The Barbara Roberts Memorial Fund

The Barbara Roberts Memorial Fund is now accepting applications.

Barbara Roberts was the Alberta Representative on the CRIAW-ICREF Board from 1993 to 1998. Barbara was active in many parts of CRIAW-ICREF’s life, notably the Global Feminisms Committee and the Publications Committee. In honour of her “commitment and contribution to Women’s Studies, her radical clarity and active work for, and celebration of justice, peace and community”, her colleagues at the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women – Institut canadien de recherches sur les femmes (CRIAW-ICREF) established a memorial fund.

The Barbara Roberts Memorial Fund was established with the primary objective of continuing, promoting, and supporting work in peace issues, workplace / unions / radical social movements, social justice / human rights, and women’s studies education from a feminist perspective. The Fund is administered by CRIAW-ICREF in Ottawa, Canada.

This award consists of one grant of $2,000. Each project will be evaluated by members of a special jury, whose decisions will be final. No individual critiques can be provided. If no submissions meet the jury’s requirements, the grant money will be returned to the Fund.

General Criteria

This grant is for action-based research projects on one of the four themes indicated above. CRIAW-ICREF will fund the whole project or parts or stages of a project. The funds are meant to provide access to research funding for those who would normally have difficulty obtaining it. The research must make a significant contribution to feminist research and be non-sexist, non-racist and non-homophobic in its methodology and language.

Priority is given to women’s groups and unaffiliated emerging researchers. Please note that the Barbara Roberts Memorial Fund does not fund: 1) research which is part of an educational degree, 2) the publication of a document which is the outcome of a previously completed research project, 3) workshops and conferences, 4) projects outside of Canada, 5) capital expenditures such as furniture, computers, and books. The primary researcher must be a Canadian citizen.

The deadline for applications is October 18, 2026.