English graduate awards

Photo of trophies.

There are three types of awards:

Those for which students can submit their own work
Those that require faculty nomination
Other awards for which all students in the department are automatically eligible

Nominations for the awards must be handed in by January 20, 2023. Award prizes range from $150 to $3,500.

Student-submitted awards

Students will submit their own work from their courses during the past calendar year. Essays and creative writing can only be entered into one award competition. All submissions must conform to the applicable guidelines.

Award	Description
Graduate Creative Writing Awards	One award for the best submission of either prose or poetry—Maximum total length 10 standard pages (250 words per page): 1-5 poems or 1-5 short prose works or extracts from longer works. Two judges.
Graduate Professional Communication Award	This prize goes to the best work of applied professional communication and communication design (including professional writing, digital media, games, etc.); maximum length 10 standard pages or equivalent. Students may submit work created for a course or co-op placement during the past calendar year. Two judges.
Independent Graduate Instructor Award for Excellence in Teaching	Graduate Instructors wishing to be considered for this award must a) submit a teaching portfolio and b) obtain a brief statement of support (approx. 250-500 words) from a faculty member who can speak to their teaching effectiveness as an instructor. Portfolios for this award should include their course syllabus, their teaching philosophy that describes what distinguishes their excellence in the design and delivery of the course, and supporting documents from their teaching activities. Supporting documents might include, for example, samples of assignments, lesson plans, student feedback, evidence of student interactions or other materials related to the course. The entire package (faculty statement of support and complete teaching portfolio) should be submitted directly to the awards coordinators, Bruce Dadey or Heather Smyth, by the awards deadline.
Lea Vogel-Nimmo English Graduate Professionalization Award	One award provided annually to full-time English graduate students registered in the Master’s or PhD program on the basis of academic excellence (minimum 80%) and merit of professionalization activities. The student must submit a short (250 word) description of how the professionalization funds will be used e.g. research travel costs, conference attendance or special research expenditures. Deadline: November 15, 2022.
Rhetoric Essay Prize	Two awards, one each for MA and PhD students. This prize goes to the writer of the best essay on rhetoric and associated fields submitted in a course taken during the past calendar year by a graduate student enrolled at some time during that year. Two judges.

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Faculty-nominated awards

Faculty members, including sessional and graduate instructors, can nominate work submitted in their courses during the past calendar year. Sessional and graduate instructors are, at this time, unable to submit via the online portal; please email englaward@uwaterloo.ca and the Department will assist you with your submission.

Please note that each submission can only be entered into one award competition and typically, faculty submit no more than one essay for an award per course taught. All submissions must conform to the applicable guidelines.

Award	Description
Beltz Essay Prizes in Literature	Two awards, one each for M.A. and Ph.D. students. These prizes go to the best essays on literature submitted in a course taken during the past calendar year by graduate students enrolled at some time during that year. Two judges.
Graduate Professional Communication Award	This prize goes to the best work of applied professional communication and communication design (including professional writing, digital media, games, etc.); maximum length 10 standard pages or equivalent. Faculty may submit work created for a course during the last calendar year. Two judges.
Rhetoric Essay Prizes	Two awards, one each for MA and PhD students. This prize goes to the writer of the best essay on rhetoric and associated fields submitted in a course taken during the past calendar year by a graduate student enrolled at some time during that year. Two judges.
TA Award for Excellence in Teaching	Mentoring or supervising faculty indicate their nomination for outstanding student teachers on the end-of-term evaluation they complete. If the TA wishes to accept the nomination and submit their teaching portfolio, then faculty must then also provide a brief statement of support (approx. 250-500 words). Nominated students will be contacted and asked to submit a teaching portfolio for consideration by the awards deadline. Portfolios for this award should include a 250-500 word narrative that explains what distinguishes them as excellent TAs, with supporting documents from their teaching activities. Supporting documents might include sample marked assignments, sample discussion posts, correspondence with students, student feedback, a guest lecture lesson plan, evidence about the quantity and quality of interaction with students, or any other materials related to their TA role. The teaching portfolio should be submitted directly to the awards coordinators, Bruce Dadey or Heather Smyth, by the awards deadline.

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Other awards

Students registered in the appropriate department programs are automatically eligible for these awards.

Grade Average Awards

Award	Description
Co-op Work Report	All work reports submitted in the year prior to the spring awards ceremony will be considered for this award. Two judges.
David Nimmo English Graduate Scholarship	For more information, visit the Graduate Studies Awards page.
Gladys Srivastava Graduate Award	For more information, visit the Graduate Studies Awards page.
Jack Gray Graduate Fellowship	Awarded each Fall to the best graduate student without external funding. Based on performance in M.A. and Ph.D. programmes in previous academic year (Fall to Spring).
Masternak Foundation Graduate Scholarship in English	One award valued at $2000 based on academic achievement to a full-time PhD student in their 3rd or 4th year who does not currently hold or has not just been awarded a SSHRC or OGS at the time of selection. Awarded on the basis of academic merit, as demonstrated through the student's competitiveness for a SSHRC or OGS.
W.K. Thomas Graduate Scholarship	For more information, visit the Graduate Studies Awards page.