CRTC Prize for Excellence in Policy Research

The CRTC is proud to co-sponsor the CRTC Prize for Excellence in Policy Research with the Canadian Communication Association (CCA). The Prize was launched in 2015 to encourage a new generation of academics to contribute to Canada’s public policy development through research on emerging issues in information and communication studies.

Current and recently graduated (within the last calendar year) graduate students who are enrolled at a Canadian university, Canadian graduate students who are studying abroad, and post-doctoral researchers working at a university in Canada are encouraged to submit papers addressing cross-cutting themes about the information and communication landscape, nationally or globally. Applicants are not required to limit the scope of their study to the CRTC. As such, applicants are encouraged to submit papers that evaluate a broad spectrum of salient themes, including (but not limited to) the following:

• The emergence of online audio and video platforms
• Defining, measuring, and promoting Canadian content
• The production of online Canadian spaces
• New behaviours and trends in media consumption
• Indigenous perspectives in communications policy
• Media concentration and democracy
• Telecommunications and bridging the digital divide
• Services affordability
• Evaluating diverse representations on-screen and/or behind the camera
• Telework and high-speed internet infrastructure
• Legislative changes to broadcasting and telecommunication landscapes (e.g. Bill C-10)
• Issues relating to gender, race, class, ability, age, education, and/or nationality within international, national, and/or local media landscapes
• Platform power, algorithms, and Internet regulation
• Data protection, privacy, and artificial intelligence
• Understanding and managing misinformation, disinformation, and fake news
•  Local news and community media
• Traditional radio
• Spectrum
• Canadian web series
• Podcasts and the return of long form audio
• Canadian media on YouTube or other streaming platforms
• Niche platforms

Prize offerings

• Monetary awards in three categories:
  • PhD candidates: $2,500
  • Master’s degree candidates: $1,500
  • Postdoctoral researchers: $1,000
• Travel and attendance to the annual Canadian Communications Association (CCA) Conference at Congress.
• A one year International Institute of Communications (IIC) Future Leaders Network Membership.
• One year membership with the CCA.
• Translation and publication of the winning papers in both official languages on the CRTC website.
• Remote presentation of winning papers before CRTC Commissioners.
• Presentation of winning papers at the CCA annual conference.

The total estimated value of the Prize ranges from approximately $6,000 to $8,000 per winner.

Eligible candidates

• Students enrolled in a graduate program in communications or a related field (e.g., public policy, law, engineering, information studies) at a Canadian university, and Canadian students (including permanent residents and landed immigrant students) enrolled in a graduate program in communications or a related field in another country. Applicants who have completed a graduate degree (Master, Doctorate) within the previous calendar year are also eligible.
• Post-doctoral researchers (including permanent residents and landed immigrants) in communications or a related field affiliated with a Canadian university.
• Applicants must submit their paper to the category relevant to their status at the time the work was completed, rather than their current registration status (e.g., a current PhD student may submit work from their Masters to the Masters category).

How to submit your paper

Papers must be:

• Submitted in English or French;
• Between 6,000 and 8,000 words (bibliography and appendices included) and include a word count at the end of the paper. Submissions exceeding the word count will not be considered for the Prize;
• Presented in a recognized scholarly format, including an abstract of no more than 100 words written in the same language as the submission that clearly answers the following questions:
  • What is the background of this work?
  • What methodology was used to complete this work?
  • What are the main conclusions or implications of this work?
• Sent by email to the Vice-President of the CCA by the deadline set out in the annual call for papers from the CCA and as indicated on the CCA and CRTC websites.

If you have any questions, please contact the Vice-President of the CCA.