Funding and Awards

Admission cannot be granted until a position and financial support has been defined. It is therefore imperative that all graduate students have a firm commitment from a Faculty member for supervision and financial support.

Funding

Students accepted into the MBB graduate program are guaranteed financial support.

Effective Fall 2023 the minimum stipend is $27,000 for MSc students and $29,000 for PhD students.

This guaranteed level of financial support is typically achieved through a variety of sources such as scholarships, fellowships, teaching assistantships and graduate research assistantships.

Normally, full financial support is provided through a combination of mechanisms, generally requiring that the Supervisor agree to provide a graduate research assistantship for at least one term per year. You should discuss your financial assistance expectations with your proposed Supervisor. While holding such support, you are expected to be engaged full time in your course work, research, and teaching duties.

The financial support offered to MBB students does not include tuition and fees.

MBB Graduate Scholarships and Awards

Graduate Awards

These award amounts are incorporated into regular MBB graduate stipends, and do not increase base stipend rates. The Graduate Program Assistant announces a competition for these awards, typically, in May.

GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS (GF)

MBB holds an annual Graduate Fellowship (GF) competition (valued at $7000). Cumulative grade point average (CGPA) requirement is 3.50.

PRESIDENT'S PHD SCHOLARSHIP (PS)

President's PHD Scholarship reward PhD students who have made excellent progress in their degree, completing all university and program requirements. This award is held during or before the student's 12th term. Students who did not complete a Master's program before transferring into a PhD are eligible to hold the award within the first 12 terms of their PhD, from the PhD start date.

This award is not awarded in addition to the MBB annual graduate stipend, but is offered as an alternative to TA, and full RA funding, to allow the recipient to focus on writing their thesis.

Graduate Travel and Research Award (TARA)

This award amount is offered in addition to regular stipend funding.

The Graduate Travel and Research Award (TARA) is designed to encourage student participation in conferences or research opportunities outside of SFU. The goal of this program is to provide travel opportunities for MBB students, facilitating involvement in scientific events that would normally be prohibitively expensive for their supervisor.

Value: $2,000

Application Deadline: August 31, 2022

Applicant Requirements:

• Domestic and international students are eligible
• While holding this award, the student must be registered full time and in good academic standing
• MSc students must hold the award within 9 terms of the beginning of their program; PhD students must hold the award within 15 terms of beginning their program. These times may be extended for students who have taken an approved leave. Students who did not complete a MSc program before transferring into a PhD are eligible to hold the travel award within the first 15 terms of their PhD, from the PhD start date.
• Evidence of outstanding research achievement
• Formal participation in the event (e.g. presentation of a poster or talk at a scientific conference)

How to apply:

Students will submit an application package electronically (as one pdf file) to the MBB Grad Assistant at mbb@sfu.ca. This must include (in the order below):
• 1-page statement of interest from the student, which includes the following information:
   o A description of the proposed travel (research opportunity or conference)
   o A description of how participation in this research opportunity or conference will enhance the student’s ability to study, network, job seek, or market published/unpublished work.
   o A brief outline of the student’s research (NOT a full research proposal), highlighting recent results or pending publications that could be presented at a conference
• A reference letter from the supervising faculty, which includes the following information:
   o A brief description of the work the student will be presenting at the conference or performing at the remote location
   o A commitment to pay any expenses incurred at this event that exceed the value of the TARA
• Graduate program transcripts

Application packages will be adjudicated by the Scholarship Committee. Priority will be given to participation in national/international events, and to students nearing the end of their graduate program. This award can only be held by a student once during their graduate program.

Awardees and supervising faculty will be notified of the results of the TARA competition in mid-September.

SFU Donor Awards - MBB only

Most of these award amounts are incorporated into regular MBB graduate stipends, and do not increase base stipend rates.

SFU Donor Awards - other

Most of these award amounts are incorporated into regular MBB graduate stipends, and do not increase base stipend rates.

For a list of other SFU Donor Awards, mostly applicable to MBB graduate students, see: https://www.sfu.ca/gradstudies/awards-funding/internal-donor-funded/mbb.html

Other External Awards

This award amount is offered in addition to regular stipend funding.

Please refer to SFU Graduate Studies Other External Awards Page.

Graduate Studies Awards + Funding

Please visit Awards + Funding on the Graduate Studies website for more information, terms of reference and timelines on all awards.

Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Funding & Awards