AUFA 4 Palestine Award
Call for Applications
In light of the genocide committed in Gaza by Israel, and in line with the mandate of the Committee for Solidarity with Scholars in Palestine (CSSP), the committee opens a call for applications for the AUFA 4 Palestine Award.
Genocide in Gaza has forced Palestinian universities and schools to close for more than two years, disrupting the learning journeys of 88,000 higher-education students. Due to displacement, the vast destruction of university buildings, limited electricity and internet access and lack of devices, students and professors are facing unimaginable challenges. This award is intended to extend the Athabasca University Faculty Association’s longstanding values of solidarity and educational access to students whose studies are disrupted or constrained by conditions of displacement, occupation, or financial hardship, as stated in Association’s Constitution point 3.7.
The Athabasca University Faculty Association (AUFA) has a strong record of supporting a wide range of organizations and causes that reflect the union’s commitment to equity and social justice. Guided by its Equity Statement, AUFA has a stated commitment to the principles of fairness, justice, and inclusion and advocates for the elimination of systemic discrimination and the recognition of groups whose labour is marginalized within neoliberal academic systems. This commitment aligns with supporting Indigenous sovereignty through the endorsement of the Nukskahtowin Plan, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). AUFA’s solidarity is evident in its multiple actions. In the wake of the 2017 attack at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, in which 6 Muslim men were murdered, AUFA issued a statement of condemnation (February 2017) and supported its stance against racism and Islamophobia by donating $5,000 to the National Council of Canadian Muslims.
In May 2021, the AUFA membership passed a “Motion on Israel, Palestine, and the University of Toronto,” which condemned efforts to silence academic research on human rights violations against Palestinians. This commitment continued with AUFA’s adoption in December 2023 of the CAUT Statement on Academic Freedom in Times of Conflict and its own Statement on Academic Freedom in Times of War and Conflict, as well as its May 2024 Resolution in Support of the People of Palestine and expressing solidarity with scholars in Palestine against scholasticide. Together, these actions demonstrate AUFA’s dedication to equity, social justice and human rights both within and beyond the academic community. Such a message was clearly conveyed in June 2025 when the motion for the indefinite continuation of the work of the Committee for Solidarity with Scholars in Palestine passed with 72.5% of the vote in favour.
Award Value
Recipients will receive a CDN $7,500 credit to offset expenses such as tuition fees, course extensions, student services, and other miscellaneous fees, as well as living expenses.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
Be registered in an Athabasca University course for more than 30 days.
Be registered as either an undergraduate or graduate student at Athabasca University.
May be a program or non-program student, including a visiting student from a different sending institution.
Identify as a student of Palestinian background, whether residing in Palestine, Canada or internationally.
Application and Selection Process
Applicants are encouraged to submit:
A short personal statement (maximum 500 words) outlining their academic goals and how Athabasca University’s flexible model supports their educational aspirations.
Documents indicating their connection to Palestine. Examples of the documents that applicants can submit are provided in the table below.
| Group | Typical Documents |
|---|---|
| West Bank Palestinians | Palestinian Authority ID or Palestinian passport |
| Gaza Palestinians | Palestinian Authority or Gaza ID or a Palestinian passport |
| East Jerusalem Palestinians | Israeli residency ID or travel documents |
| Palestinian citizens of Israel | Israeli ID or Israeli passport |
| Refugees in Arab states | UNRWA registration or host-country docs |
| Stateless Palestinians | Refugee or travel documents |
In the absence of any of the above documents, applicants may provide any other ID they have that supports their connection to Palestine; if an applicant’s current situation does not allow them to submit any documents, they may provide additional information in their application.
Application Deadline
The application (short personal statement and relevant documents supporting the applicant’s connection to Palestine) must be submitted by email to palestine.solidarity@aufa.ca by September 30, 2026.
A selection committee of no fewer than 3 AUFA members appointed by CSSP will review applications and make recommendations for the award recipient(s). After CSSP approves the recommended award recipients, CSSP will notify the recipients by October 30, 2026. Recipients will then provide proof to CSSP of at least one AU course registration in a course that has already started more than 30 days ago, and CSSP will ensure the administrative steps for the transfer of the award to the recipient.
Award Administration
The award is administered by AUFA.
AUFA is responsible for the creation, stewardship, and ongoing fundraising of the award fund.
CSSP maintains discretion over the award’s terms of reference and promotional materials, as well as any subsequent revisions to ensure responsiveness to emerging needs.
CSSP will post annual statistics on the number of award applicants and recipients on the AUFA website. The statistics will be shared with the AUFA membership during the AGM. CSSP will also post student letters about their post-award achievements through testimonials on the AUFA website.
For questions, please contact palestine.solidarity@aufa.ca