It came as a surprise to me, but the Commission, in partnership with the Canadian Communications Association, is a sponsor for researchers and students submitting scholarly papers about a variety of subjects surrounding broadcasting, radio and media. 

PhD candidates can receive $2,500, Master's degree grads are eligible for a $1,500 prize and postdoctoral submissions can earn $1,000.

I had no idea the CRTC was involved in this (or why) and having looked at some of the past papers submitted, I'm pretty sure most of us won't be reading the winners. But it's just odd to note they're involved in this at all. Here's a summary of previous winning topics.

CRTC-CCA Prize for Excellence in Policy Research