The Barbara Sears Endowment Fund will be used to provide assistance to those members of the VRSC wishing to further their professional development in the fields of visual and editorial research.

Barbara Sears was a founding member of the Visual Researchers’ Society of Canada and an extraordinary researcher in the fields of both visual and editorial research. She was known around the world for the calibre of her work and was tireless in her efforts to help younger researchers develop their skills and to find opportunities for them to grow and to contribute to our profession. Barbara died in 2010 leaving behind a legacy that continues to inspire us all. In this spirit, The Barbara Sears Endowment Fund was established to give VRSC members financial support towards further education in this field.

The fund will provide a bursary to members who are currently, or have recently been, working in the field, in order to assist in their vocational development.

An individual bursary will provide monies on an “as needs” basis to assist in meeting training needs, VRSC training sessions which are open to VRSC members only, and designed for those who would like to expand their knowledge and appreciation of the world of footage archives and research.

In order to qualify for funding you will need to provide the following to a jury made up of VRSC members:

  • Resume
  • Two letters of reference.
  • A letter from the applicant describing in two hundred words or less why they should be entitled to funding.

Donations Can Be Made Here Via Paypal


Or via mail with cheques addressed to:

The Visual Researchers’ Society of Canada

C/O: Treasurer
249 Victoria Avenue N
Hamilton, ON, L8L 5G3
Memo Line: Barbara Sears Endowment Fund