CSUS offers awards and grants to undergraduate students in the American Studies program as well as graduate students in all disciplines across U of T. The 2025/26 academic award cycle is now open! All applications are due May 28, 2025.
FOR UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS
The New Associates Award
This award goes to an outstanding CSUS student entering the fourth year of their Major in American Studies. The award is given to an Ontario resident on the basis of need (determined by OSAP), annual GPA, and a one-page letter outlining the applicant’s interests in American Studies. The award is for up to $6000 and is available in the Fall term of the fourth year.
Ontario residents
This award goes to an outstanding CSUS student enrolled in the third year of their Major in American Studies. The award is given to an Ontario resident on the basis of need (determined by OSAP), Annual GPA, and a one-page letter outlining the applicant’s interests in American Studies. The award is for up to $6000.00 and is available in the Fall term of the fourth year. Applications are open to third-year students.
Non-Ontario residents
This award goes to an outstanding CSUS student enrolled in the third year of their Major in American Studies. The award is given to a non-Ontario resident on the basis of need (determined by student loan record or similar documentation), Annual GPA, and a one-page letter outlining the applicant’s interests in American Studies. The award is for at least $6000.00 and is available in the Fall term of the fourth year. Applications are open to third-year students.
Emailed applications will be accepted as a single pdf file to the director, Professor Rick Halpern, at rick.halpern@utoronto.ca and please copy the CSUS Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca by May 28, 2025.
Recent winners of the New Associates Award
Reva Mai
Rosemary Crowley
The CSUS Undergraduate Writing Award
This award goes to the author of an outstanding essay in American Studies. It is open to third and fourth-year American Studies Majors and Minors. The essay can be a submission to the undergraduate journal or a major paper for a CSUS class. The award is for $250 and is given at the end of the academic year.
Emailed applications will be accepted as a single PDF file to the director, Professor Rick Halpern, at rick.halpern@utoronto.ca and please copy the CSUS Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca by May 28, 2025.
CSUS/Northrop Frye Centre Undergraduate Fellows
The Centre for the Study of the United States and the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria College will be making two awards for undergraduate students in the 2025-2026 academic year. Valued at $2,500 these awards will be made to third- or fourth-year students in any discipline with an interest in American culture and society. Applicants are asked to submit a transcript, a letter of reference from a faculty member, and a statement outlining their main intellectual interests in American culture. The undergraduate fellows will be expected to attend seminars at both CSUS and the Frye Centre.
Applicants cannot hold more than one CSUS or Northrop Frye Centre award during an academic year.
Applications are due on May 28, 2025, and should be submitted as a single pdf file. They should be mailed to Professor Rick Halpern, the CSUS Director, at rick.halpern@utoronto.ca. Questions can be directed to this same address.
FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
The Graduate Research Grant competition
This competition is open to University of Toronto to graduate students who have matriculated into a PhD program, to support research (including preliminary research) undertaken for the dissertation. Students in all disciplines are encouraged to apply, but the applicant’s main line of research must connect to the United States. At least two grants will be awarded in the amount of $2,500 each. These awards are to be used primarily for research travel; in limited instances, funds may be applied to presentations at major academic conferences. Funds may not be used to pay for normal living expenses or computers.
Recipients will be expected to present on an aspect of their research in a CSUS graduate student workshop during the 2025/26 academic year. The deadline to apply is May 28, 2025. Awards will be announced within one month of the application deadline, and the grants will be available within one month thereafter.
Applications Must Include:
-
Summary sheet stating the applicant's name, address, phone, and e-mail; department; year entering department; proposed dissertation title; the name of the faculty committee members (and their departments), if relevant; and proposed use of funds.
-
A summary (approx. 500 words) of the research project. This statement should explain the project's relationship to either the interdisciplinary field of American Studies and/or to the study of the United States.
-
A current CV.
-
A detailed budget describing how the research funds would be spent.
Emailed applications will be accepted as a single PDF file to the Director, Professor Rick Halpern, at rick.halpern@utoronto.ca, and please copy the CSUS Program Coordinator at: csus@utoronto.ca by May 28, 2025.
For additional information, please contact Professor Halpern: rick.halpern@utoronto.ca
Graduate student workshops
Graduate Research Grant recipients and other selected applicants are invited to present on an aspect of their research at a graduate student workshop.
CSUS/Northrop Frye Centre Doctoral Fellows
The Centre for the Study of the United States and the Northrop Frye Centre at Victoria College will be making two awards for graduate students in the 2025-2026 academic year. Valued at $3,500 these awards will be made to graduate students in the Faculty of Arts and Science in any discipline pursuing research on American culture. Applicants are asked to submit a brief statement of their intellectual interests, a letter of recommendation from their supervisor, and a synopsis of their PhD dissertation. The graduate fellows will be expected to attend seminars at both CSUS and the Frye Centre. They will have access to shared office space at Victoria College and toward the end of the academic year will have the opportunity to present their research at a joint CSUS/Frye Centre seminar.
Applicants cannot hold more than one CSUS or Northrop Frye Centre award during an academic year.
Applications are due on May 28, 2025 and should be submitted as a single pdf file. They should be mailed to Professor Rick Halpern, the CSUS Director, at rick.halpern@utoronto.ca. Questions can be directed to this same address.