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Graduate student awards

External awards for domestic graduate students


External awards for international graduate students


Other external awards

  • Autism Scholars Award (closed)

    The Autism Scholars Awards Program was established with the support of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars studying autism.

    Internal deadline: December 1

    • Master's: $18,000
    • Doctoral: $20,000

    Visit Autism Scholars award website

  • Canadian Water Resources Association Scholarship in Water Resources (closed)

    The Canadian Water Resources Association offers six scholarships annually available to graduate students whose programs of study focus upon applied, natural, or social science aspects of water resources.

    All six scholarships are awarded through a single application process. Selection of the award recipients is based on the overall ranking of the applications.

    Dillon Consulting Scholarship - $5,000
    This premier scholarship will be awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants. Funding is provided by Dillon Consulting Limited on an annual basis.

    Golder Scholarship for Indigenous Students in Water - $2,000
    Awarded to the highest ranked Indigenous applicant who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. Funding for the 2022 scholarship has been provided by Golder Associates.

    Harker/Cameron - Women in Water Scholarship - $2,000
    Awarded to the highest ranked female applicant who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Jennifer Harker and Valerie Cameron.

    Rick Ross Student Scholarship - $2,000
    Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to recognize the ongoing legacy of Rick Ross.

    Ken Thomson Scholarship - $2,000
    Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship is presented to honour the legacy of the late Ken Thomson.

    CWRA Memorial Scholarship - $1,500
    Awarded to the highest ranked of all applicants who has not already been awarded a higher-ranking scholarship. This scholarship represents a tribute to CWRA members through their colleagues’ donations.

    Visit Canadian Water Resources Association Award website

  • Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Graduate Scholarship (closed)

    In Ms. Lassonde’s memory, one $15,000 award is granted to a woman studying engineering full-time at the PhD level.

    This is an ambassadorial award and applicants must demonstrate they are leaders, ambassadors for the profession and serve as role models for other women who dream of becoming engineers.

    Eligibility:

    • Must self-identify as a female
    • Possess Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residency Status
    • Be currently enrolled full-time at a PhD level in an accredited Engineering Program within Canada
    • Must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited Canadian engineering program, or have a P. Eng. designation or be a recognized E.I.T. in their province of residence.

    VISIT Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Graduate AWARD WEBSITE

  • John Charles Polanyi Prizes for postdoctoral research (closed)
    To honour the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Ontario Government established a fund to award John Charles Polanyi Prizes annually to up to five outstanding researchers or scholars who are in the early stages of their careers and at Ontario universities.
    • Resident of Ontario
    • Have received their doctoral degree from any recognized university in the world on or after September 1, 2020, or, if the doctoral degree has not yet been awarded, be confident that they will have completed all degree requirements by May 31, 2024 (an applicant who was on parental leave between the time of completion of the doctorate and the time of application may have their period of eligibility extended by six months);
    • Either be planning to continue to post-doctoral studies, or hold a faculty appointment, in a recognized publicly assisted university in Ontario.
    • $20,000
    • Internal deadline: December 1

    VISIT John Charles Polanyi AWARD WEBSITE

  • London Goodenough Association of Canada - LGAC (closed)

    The scholarship is available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. Applicants must be full-time students enrolling in or currently enrolled in an accredited graduate program in London, UK, or undertaking thesis research (Masters or Doctoral) in London while enrolled in a graduate program of study elsewhere. 

    For 2022-23, the LGAC plans to award three or more scholarships with a value up to £6,000 each, as well as the Jackman Foundation scholarship valued at £10,000. Scholarships are awarded principally on the basis of academic excellence, but also take into account the expected contribution that winners will make to the extracurricular life at Goodenough College.

    Learn more about this award

  • MacKenzie King Scholarship (closed)

    Two classes of Mackenzie King Scholarship are available to graduates of Canadian universities: the Open Scholarship and the Travelling Scholarship. Both are to support graduate study.

    The Open Scholarship is available to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in any discipline, in Canada or elsewhere.  One Open Scholarship is awarded each year. 

    The Travelling Scholarship is available to graduates of Canadian universities who pursue graduate study in the United States or the United Kingdom in the areas of international relations or industrial relations.  

    • Open scholarship: One award valued at $11,000
    • Travelling scholarship: Four awards valued at $12,500

    Deadline: February 1, 2022

    LEARN MORE ABOUT THE MACKENZIE KING SCHOLARSHIP

  • Ontario Women's Health Scholars Awards (closed)

    The Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards Program was established with the support of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars studying women’s health.

    Internal deadline: December 1

    For the academic year 2024-25, the program offers up to:

    • two one-year awards of $25,000 (plus a research allowance of $1,000) at the master’s level;
    • three renewable one-year awards of $35,000 (plus a research allowance of $2,000) at the doctoral level; and
    • two one-year awards of $50,000 (plus a research allowance of $5,000) at the postdoctoral level.

    VISIT Ontario Women's Health Scholars AWARD WEBSITE

  • Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada Awards

    Graduate Student Award of Merit: At least three awards, each in the amount of $3500, will be awarded annually to the women graduate students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the university or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.

    Eligibility:

    Women registered in Master's or PhD programs at any Member Institution of Universities Canada within a designated region are eligible to be nominated. Regions and number of awards are defined as follows, and eligibility shall rotate among them: 

    Atlantic Provinces (2022) - 4 awards
    Ontario (2023) - 5 awards
    Western Provinces (2024) - 4 awards
    Quebec (2025) - 4 awards

    VISIT Senior Women Academic Administrator AWARD WEBSITE

    SWAAC Student Leadership Award: At least two awards, each in the amount of $3500, will be awarded annually to the women students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the college or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.

    Eligibility:

    Women who are registered at any Member Institution of CIC (Colleges and Institutes Canada) within a designated region are eligible to be nominated. Regions are defined as follows, and eligibility shall rotate among them:

    Atlantic Provinces (2022)
    ​Ontario (2023)
    ​Western Provinces (2024)
    Quebec (2025)

    Visit Senior Women Academic Administrator Award Website

    Student Award in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: An award, in the amount of $3500, will be given annually to a woman university or college student * who advances equity, diversity and inclusion within and/or outside their institution through outstanding dedication and excellence or community outreach and activism. 

    Eligibility:

    Students should demonstrate an exceptional commitment to and engagement with a particular issue of social justice, community, and/or community organization.  Such community activism can take place on or off campus. Regions are defined as follows, and eligibility shall rotate among them:  

    Atlantic Provinces (2022)  
    Ontario (2023)  
    Western Provinces (2024)
    Quebec (2025) 

    Visit Senior Women Academic Administrator Award Website

  • Soroptimist Foundation of Canada Grants for Women (closed)

    The Soroptimist Foundation of Canada annually offers several $8,500 grants to female graduate students in Canada to assist them with university studies which will qualify them for careers which will improve the quality of women’s lives. Examples include but are not limited to: providing medical services, providing legal counselling and assistance, counselling mature women entering or re-entering the labour market, counselling women in crisis, counselling and training women for non-traditional employment, and positions in women’s centres.

    To be eligible, an applicant must be:

    • A female, (or identify as female).
    • A Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
    • An accepted registrant in a full-time graduate studies program (Masters or PhD) or professional program at a similar level (medicine, law) in an accredited Canadian university, at the time of the application deadline. Note: Your university must belong to Universities Canada. A list of these universities can be found on their website https://www.univcan.ca/. Note ineligible conditions: BA level studies, a medical residency program, attending a college that is not affiliated with a Canadian university.
    • Pursuing a course of studies which will lead to a career to improve the quality of women’s lives.
    • Committed to working in Canada for at least two years after graduation.
    • Intending to use the award for academic studies in the academic year following receipt of award.
    • Contributing to your community through volunteer service.
    • Needing financial assistance.

    VISIT Soroptimist Foundation of Canada AWARD WEBSITE

  • Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships (closed)

    A three-year program designed to train Engaged Leaders, equipping outstanding doctoral candidates with the skills to translate their ideas into action, for the betterment of their communities, Canada, and the world.

    To apply to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

    • You must be already accepted into or in year one or two of a full-time doctoral program, and expected to complete your doctoral studies in 2025 or later.
    • Your field of study is broadly related to the humanities or human sciences of direct relevance to the future of Canada; (please refer to the FAQ for more details and read up on past scholarship recipients)
    • Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment.
    • Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident of Canada or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

    VISIT Trudeau Foundation Doctoral AWARD WEBSITE


Donor awards


Grad Conference Travel Awards

  • Overview

    The Graduate Student Research Travel Award provides financial support to graduate students in thesis-based programs who are attending and presenting research at academic or professional conferences.

    Learn more about Conference Travel Award


Receiving your award (OGS, OGSST, CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC, donor and other)

  • Acceptance and activation
    Accept the offer of award from the agency following the instructions provided in the offer letter, and then activate it for payment by completing the required agency forms.

    Review the harmonized Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder's Guide.

    Initiate the payment process at Ontario Tech University by completing the Graduate Award Activation Form.
  • Annual progress reports (doctoral students)
    Any student who holds a NSERC multi-year award at the doctoral level must fill out an annual progress report in order to receive the next three terms of the award.

    These reports need to be submitted each year as per the following schedule:

    • April 1 – May anniversaries
    • July 1 – September anniversaries
    • December 1 – January anniversaries
     Completed forms and questions can be directed to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
  • Revised funding
    Recipients of external scholarships and fellowships may have their funding package reviewed. Revised funding may be issued for the duration of the award.
  • Method of payment

    At Ontario Tech University the annual value of an award is divided into three equal installments and each is pre-paid to the award holder’s tuition account at the beginning of every term (September, January and May), unless otherwise specified by the agency. Payments are made before the tuition payment deadline and until the award has expired or until the student no longer meets the eligibility requirements outlined by the scholarship program(s).

    These external organizations may require students who are completing their degree early to repay a portion of the scholarship.

  • Income tax reporting

    T4A slips for scholarships and bursaries are issued by the finance department and can be viewed by signing in to MyOntarioTech. For questions or concerns, please contact studentar@ontariotechu.ca.

    Questions can be directed to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (905.721.8668 ext. 6209 or gradscholarships@ontariotechu.ca).


Download Grad Studies Guidebook Scholarship Tips and Tricks