Bursary Program
The Maureen McCauley Bursary
OMAA established a Bursary program in 2015. It was renamed after former OMAA Executive Director Maureen McCauley, the primary driver of its creation, by the Board of Directors in 2023.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) become an equal partner on this initiative in 2025. AMO is actively engaged in developing initiatives to help municipal employers with recruitment and retention under its Workforce Development Project. This commitment is another step AMO is taking to engage Ontario’s municipal employers and employees, municipal staff associations, and post-secondary sector partners to attract the next generation of community builders for careers in the municipal sector.
We are very pleased to announce that for 2026 the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) has also joined as an equal partner. ROMA will increase the program’s impact by enabling the presentation of an additional, specifically rural, bursary award per annum.
The Maureen McCauley Bursary now offers three $5,000 bursaries annually to support the education of future municipal government leaders:
- Undergraduate Bursary -- a student residing in Ontario who has completed at least one year of an Ontario university or an Ontario community college program that has the potential to lead to a municipal government career.
- Graduate Bursary -- a student residing in Ontario enrolled in a graduate degree or diploma at an Ontario university or college program that has the potential to advance their municipal government career.
- Rural Bursary -- a student residing in Ontario who has completed at least one year of an Ontario university or Ontario community college program that has the potential to lead to a municipal government career, and who is from a rural or small-town community or whose studies demonstrate a clear commitment to advancing rural municipal leadership, local governance, or rural economic development. Preference will be given to applicants who have lived experience in or a demonstrated track record of contributing to rural Ontario.
Selection Process
Applicants must provide the following before end of day September 24:
- A complete Application Form
- A 2-3 minute video describing the significance of municipal government service delivery and the value of professional management from your personal point of view.
- Proof of successful completion of at least one year of post-secondary study
The Awards Committee will assess all submissions under approved evaluation criteria. The candidates with the highest aggregate score will be declared the winners.
The successful candidates will be advised of their award in October. Bursary funds will be made available to the successful applicant shortly thereafter.
2025 OMAA Bursary Award Recipients
2024 OMAA Bursary Award Recipients
2023 OMAA Bursary Award Recipient
Coverage of Gracee's win in Soo Today.