Fellowships & Awards

John Keenlyside Special Collections Research Fellowship

The John Keenlyside Special Collections Research Fellowship provides an opportunity for researchers to undertake research that requires substantial on-site use of material held in Bruce Peel Special Collections. The fellowship aims to promote innovative research and creative engagement with our collections. The $2,000 CAD award supports scholars who might otherwise be unable to travel to see the material in person.

In the development of their applications, we recommend that applicants familiarize themselves with the rare books and archival materials held in Bruce Peel Special Collections. We recommend reviewing the Research Collections and Exhibitions webpages, which provide descriptions of key holding areas. Use the Library catalogue and Peel finding aids to search our collections.

Eligibility

We invite all scholars, students, and community researchers living outside the greater Edmonton area to apply. We welcome applications from scholars using traditional archival and bibliographic methods, as well as those pursuing creative, interdisciplinary, or non-traditional research approaches.

Terms of the fellowship

Each fellow is expected to spend a minimum of two weeks conducting on-site research, and all research must be completed between June 1, 2026 and April 30, 2027.

At the end of their residency, recipients are expected to write a short report of their work for publication on the Bruce Peel Special Collections website. They may be invited to give a public presentation about their work, either via our workshop series, an online lecture, or a blog post. It’s expected that the Fellowship be acknowledged in published works and presentations resulting from research conducted during the fellowship.

Award

The $2,000 CAD fellowship is awarded yearly to up to two recipients. Half of the award will be disbursed up front, and the other half upon completion of the final report.

Application

Successful applications will demonstrate originality, feasibility, and how the research specifically utilizes the unique holdings at Bruce Peel Special Collections to contribute to local and global scholarly conversations.

Application form. Applications are due Sunday, February 15, 2026.

Adjudication

Fellowship applications are reviewed by a selection committee for originality and feasibility, with particular focus on how the research specifically utilizes the unique holdings at Bruce Peel Special Collections and contributes to the broader scholarly conversation.

Timeline

• Feb 15, 2026: Applications due.
• April 1, 2026: Fellowship awarded and notifications sent out.
• June 1, 2026, to April 30, 2027: Research is completed.

2026-2027 Fellowship Recipients

Dr. Karis Shearer, Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Shearer's project, “Daphne Marlatt: A Biography,” examines the life and cultural work of the acclaimed Canadian poet, novelist, and editor Daphne Marlatt. During her research residency, Shearer will be working with the Black Sparrow Archive held in Bruce Peel Special Collections, which holds the manuscript (original typescript), page proofs, galley proofs, and 1st edition copy of Daphne Marlatt's first book of poetry, entitled leaf leaf/s and a set of letters from Marlatt to her publisher, John Martin. By situating these items alongside material in the University of Alberta Archive, Shearer aims to recover the author-publisher relationships and archival history that brought Marlatt’s early experimental work into the world. A historical recovery project and the first formal biography of Daphne Marlatt, this project will contribute to the fields of sound studies, feminist theory, and archival studies.

Casarina Hocevar, PhD Candidate at Carleton University.

Casarina Hocevar's project, “The Shaping of Canadian Culinary Communities in Edmonton and Beyond, 1930-1980,” examines the intersections among gardening, foodways, and identity within settler communities in the mid-20th-century Edmonton area. During her research residency, she will draw extensively on three distinct collections held at Bruce Peel Special Collections: the Linda Miron Distad Culinaria collection, the Chinese Experience in Canada Collection, and Prairie Ephemera, which hold items such as cookbooks, photographs, restaurant menus, and business cards to explore the roles of community grocers and official settlement perspectives. Hocevar plans to connect these archival materials with oral histories that highlight how settlers adapted their culinary cultures in Canada rather than being strictly shaped by state expectations.