Scholarships & Awards
The David Buchan Graduate Research Award in Folklore
The Research Award is established in memory of Dr. David Buchan, a leading international ballad scholar, faculty member in the Department of Folklore from 1979 to 1994, and the first Memorial University of Newfoundland Research Professor. Valued at a portion of income on the endowment, a minimum of two awards will be given each year to fund costs related to national/international travel for the accomplishment of, or the presentation of, folklore research by students in the graduate program in folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland. The awards, given on the basis of scholarly merit combined with the quality of a research proposal or conference paper abstract, may vary in value according to the travel to be undertaken. The Award will be made by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies upon recommendation from the Head of the Department of Folklore, who will be advised by the Department of Folklore's Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards Committee.
David Buchan Award Application
The Mary A. Griffiths Memorial Award for Folklore Field Research
Since 1990 the Memorial University of Newfoundland Folklore Society has sponsored The Mary A. Griffiths Memorial Bursary for Folklore Field Research as a memorial to Mary Griffiths (1967-1990), a student of folklore from Ship Harbour, Placentia Bay. Mary was very active in the Folklore Society and had planned to begin her graduate studies in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
At the undergraduate level, the award recognizes a superior paper based on original field research completed as part of the requirements of an undergraduate Folklore course during the previous twelve months. At the graduate level, the award is designed to fund costs related to fieldwork-based research which focuses on Newfoundland and/or Labrador. This project does not have to relate to existing thesis research.
The awards will be made upon the recommendation of the Head of the Department of Folklore, who will be advised by the Bursary Selection Committee. In the case of undergraduates it will be awarded by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships and Financial Aid. In the case of graduates it will be awarded by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies.
Information and application forms are available for fill in and printing for both Undergraduate and Graduate students. The application deadline is normally January 31.
Undergraduate Student Application
The Neil Murray Graduate Research Award in Folklore
The Research Award, sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, is established to commemorate the energy of Neil Murray in his encouragement and promotion of our provincial folk music traditions.
Open to students currently in the graduate programme in folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland, two awards of $250, or one of $500, will normally be given each year. These awards are designed to fund costs related to the accomplishment of, or the presentation of, research on the traditional performing arts in Newfoundland, including song, dance, drama, or narrative, and/or the cultural traditions of the Newfoundland fishery.
The awards, given on the basis of demonstrated academic merit and a research proposal or conference paper abstract demonstrating original, creative and innovative thought, will be made by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies upon the recommendation of the Head of the Department of Folklore, who will be advised by the Selection Committee.
Information and application forms are available here for fill in and printing:
The Maurice J. Burke Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship, valued at a portion of income on the investment, was established by the family of the late Maurice Burke. Mr. Burke served in the Provincial Department of Education in the Teacher Certification Division for thirty-five years. He was also a columnist and author with a personal and professional interest in Newfoundland culture and folklore celebrating the uniqueness of Newfoundland outport life. It will be awarded alternately to a full-time graduate or undergraduate student in the Department of Folklore on the basis of scholarship standing. In the case of undergraduates it will be awarded by the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards. In the case of graduates it will be awarded by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies. In both cases the scholarship will be awarded on the basis of a recommendation from the Head, Department of Folklore. No application is required.
Dermot O'Reilly Legacy Award
This award, valued at a portion of the income on the investment, is established through funds raised by family, friends and music lovers in Dermot O’Reilly’s memory after his untimely passing in 2007. Dermot chose to make Newfoundland his home in 1971 when he found here a kinship to the Dublin of his youth in the people, music and songs. Here, his life was music. He delighted in sharing music with others and was a mentor to many aspiring musicians. Dermot’s friends and family want to carry on his legacy by creating this award to encourage and support the promotion of traditional music, oral tradition and dance in Newfoundland and Labrador. It will be given annually to a part-time or full-time student at Memorial University enrolled in any year of any program of study that meets the academic requirements for an award as outlined by the University. Eligibility should be based on established support of traditional music, oral tradition or dance amongst Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. The successful candidate will be decided on at the discretion of the Dermot O’Reilly Legacy Award Selection Committee and will have made evident, either through actions or creative undertakings, their contributions to the province by demonstrating leadership and creativity in the tradition-bearer community. To be considered, candidates must apply no later than March 1. Applications are available at the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Office and the School of Graduate Studies and must be accompanied by a resume of all relevant information but not limited to; books, articles, research, projects, performances, etc. It will be awarded by either the Senate Committee on Undergraduate Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards or the Dean, School of Graduate Studies upon the recommendation from the Committee.
Dermot O'Reilly Legacy Award Application
Herbert and Violetta Halpert Travel Research Award
This award was originally established by the late Violetta Halpert in memory of her husband, Dr. Herbert Halpert, professor emeritus, Department of Folklore. Now it commemorates the many contributions of both Herbert and Violetta Halpert not just to the department but to Memorial University, the province of Newfoundland and the discipline of folklore.
The Halperts established the academic study of folklore in Newfoundland. Dr. Halpert was the head of Memorial’s Department of Folklore from its inception in 1968 until his appointment as Henrietta Harvey Professor in 1973. From 1973 until his death in 2000, he continued to work on and publish his folklore materials. His works include (with J. D.D. Widdowson) a definitive two volume collection of folktales, Folktales of Newfoundland. Herbert’s doctoral thesis on narratives he collected in New Jersey, edited and published by J. D.A. Widdowson in 2010, won the Katharine Briggs Book Award (2011) and the Adele Mellen Prize (2010) for outstanding contribution to scholarship in Folk Studies. For a time, Violetta was employed by the Acquisitions Department of the Memorial University library where she focused on building up the folklore collection, but she also contributed significantly to the Department of Folklore through her research and teaching. Much of her research focused on folk belief, particularly beliefs surrounding death. In 1968, Herbert and Violetta Halpert founded the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Folklore and Language Archive (MUNFLA) which they developed as an integral part of the research and teaching functions of the Department of Folklore.
Valued at a portion of the income on the endowment, this award will be given annually to a full-time student in the MA or PhD program in folklore to fund costs relating to national/international travel for the presentation of folklore research utilizing the MUNFLA Collections that include the Herbert Halpert Research Collection. It will be awarded on the basis of scholarly merit and the opportunity to promote the MUN Folklore department and its collections as widely as possible. The award will be granted by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies on the recommendation of the Head, Department of Folklore.
Applicants should submit a copy of their paper abstract along with a cover letter detailing the connection of their research utilizing the MUNFLA Collections that include the Herbert Halpert Research Collections.
Kenneth S. Goldstein Graduate Research Award in Folklore
This Research Award was established in memory of Dr. Kenneth S. Goldstein, a leading folklorist and prominent scholar who served as Head of the Department of Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland from 1975-1978. Valued at a portion of the income on the endowment, it will be awarded annually to a graduate student in the Folklore program at Memorial University to help with costs related to travel to the American Folklore Society Meetings for presentation of research in any of Dr. Goldstein’s many areas of specialization. The recipient must meet the minimum academic requirements for an award as defined by the university. Given on the basis of scholarly merit combined with the quality of the conference paper abstract, this award will be granted by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies, on the recommendation of the Head, Department of Folklore.
Applicants should submit a copy of their paper abstract along with a cover letter detailing the connection of their research to Dr. Goldstein’s work, as well as a current CV to the Department of Folklore.
The application deadline is February 15.