Coalition Publica is pleased to announce this year’s grant for student journal editors, in collaboration with the Student Journal Forum.
Are you part of the editorial team of an undergraduate or graduate student-run journal interested in developing new skills and developing capacity? Are you planning a specific project—for example, applying to the Directory of Open Access Journals, developing an equity, diversity, and inclusion policy, or implementing accessibility standards on your website—that could benefit from some funding? Consider applying for a Coalition Publica Student Editor Grant!
Coalition Publica is an open infrastructure project dedicated to advancing research dissemination and digital scholarly publishing in Canada. We are proud to support undergraduate and graduate student editors in developing their skills and implementing best practices in digital scholarly publishing within their journals.
Value
2 grants of $1,000 each; at least one grant will be awarded to an undergraduate student
These grants are one-time payments funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through the Pan-Canadian Access to Knowledge Initiative.
Grant funds may be used for (including, but not limited to):
- Stipends for the grant recipient (student editor), and other key members of the journal team, to dedicate time to a special project;
- Paying for services that support the project (e.g., graphic design, web development, copy editing, etc.);
- Paying for software licenses that support the project;
- Training or conference fees for the grant recipient (student editor), and/or other key members of the journal team.
Grant funds may not be used for:
- Printing costs associated with the production of journal issues;
- Capital purchases (e.g., laptops, tablets, printers, desks or other furniture, etc);
- Event costs to launch a new issue.
Eligibility
Eligible students must meet the following criteria:
- An undergraduate or a graduate student enrolled at a Canadian university in the next academic year (2025-2026);
- Must intend to be a member of the editorial team of an eligible student journal in the next academic year (2025-2026);
- Must be able to receive funds in a Canadian-based bank account.
Eligible journals must meet the following criteria:
- Student-run, meaning that the majority of operations are undertaken by students;
- Hosted by a Canadian academic library;
- Publishes original, peer-reviewed student research (peer review includes review by faculty, journal editors, or other students; other types of content may be published as well);
- Publishes primarily in English and/or French (other languages may be published as well);
- Have published at least one issue in the past calendar year and can demonstrate progress towards publishing a future issue.
Priority will be given to student editors and student journals who have not previously benefited from the grant.
Grant funds will be paid to one recipient representing the journal in August 2025, who will assume responsibility for managing the funds on behalf of the journal/team.
Selection criteria and evaluation process
Applications will be independently reviewed by members of the organizing committee of the Student Journal Forum, which includes librarians and publishing professionals. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, reviewers will not evaluate applications from editors/journals hosted at their institutions.
Applications will be assessed against all eligibility criteria. In addition, reviewers will assign points based on how well the proposal addresses each of the following expectations using a 1 (low) through 5 (high) scale, such that proposals are scored out of 25:
- The proposal is relevant for a student-run journal and the project objectives are clearly stated;
- The proposal identifies and responds to a need that goes beyond regular journal operations (e.g., development of new skills, capacity, special project);
- The proposal demonstrates potential for lasting, positive impact on the journal;
- The described project is feasible/reasonable for a student-run journal;
- The budget is realistic for the proposed project and the costs are justified appropriately.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Coalition Publica is committed to the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion. Student editors from historically under-represented and equity deserving groups, or who are editing journals with a mission to support such groups, are encouraged to submit their projects. Applications are also encouraged for projects that address diversity, equity, inclusion, or accessibility.
How to apply
Applications may be submitted in English or French.
Applicants must complete the online application form, which includes:
- A description of the journal (up to 250 words)
- Project description and state of any progress so far (up to 500 words)
- Budget outlining how the funds will be used (please download and complete this budget template)
- Name and contact information for a faculty member, staff member, or librarian at the journal’s host institution who can serve as a reference to validate the information in the application
Note that you will need a Google account to submit the application form. If you do not have a Google account, or do not wish to submit using a Google account, please contact Jeanette Hatherill (jeanette.hatherill@coalition-publi.ca) for a Word version of the application form.
Application deadline: Midnight Pacific Time on April 13, 2025
Inquiries should be sent to Jeanette Hatherill, Senior Coordinator for Coalition Publica, jeanette.hatherill@coalition-publi.ca
