About the Scholarship
The Elizabeth Henry Scholarship for Communities and Environmental Health supports graduate students working on research projects in partnership with one or more Indigenous and/or non-Indigenous British Columbia communities that are addressing air quality, environmental health issues and/or promoting environmental sustainability through cooperative initiatives.
The Scholarship was created in 2014 with support from the Directors and the staff of the Fraser Basin Council to remember Elizabeth Henry and her many contributions to our organization and to communities across British Columbia. Elizabeth exhibited high ethical standards and integrity in her work, and she was committed to promoting dialogue and respectful collaboration among diverse stakeholders. The intent of the scholarship is to support community projects that reflect these values.
The Elizabeth Henry Scholarship has received contributions from the Fraser Basin Council, British Columbia Clean Air Research (BC CLEAR) Fund and from the many friends, family members and colleagues who wished to remember Elizabeth and her work.
The Vancouver Foundation administers the scholarship fund, and the Elizabeth Henry Scholarship Committee evaluates applications and awards the scholarship.
The Elizabeth Henry Scholarship is a yearly award to a graduate student or students whose proposed research is based in British Columbia. In 2023, the amount of the award has been increased to $4000.
Eligibility Requirements
These are requirements for the Award:
- The applicant must be a full-time graduate student for at least one semester before being awarded the scholarship
- The student’s proposed research project must focus on working in partnership with one or more Indigenous and/or non-Indigenous British Columbia communities that are addressing air quality, environmental health issues and/or promoting environmental sustainability through cooperative initiatives
- The project must have well-defined objectives and research methodologies as well as tangible project outcomes that provide direct and ethically sound benefits to the community
- Preference will be given to significant and innovative projects
- Preference will be given to projects that directly engage the community, and where strong community support and buy-in are demonstrated.
Application Process
Applications are made online. As an applicant, you will be asked to provide basic contact information, information on previous experience and a project description (max 750 words).
You will also be asked to provide digital copies of:
- your undergraduate transcript
- your transcript of graduate courses to date (if applicable), and
- two signed letters of reference on official letterhead evaluating your capabilities and/or the significance and feasibility of your research project. One letter should be from your academic supervisor, while the second may be an academic, employer or community partner reference (both letters sent directly from the references by email).
Please note: Each letter of reference is limited to 500 words. As all documents must be submitted online, you may provide a PDF or scan of your transcript. It is not necessary to ask your post-secondary institution to submit an official transcript. Full instructions are in the application form.