The CAGS Distinguished Dissertation Awards [1] recognize Canadian doctoral dissertations that make unusually significant and original contributions to their academic field. They were established in 1994 and are presented annually. There are two awards: one for engineering, medical sciences, and natural sciences, and one for fine arts, humanities and social sciences. The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) grants the Awards and is sponsored by Proquest. They include a $1,500 cash prize, a Citation Certificate, an all-inclusive trip to the next CAGS Annual Conference (with an awards ceremony), and the opportunity to connect with scholars from across Canada.  

Eligibility

2024 candidates must:

• Demonstrate work (through their dissertation) that makes significant, original contributions  to both the academic community and to Canadian society
• Have completed and had their thesis accepted by the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) between January 1, 2023 and December 31, 2023

Nomination Process

The University of Guelph is permitted to submit one nomination per category for consideration in the national competition. Candidates must be nominated by their department to the Office of Graduate & Post-doctoral Studies. Two nominees are selected by the Office of Graduate & Post-doctoral Studies Awards Committee to be forwarded to CAGS.

Deadline for departments to submit nominations: March 8, 2024

Nomination packages must include:

• A letter from the student's supervisor or graduate coordinator describing the reasons for the nomination and why the dissertation constitutes a significant piece of original work;
• A copy of the external examiner's pre-defence report signed and dated by the examiner (or authenticated by the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies);
• An abstract of the dissertation, not exceeding 350 words, written by the candidate in non-technical language;
• An up-to-date c.v. of the nominee.

The selected nominees will be forwarded to CAGS by the Awards Officers by the March 29 nomination deadline. Letters of support from the Assistant VP of Graduate Studies will be prepared and included with the applications of the selected candidates.

Contacts & Resources

For complete program information, please refer to the Canadian Associate for Graduate Studies (CAGS) website [1].

For questions related to the nomination process, please email the Graduate Awards Officers at grschol@uoguelph.ca [2].

University of Guelph Governor General’s Gold Medallists

The Governor General’s Gold Medal was first awarded in 1873 by the Earl of Dufferin and has since become one of the most prestigious awards that a student at a Canadian educational institution may receive. At the University of Guelph, the Gold Medal is awarded to two graduate students annually who have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement.

Nomination Process

Students do not apply but may be nominated by their College Awards Committee, if they graduated from a graduate degree in the previous June, October, and February convocations.

Complete nomination packages are due to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in late April each year.

A complete nomination package includes:

1. A nomination letter from the College Dean’s Office
2. CV or two-page summary of biographical information on the candidate including basic information, the academic record, scholarly/research activities, and teaching experience
3. Two letters of reference

Contacts & Resources

For questions related to the nomination process, please email the Graduate Awards Officers at grschol@uoguelph.ca [2].

The University of Guelph's Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship was established to encourage an Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Native American, Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian) post-doctoral graduate to pursue a program of research and scholarship at the University of Guelph in any discipline. The recipient will be chosen by the Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship selection committee from applicants who have completed their doctoral program within the past three years of the appointment. 

Value & Duration

$45,000 per year, with the addition of a $5,000 travel fund per year; the term of the fellowship is up to 2 years (maximum). 

Applicant Eligibility

Must be a First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Native American, Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian applicant who has earned their PhD, or PhD-equivalent (eg., DVSc) within the past three years. 

Eligibility Window for Degree Completion

Applicants must fulfill, or have fulfilled, all degree requirements for a PhD, or PhD equivalent between September 1, 2019 and August 15, 2022 (inclusive), and before the start date of the fellowship. Applicants who have not fulfilled all requirements for their degree at the time of application must submit proof of completion no later than September 1, 2022. 

Allowable Extensions to Eligibility Window

The window of eligibility can be extended by a cumulative maximum of two years if the applicant had their career interrupted for the following reasons (no other exceptions will be permitted):

• Parental leave
• Illness
• Health-related family responsibilities 
• Mandatory military service

Any interruptions to the career/research used to extend the eligibility window for degree completion must have occurred after the fulfilment of the requirements of your degree and before the application submission deadline. Justification must be provided in the Letter of Special Circumstances. "Fulfilled all requirements of the degree" refers to the date that the applicant completed all of the steps required for obtaining their degree. Although these requirements may vary by institution and degree type, they normally include thesis defence corrections and thesis deposition; it is not the convocation date. 

Other Eligibility Restrictions

• Applicants who currently hold or have held a postdoctoral fellowship from an external agency (i.e. CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) are eligible to apply for the 2022-23 Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship program only if the term of that funding ends on or before September 30, 2022 and prior to the start of the Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship. 
• Applicants who are successful in two or more competitions must choose which award to accept. 
• Applicants must not hold a tenure-track or tenured faculty position, nor can they be on leave from such a position. 
• Only in exceptionally rare circumstances will an Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship be awarded to an applicant who graduated with their PhD, or equivalent, from the University of Guelph. If such an applicant chooses to apply, a solid justification must be provided. 

Selection Criteria

• Research excellence
• Quality of the applicant's proposed research program
• Institutional commitment and demonstrated synergy between the applicant and institutional strategic priorities

Application Timeline

1. May-July, 2022: Applicants seek the endorsement of a potential supervisor
2. July 18, 2022: Application package due to grschol@uoguelph.ca 
3. August 2022: Notification of results
4. September 2022-January 2023: Position commences

Application Package

Application packages must be submitted via e-mail to grschol@uoguelph.ca [2] no later than August 30, 2022 (Deadline Extended).

The Application Package Includes:

• Research Proposal (max. 1 page)

• Significance of existing Research Contributions (max. 1 page)

• A statement self-identifying as Indigenous

• Bibliography

• A Statement from your proposed Supervisor (submitted directly to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies - grschol@uoguelph.ca, attention Indigenous Postdoctoral Fellowship program)

• Curriculum Vitae

• Two letters of reference (submitted directly to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies – grschol@uoguelph.ca, attention Indigenous Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program)

• A letter outlining Special Circumstances (if needed, as described below)

Letter Outlining Special Circumstances

• Career/research delays: Identify any administrative responsibilities, family or health reasons, or any other factors that might have delayed or interrupted any of the following: academic and/or career advancement, scientific research, other research, dissemination of results, training, etc. Common examples of an interruption/delay might be a bereavement period following the death of a loved one, maternity/parental leave, or relocation of your research environment.
• Justification for extensions to the eligibility window for degree completion: Note that your eligibility window will only be extended by the duration of the eligible delay(s)/interruption(s).It is essential that you provide specific dates for your delays and/or interruptions, including the exact number of months or days these interruptions accounted for.
• Justification for remaining in PhD research environment: Doctoral graduates of the University of Guelph who wish to be considered for the Scholarship must provide a strong justification for this exceptional circumstance which will be assessed as part of the selection committee review process. The more similar the proposed research environment is to that of the PhD, or PhD-equivalent, the stronger the required justification.
• Justification for remaining in the same research environment (other than PhD): At the time of application, if the applicant is affiliated with the proposed host institution (e.g. postdoctoral position) they must justify the decision to continue at the same location. The longer the applicant has been at the same institution (or research environment), the stronger the required justification.

Department Funding Expectations

• Departments should review the OGPS - SecureSite [3] on Postdoctoral Internal Fellowships for a breakdown of how the award should be distributed between Year 1 & 2, given the collective agreement obligations.
• Advisors (or Departments) will need to ensure adequate funds in their budgets to cover the cost of benefits.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program [4] (Banting PDF) is intended to attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally; develop their leadership potential; and position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow, positively contributing to Canada's economic, social, and research-based growth through a research-intensive career.

Seventy fellowships are awarded annually, divided evenly between Canada's three federal granting agencies (CIHR [5], NSERC [6], SSHRC [7]). 

Applicants to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program must complete their application in full collaboration with the proposed host institution. Institutional endorsement is required as part of a complete application.

Value & Duration

$70,000 (taxable) per year for 2 years (non-renewable)

Eligibility

Please refer to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships website for complete eligibility [8] requirements.

Endorsement Process

Given the limited number of fellowships and the competitive nature of the program, universities are encouraged to be highly selective in the endorsement of applications from both Canada and abroad. All applicants who wish to apply for the Banting PDF at the University of Guelph must follow the process below.

Banting PDF Application Process & Deadlines for the University of Guelph

Before starting a ResearchNet application:

1. Please start by carefully reviewing the eligibility criteria [9] for the Banting fellowships. Applicants are responsible for ensuring they meet all eligibility criteria prior to applying.

2. Applicants intending to take up a fellowship at the University of Guelph are encouraged to contact their proposed fellowship supervisor to request support for their application well in advance and, if granted, continue the process.

3. Applicants must submit a University of Guelph Banting Intent to Apply [10] form no later than 11:59 PM (EDT) on July 2, 2024. The Intent to Apply form asks for the following information (emailed submissions will not be accepted):

   • Proposed College
   • Proposed Supervisor's Name & Email
   • Past degree information
   • Title of Proposed Research for Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
   • Lay Abstract of Proposed Research (maximum 1,500 characters; approx. 250 words)
   • Briefly describe the synergy between your proposed research and the University of Guelph, your proposed Banting supervisor, and the department in which you intend to hold the Banting (maximum 1,500 characters; approx. 250 words)
   • For applicants that completed their PHD at the University of Guelph, please provide a brief statement justifying your desire to hold a Banting Fellowship at the same location of tenure as your Phd (maximum 1,500 word; approx. 250 words)
   • CV (.PDF upload)
   • Confirmation that the potential applicant has reviewed and meets all eligibility criteria.

4. The Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) will send completed Intent to Apply forms to the respective College and proposed fellowship supervisor shortly after July 2 for review.

5. No later than July 31, 2024, each College will advise potential applicants whether their application will be supported for nomination by the College to OGPS.

   • Applicants who submitted an Intent to Apply form but have not received a communication from their College by July 31 should contact the College before proceeding with a Banting PDF application.

After an applicant has confirmation from their proposed College that their application will be supported:

1. Applicants should begin preparing their Banting PDF application in the ResearchNet [11] application system. Please carefully review the Application Guide [12] for detailed instructions. 

2. Each College will advise their selected applicants of the college deadline to submit a PDF copy of all application materials to their attention. Applicants must also arrange for their three referees to email a PDF copy of their referee assessment form to the College by the same deadline. (This should be a saved copy of their online assessment.) 

3. The College must forward the complete application package with a college nomination letter to OGPS no later than August 23, 2024.

4. The OGPS Awards Committee will review all College nominations received and select which applications will be supported by the University of Guelph.

5. Should the application be selected, OGPS will email an institutional Letter of Endorsement [13] to the applicant for inclusion in their application no later than September 13, 2024. Applicants who are not selected for endorsement will also be notified by email.

6. Applicants are responsible for uploading all required documents to ResearchNet [11] to complete the application and submission process. The referees must complete and submit their assessment forms online. The applicant must ensure that all application components are complete (including references) and that the application is submitted via ResearchNet [11] by the deadline, September 17, 2024 (8:00 pm EDT).

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Awards Officers by email grschol@uoguelph.ca [2].

Council of Ontario Universities

In honour of the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Government of the Province of Ontario has established a fund to provide annually up to five prizes to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their career who are continuing to post-doctoral studies or have recently started a faculty appointment at an Ontario university.

Value

In 2022, the prizes have a value of $20,000 each and are available in the areas broadly defined as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Science.

Important Dates

• December 1, 2022 – Complete application package, including transcripts due to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
• January 31, 2023 – If endorsed by University of Guelph, the application is due to COU

Eligibility

Please refer to the Council of Ontario Universities website [14] for comprehensive eligibility criteria.

Application Process

1. Review the COU website [15] for complete information and to access the application form.
2. Submit a copy of the completed application package to OGPS via email to grschol@uoguelph.ca [2]. Hard-copy submissions will not be accepted.
3. The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Awards Committee will review the applications and select those that will be forwarded to the COU for further consideration.
4. Applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected to be forwarded to the national competition by early February.

Contacts & Resources

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Awards Officers by email grschol@uoguelph.ca [2].

Council of Ontario Universities

Funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, a Scholar Awards Program in Women’s Health has been established to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent women’s health scholars. The community of women’s health scholars fostered by this Awards Program will excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge about women’s health and its translation into improved health for women, more effective health services and products for women, and a strengthened health care system.

Value

For 2022-23 up to three awards will be made at each of the Master’s and Doctoral levels, and up to two awards at the Postdoctoral level:

• Master’s Awards - $25,000 plus $1,000 research allowance
• Doctoral Awards - $35,000 plus $2,000 research allowance
• Postdoctoral Awards - $50,000 plus $5,000 research allowance

Important Dates

• December 1, 2022 – Complete application package, including transcripts due to OGPS (grschol@uoguelph.ca) 
• January 31, 2023 – If endorsed by the University of Guelph, the application is due to COU

Eligibility

Please refer to the Council of Ontario Universities website [14] for comprehensive eligibility criteria.

Application Process

1. Review the COU website [16] for complete information and to access the application form.
2. Submit a copy of the completed application package to OGPS via email to grschol@uoguelph.ca [2]. Referees should also submit their assessments directly to grschol@uoguelph.ca [2]
3. The OGPS Awards Committee will review the applications and select those that will be forwarded to the COU for further consideration.
4. Applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected to be forwarded to the provincial competition by early February

Contacts & Resources

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Awards Officers by email grschol@uoguelph.ca [2].

Talent Award

The five annual SSHRC Impact Awards [17] (Gold Medal, Talent Award, Insight Award, Connection Award, Partnership Award) recognize the highest achievements in social sciences and humanities research, knowledge mobilization, and scholarship supported by SSHRC.

The SSHRC Talent Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who, at the nomination deadline, holds an SSHRC doctoral or postdoctoral fellowship or scholarship (including, but not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship). For more information regarding the application process and eligibility, please visit the SSHRC Talent Award [18] page.

Talent Award nomination packages [19] are due to the Office of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) by February 29, 2024 for consideration by the OGPS Awards Committee.

Each institution may submit only one nomination for each Impact Award in each category in a given year. See previous SSHRC Impact Award winners [20].

List of Canadian and International agencies who provide funding opportunities for postdoctoral scholars [21].