Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ : Awards and Financial Assistance for Graduate Students

Awards and Financial Assistance for Graduate Students

The Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ is very proud of its Graduate Student Awards program. In addition to recognizing academic achievement, scholarships are important in helping to bridge the gap between the rising cost of attending university and limited student income. Attracting top national and international students to the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ continues to be a very high priority.

We are extremely pleased that our donors share our commitment to graduate student awards, and we greatly appreciate the financial support offered by all of our valued donors.

Full-time students registered in a graduate degree program at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ are eligible for awards and financial assistance.

Scholarship information, application forms and instructions are found through the searchable awards database on the web at .

Additional information is available from your program. Because this Awards List is published a considerable time before the opening of the session, the University reserves the right to make whatever changes circumstances may require, including cancellation or addition of particular awards.

I. University Assistantships

University Graduate Assistantships are governed by the Collective Agreement between the Governors of the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ and the Graduate Studentsâ€™ Association. Each year teaching units have available varying numbers of graduate assistantships to be awarded on the basis of merit. Individuals interested in such appointments should contact the appropriate program administrator for information about eligibility, application deadlines and procedures. The stipends indicated are subject to change without notice. Appointments are available from most units in which graduate programs are offered. Categories of appointment include Graduate Assistantships (Teaching and Non-Teaching).

Graduate Assistantships (GA, Teaching/Non-teaching)
A Graduate Assistantship (Teaching) is an appointment made to assist with the instructional responsibilities of departments or faculties. GA(T)s are appointed to provide teaching or instructional service, which might encompass lecturing assistance, laboratory supervision, office hours, grading assignments, tutorial direction, assistance in preparation of demonstration and instructional aids, and other related academic duties.

A Graduate Assistantship (Non-Teaching) is an appointment made to assist departments and/or professors with non-teaching responsibilities. The duties of a GA(NT) may include, for example, collecting research data, interviewing research subjects, bibliographic work or general research services.

Remuneration paid to Graduate Assistants must comply with the Collective Agreement or the regulations of the agency providing the funds. The stipend is listed in the Collective Agreement.

Research Assistantships (employment)
A graduate student employed as a research assistant builds academic experience by assisting with a research project, with duties similar to those described above for a Graduate Assistantship (Non-Teaching). RA appointments are funded from the research support accounts for University faculty who select and recommend graduate students for such appointments. The stipends vary. This type of support is arranged directly between graduate students and their prospective supervisors.

II. Project Employment

This is funded from a research account to provide a direct service in connection with a faculty member's research. This research is normally not related to the student's program and/or area of research. The service provided is normally supervised by someone other than the student's supervisor and is treated as regular employment.

III. Sessional Instructorship

A department or faculty may appoint a graduate student as a Sessional Instructor to teach a course as Instructor of Record. Sessional Instructor appointments are Term Certain Appointments covered under the Collective Agreement between the Governors of the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ and the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ Faculty Association (). Normally, a student may not be a Sessional Instructor for more than one half-course or one full course at any one time.

IV. Dean's Entrance Scholarships (DES)

Awarded to Canadian or international students with excellent academic records and potential who will be entering a doctoral program at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ. Successful candidates must be registered full time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the time of tenure. Students receiving this award must hold or apply for major awards from such funding agencies as: NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Alberta Innovates, if eligible.

Graduate programs allocate these awards, and students should check with the program administrator for application procedures.

V. Faculty of Graduate Studies Scholarships (FGSS)

To be eligible for a Faculty of Graduate Studies Scholarship, students must be registered full-time in the Faculty of Graduate Studies in a thesis program at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ. Graduate programs allocate these awards, and students should check with the program administrator for application procedures.

VI. Graduate Students' Association Bursaries

The Graduate Students' Association makes available bursaries of up to $1,000 per year to students who at the time of tenure will be registered in a graduate program at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ and can demonstrate financial need. Application forms are available from the Graduate Students' Association, 350 MacEwan Student Centre, telephone 403.220.5997. Contact the GSA office for further information.

VII. Government Financial Assistance

The provincial and federal governments make assistance available to students in the form of loans. Students must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and provide sufficient evidence that financial assistance is essential to enable the student to continue her/his education. The amount of assistance varies. Students should contact their provincial funding office directly to obtain detailed information about the student loans, grants and bursaries offered through their province. Links to the out of province government loan websites are available from the Student Awards and Financial Aid website: .

VIII. International Students

International students planning to do graduate work at the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ should be aware that a number of Canadian scholarship programs require Canadian citizenship or permanent residence status. However, the Government of Canada does support a number of programs designed to assist individuals who wish to study in Canada on a Study Permit. These programs are usually organized through agencies of the individual's own government, and prospective students are encouraged to explore these possibilities. International students may apply for Graduate Assistantships and FGS Scholarships.

IX. Awards Offered by Government, Industry and Others

Many foundations, companies, professional organizations and other agencies offer financial support to graduate students. A number of international, national and provincial organizations award scholarships and fellowships, tenable at this and other universities. Details about many of these awards are available from the Graduate Awards Database which is found through the MyUofC portal or at .

X. University Research Grants - Committee (URGC) - Thesis/Dissertation Research Grants

The University Research Grants Committee recognizes that there are instances where standard funding for thesis research available through a program or faculty may not be adequate to meet certain special needs that are essential to the completion of a particular thesis research project.

The primary purpose of the URGC Thesis/Dissertation Research Grant program is to assist graduate students with exceptional or unanticipated costs that are essential to the completion of their thesis/dissertation projects, but that could not reasonably be anticipated when their project was approved. The expenses must be beyond the means of the student, laboratory or department. These awards are not intended to provide basic project funding. These awards are competitive. An application guide and the application form may be found at .

Further information is available through the Office of Research Services, Main Floor, 3512 33 St. NW, University Research Park, Calgary, Alberta. Telephone 403.220.6354.

XI. Conference Travel Grant (Graduate Students)

Graduate Student Travel Awards are made to assist graduate students in presenting the results of their thesis research at significant scientific or scholarly meetings, and equally, to provide students with an opportunity to gain experience in conference presentation and to meet colleagues in universities and industries who will be of importance to their future career.

Canadian and permanent residents will apply through the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Information and the application form may be found at .

International students will apply through the Office of Research Services Main Floor, 3512 33 St. NW, University Research Park Calgary, Alberta. Telephone: 403.220.6354.

XII. Awards in the Faculty of Graduate Studies

The Faculty of Graduate Studies Scholarship Committee awards the scholarships, bursaries and fellowships listed here.

Details of all awards administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies can be found in the searchable Graduate Awards Database found through the MyUofC portal or a link at .

Scholarships and fellowships are awarded on the basis of academic standing and demonstrated potential for advanced study and research. Normally, only Master's students in the first two years of program and doctoral students in the first four years of program are eligible to hold scholarships. If, in the opinion of the Graduate Scholarship Committee, a suitable candidate cannot be found, it reserves the right not to award any one or any number of scholarships in any year. Unless otherwise stated, awards are for one year only. The value and terms of the awards are subject to change without notice.

Written requests, endorsed by the supervisor and Graduate Program Director, for off-campus tenure of awards should be submitted to the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Notification of award is sent electronically to successful candidates as soon as possible after the adjudication. All award winners are asked to accept or decline the offer through the Student Centre as soon as possible and no later than the deadline stated in the notification of award. All award payments begin in September unless otherwise stated in the terms of reference.

Should it become known that a student is unqualified for any reason, the University reserves the right to terminate the award(s) and funds already paid out must be returned.

The following payment schedule applies to all awards in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, unless the terms of reference of the award specifies otherwise.

Amount of Award	Payment
Up to $2,500	One lump sum payment
$2,501 to $6,000	Paid in equal monthly installments over a four month term
$6,001 to $10,000	Paid in equal monthly installments over eight months
Awards over $10,000	Paid in equal monthly installments over twelve months

If a student has a successful final oral examination during the tenure of a scholarship, the award will be terminated at the end of the month in which the thesis is submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, unless otherwise specified in the terms of reference of the award, or at the date of the termination of the award, whichever comes first. No student can receive a total of more than the minimum tri-council scholarship value (currently $17,300) from awards made in the Izaak Walton Killam Doctoral, Open Doctoral, Special Awards and Bursaries competitions, and Program Recommended Awards.

A student holding external awards with a total value equal to or greater than the minimum tri-council scholarship is not eligible for funding from the Special Awards and Bursaries competition, Program Recommended awards or the Open Doctoral competition (with the exception of an Honorary Izaak Walton Killam Doctoral Scholarship).

A student who is awarded both a Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ scholarship (or combination of awards) and an external award equal to or greater than the amount stated above must take up the external award at the earliest possible date and decline the Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ scholarship(s) effective on that same date. In such a case, a student may include the offer of the forfeited award on a curriculum vitae.

The Deanâ€™s Entrance Scholarship (DES) and Travel Awards are not subject to the limits just described. Similarly, funds awarded by programs from their Graduate Student Support allocation are not subject to this limit.

Before accepting other forms of awards or remuneration, especially those involving service, students must check with the Graduate Scholarship Office, to ensure that acceptance of the award does not affect the holder's full-time registration status.

Students holding multiple year funding must submit a Scholarship Progress Report to the Faculty of Graduate Studies Scholarship Office not later than the end of the eleventh month of the registration year.

Adjudication Process	Method of Application
Izaak Walton Killam Pre-Doctoral Scholarship	On-line application: . Supporting documents sent to the graduate program in which the student will be registered. Contact the graduate program administrator for more information.
Open Doctoral Scholarship	On-line application: . Supporting documents sent to the graduate program in which the student will be registered. Contact the graduate program administrator for more information.
Recommended by Program	Variable, check the terms of referenceÂ with the graduate program administrator for details.
Special Awards	On-line application: . Supporting documents sent to the graduate program in which the student will be registered. Contact the graduate program administrator for more information.
Bursary	On-line application: . Supporting documents sent to the graduate program in which the student will be registered. Contact the graduate program administrator for more information. NOTE: Applicants must show financial need commensurate with the value of the award.

Full Terms of Reference and application documents for each award are available through the searchable database tool, found on the web atÂ Office
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Áù¾ÅÉ«ÌÃ
MacKimmie Library Tower, Room 213
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary AB T2N 1N4

Important note: Scholarship payments cannot be made if the student has not registered for the upcoming academic year. Students who have been awarded scholarships and other awards should register as soon as possible to ensure timely payment.

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