Additional funding for eligible PhD students to begin fall 2023

Research graduate students are critical to SFU. Through the work of research graduate students significant discoveries are made, understanding is deepened, and outcomes are realized. Their work is deeply valued and sought-after by SFU’s world-class faculty, and has a lasting impact on SFU students. In fact, support for research students emerged as the most common theme during the extensive consultation for the Strategic Research Plan, which launched January 2023.

To address the feedback, and in response to the current economic environment, the university began to work on a broad plan that takes steps to support graduate students. We are pleased to share that SFU’s Board of Governors approved a first step in this work, which will have an immediate effect for Doctoral research students.

A scholarship contribution of $5,400 will be awarded to eligible PhD students entering programs this fall and those in the first four years of their program. We estimate this will impact 800 PhD students.

The next step in the plan, as noted in the SRP, will set funding minimums of guaranteed support for all eligible PhD students for the incoming 2024-2025 term.

We recognize further support for research graduate students is needed, and we are committed to consistent progress. As we proceed with next steps, we will share more information with graduate students and the SFU community.

Jeff Derksen
Dean and associate provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Wade Parkhouse
Provost and vice-president academic, pro tem

Dugan O’Neil
Vice-president, Research and International