APPLYING SUCCESSFULLY FOR GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING

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2 APPLYING SUCCESSFULLY FOR GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING Brendan Morey, Director Graduate Awards and Development Erica Hirschberger, Awards Coordinator September 4, 2013

3 This presentation reviews the processes and application materials for the annual Tri- Agency / Affiliated Fellowships competition administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. This competition provides an example of a competitive, graduate-level scholarship competition. This competition has a great deal in common with other graduate scholarship competitions, though some details will differ.

4 Competition Overview Vanier Affiliated Fellowships NSERC SSHRC CIHR Graduate Program Review apps for eligibility and completeness Rank applications Forward top apps to Grad Studies Grad Studies

5 Competition Overview Grad Studies Review apps for eligibility and completeness Forward eligible apps to one of six adjudication committees Nat Sci & Eng 1 Nat Sci & Eng 2 Health Sci Soc Sci 1 Soc Sci 2 Hum Master Ranking List

6 Competition Overview Master Ranking List 1. Jones Affiliated 2. Singh - Affiliated 3. Cushan - NSERC 4. Wong - NSERC 5. Thompson - SSHRC 6. Wright - NSERC 7. Tennebrau - Affiliated 8. Lowrie - CIHR 9. Etc. Top NSERC apps forwarded to NSERC (doctoral) / offered CGSM (Master s) Top SSHRC apps forwarded to SSHRC (doctoral) / offered CGSM (Master s) Top CIHR CGSM apps offered CGSM (Master s)

7 Competition Overview Vanier, NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR release doctoral results in late March to late April UBC release first round of CGSM results 1 April UBC release Affiliated Fellowship results early May

8 CGS Harmonization Incoming vs. Outgoing model Application reviewed by up to five universities Common deadline for all CGSM applicants: 1 December CGSM funding decisions made by universities Doctoral competition to be harmonized in fall 2014

9 Academic Standing To be eligible for any of these competitions, you must have first-class academic standing in each of the last two years of full-time study

10 Which Application? CGSM (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) CIHR Doctoral NSERC Doctoral SSHRC Doctoral Affiliated Fellowships Vanier* *Vanier Scholarships are adjudicated through a separate, parallel competition

11 Citizenship International students are eligible to apply only to the Affiliated Fellowships competition. International students are not eligible for the NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR competitions* *exception: Vanier Scholarships

12 Research Area Natural sciences and engineering OR Social sciences and humanities OR Health sciences

13 Months of Study Each award types has restrictions on the number of months of study you have completed as of a certain date Limits and dates are different for each agency, so pay careful attention

14 Where to Submit Where you submit your application depends on the funding agency and your current registration status Options: Current university Former university Directly to funding agency Make sure you get it right!

15 Deadlines Make sure you know which deadline applies to you Deadline to grad program vs. deadline to agency Signature deadlines Do not submit after the deadline your application will not be accepted

16 Selection Criteria Academic Excellence academic record; scholarships and awards held; and duration of previous studies Given more weight for Master s applicants, less for doctoral applicants

17 Selection Criteria Research ability or potential quality of contributions to research and development; relevance of work experience and academic training to field of proposed research; significance, feasibility, and merit of proposed research, and justification for location of tenure; critical thinking, problem-solving skills, originality

18 Selection Criteria Communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities ability or potential to communicate scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats professional and relevant extracurricular interactions and collaborations work experience, community involvement and other extracurricular activities

19 Application Materials Application form Canadian Common CV Research proposal Transcripts Reference letters

20 Application Form Like a résumé: make a good impression Fill in everything that applies to you Most forms are online (you ll need to create a username and password) Three key things to remember: Follow the instructions Follow the instructions Follow the instructions

21 Canadian Common CV Increasingly, funding agencies use Common CV ( Follow instructions Can be finicky when creating PDF file to upload to application form keep trying

22 Research Proposal One- to two-page summary of research you plan to do while funded Samples available on Grad Studies website

23 Research Proposal Significance/relevance of research question Hypothesis to be tested Match between research question and methodology Not too big and not too small Write for non-experts Font size and page margins

24 Transcripts Official transcripts All postsecondary studies (including programs undertaken but not completed) Talk to your graduate program about which transcripts they need from you

25 Reference Letters At least two, sometimes three Ask potential referees (they may say no) Help your referees help you; provide the following to your referees: Application form Proposal Transcripts Selection criteria Highlights sheet

26 Ethics and Integrity Application must be an accurate picture of applicant Beware of hyperbole and embellishment Give credit where credit is due Review Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct Of Research ( Who should write the research proposal? Applicant alone? Applicant together with supervisor? Consequences

27 Last Advice Check your spelling Be careful about formatting (font sizes, margins, etc.) Have others read your application Follow the instructions *This is a very important project, and I am the very best person to do it*

28 Further Resources Prospective Students Scholarships, Awards & Funding Resources for Award Applicants

29 Contact Info Faculty of Graduate Studies Crescent Road

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