President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri and Vice-President Academic & Provost Rhonda Lenton have issued the following message to the York University community:
Dear Colleagues,
In 2017, Canada will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of Confederation, also known as the Sesquicentennial. Canadian universities have been invited to hold events that will contribute to this celebration. National planning is being coordinated by Universities Canada, and we have had discussions also with colleagues at Toronto universities about planning. We will be establishing a steering committee at York to coordinate events and initiatives here, including a York “signature” event or events.
In order to engage members of our community in the celebrations of this important milestone, the University has established a fund to support initiatives related to Canada 150 which explore in some way Canada’s past, but also look to the future to explore a vision for Canada for the next 150 years.
Within this general framework, four themes have been identified by the Government of Canada: the environment, diversity and inclusion, Indigenous people, and youth. Clearly, these themes align very well with York’s strengths and interests.
All members of the York community (faculty, staff and students; units and Faculties) are invited to submit applications for funding for Canada 150 projects within this framework.
General guidelines:
- Projects may include a range of events and initiatives (conferences, workshops, guest speakers, public lectures, art installations, other cultural events, etc.), including “virtual” events (videos, podcasts, etc.).
- Projects should advance York’s strengths and priorities and contribute to building York’s profile and reputation in the broader community.
- They may be entirely new initiatives designed specifically for Canada 150, or annual events presented with a particular Canada 150 lens or augmented to reflect Canada 150 themes.
- They must take place within the 2017 calendar year.
- Wherever possible and relevant, events should be open to the York community and the public.
- Priority will be given to projects involving collaboration and partnerships, including cross-Faculty interdisciplinary collaborations, projects involving other universities, and projects with external partners.
- It is anticipated that funding requests ranging up to approximately $30,000 will be considered, depending on the nature and scope of the project (i.e. $100 to 5,000 for a guest speaker or podcast, $5,000 to 10,000 for a panel discussion or workshop, $10,000 to 30,000 for a conference or symposium; larger requests will be considered on an exceptional basis).
- Priority will also be given to projects for which some funding is already in place from other sources (i.e. from a Faculty or external body), or is being sought.
Applications (approx. 5 pages) must include:
- A full description of the project, clearly indicating how it contributes to the Canada 150 celebration and themes.
- A précis of the project (max. of 100 words) that could be used for promotion of the event.
- A description of how the initiative will advance York’s profile and reputation.
- Project leads (must be affiliated with York as current faculty, staff or students), including their affiliation with York and contact information.
- A list of participating partners (whether they are other York units, community partners, or other institutions).
- A full budget for the project.
- Timelines for the project, including planning schedule and date(s) of event.
- An indication of other sources from which funding has already been received (with amounts) and/or from which funding will be sought (internal or external to York).
Application deadlines:
Applications submitted by October 1, 2016 will be considered in a first round. Should funds be remaining following this initial round, a second round will be available with a December 1, 2016 deadline.
Projects will be reviewed by a committee with representation from the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, and the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation.
Applications are to be submitted electronically: president.yorku.ca/canada-150-york-university-fund/.