Departmental awards

Annual Prize for Best Undergraduate Paper

Open to current full- or part-time Concordia Philosophy students in good academic standing.

Papers on any philosophical topic may be submitted.

Papers must be accompanied by a nomination put forth by an instructor in the Department of Philosophy. The letter of nomination, 500 words max, must support the nomination.

Nominations will be reviewed by a faculty committee in the department, which recommends a recipient. The criteria for selection will track the philosophical excellence of the papers, including clarity, originality, and quality of argument.

Deadline to apply: Thursday, May 21, 2026.

Award: The award is supported by the Vladimir Zeman Fund. Was last valued at $650.

Submit your paper and nomination to the Undergraduate Program Director by email: philosophy.advising@concordia.ca

Sheila Mason Bursary

The Sheila Mason Bursary is an initiative created jointly by SoPhiA and the Inclusivity Project. Since 2018, it honours the work of Dr. Sheila Mason and her extensive contributions to the Department of Philosophy as Professor and Department Advisor from 1969 to 2015. For over 40 years, Dr. Mason helped make the voices of women and minorities heard, as both a professor and through her academic work on feminist theory, care and feminist ethics. The Sheila Mason Bursary is designed to provide financial aid to students, specifically women, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities.

It is the Inclusivity Project's hope that these will be students who are able to provide both theoretical support to their ideas and examples of how these can be applied to society. Their thought and work aim to establish cooperative philosophical practices and spaces. They generate transformative discussions on oppressive academic and philosophical traditions, or on societal structures. They prioritize the exploration of queer, postcolonial, intersectional, feminist, or race theory (inside or outside of class settings) to mobilize action towards a paradigmatic shift of philosophical perspectives. Moreover, it is essential that they also concretely participate in social justice or community-based initiatives to promote inclusive thought and action, whether within Concordia’s Philosophy Department or outside it.

Applications will also be considered based on financial need, given the way that class intersects with other forms of marginalization.

Application requirements

1. A personal statement, which must include a description of community involvement, how the individual is working towards creating an inclusive environment within philosophy, and an explanation of financial need. This must be between 500-750 words.
   
2. An essay on the topic of the individual’s choice, however it must explore such topics including “queer, postcolonial, intersectional, feminist, or race theory”, or be relevant to the aims of the Inclusivity Project and the Bursary. This essay should be between 1,500-2,000 words. Work that has been written for any class prior may be submitted.
3. One brief letter of recommendation from a teacher, advisor, employer, etc.
4. A curriculum vitae (C.V.) updated to include information pertinent to this award, such as extra-curricular involvement. This C.V. must also include the contact information of the individual who has written your letter of recommendation.

Award: Four awards of $400 each.

Deadline to apply: Usually in April each year, to be announced.

To apply, complete the Google Form.

For more information, e-mail the Inclusivity Project.