Contestant

Your Mission: Enter your Research Proposal in the Collegiate Contest for a chance to win.

The Contestants apply as members of their college’s social science program and identify with one of the ten social science disciplines. 

As a members of separate professional associations (psychology, history, economics…), the Contestants are expected to think and act their way to winning the funds for their discipline affiliation.

  • Anthropology
  • Business
  • Economics
  • Geography
  • History
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology

The Contestants must be students who:

  • Are currently enrolled in Québec’s CEGEP Social Science Program
  • Have worked on a written Research Proposal as a component of course work
  • Have worked under the supervision of a Research Director (teacher) who agrees to sponsor their submission 

The Winners get published, become Grant Holders and are honoured with a Research Work of Outstanding Merit award.

STEP-BY-STEP

STEP 1 - ASSESS PROSPECTS

Since the Contestants’ Research Proposals have to be judged and reviewed before the beginning of the vacation period, you have to ensure that you can complete your Research Proposal weeks before the end of the semester. You may have produced most or all of a Research Proposal in a previous semester or while playing the Fund$ Game or the Research Institute. Determine whether you can meet all the requirements and the deadlines.

  • Read the Contestant Entry Form to determine whether you think your Research Proposal can meet the requirements within a reasonable amount of time.
  • Read the scripts for the Judges and Ethics Board Reviewers to assess your chances of winning.

STEP 2 - DEVELOP YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY

Strategize how to align your Research Proposal to meet the requirements, especially for the Judges and the Ethics Board Reviewers. 

STEP 3 - DRAFT A TO-DO LIST

Once you have your Research Proposal in hand, make a To-Do list of improvements to your existing proposal that can be undertaken in a reasonable amount of time. These should include:

  • Taking note of recommended improvements received in teacher feedback and peer reviews
  • Consulting the key design tools on this website, particularly the CONFETTI WAY for writing a Literature Review and the DECISION CIRCUIT for the Method Plan
  • Targeting changes that will meet the criteria outlined in the Judges’ and Ethics Board Reviewers’ scripts

Step 4 - MODIFY PROPOSAL

  • Modify the proposal as per your To-Do list. 
  • Consider having a peer review it.
  • Consult with your Research Director (teacher) if you have difficulty deciding what to modify or how.

Step 5 - SECURE SPONSOR SUPPORT

  • Obtain your Research Director’s support as a sponsor for your entry to the Contest.
  • To qualify as your sponsor, this Research Director must have supervised the production of your Research Proposal in some form or another.

Some recommendations:

  • Get verbal agreement first.
  • Set up an appointment well in advance of the deadline.
  • Before the meeting, submit your modified proposal and your partially completed entry form.
  • Meet to confirm that everything is in order for the Research Director to sponsor you and sign the form.

Step 6 - ASCERTAIN CODE OF CONDUCT ALIGNMENT

Ensure your Proposal complies with the Code of Conduct guidelines before signalling your approval in the entry form.

Step 7 - COMPLETE THE CHECKLIST & SUBMIT THE ENTRY FORM

Step 8 - WAIT FOR THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

  • The Winner will probably be announced shortly before the start of the vacation period or shortly before the beginning of the following semester. This is in the hands of the Lead Research Director who is supervising the Contest at your college. 
  • The Contest results will be communicated at large when the information is transmitted to the Secretariat Staff.