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Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Since 1975, the OGS program has been providing merit-based scholarships to Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study. In 1998, the Ontario government introduced the QEII-GSST, a merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically toward graduate students in science and technology.

Please note: The funding and university quotas for the OGS and QEII-GSST programs are contingent on the continued support from the provincial government.

  • Value and duration
    $15,000 annually or $5,000 per term for a minimum of two terms and a maximum of three terms
  • Quotas
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) - 28
    • Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) - 7

    Quota are determined by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities each year.

  • Deadline

    The web-based OGS application and supporting documentation must be submitted to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) by December 1, 2024 at 8 p.m. (ET)

    If the December 1 deadline falls on a weekend, the application deadline is the following business day by 8 p.m. EST.

  • Eligibility

    To be considered for an OGS/QEII*, a student must be:

    • A Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person [under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protections Act (Canada)] at the time of the OGS application deadline date.
    • International students who are studying in Ontario with a student study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) are eligible for the allotted international student award.
    • Within their standard program length (normally four years of full-time study, or equivalent) for a doctoral student.
    • Enrolled or plan to enrol in a full-time research-based program at Ontario Tech for the academic year following the year of application that leads to a graduate degree and is approved for operating grant purposes by the ministry.

    *To be considered for a QEII-GSST award, a student must be enrolled in a research master's or doctoral program in a science and technology discipline.

    Students who have OSAP restrictions may apply to an OGS if the other eligibility criteria are met; however, they must clear the restrictions before the funds may be disbursed. An OGS may be cancelled if the OSAP restrictions cannot be cleared.

    Minimum academic requirements

    An applicant must, at minimum, meet the following academic requirements:

    • Students entering the first or second year of graduate studies at the time of application deadline must have achieved a first-class average (at least 3.70/4.30 or A‐, or the equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).

    • Students entering the third year or beyond of graduate studies at the time of application deadline must have an overall average of at least A-, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed.

    • If master’s or doctoral degree marks used for calculating an applicant’s grade point average (GPA) are not available (e.g., courses were graded on a pass/fail basis), then SGPS will use the most recently available university marks to calculate an applicant’s GPA.

    Recipients cannot be enrolled in a qualifying or make-up year, or be on a paid educational leave or sabbatical.

    Concurrent support

    Recipients may not concurrently hold an OGS or QEII-GSST award in addition to a tri-council award, including:

    • The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Program (SSHRC).
    • The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Program (NSERC).
    • The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).

    Maximum support

    Students cannot exceed a lifetime maximum of six years of government-funded graduate awards. Awards under the following programs are counted towards this lifetime maximum:

    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)
    • Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEIIGSST)
    • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
    • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
    • Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
    • Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS)
  • How to apply

    Application requirements

    A complete application includes the following:

    Online application

    ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

    Study permit

    • Temporary resident visa student – study permit (if applicable)

    References

    • Two academic assessment reports are required. Academic assessments are submitted online. Please note that there are different assessments for master's and doctoral candidates.
    • Please note: students must be sending their academic referees the links to access the referee forms.

    Academic Assessment Report: Master's

    Academic Assessment Report: Doctoral

    Transcripts

    Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions must be attached to the application (unofficial Ontario Tech transcripts from MyOntarioTech are permitted).

    Important note for prospective students

    Prospective students who are interested in holding an OGS at Ontario Tech must apply for admission into a graduate program by February 1.

    Students must submit an OGS application to each institution for which they are seeking admission. OGS awards are no longer transferable from one university to another.

  • Adjudication process

    All application files will be accepted, reviewed and processed by SGPS.

    Eligible applications are reviewed first by a Faculty Selection Committee and then by a University Selection Committee.

    Doctoral-level OGS applications are evaluated based on the following selection criteria (weightings):

    Area of assessment
    Score
    Academic excellence /30
    Research ability or potential /50
    Communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities /20

    Master's-level OGS applications are evaluated based on the following selection criteria (weightings):

    Area of assessment
    Score
    Academic excellence /50
    Research potential /30
    Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills /20
  • Results

    Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the competition no later than April 30.

  • Resources and questions

    To access the online presentations, tips for preparing scholarships applications and samples of winning research proposals, visit the Scholarship Tips and Tricks website.

    If you have any questions about this or any other scholarship competition, contact gradscholarships@ontariotechu.ca.

  • Acknowledgements

    The university gratefully acknowledges the following donors who provide matching funds for the Ontario Graduate Scholarships presented in 2022-23.

    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by The Alger Family
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by S.M. Blair Family Foundation
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Carpenters Union Local 397
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Clinical Laboratory Leaders of Ontario
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by The Dermarkar Family
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Forum Investment and Development Corporation
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Carol Gifford
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Glasshouse Systems
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Judy Goldring
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Harcharan and Prem Singh Foundation
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Hayball Foundation
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Stanley and Wilma Lovell
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Marigold Ford
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Patricia Sammy, Caribbean Friendship Event 
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Mark Mulroney
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Paradise Developments
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Sharon and Richard Swain
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Tamarac Consulting Limited
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by Chris Tambakis
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship, supported by The Zilinsky Family