Students at WGSI compete successfully for a variety of scholarship and fellowship support, both within and outside the University. Unlike teaching assistantships, these awards are grants to the students and do not require the student to provide any services to the Department. Some scholarship funds are restricted to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants, others are restricted to foreign students from specific countries or groups of countries, while still others are restricted to students with particular research interests. The external awards are highly competitive.
The two main external sources for Canadian master’s students are the federal and provincial governments. At the federal level, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) administers a Master’s scholarship (the Canadian Graduate Scholarship Master’s, or CGSM) and at the provincial level, Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) are available for master’s students. Applications submitted are for the following academic year; therefore students who are interested in undertaking graduate studies should apply for these scholarships in the year preceding the year that they hope to begin their studies. If registered at an Ontario university, apply through your home university; other Canadian applicants should contact OGS, NSERC or SSHRC. OGS deadlines at the University of Toronto are generally from March to May; SSHRC deadlines are typically in early September.
ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP (OGS):
The Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities recently transferred the administration of OGS awards to participating universities. The Ministry will continue to be responsible for setting OGS eligibility criteria and program policies. Please note that students must submit an OGS application to each institution for which they are seeking admission. OGS awards are no longer transferrable from one university to another.
The University of Toronto will be responsible for intake, processing, adjudication and awarding of the OGS scholarships. Individual academic units within U of T will now be responsible for adjudicating the OGS awards and selecting eligible students based on academic excellence.
1. OGS Eligibility Requirements:
Please see the School of Graduate Studies’ (SGS) OGS page to view application procedures and eligibility requirements.
This award is valued at $5000 per session, for a total of $15,000 per academic year (i.e. all three semesters)
2. OGS Application Guide for Students (Instructions for completing online application):
SGS maintains an OGS Application Guide for Students.
Please note that applicants are required to provide two academic references (not work references). Referees are required to submit their references on-line.
3. OGS Online Application Form:
To access the OGS Online Application Form, please visit the SGS OGS page. Make sure that you preview your application documents before uploading them.
Canada Graduate Research Scholarships — Doctoral program
The Canada Graduate Research Scholarships—Doctoral (CGRS D) program is a federal program of scholarships awarded through national competitions by the granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The program aims to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGRS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.
Please refer to the Tri-Agency CGRS D website for complete eligibility requirements.
Please email wgsi.programs@utoronto.ca once you have submitted your application.
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Graduate Scholarships
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship— Master’s SSHRC
To support outstanding students who are pursuing advanced research training at the master’s level in the social sciences or humanities. Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, graduating with an A- average. Students must apply online via the Granting Agencies’ Research Portal at SSHRC website. The research portal will open in early September and close in DECEMBER. When you go onto the SSHRC website, click on “Funding/Talent Program/Funding Opportunities.” For details about how to prepare a SSHRC application, go to “Funding/How to Apply/Resource Centre.” Applicants should ensure that they verify their documents before they upload them to the system. Students apply to the institution where they are registered (or intend to register) and expect to hold the award. The research portal will permit applicants to select multiple universities where they wish to hold the award. Graduate units will review, rank and submit quota applications to be centrally adjudicated at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) at U of T. SGS communicates official results and offers to CGS-M awardees via the Research Portal in April. As CGS-M awards are no longer portable, students must accept and hold the award at the institution making the offer.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship—Doctoral SSHRC
To support outstanding students who are pursuing advanced research training at the doctoral level in the social sciences or humanities. Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, graduating with an A- average. Applications are available via the SSHRC research portal at SSHRC website. Click on “Funding/Talent Program/Funding Opportunities.” For details about how to prepare a SSHRC application, go to “Funding/How to Apply/Resource Centre.” Students who are attending institutions other than the University of Toronto or who are not currently registered at the University of Toronto must apply directly to the SSHRC website. Students currently registered in the Ph.D. Degree Program in Women and Gender Studies should consult with the WGSI Program Office regarding the departmental SSHRC application submission deadline.