Canadian Association of Physicists Eric Svensson Memorial Graduate Scholarship

Description

The Eric Svensson Memorial Graduate Scholarship, currently valued at $3,000, is awarded to a CAP graduate student member who has demonstrated both research excellence and significant service to the physics (CAP) community. The scholarship is awarded by the CAPF in odd years; it was first awarded in 2021.

Background
Evaluation Criteria
Nomination Procedures
Previous Scholarship Recipients

Any questions regarding the nomination process should be sent to programs@cap.ca.

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Background

Eric Carl Svensson | PhD, FRSC, FAPS, FInstPhys | August 13, 1940–May 16, 2018

The Eric Svensson Memorial Scholarship was awarded for the first time in 2021 by the CAP Foundation (CAPF) as a memorial to Eric Svensson, a Canadian physicist renowned for his work in neutron scattering and his service to the Canadian Physics community. The Scholarship, currently valued at $3,000, is awarded to a CAP Graduate Student Member who has demonstrated research excellence and significant service to the physics community.

Dr. Svensson, whose pioneering neutron scattering experiments at the Chalk River Laboratories demonstrated the existence of a Bose-Einstein condensate in the superfluid phase of liquid helium-4 and measured the condensate fraction, passed away on May 16, 2018.

In addition to his own research, Eric was passionate about the advancement of physics in Canada in general. He served for more than 14 years on the Council of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP), including as Chair of the Division of Condensed Matter and Materials Physics (1993), President of the CAP (1997-98), Director of International Affairs (1998-2002), and Chair of the CAP’s Science Policy Committee (2003-2006).

He played a significant role on the CAP’s Committee to Encourage Women in Physics for almost 20 years and received a Special Merit Award from the CAP in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the management of the Association in 2003.

Please help establish a Svensson Endowment Fund

The CAP is partnering with the Svensson family to establish an endowment fund within the CAP Foundation*. We hope to raise at least $50,000 Cdn to establish the Eric Svensson Memorial Scholarship in memory of Dr. Svensson.

Our goal is to permanently endow a graduate student scholarship to honour Dr. Svensson’s legacy, now and for generations to come. This scholarship celebrates the vital role education played in Dr. Svensson’s life and also commemorates his commitment to the important work of the CAP for the physics profession.

Donations in support of this fund can be made by using the links below. All donations are income tax deductible within Canada.

* (Canadian charitable registration #83562 7134 RR0001).

Make a Donation

Fill out the online donation form (credit card donations only, no pledges)

Online Donations

-Or-

Print and fill out the pdf form

Printable Donation/Pledge Form

Evaluation Criteria

The scholarship honours a graduate student who has demonstrated both research excellence and significant service to the physics community. Evaluation of each application will be based on the documentation submitted in the application package and areas of focus will include, but not be limited to, the following:

the candidate’s record of achievement and excellence in academics and research
the candidate’s record of service to the physics community
the quality of their current research plan
honours, citations and awards, and other recognition of their progress

Nomination Procedures

Eligibility Requirements

Each applicant must:

Be a graduate student member in good standing of the CAP.
Be an accepted, registered or enrolled full time graduate student studying astronomy, electrical engineering, medical physics, optics, photonics, or physics. (NOTE – the applicant cannot have already submitted their thesis; i.e. started the process for defence of thesis).
Have at least one publication in a peer-reviewed journal that is recognized by the CAP (NOTE – the applicant does not need to be listed as the lead author) OR have made at least one conference presentation at a scientific meeting recognized by the CAP.
Demonstrate community service, which may include but is not limited to: leadership in a student association or other student organization at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Nomination Components

Each applicant must provide:

Description of community service activities (written by applicant).
A statement explaining the area of research (written by applicant).
Curriculum Vitae (CV).
Latest university transcripts.
Two letters of recommendation. At least one of the letters should be from the applicant’s supervisor and should include a statement confirming the applicant’s status as an accepted, registered or enrolled full time graduate student, the applicant’s anticipated date of defence, as well as a brief description of the applicant’s research program. At least one reference should speak to the applicant’s academic performance. Both references should comment on the applicant’s potential for leadership and/or for making a significant contribution to physics. NOTE: Letters of recommendation should be sent directly to the CAP Program Manager (programs@cap.ca) by the application deadline date.

Application/Selection Process

Applications are solicited and collected by the CAP, and are only valid for the scholarship competition year for which they are submitted.
A selection committee of 3-5 members established by the CAP reviews all eligible applications and selects the winner.
The scholarship is presented to the winner during the CAP Annual Congress. Winners will receive a certificate and a scholarship cheque issued by the CAP.

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.