Joan Mitchell Travel Award

About the Award 

The Joan Mitchell Travel Award supports researchers wishing to travel to Laurier Archives and Special Collections to conduct original research using our archival and rare book collections. It was created in honour of Joan Mitchell, the first Head of Archives and Special Collections at Laurier.

The award is valued at $1000 and may be used to offset the cost of travel and accommodation in Waterloo Region. One award will be offered each year.
 

Eligibility 

Students enrolled in a graduate program at the Masters’ or doctoral level and established scholars in any discipline are eligible to receive the award.
 

Adjudication 

An interdisciplinary Advisory Committee will review each application based on the applicant’s research topic and the availability of relevant holdings in Laurier Archives and Special Collections. Preference will be given to applicants whose proposal makes maximum use of collections at Laurier Archives and Special Collections.
 

Conditions of the Award

• Award winners must begin their research at Laurier Archives and Special Collections within one year of being notified of the award. 
• Award winners are expected to devote full-time to their research project while in Waterloo. 
• The Joan Mitchell Travel Award may be used to offset the cost of travel and accommodation in Waterloo Region. Subsidized accommodation may be available on campus. 
• The Joan Mitchell Travel Award must be acknowledged in any works emanating from research conducted at Laurier Archives and Special Collections.  
• Award winners will be asked to submit a short report on their research which may be used in university publications.
   

How to Apply 

The competition for the 2024 Joan Mitchell Travel Award is closed. Information about the 2025 competition will be available in Fall 2024. 

To apply, please forward a letter of application describing the proposed research project, a curriculum vitae and one letter of reference. The letter of application should include plans for dissemination and the collections to be consulted at Laurier Archives and Special Collections.

Applications for the 2024 Joan Mitchell Travel Award should be submitted to libarch@wlu.ca by January 22, 2024.

Applicants are encouraged to contact Laurier Archives and Special Collections to learn more about the collections when preparing their applications. Laurier Archives and Special Collections staff are not on the adjudication committee.
 

Previous Winners 

• 2023: Danita Burke, University of Southern Denmark
• 2022: Not awarded
• 2021: Not awarded
• 2020: Rohini Patel, University of Toronto
• 2019: Not awarded
• 2018: Julia Smachylo, Harvard University
• 2017: Jonathan Luedee, University of British Columbia
• 2016: Christine Grossutti, Queen's University
• 2015: Elliot Worsfold, Western University
• 2014: Jessica DeWitt, University of Saskatchewan