The CNRS, founded in 1981, has a mandate to encourage research and to promote knowledge of maritime history relating to Canada. In keeping with this mandate the Society has chosen to award a prize annually named after Jacques Cartier, navigator of Saint-Malo, master mariner and explorer of France, who voyaged into the Gulf and River St. Lawrence which he named, and in three voyages traced details of a watery entry into the heart of a continent. From indigenous inhabitants he learned of the Ottawa River, the Great Lakes, and the possibility of a passage beyond that might lead to Cathay.
To encourage graduate studies at the Master’s level at Canadian universities and other institutes of higher learning, the Society intends to award this prize each year at its annual meeting. Areas of research include, but are not limited to, history, history of science and technology, political studies and political economy, literature, archaeology, underwater archaeology, anthropology, geography, sociology, ecology, and any other branch of historical learning related to human uses of the seas, oceans, rivers or lakes. Theses (including master’s research projects/MRPs, cognate papers, or extended research papers) that demonstrate inter-disciplinary approaches beyond history and the arts are encouraged.
Candidates must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents attending a Canadian university or institution of higher learning or a similar foreign institution, writing on a Canadian maritime topic. The thesis, cognate paper, or extended research paper must have been successfully completed and assessed, leading to successful completion of the degree in the previous calendar year (i.e., in 2020 for the prize awarded in 2021). A PDF copy of the thesis is to be submitted to the Society, to the e-mail address shown below, by 31 March of the year in which the prize is to be awarded.
Awarding the prize shall be at the discretion of the judges who may also award honourable mentions or choose to not make an award. The winning thesis will be added to the CNRS archives (at the discretion of the author). The judges may recommend publication of the award-winning thesis, in whole or in part, in The Northern Mariner, or other publication.
Applicants shall provide a cover letter that includes a brief biography (200-words), as well as mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Additionally, a letter from the candidate’s supervisor or head of department in the university or institute in which the thesis is completed must confirm that the work has passed examination (noting the dates of submission and examination, and/or completion of the degree). The submitted thesis must demonstrate original research of an extended order and be at least 50 pages / 12,500 words in length.
Submissions and nominations are to be made to:
The Chair of the Awards Committee
Canadian Nautical Research Society,
email address: awards@cnrs-scrn.org
