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Scholar-in-Community Award

McMaster Faculty of Social Sciences Scholar-in-Community Fellowship

The Faculty of Social Sciences invites applications for the two-stream 2025 Scholar-in-Community Fellowship. The Scholar-in-Community Fellowship provides the opportunity for research collaborations with local/regional or international organizations to produce and mobilize knowledge in ways that are mutually beneficial.

The program will fund:

  • 3-units of course release for one Social Sciences faculty member to work with an existing research partner on a mutually defined research project, to be co-designed and co-governed over the course of the project ($7500.00). Timing of course release to be negotiated with Chair/Director.
  • Funding ($7500.00) to support the collaboration between the researcher and the partner organization to help facilitate the collaboration. A budget outlining the proposed use of the funds will accompany the application and is subject to approval.

Project duration should be between 18 and 24 months. It is required that recipients of the Fellowship apply for external funding within 12 months of completing the Scholar-in-Community project.

Stream A: Local/Regional

The goal of Stream A of the Scholar-in-Community Fellowship is to support and recognize social science research collaborations with community organizations locally/regionally.

The program’s objectives are to:

  • Strengthen and support existing (or initiated) collaborations between Faculty of Social Science researchers and local/regionalcommunity partners
  • Conduct research and/or knowledge mobilization activities that demonstrably provide direct interaction and value to the partner organization
  • Build the foundation for development of partnered research proposals.

Stream B: International

The goal of Stream B of the Scholar-in-Community Fellowship is to support and recognize social science research collaborations with community organizations internationally.

The program’s objectives are to:

  • Strengthen and support existing (or initiated) collaborations between Faculty of Social Science researchers and international community partners
  • Conduct research and/or knowledge mobilization activities that demonstrably provide direct value to the partner organization
  • Build the foundation for development of partnered research proposals

Value

The Faculty of Social Sciences will fund one collaborative local/regional or international community-engaged project per year, to a total value of $15,000.00.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Scholar-in-Community Fellowship an applicant must be a member of McMaster University’s Faculty of Social Sciences with a teaching, tenured or tenure-stream appointment working with a community organization internationally.

Dr. Renea Watchman headshot

International Scholar-in-Community Fellowship Winner

Dr. Renae Watchman

Congratulations to Dr. Renae Watchman of the Department of Indigenous Studies, recipient of the 2025 McMaster Faculty of Social Sciences International Scholar-in-Community (Stream B).

Dr. Watchman will be working with international community partner The Association for the Study of American Indian Literatures of Arizona.

Information Box Group

Past Winners

2026 – Dr. Jarita Greyeyes, Department of Indigenous Studies
2024 – Dr. Geraldina Polanco, Department of Sociology
2023 – Dr. Karen Robson, Department of Sociology
2022 – Dr. Netina Tan, Department of Political Science
2021 – Dr. Phillipa Chong, Department of Sociology
2020 – Dr. Tara La Rose, School of Social Work
2019 – Dr. Meridith Griffin, Department of Health, Aging & Society
2018 – Dr. Tina Fetner, Department of Sociology
2017 – Dr. Ameil Joseph, School of Social Work
2016 – Dr. Tina Moffat, Department of Anthropology
2015 – Dr. Mirna Carranza, School of Social Work

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for the Scholar-in-Community Fellowship an applicant must be a member of McMaster University’s Faculty of Social Sciences with a teaching, tenured or tenure-stream appointment working with a community organization internationally.

To Apply

Notice of Intent: Monday March 9, 2026. Please send an email to Nour Wassim wassimn@mcmaster.ca by 4:00 p.m. that includes the name of the nominee.

Full Proposal: Monday March 30, 2026

Please provide a CV in any format, a project description of up to 3-pages, project title and a brief statement of support from the collaborating organization (email accepted). Send the documents in a single email to Nour Wassim wassimn@mcmaster.ca by 4:00 p.m..

The full proposal will include: 

  • Objectives 
  • Context 
  • Relevant experience of applicant and community organization lead and description of existing partnership 
  • Methods 
  • Activities and timeline (including responsibilities) 
  • Knowledge mobilization plan
  • Expected outcomes and benefits to partner organization 
  • Plan to seek external funding 

Results to be announced: May 2026

The Statement of Support will include: 

The name and contact details of the interested partner and an acknowledgement that the organization is willing to release staff for the research related activities stated in the application. 

Funded projects will be expected to apply for an external research grant within 12 months of completion.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Clarity, focus and feasibility of the research objectives, research plan, and knowledge mobilization plan; 
  • Significance of research project to partner organization 
  • Contribution to building and sustaining a long term research relationship 
  • Overall contribution of the research to the candidate’s long-range research plan; 
  • Feasibility of plan to secure external funding; 
  • Applicant’s scholarly and community-engagement contributions relative to the stage of career (e.g., publications, conference presentations over the last five years; community-oriented or co-created reports, presentations, workshops).

Adjudication

This fellowship will be adjudicated by a Scholar-in-Community selection committee constituted by the Dean of Social Sciences and Associate Dean Research. 

If you have any questions, please contact Nour Wassim: wassimn@mcmaster.ca.