Graduate Blog

I am happy to announce that to boost your financial support, the Department will offer a $3,000 top-up to all students who become the recipients of an OGS award.  The international students application deadline is today (March 7) and the domestic students application deadline is April 1^st, 2013.

Please note that applicants to the OGS will also be eligible for the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST) which is equal in value to the OGS. The deadline for this scholarship will be announced at a later date.

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The on-line application form for the 2013-14 OGS is now available for students to access via the SGS website or using the following url:

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/money/support/provincial/OGS.htm

Complete instructions regarding the application can also be found in the same link.

Please note the departmental deadline dates below:

International Students deadline:     March 7, 2013

Domestic Students deadline:           April 1^st, 2013

The University of Toronto OGS application requires that students provide the same supporting materials as has been included in previous OGS applications:

• Two Academic Assessment reports (referees will be required to submit on-line)
• Plan of study (approx. 500 words)
• Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions (unofficial or student issued copies are permitted)
• List of previous awards/publications/conferences/research experience

Important note: This application will only be assessed at the University of Toronto. Students must submit an OGS application to each institution for which they are seeking admission. OGS awards are no longer transferrable by a student from one university to another.

Any issues with the online application form can be addressed to: ogs@sgs.utoronto.ca.

Good luck with your application!

SGS is pleased to announce the establishment of The W. Garfield Weston Doctoral Fellowship Program, Canada’s only fully funded award program dedicated to internationalization at the doctoral level. The fellowship will provide a travel award valued at $50,000 to 16 Canadian University of Toronto graduate students per year across the full range of disciplines starting in the 2013-14 academic year.

The W. Garfield Weston Doctoral Fellowship Program aims to attract, support and develop globally oriented thinkers, visionaries and innovators who will be making important contributions to their field, their communities and the world. The benefits of this fellowship will be significant – providing opportunities to the finest students in the country for international exposure, building global networks, and fostering important and original research, regardless of where it takes them.

The Weston Fellowships will be awarded to Canadian students who plan to do research outside of Canada in the third or fourth year of their doctoral program for a period of 8 to 12 months. The awards would cover the costs of tuition, international travel expenses and a stipend. Students from all divisions are eligible to apply; they must be Canadian citizens, entering their 3rd or 4th year of doctoral studies and be conducting research outside of Canada.

The deadline for applications will be February 15, 2013. Students will be selected based on their
distinguished record of achievement, on the quality and significance of their proposed research, on their promise as top-tier researchers and future leaders of their respective fields, and on their ability to represent and advance Canada’s international reputation for academic excellence and collaboration. Award results will be available to students in early April 2013. Students will commence their travels in the fall of 2013.

The Weston Fellowships fill a noticeable void with an important opportunity now absent from the
national scene – a course of funding enabling Canada’s most promising young minds to further their research, their perspectives, their skills and experience, and their collaborative networks, in a global setting with up to a full year of study abroad, across a broad range of disciplines.

Further details regarding the administrative process for the award will be issued shortly.

For further information, please contact Kerri Huffman, Associate Director, Graduate Awards & Financial Aid at: kerr...@sgs.utoronto.ca.

Student Application Deadline to SGS: Friday, February 1, 2013

Purpose

There are 2 types of Mackenzie King Scholarships:  the “Open” Scholarship and the “Travelling” Scholarship. Both were established to support graduates of Canadian universities who are pursuing graduate studies.

Mackenzie King “Open” Scholarship

Open to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in any discipline, in Canada or elsewhere.  One Open Scholarship is awarded each year. The value has recently been approximately $9000 but it is subject to change.

Mackenzie King “Travelling” Scholarship

Open to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in the United States or the United Kingdom in the areas of international relations or industrial relations.  Recently four scholarships of $11,000 each have been awarded annually, but the number and the amount are subject to change.

Eligibility (complete program details are available on the website)

Selection criteria is based on high academic achievement (typically an A average), personal qualities, and demonstrated aptitudes. Consideration will also be given to the applicant’s proposed program of study.

Application Procedure:

All applicants must complete the official application form attached with this announcement, or available at: http://www.mkingscholarships.ca/download.html

Application Package for both scholarships:

·      Completed and signed application form

·      Sheet A – information on academic achievements and experience

·      Sheet B – Personal statement

• Certified copies of transcripts from all universities attended (ROSI transcripts are not acceptable). Certified photocopies International transcripts may be made at the Graduate Unit and submitted with the application.

·      3 Letters of reference Total:

o   Two letters from:

§  person under whom the applicant has taken major work at university and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study

§  senior colleague with whom the applicant has been associated in academic teaching/research and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study

o   And one letter from:

§  from a person who can ascribe to the same descriptions above or at least has intimate knowledge of the applicant’s record and ability and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study

Each reference letter must clearly state the name and contact information of the referee and must also be signed by the referee; the referee must also seal the letter and sign across the seal

Where to Apply

Students apply directly to the School of Graduate Studies. In order to avoid the loss or misplacement of documents, applicants must assemble the entire application package and submit it themselves in hardcopy to the Graduate Awards Office no later than 4pm on Friday, February 1^st, 2013.

Important Notes

• It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that the complete and accurate application package is submitted by the GAO deadline.
• Incomplete applications will not be entered in to the competition and applicants will not be notified of any missing documentation. Applications and/or documentation that is sent directly to the Board administering these scholarships will not be considered in the competition.

Results

All applicants will be notified in March as to whether or not their application will be forwarded on to the national competition (UofT may nominate 2 individuals for the “Open” Scholarship and 2 individuals for the “Travelling” Scholarship).

Decisions regarding the national competition are usually announced by the end of May.

Questions?

For more information, please visit http://www.mkingscholarships.ca/ or email: katie.lindeman@sgs.utoronto.ca

Katie Lindeman
Awards Officer (Federal)
School of Graduate Studies
University of Toronto
63 St. George Street, Room 202
Toronto, ON M5S 2Z9
P: 416-978-8260  F: 416-971-2864kati...@sgs.utoronto.ca">
katie.lindeman@sgs.utoronto.ca

If you wish the department to consider nominating you for a Microsoft Fellowship ,

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/collaboration/global/northam/northam-awards.aspx ,

please let me know immediately. The department can select 3 applicants for each program.

Microsoft PhD Research Fellowship Program
The nomination deadline for the Microsoft PhD Research Fellowship is October 9, 2012. The Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship is a two-year fellowship program for outstanding PhD students nominated by their universities. This program supports men and women in their third and fourth years of PhD graduate studies. To be eligible for this fellowship, you must apply during your second or third year of PhD studies. Fellowships are granted by Microsoft Research at the discretion of Microsoft.

Microsoft Graduate Women’s Scholarship Program
The nomination deadline is October 16, 2012. The Microsoft Research Graduate Women’s Scholarship is a one-year scholarship program for outstanding women graduate students and is designed to help increase the number of women pursuing a PhD. This program supports women in the second year of their graduate studies. Women who are interested in this scholarship must apply during first year of graduate studies. Scholarships are granted by Microsoft Research at the discretion of Microsoft.

If interested in this scholarship, please make sure you qualify
and then apply through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship website
(http://www.vanier.gc.ca/eng/home-accueil.aspx).   Please scan/e-mail
or print your complete application and submit to me no later than
Monday, October 1st.  A departmental committee will review all
applications received and will be allowed to nominate only two
applicants.  Thanks.  Ida

Please note: this program is different from the regular NSERC postgraduate
scholarship program, which is  open only to domestic students.  
Info about this program will be coming up shortly.

2013-2014 VANIER CANADA GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP (NSERC)

DEPARTMENTAL DEADLINE: MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2012
(SGS Deadline: October 10th, 2012)

The Vanier CGS program aims to attract and retain world-class 
doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both 
leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement 
in graduate studies in social sciences and humanities, natural 
sciences and engineering, and health.

Canadian and international students are eligible to be 
nominated for a Vanier CGS. In an effort to support students in 
broadening their research horizons and seeking new challenges, 
the Vanier CGS program strongly encourages candidates to pursue 
their studies beyond the university that granted their 
undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students wishing to apply 
for a Vanier CGS must do so through the Canadian university 
to which they are applying for doctoral studies. 
The Vanier CGS Scholarships are valued at $50,000 per annum 
for a maximum of three years.

2013 Competition Timelines

October 1st, 2012:	Math Department Deadline
October 10th 2012:	Nominations due to SGS from Graduate Units (application goes off-line)
November 06th 2012:	UofT deadline to submit Vanier nominations to federal granting agencies
April 2012:		Communication of results to nominees by tri agencies

Eligibility for Nomination

To be considered for a Vanier CGS, applicants must:

- be nominated by only one Canadian university, which must 
have received a Vanier CGS allocation;
- be seeking financial support to pursue their first doctoral 
degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD);
- intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic 
year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral 
(or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) studies and research at the 
nominating university;
- have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies 
as of May 1, 2013 (see website);
- have achieved a first-class average (A-), in each of the last two 
years of full-time study or equivalent; and
- have not already received a doctoral-level scholarship or 
fellowship from NSERC to undertake or complete a doctoral degree 
(or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD). 

2012-13 Vanier Quota

The Vanier allocations for the University of Toronto are provided 
below. Accordingly graduate units may each submit the following 
number of Vanier applications to the School of Graduate Studies this year:

NSERC Agency
University Quota: 19
Mathematics Department Quota: 2

Vanier Application Process:

Please refer applicants to the Vanier website for eligibility requirements, 
nomination and step-by step application instructions;

Please note the following:

The ResearchNet application will be live and accessible by applicants 
until Oct 10th. Applicants have been instructed to contact their 
proposed graduate unit regarding internal deadlines and submission requirements.

Students may only complete one Vanier application and must choose 
to apply to for an NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR Vanier Award

Students will be expected to complete and electronically submit the 
online application to ResearchNet by the unit’s internal deadline

Students are required to provide the graduate unit with a paper 
copy of the complete application including all original transcripts 
(a current  UofT transcript is required of all registered UofT students)

Please remind students to request transcripts and complete the 
“Identify Referee” task on ResearchNet well in advance. 
Referee assessments must be completed and submitted to ResearchNet 
before students can submit their application.

The students’ proposed research project and doctoral program of 
study must be eligible within the mandate of the agency to which 
the nomination will be submitted. If in doubt, or the application 
involves interdisciplinary fields of research, or disciplines that 
span the mandates of two or more of the federal research granting 
agencies, students are urged to seek confirmation in advance of 
submitting their application. Additional information on mandate and 
subject matter eligibility is available on the Science.gc.ca website.

The Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) invites nominations of outstanding young researchers in the mathematical sciences for postdoctoral fellowships for the year 2013-2014. Candidates must be nominated by at least one scientist or by a department (or departments) affiliated with PIMS. The fellowships are intended to supplement support provided by the sponsor and are tenable at any of its Canadian member universities: the University of Alberta, the University of British Columbia, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge, the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, Simon Fraser University and the University of Victoria, as well as at the PIMS affiliate, the University of Northern British Columbia.

For the 2013-2014 competition, held in January of 2013, the amount of the award will be \$20,000 and the sponsor(s) is required to provide additional funds to finance a minimum total stipend of \$40,000.

Rankings of candidates are made by the PIMS PDF Review Panel based on the qualifications of the candidate, potential for participation in PIMS programs and potential involvement with PIMS partners. PIMS Postdoctoral Fellows will be expected to participate in all PIMS activities related to the fellow’s area of expertise and will be encouraged to spend time at more than one site. To ensure that PIMS Postdoctoral Fellows are able to participate fully in institute activities, they may not teach more than two single-term courses per year.

Nominees must have a Ph.D. or equivalent (or expect to receive a Ph.D.) by December 31, 2013 and be within three years of their Ph.D. at the time of the nomination (i.e., the candidate must have received her or his Ph.D. on or after January 1, 2010). The fellowship may be taken up at any time between September 1, 2013 and January 1, 2014. The fellowship is for one year and is renewable for at most one additional year.
Deadline for complete nominations/applications: DECEMBER 1, 2012

For further information and application procedures, visit: www.pims.math.ca/scientific/postdoctoral.

Through the generous support of numerous donors, a number of endowed awards have been established at the School of Graduate Studies. This year, more than 15 awards with various eligibility criteria and values are offered within the 2012-2013 SGS University-Wide Awards competition. The application, individual award descriptions and submission instruction sheet can be found at

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/money/support/internal.htm#University%20Wide%20Awards

Departmental of Mathematics deadline: MONDAY, MAY 7, 2012
– Please submit completed application to Ida.
– The Mathematics Department has a quota of 3 submissions per award.
– The Mathematics Department falls under Division III.

Complete and submit one 2012 University Wide Award application form

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/Assets/SGS+Digital+Assets/current/2012-2013+SGS+Awards/2012-13+University+Wide+Awards+Application.pdf

and one reference letter only; these may be used for multiple awards. Indicate on the Application Cover Sheet, the individual awards for which you are eligible and would like to be considered for by your graduate unit. Please refer to the application instructions

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/Assets/SGS+Digital+Assets/current/2012-2013+SGS+Awards/2012-13+University+Wide+Awards+Information+Sheet.pdf

for further details. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The University-Wide Awards identified as OSOTF are only open to eligible students who are Canadian citizens, Permanent Residents of Canada or Protected Persons and demonstrates financial need as indicated on a completed Financial Needs Assessment Form. Students must meet all the requirements of the specific award in addition to the OSOTF requirements.

Inquiries on these awards should be forwarded to university.awards@sgs.utoronto.ca

Student Application Deadline to SGS: Wednesday February 1, 2012

Purpose

There are 2 types of Mackenzie King Scholarships:  the “Open” Scholarship and the “Travelling” Scholarship. Both were established to support graduates of Canadian universities who are pursuing graduate studies.  Further information about these scholarships can be obtained here:  http://www.mkingscholarships.ca/index-e.html

Mackenzie King “Open” Scholarship

Open to graduates of any Canadian university who are pursuing postgraduate (Master’s or Doctoral/PhD) study in any field, in Canada or elsewhere. Its value has been $10,000.00, but could be subject to change.  Only 1 “Open” Scholarship is awarded annually at the National competition – applicants interested in applying need be aware of the extremely competitive nature of the award.

Mackenzie King “Travelling” Scholarship

Open to graduates of any Canadian university who are pursuing postgraduate (Master’s or Doctoral/PhD) study in either the United States or the United Kingdom in the subject area of international relations or industrial relations (these aspects also included within law, history, politics and economics).  This scholarship has previously been awarded to 4 individuals annually ($11,000.00 each), but the number and value could be subject to change.

Eligibility

• If a candidate is offered an award, they are not permitted to accept the award in conjunction with any other major award totaling over $15,000 (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR, etc.) – however, this amount is subject to change.
• At the time of this application, applicants must either be currently studying in a Canadian university or be a graduate of a Canadian university (and be pursuing graduate studies).

Nomination Process

Departments are not responsible for nominating students for this competition – students must submit their entire application package in hard copy directly to the Graduate Awards Office (Rm 202, 2^nd floor, 63 St.George Street) by the deadline. Late applications, or late application materials, will not be accepted.

Application Package for both scholarships:

• 1 completed and signed application form http://www.mkingscholarships.ca/MKAppFrmsE.pdf

(if applying to both scholarships, indicate so at the top of the application form)

• Sheets “A” and “B” (each must be typed, clearly state “Sheet A” and “Sheet B” at the top along with the applicant’s name – details regarding these sheets are found on the application form)
• Certified copies of transcripts from all universities attended (ROSI transcripts are not acceptable). Certified photocopies International transcripts may be made at the Graduate Unit and submitted with the application.
• 3 Letters of Reference Total:

Two letters from:

• person under whom the applicant has taken major work at university and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study
• senior colleague with whom the applicant has been associated in academic teaching/research and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study

And one letter from:

• from a person who can ascribe to the same descriptions above or at least has intimate knowledge of the applicant’s record and ability and is able to give a critical evaluation of the applicant’s plans for graduate study

Each reference letter must clearly state the name and contact information of the referee and must also be signed by the referee; the referee must also seal the letter and sign across the seal

*In order to avoid the loss or misplacement of documents, applicants must assemble the entire application package and submit it themselves in hardcopy to the Graduate Awards Office by the deadline.*

Important Notes

• It is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that the content within the application form is correctly entered, that all required supporting documentation is provided and adheres to all specified limitations, and that the complete application package is submitted no later than the GAO deadline.
• Applicants will not be notified of any missing documentation after the application has been submitted.
• Documentation that is sent directly to the Board that administers these scholarships will not be considered in this competition.

Results

• All applicants will be notified in March on whether or not their application will be forwarded on to the official competition (UofT is only permitted to nominate 2 individuals for the “Open” Scholarship and 2 individuals for the “Travelling” Scholarship).
• Decisions in this national competition are usually announced by end of May.

Deadline:

Wednesday February 1^st, 2012

• The entire application package must be received at the Graduate Awards Office (63 St.George Street, Rm 202, 2^nd floor) in hardcopy no later than 4pm on Wednesday February 1^st, 2012 (office-hours are 10am-4pm).

Please feel free to contact me with any further questions,

Erin McMahon

Awards Officer, Federal

University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies

63 St. George Street, Toronto ON, M5S 2Z9

P: 416-978-8260 F: 416-971-2864

erin.mcmahon@sgs.utoronto.ca

This is an important reminder of the ABSOLUTE deadlines for
COMPLETE scholarship applications.  All students receiving departmental 
funding must apply for at least one of the government
scholarships if they qualify and will be registered 
in our programs of study in 2012-13:

NSERC POSTGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE:
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE:
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Information about what to do is available on our Graduate Blog:
http://blog.math.toronto.edu/GraduateBlog/2011/09/12/vanier-nserc-ogs-scholarships/

Please be reminded too that all letters of recommendation and transcripts
must be submitted by the dates above.

SGS Student Award Workshops for 2011

Workshops are offered in September by SGS Awards Officers for students 
interested in applying for Federal and Provincial scholarships/fellowships 
and are highly recommended. Federal Programs (NSERC & SSHRC) require 
that applicants be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada 
however OGS does offer a limited number of scholarships to 
international students.

Videos, webinars and student resource centers may also be available 
on the respective agency's website.

St. George Campus: Friday, September 16, 2011
NSERC & OGS: 10:00-12:00pm
Location: Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George Street
Room: 2135 Amphitheater