Description
The Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship recognizes the critical importance and value of having people who are trained in, and passionate about, physics engaging young Canadians in the classrooms of this country. Through a generous endowment from the Allan Carswell Family Foundation, up to two scholarships, valued at up to $5000 each, will be awarded annually. The first scholarship was awarded in 2022.
Background
Evaluation Criteria
Nomination Procedures
Previous Scholarship Recipients
Any questions regarding the nomination process should be sent to programs@cap.ca.
Return to the main CAP Scholarships Page
Background
The global economy has evolved to become more dependent on innovation as we face challenges ranging from climate change to the medical needs of an aging population. Those with a physics education are ideally suited to solve the problems of today. Yet the impact that physics and those with a physics education have on everyday lives is not widely understood.
The Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship will raise awareness at all levels of society that physics education is a vital, highly valued and rewarding career path while reinforcing the fact that a major in physics is valuable for many careers, not just research. Educators at all levels are crucial in that they must provide students of all genders and backgrounds with the passion, confidence and science literacy that will inspire them to seek out and succeed in gaining a physics education at the university level.
The Allan Carswell Physics Educator Scholarship is designed to increase the number of highly qualified and dedicated physics teachers by, on the one hand, encouraging physics majors to pursue an post-degree teacher training program and, on the other, encouraging physics educators to first complete a BSc in Physics before enrolling in the teacher-training program of their choice.
About Dr. Allan Ian Carswell
Allan Ian Carswell (CM, FRSC) is an internationally recognized pioneer in the field of laser radar (lidar). In 1974, Dr. Carswell founded the company, Optech Incorporated, which grew to over 300 employees. Optech was acquired by Teledyne Technologies in 2015 and continues as Teledyne Optech, an international leader in laser instrumentation. Dr. Carswell was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and became a Member of the Order of Canada in 2005. He served as the President of the Canadian Association of Physicists in 1985.
Evaluation Criteria
This scholarship will be awarded each year to up to two students with strong strong academic records who are passionate about teaching. Evaluation is to be based on the documentation submitted in the application package and will focus on the following three areas:
- The Candidate’s record of achievement and excellence in academics
- Demonstration of the candidate’s passion for physics
- Demonstration of the candidate’s passion for physics pedagogy.
Nomination Procedures
Although the CAP’s nomination system currently has an English-only interface, nominations may be submitted in either English or French. The CAP is committed to ensuring that applications submitted in either official language are treated equitably. Furthermore, the CAP commits to ensuring that those evaluating awards will have a thorough understanding of the impact of bias to take it into account while reviewing nominations.
Eligibility Requirements
Each applicant must:
- Have graduated from, or be in the final year of, a physics degree at a Canadian university. Eligible degrees include: an undergraduate degree with a physics major, or any graduate degree in physics.
- Have applied to, or be planning to apply to, a post-degree teacher training program at a Canadian university for the upcoming academic year* Eligible programs are those which, upon completion, are required to obtain a teaching license in the relevant province. If selected, proof of enrollment in a post-degree teacher program must be received and confirmed by the CAP Office prior to payment of the scholarship funds. [NOTE: Anyone who is already enrolled in an education program at the time of application is not eligible to apply for this scholarship.
All eligible applicants with strong academic records who love to share their passion for physics are encouraged to apply, including those from groups that are under-represented in physics.
Nomination Components
Each applicant must provide:
- Their latest transcripts
- A one-page (500-word maximum) explanation of why they are interested in this scholarship and how winning the scholarship will make a difference
- A minimum of two letters of reference recommending them for the scholarship and a validation form signed by their Physics Department Head/Chair confirming enrollment or graduation.
- For information about the letters of reference, click here.
- For information about the validation form, click here.
- Note: The reference letter instructions and validation form are posted here for the convenience of students who will be applying, to allow them to provide this information to these individuals as soon as possible. To retain confidentiality, the completed references and validation forms MUST be uploaded directly by the individuals who have been asked to complete them. A secure upload link will be emailed to the individuals identified in the saved application file.As these forms must be posted by the application deadline, applicants will be able to see whether the files have been submitted by logging back into the application system.
The CAP’s online application process can be accessed by logging into Member Services (https://crm.cap.ca) and selecting “Recognitions System” under “CAP Services”.
Although the CAP’s nomination system currently has an English-only interface, nominations may be submitted in either English or French. The CAP is committed to ensuring that applications submitted in either official language are treated equitably. Furthermore, the CAP commits to ensuring that those evaluating awards will have a thorough understanding of the impact of bias to take it into account while reviewing nominations.
Previous Scholarship Recipients
Click here to view previous years’ scholarship recipients.
Any questions about the scholarship should be directed to programs@cap.ca.
Return to the main CAP Scholarships Page
