Scholarships and Awards
Private Awards
Simon Fraser University offers a number of private or endowed awards to graduate students. These awards vary in amounts and deadline dates, but most have deadlines of September 30, January 30, and May 30.
Detailed information about each award can be found at the Dean of Graduate Studies Internal Awards website. Interested applicants should read the Terms of Reference for each specific award (found by clicking on the award name), to ensure their eligibility. Eligible applicants should apply using the “Application for a Private Graduate Scholarship” form, found on the ‘Forms and Resources’ page of the Dean of Graduate Studies website.
Graduate Fellowships
The Graduate Fellowship (GF) is a one-term award normally valued at $6,250. To be eligible to hold a GF, the applicant must be registered as a full-time, regular (not “on-leave” or “part-time”) student and must have a minimum grade point average of 3.50. Applicants should first read the GF Terms of Reference to ensure they meet all of the criteria for this award. Eligible students apply through their department of enrollment by completing an “Application for a Graduate Fellowship” form located in the “Forms and Resources” page. It is the student’s responsibility to sign it and attach any required documents/transcripts.
The majority of the Graduate Fellowships in REM will be awarded to new students of the fall cohort. The Graduate Studies Committee considers all eligible students each semester and makes recommendations based on availability of awards, previous financial support through the department, need, and academic accomplishments.
Entrance Scholarships
SFU’s Entrance Scholarships are only available to applicants during the first semester of their program. Applicants do not apply for these awards but are nominated by the department.
External Awards
Information about the most common external awards can be found on the Dean of Graduate Studies External Award webpage. Information about other external awards can be found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/scholarships_and_awards/upcoming_external_awards/.
NSERC / SSHRC
REM students can apply for NSERC or SSHRC grants, depending on their area of research. Students can not apply for both NSERC and SSHRC.
Graduate students have to apply through their University. All application forms can be downloaded from the NSERC and SSHRC websites. Deadline for the NSERC competition is usually in October, for the SSHRC competition in November. Applications have to be submitted through the student’s department. The Dean of Graduate Studies office does not accept NSERC / SSHRC applications directly submitted to their office.
Undergraduate students who are considering grad school and have been out of University for a certain amount of time should check the NSERC / SSHRC website for the correct process of application if they meet the minimum GPA requirement (A- / 3.67 on SFU’s 4.33 scale or better). The deadline for these applicants may be earlier than the University deadline for graduate students. Check the agency’s website for details.
Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)
PICS Graduate Fellowships are available on an annual basis to outstanding Masters and PhD students at the Institute’s four collaborating universities (UBC, UNBC, SFU and UVic) conducting research in an area related to climate change impacts and adaptation. Fellowships are valued at $12,000 per year for Masters and $18,000 per year for PhD students.
Students submit their application to their department. The deadline varies but is usually in the middle of the spring semester at SFU. More information (including application forms) can be found on the PICS website.
Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship
The Trudeau Foundation awards up to 15 Trudeau Scholarships each year to support doctoral candidates pursuing research of compelling present-day concern. Students must submit their application through their University. More information can be found on the Trudeau Foundation website.
MITACS Accelerate
MITACS ACCELERATE is a national internship program managed by MITACS Inc which connects companies and other organizations with the research expertise in Canada’s universities. The project undertaken by the intern is defined by the partner company. Projects can be undertaken in a wide range of areas, including manufacturing, technical innovation, business processes, IT, social sciences and much more, and can involve any university faculty or department.
An intern spends approximately half of his/her time over a four-month period on site with the partner, gaining a better understanding of the research issue in question. The balance of the intern’s time is spent back at the university, further advancing the research under the guidance of a faculty supervisor.