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Graduate Studies

Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Students

The Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis Students was established in 2009 in honour of Harvey E. Longboat, and in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to McMaster University, the Six Nations of the Grand River and broader communities.

The award is tenable for one academic year, beginning September. Recipients can receive the award more than once, but must re-apply each year.

Indigenous students may want to apply for one of two Ontario Graduate Scholarships for Indigenous students (OGS-I), as well as the Longboat. For more details, visit the OGS-I.

Eligibility

The Harvey E. Longboat Graduate Scholarship is open to

  • incoming or returning graduate students (Master’s or PhD) of First Nation, Inuit, or Métis descent.
  • applicants who will be attending McMaster University in the September 2021 to August 2022 academic year. Students must intend to be enrolled for a minimum of two terms.

Note: The Harvey Longboat Award is not exclusive to students from the Six Nations of the Grand River Communities; the application is open to any current graduate student (or applicant to a graduate program at McMaster University) who identifies as First Nation, Inuit, or Métis.

Selection criteria

Award winners demonstrate

  • exceptional promise in community leadership
  • mentorship to other Indigenous students
  • mentorship within First Nation, Inuit, or Métis communities
  • leadership to advance Indigenous education, either inside or outside of a university setting
  • high academic achievement

Intent

This award is intended as a means to recognize and acknowledge the academic achievement and exceptional promise of an Indigenous graduate student or students at McMaster University. Consideration is also given to Indigenous scholars who have demonstrated mentorship within community settings.

Value

Several students may receive this award simultaneously. A total value of $30,000 in scholarship is available for the Harvey E. Longboat Award, to be dispersed according to the following division:

  • $15,000 awarded to one individual recipient; and
  • $15,000 awarded to either one individual OR divided and awarded to several recipients (typically 2-5 awards, at the discretion of the selection committee).

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How to apply

Step One: Student Application and Transcripts

  • Student candidate completes the application portion. This includes: Applicant information section and (a maximum one page each) for the statements
    1. Letter of Introduction,
    2. Community Involvement Statement
    3. Plan of Study, plus transcripts (scanned from all postsecondary institutions attended).
  • Completed candidate application portion to be combined as one .PDF saved with the file name ‘Student Last Name_Longboat_2021’.
  • Candidates upload completed application portion to MacDrive.

Step Two: Referees

  • Applicants to contact one academic and one community member for a reference.
  • When contacting referees, students should ask their referees to provide their letters on organizational letterhead (where applicable) then upload their reference letters to MacDrive.
  • Referees can refer to Selection Criteria to help inform the content of their letters.
  • Naming conventions for their reference letters are:
    • Student Last Name_Community Reference_2021 or
    • Student Last Name_Academic Reference_2021.
  • You will be required to provide an upload link to your referees.
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Harvey E. Longboat Scholarship Application Checklist

A complete Harvey E. Longboat Scholarship application includes these components:

  1. Candidate Application (with Letter of Introduction, Community Involvement Statement, Plan of Study)
  2. Transcripts from all postsecondary institutions (scanned copies are OK)
  3. Community Reference Letter
  4. Academic Reference Letter

Check Quick Forms for sample reference letter templates. You will find Quick Forms on the upper right hand side of this webpage or below (if viewing on a mobile device).