RCA Scholarship/Awards process recognizes excellence in the programs that educate our finest artists, designers, craft-makers and architects and provides financial awards to Canadians emerging from their undergraduate degree for further study or professional development in the visual arts.
The Fund was established in 2000 and the long-term goal is to grant an annual scholarship/awards in all disciplines represented by the RCA Membership. Existing scholarships awarded annually are the:

- RCA / Ernest Annau Scholarship for Architecture
- RCA / C.D. Howe Scholarships for Art and Design
- Klaus Nienkâmper Scholarship for Design.

Competition criteria are designed at the invitation of the RCA Scholarship Committee with the Deans or Program Heads of each invited school. These awards do not provide applications. Successful outcomes are available at the RCA office: rcaarts@interlog.com, 416 408 2718.

The Joseph Plaskett Award
This award demonstrates a successful partnership between the Joseph Plaskett Foundation and the RCA and honors excellence in painting by providing $25,000 to a qualified MFA student for travel, studio work or study in Europe for one year. Independent juries are selected each year from among well known Canadian artists. Criteria for eligibility and FAQ are available ont he Joseph Plaskett Award website .

RCA / Ernest Annau Scholarship for Architecture
The RCA / Ernest Annau Scholarship for Architecture was established to recognize an outstanding Canadian student in a professional degree programme in architecture studying in a Canadian university. The purpose of the scholarship is to pursue formal studies abroad. The fund was set up in commemoration of Ernest Annau’s (RCA) contribution to the arts in Canada and his invaluable leadership as President of the Academy from 1994 until his death in August of 2000.

The RCA Scholarship Committee invites, annually, the Dean or Director of each Canadian university programme in architecture, on behalf of his/her institution, to nominate one student for the RCA / Ernest Annau Scholarship for Architecture to be used for formal study abroad. Each institution determines its own selection process providing the competition criteria are satisfied.

The RCA / Ernest Annau Scholarship for Architecture Selection Committee is comprised of the Chair of the RCA Scholarship for Architecture Committee, two RCA Architect members, an external expert in architecture from the academic community, and Patricia Annau or chosen designate. An appropriate regional representative of the RCA presents the scholarship to the successful candidate at an awards ceremony at their home university, preferably at the Spring graduation ceremony.

RCA / C.D. Howe Scholarship for Art and Design
The primary objectives of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts / C.D. Howe Scholarship for Art and Design are to provide significant opportunities for graduating undergraduate students from professional art and design colleges and universities in Canada to pursue further formal study in a discipline represented by the RCA membership. These opportunities in Canada or elsewhere should enable recipients to develop further their studio practices while gaining a deeper understanding of the historical precedents and contemporary issues relevant to their discipline.

The RCA Scholarship Committee invites, annually, on a rotating basis in respect to geographic location and discipline, the Dean or Director of three Canadian university or art college programs in art and design, to invite all students in the final year of the programme in the designated discipline to apply for the scholarship. Selected by a jury comprised of two studio faculty members and one local RCA member in the designated discipline, recipients are students in the final year of a four year undergraduate program in visual art or design who intend to pursue further formal advanced study. An appropriate regional representative of the RCA presents the scholarship to the successful candidate at an awards ceremony at their home university, preferably at the Spring graduation ceremony.