"The deadline for the Peter Gzowski Scholarship and the Postgraduate Supplement applications is March 31. We urge Network researchers to encourage their students to apply for these awards," said Kathleen Bloom, Chair of HQPC.

For more information, please contact Katy Evans at , (519) 661-3619 or visit The Network Web site at http://www.cllrnet.ca.

"The HQPC thanks the Network students, research supervisors, partners in the Peter Gzowski Scholarship Committee, volunteer adjudicators and the Administrative Centre for their generous participation and contributions to the scholarship programs. We also thank the Network researchers who contributed the questions for the Contract Research Reviews. Our programs are indeed a team effort," said Bloom.

The HQPC is now collecting performance indicators for the scholarship programs, and developing new programs that will meet its second mandate: training and knowledge exchange with partners and practitioners (teachers, daycare workers, SLP/Audiologists, etc). As always, the HQPC welcomes and relies on your comments and suggestions (send to: ). Look for more HQPC plans in the next issue of dialogue, and in upcoming feedback questionnaires from the HQPC.

The scholarships and awards include the following programs:

$25,000 Peter Gzowski Scholarship
(Deadline for applications is Monday, March 31, 2021)

This prestigious award will permit a graduate student to complete a PhD dissertation on a topic relevant to the goals and objectives of Frontier College, a Canada-wide, volunteer-based, literacy organization. The student will spend a period of time at Frontier College learning about its programs and conducting background research on one of the following dissertation topics:

• The effectiveness of Reading Circles.
• Informal teaching designed to enhance the language and literacy skills of children and youth in non-traditional learning programs.
• Assessment of family and neighborhood literacy activities.

$5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship Supplements
(Deadline for applications is Monday, March 31, 2021)

Awards are available to outstanding scholars who receive federal scholarships (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR) for their graduate research and who plan to collaborate across laboratories, disciplines, private and public sectors in research and training. The Network encourages applications for proposed research training that bridge two or more of The Network's five themes.

Summer Research Assistantships - Update

Applications have already been received and the adjudication process is currently underway for the Undergraduate Summer Research Assistantships, which were set up to attract students to language and literacy research early in their academic careers. The Network provides $6,000 and the Supervisor contributes $2,000 plus fringe benefits to the student's salary. Successful candidates will be announced by letter and on The Network Web site http://www.cllrnet.ca early in April. Confirmations of summer placements by students and supervisors will be announced in mid-April.

Contract Research Reviews - Update

Applications for Contract Research Reviews are also in the process of adjudication and the successful ones will be announced by early April. The completed Research Reviews are due on June 30, 2003. The purpose of the contracts is to produce reviews of existing knowledge to answer these four questions:

• Does teaching infants (hearing, hearing-impaired, developmentally delayed) to use gestural signs enhance language development and language acquisition?
• Does experience with computer-based video games enhance children's literacy?
• What are the early indicators for risk of reading problems in children being instructed in their second language?
• Does background music enhance or degrade rate and comprehension for children's silent reading, and is the effect age dependent?