Desmond Conacher Scholarship

This scholarship is offered in memory of Desmond Conacher, formerly Professor of Classics at Trinity College, Toronto, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and Honorary President of the Classical Association of Canada. The scholarship has been endowed through donations from his family, friends, colleagues, and universities with which he was associated. Its purpose is to assist and encourage a young scholar entering graduate studies in classics. The scholarship is administered by the Classical Association of Canada through its Awards Committee. One award of $2,500 is offered each year.

Eligibility and criteria

Applicants must be Canadian students (citizens or permanent residents) intending to enter the first year of graduate studies in a classics or similar programme at a Canadian university. Specializations within the general area of classics such as ancient history, ancient philosophy, and classical archaeology are eligible. Applicants must be less than 28 years of age on January 1st of the year of application. The main criteria are academic achievement, professional promise, and an appropriate under-graduate preparation.

Application procedure

The following items should be sent, to arrive by MARCH 31st, to Professor Alison Keith, CAC Awards Committee Chair, Department of Classics, University of Toronto, 125 Queen's Park, Toronto, ON, M5S 2C7.

• A completed application form [PDF];
• A personal statement (maximum 1000 words) describing the applicant’s previous academic career, employment experience, and academic and career objectives;
• A list of any academic awards and honours received at the postsecondary level;
• Transcripts recording the applicant’s undergraduate degree work (unofficial transcripts are acceptable if certified by the applicant’s department);
• Two letters of recommendation from university teachers familiar with the applicant’s work (sent separately by the writers or included with the application in envelopes sealed and countersigned by them).

Selection and award procedure

The Committee meets during the Association’s Annual Conference in May. Applicants will be informed of the results soon after this. The award will be paid in September subject to confirmation that the winner has registered in an appropriate graduate program.

The committee may choose to reduce the amount of the award or make an honorary award if the total amount of this and other awards offered to the winner for the first twelve months of graduate study (including scholarships, fee remissions, teaching and research assistantships and the like) exceeds $20,000. In such cases an award may be made to a runner-up.

Please click here for a list of past awardees.

Further information

Questions should be addressed to the Awards Committee chair, Professor Alison Keith.

Donations

The fund remains open for further donations.

Please click here for Donation Form and Instructions [PDF] .