External Awards

Given below are descriptions of the three federally-funded awards which are the major sources of externally-funded support for S.F.U. graduate students. Applicants must be citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada at the time of application. Recipients of these awards who are changing their linguistic milieus may be eligible for additional stipends. Applications for these awards become available in September. For further information, consult the external agency, the departmental graduate program chair or the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS) are available to students of science, engineering, physical geography, experimental psychology and a number of related interdisciplinary areas including computing science and kinesiology. Master's level awards are tenable only in the first two years of a master's program and doctoral awards only in the first four years of graduate studies.   Awards are valued at $17,300 (master's) or $21,000 (doctoral) per annum. Applicants who are currently in attendance at S.F.U. - either undergraduate or graduate - submit their applications to their departments in early October. Applications are ranked within subject areas by an S.F.U. committee and recommended applications sent to NSERC, which announces final results in March.   NSERC also offers a small number of Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPGS) awards which provide support to graduate students whose thesis research is undertaken in collaboration with an industrial sponsor.   Application for the IPGS may be made at any time via the Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies.   Full information is available at www.nserc.ca.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Doctoral Fellowships are available to students of the humanities and social sciences and are valued at $19,000 per annum. They are normally tenable in the first 4 years of a Doctoral program. Applicants who are currently in attendance at S.F.U. submit their applications to their departments in early October. Applications are ranked within subject areas by an S.F.U. committee and recommended applications sent to SSHRC, which announces final results in April or May. Full information is available at www.sshrc.ca.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

Student support is available through supervisors who are holders of CIHR research grants. They also offer Doctoral Research Award programs. Full information is available at www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca.

The Canada Graduate Scholarships Program

This program offers funding through NSERC and SSHRC. Applicants who apply for the NSERC or SSHRC annual competitions are also considered for the Canada Graduate Scholarships Program. It is a one-year only award with a value at $17,500.

There are also other more specifically targeted, externally funded awards ranging in value up to about $20,000.   Please consult the Graduate Awards Guide or the departmental graduate program chair for information on awards relevant to particular graduate programs.