlight
We wish to congratulate Zoe Wong, a current sociology major, and the first recipient of the Charlene Marshall Memorial Award in Sociology. Of her experience studying abroad, Zoe writes:
I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to study abroad in Seoul, South Korea, during the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 semesters.
Going abroad was by far the most enriching event of my academic career thus far and, despite the unforeseen circumstances of the second term, I managed to have a fulfilling year. Ultimately, I returned home with noticeably better communication skills, an enhanced understanding of diverse social contexts, and with memories of experiences that are irreplaceable. Also, I now have friends from all over the world, so I’m looking forward to the day when I can travel again and visit them!