The Research in Librarianship Grant was designed to support librarians’ active engagement in research activities. It is intended to support projects involving structured, evidence-based research, which propose answers to real-world issues. CARL invites applications from established and newly appointed librarians working in a CARL member library, and from students currently enrolled in an accredited Canadian Library and Information Studies program. When merited, up to $7,000 is awarded annually to one or more of the applicants, to help achieve the following objectives:
- To support librarians conducting research in academic librarianship with the intent to publish the results.
- To promote research in the field of academic librarianship by and/or about Canadians.
The CARL Research in Librarianship Grant is intended to support projects involving structured, evidence-based research, which propose answers to real-world issues. It is expected that recipients will make research results available in an open access environment.
Criteria for Evaluation
Proposals for funding are judged on:
- Originality or importance of research or development.
- Relevance of the project to the goals and objectives of the Canadian Association of Research Libraries. (See Strategic Directions 2022-2025)
- The potential for research findings to be applied nationally, by other CARL member libraries
- Cost-effectiveness of research in terms of the expected influence and ramifications of the results. Only costs which directly support the research enterprise will be considered (this excludes post-research travel, conference registration, tuition fees, etc.). In an effort to encourage a transition to open access publishing models which are free of article processing charges, publication fees are not accepted as an allowable expense.
- The research project (research and/or development) must be achievable within two years.
- Appropriateness of the proposed research method and development process.
- Comprehensiveness of application.
- Proof of effective management and control of the project.
Proposals are adjudicated by an application review panel designated by CARL’s Strengthening Capacity Committee.
Submission of Proposals
Grant applicants should submit their proposal via e-mail, as an MS Word or PDF document. The proposal should include the following information and should not exceed 3 pages excluding CV(s).
- Name and address of applicant, mailing address and date of application.
- A reasonable description of the research or development project identifying methodology and design or development process.
- Description of how the research project explicitly addresses the criteria for evaluation as listed above, ensuring to define:
- Duration of the project, including a detailed project timetable.
- Assessment of the potential utility of research results to the Canadian research library community.
- Indication of how the results of the research project will be disseminated – e.g. as an article manuscript, submitted to a peer-reviewed journal, for publication.
- Detailed assessment of costs and statement of other grants/awards received.
- A current Curriculum Vitae.
- File naming convention should be lastnamefirstinitial_CARLgrantapp(year). [eg. McColganK_CARLgrantapp(2016)].
Proposals should be submitted via email by midnight August 15, annually. All proposals should be emailed to:
Subject: CARL Research in Librarianship Grant
c/o Julie Morin, Senior Program Officer, Canadian Association of Research Libraries
Conditions of the Grant
- The grant must be acknowledged in publications and presentations emanating from the research or development, accomplished through the CARL Research in Librarianship Grant.
- It is expected that research results will be deposited into an institutional repository.
- The following reports will be filed with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries;
- Final Progress Report (including budget information).
- Copy of the final research (article, report, etc.)
- The Final Progress Report and copy of the final research will be filed within two months of the completion of the project, or two years after receiving the grant—whichever is the shorter time period.
- Award cheques will be issued to the applicant’s institutional Grants Office, unless otherwise indicated.
Funded Applications
2025
- Survey of Course Marking Practices in Canadian Post-secondary Institutions — Katie Harding (McMaster University).
- Past priorities, Present conversations: Academic Librarianship and Labour Organizing in Canada — Ruby Lindsay (University of Saskatchewan) and Jordan Pedersen (University of Guelph).
- Development of Research Library Guidelines for Open Source Research Software — Tomasz Neugebauer (Concordia University)
- Bridging Campus and Community: Librarian and Archivists’ Perspectives on Community Engagement in Higher Education — Aleha McCauley (University of British Columbia), Heather De Forest (Simon Fraser University), and Nick Ubels (Vancouver Public Library)
2024
- Efficiency of ChatGPT to Support Systematic Review Searching Compared to Established Searching Practices — Janice Kung (University of Alberta) and Catherine Boden (University of Saskatchewan).
- Researchers’ Perspectives Regarding Emerging Challenges in Sensitive Research Data Management in Québec — Alisa Beth Rod (McGill University), Caroline Baril (Calcul Québec), Teresa Bascik (Université de Montréal), and Stéphanie Pham-Dang (Université de Montréal).
- Comprehensive Study on the Impacts of EDI initiatives on Racialized Librarians at Canadian Academic Libraries — Tina Liu and Jennie Fallis (McGill University)
2023
- Abeer Siddiqui (McMaster University), ‘Embedding Information Literacy & Community-Engaged Research into Science Curricula.’
- Heather Cunningham & Julia Martyniuk (University of Toronto), Jill Boruff, Sabine Calleja, & Alisa Beth Rod (McGill University), Ani Orchanian-Cheff (University Health Network), Alix Pincivy (Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine), and Daniela Ziegler (Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal), ‘Health Sciences Librarians’ Attitudes and Behaviours Regarding the Documentation and Sharing of Knowledge Synthesis Search Strategies.’
2022
Graduate Student:
- Poppy Nicolette Riddle (Master of Information Management Student at Dalhousie University) for her usability study, ‘Visual idioms to reduce uncertainty, anxiety, and frustration during exploratory search by scholars.’
Practicing Librarians:
- Erin Fields, Kayla Lar-Son, Donna Langille, Kate Harrison (University of British Columbia), Gabrielle Lamontagne (BC Campus), and Ann Ludbrook (Toronto Metropolitan University), ‘Foregrounding Indigenous Perspectives: Community and Collaborator Affinities and Conflicts in Open Education.’
2021
Practicing Librarians:
- Mindy Thuna, Caitlin Tillman, and Naz Torabi (University of Toronto), ‘Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Collection Development Practices in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine: How does it look like?‘
- Chloe Lei & Megan Fitzgibbons (Concordia University), ‘Uncovering Academic Librarians’ Transformative Learning Experiences Related to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Using Appreciative Inquiry.’
- Melissa A. Rothfus (Dalhousie University), ‘Researcher Perspectives on Obstacles and Facilitators of Open Scholarship at a Canadian University.’
2020
Graduate Student:
- Risa Hatanaka (MLIS student, University of British Columbia) for her research, ‘Using Non-English Sources for Academic Research: Information-seeking Behaviours of Graduate Students.’
Practicing Librarians:
- Mê-Linh Lê, Christine Neilson, & Janice Winkler (University of Manitoba), ‘Benchmarking Support and Training Needs for Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences Librarians’ Involvement in Systematic Reviews’ — There is also a Benchmarking Support and Training Needs for Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences Librarians’ Involvement in Systematic Reviews’ presentation.
- Jennifer Zerkee (Simon Fraser University) & Stephanie Savage (University of British Columbia), ‘Canada’s Copyright Act Review: Implications for Fair Dealing and Higher Education‘
- Jessica Lange (McGill University) & Sarah Severson (University of Alberta), ‘Organizational Structure and Workflows For Canadian Scholarly Journals.‘
- Cecilia Tellis (University of Ottawa), Maha Kumaran (University of Saskatchewan), & Victoria Ho (University of Manitoba), ‘Applying a critical theory and anti-oppression framework to EDI work in libraries.’
2019
Graduate Students:
- Marnie James and Alec Mullender (MLIS students, Western University) for their research, ‘Invisible Structures: How Classification Defines and Divides Us’
- Justin Fuhr (MLIS Candidate, University of Alberta) for his research, ‘Developing Core Competencies in Emerging Areas of Academic Librarianship.’
Practicing Librarians:
- Elizabeth Yates (Brock University), Study of the perspectives of transgender students regarding services, collections, and spaces in academic libraries.
- Tessa Walsh (Concordia University) & Jess Whyte (University of Toronto), National review of current workflows and methods for identifying sensitive information in digital collections (including special, general, and research data).
- Christina Winter (University of Regina) & Rumi Graham (University of Lethbridge) ‘Copyright practices and approaches at Canadian post-secondaries: an expanded follow-up national survey.’
- Laura Bredahl & Kari D. Weaver (University of Waterloo), Exploring Students’ Information Use through Learner Needs Analysis, in a Canadian STEM context: Towards a collaborative approach to integrated instructional design.
2018
Graduate Students:
- Nicole Doro (MLIS student, Western University) for her research, “The IR is a Nice Thing But…”: Attitudes and Perceptions of the Institutional Repository.’
Practicing Librarians:
- Beth Maddigan (Memorial University of Newfoundland), ‘Libraries as Public ‘Homespaces’: Exploring Multiple Literacies through Community Pop-Up Art Hives.’
- Graeme Campbell (Queen’s University Library), Michelle Lake (Concordia University Library), Catherine McGoveran (University of Ottawa Library), ‘Post-depository: Investigating the Persistence of Federal Government Publications in Former Depository Libraries’.
2017
Graduate Students:
- Madeline Donnelly (MLIS student, Western University), ‘Peer review and the scholarly conversation: Shifting towards a culture of transparency.’
- Claire Burrows (PhD Candidate, Library and Information Science, Western University) , ‘Examining how Canadian academic libraries are currently approaching issues related to accessibility for students with disabilities and how they are being met.’
Practicing Librarians:
- Diane Dawson, Jaclyn McLean, and Charlene Sorensen (University of Saskatchewan), ‘Communicating Cancellations to Campus: Strategies Across Canada.’ There is also a ‘Communicating Cancellations to Campus: Strategies Across Canada’ presentation available
- Lauren Byl (University of Waterloo), ‘Author Addendum Conundrum: Reconciling author use of addenda against publisher acceptance.’
- Heather Dean (University of Victoria), ‘Finding Finding Aids: A Study of Legacy Metadata in Special Collections and University Archives at Canadian Research Libraries.’
- Sajni Lacey and Susie Wilson (University of British Columbia), ‘Curriculum mapping as a tool to grow library-faculty partnerships: A case Study.’
2016
- Cara Bradley (University of Regina), ‘Research Support Priorities and Opportunities for Collaboration Among Librarians and Research Administrators: A Study of the Literature‘
- Christie Hurrell, Paul Pival, and Kathryn Ruddock (University of Calgary), ‘Open Badges for demonstrating Open Access compliance: A pilot project’
- Katya Pereyaslavska (University of Toronto), ‘How will the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty change the current accessibility landscape across CARL libraries to facilitate a more effective interaction among members as well as in the international arena?’
2015
- Karine Fournier and Lindsay Sikora (University of Ottawa), ‘Individualized Research Consultations Assessment Project.’
2014
- Deborah Meert (Western University), John Costella (Western University), and Nazi Torabi (McGill University), ‘The comparative reporting practices of the literature searching component of systematic reviews with and without Information Professional (i.e. Librarian) involvement.’
- Michael Moir (York University), ‘Access to personal information in unique research collections: a literature review.’
- Jeanette Hatherill (University of Ottawa), Andrea Kosavic (York University), Karen Meijer-Kline (Public Knowledge Project), and Jacqueline Whyte Appleby (OCUL Scholars Portal), ‘What’s in a name? Self-identification practices of academic libraries supporting journal publishing activities.‘
Research Progress and Results for ‘What’s in a name? Self-identification practices of academic libraries supporting journal publishing activities’
2013
- Wayne Johnston (University of Guelph), ‘Mobile Solutions for Researchers in the Field.‘
- Rebecca Raworth (University of Victoria) and Lindsay Glynn (Memorial University of Newfoundland), ‘Academic Librarians’ Potential Roles in Learning Communities to Support Student Scholarship and Research Learning Outcomes / Competencies: an Exploration Within Medical Education.‘
Presentation to the Canadian Health Libraries Association (May 2015)
Presentation to the Newfoundland and Labrador Health Libraries Association (April 2015) - Shailoo Bedi and Christine Walde (University of Victoria), ‘Transforming Roles: Canadian Academic Librarians Embedded in Faculty Research Projects.’
2012
- Michael Groenendyk (Dalhousie University), ‘3D Printing and Scanning at the Dalhousie Libraries: A Case Study.’
- John Durno (University of Victoria), ‘Digital archaeology in the University of Victoria archives: A case study.’
2011
- Leila Fernandez (York University) and Jane Burpee (University of Guelph), ‘A Study of Librarian Roles in Promoting Scholarly Communication within Canadian Research Libraries.‘
- Max Neuvians (University of Ottawa LIS student), ‘An analysis and interpretation of existing social media policies utilized by public information institutions.’ – Study not conducted
2010
- Lorie Kloda (McGill University), Denise Koufogiannakis (University of Alberta) and Alison Brettle (University of Salford), ‘The Impact of Research Summaries on LIS Practitioners.’
Publications:
Assessing the impact of evidence summaries in library and information practice
- Doug Suarez (Brock University), ‘How do libraries effectively engage their students through library instruction?‘ (Presented at IFLA 2012)
2009
- Laura E. Briggs Learning Services Librarian (Collections), UBC Okanagan Library, ‘More than a Rubber Stamp? The Role of Collection Librarians in Curriculum Consultations.’ – Study not conducted
- Dean Giustini, Reference Librarian, University of British Columbia, UBC Biomedical Branch Library, ‘Canadian academic librarians and their use of social media: a two-phase survey.’¦ A survey of Canadian academic librarians and their use of social media Wiki ¦ ‘Canadian academic librarians and their use of social media: a two-phase survey’ Preliminary Report
- Kristin Hoffmann, Research & Instructional Librarian, The University of Western Ontario and Selinda Berg, Clinical Medicine Librarian, University of Windsor, ‘Co-op placements in academic libraries: Their role in the formation of librarians’ professional identity.’
2008
- Marc Bragdon, Information Services Librarian, University of New Brunswick Libraries, ‘Library Blackboard: a focus group study.‘