Trent University s Queen Elizabeth II Science and Technology Graduate Scholarships (QEII-GSST)

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1 Trent University s Queen Elizabeth II Science and Technology Graduate Scholarships (QEII-GSST) APPLICANT GUIDELINES Queen Elizabeth II Science and Technology Graduate Scholarship (QEII-GSST) awards are merit-based scholarships available to students doing research in science and technology. The QEII-GSST program is jointly funded by the Province of Ontario and Ontario universities. The Province of Ontario contributes two-thirds of the value of the award and the university provides one-third. Students must apply for the QEII-GSST at the institution where they are currently registered. The QEII-GSST is not transferrable; it must be held at the institution that awarded it. Any student holding a QEII-GSST is eligible to receive other awards during the duration of the QEII-GSST award. QEII-GSST guidelines restrict students to a lifetime maximum of six years of government-funded awards and prohibit students from holding a QEII-GSST and another government-funded award concurrently. Other funding opportunities could include external scholarships, Research Fellowship Awards, internal scholarships or any combination. Students awarded an QEII-GSST may hold part-time employment of no more than 10 hours a week, but no more than 150 hours per term and generally that is in the form of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. If students work more than 10 hours per week they are no longer eligible to hold a QEII-GSST award and will be considered in an overpayment situation. As such, students will be required to repay all or part of the scholarship immediately. Awards are open to School of Graduate Studies graduate programs which have a significant research component. A significant research component is considered to be original, autonomous research that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, and/or scholarly publication, that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program. Professional programs, defined as primarily course-based degree or stream where institutional funding is not provided to students (i.e. no RFs or GTAs) are not eligible. Application Procedures: Current or incoming MSc or Science Doctoral students must apply for a QEII-GSST via a manual (paper) application which is submitted directly to the School of Graduate Studies at Trent University. This scholarship is not open to International students. Scholarship Value: The scholarship value will be to a maximum of $15,000 annually, or $5,000 per term. The QEII-GSST awards are unique as they are funded with $10,000 by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities and $5,000 by the University through private donations. Awards must be for a minimum of two sequential academic terms. The award may not be held for a single term. Eligibility to Apply: In order to be considered for a QEII-GSST, students must be: 1

2 A Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) by the time of the QEII-GSST application University deadline date. Enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution in Ontario, in an eligible program on a full time basis. See Appendix A Minimum Academic Requirements: The applicant must, at minimum, meet the following QEII-GSST academic requirements: Have achieved at least A- (or equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent) and have achieved a minimum GPA of A- in the last 10 full-time or equivalent credits of post-secondary university study. If the student is entering the third year of graduate studies at the time of application, the student must have an overall average of at least A-, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed. If masters or doctoral degree marks used for calculating an applicant s grade point average (GPA) are not available (for example, courses were graded on a pass-fail basis), then the University s Graduate Studies Office will use the most recently available undergraduate or graduate marks to calculate a student s GPA. Eligibility to Hold a QEII-GSST Award: Recipients must register and remain enrolled as a full-time student at Trent University in an eligible program; Maximum Support: Recipients must remain enrolled as a full-time student in an eligible program. Recipients who withdraw, transfer to part-time status, or fail to complete the term, will be required to repay the award for incomplete and future terms. Recipients must be in good standing with the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario student loan, or have failed to make satisfactory repayment on a loan overpayment, are ineligible to receive the award. Students who have never applied for OSAP are considered to be in good standing. Students may apply for a scholarship, and if successful, must have any restriction cleared within 30 days of notification in order to accept the award; Students are limited in the number of years that they may hold a QEII-GSST. Master's students may receive the scholarship for a maximum of two years and students cannot have exceeded 24 months of graduate study during the duration of their award. Doctoral students may receive the scholarship for a maximum of four years, and cannot exceed 48 months of full time doctoral studies during the duration of their award. In addition, QEII-GSST guidelines restrict students to a lifetime maximum of six (6) years of governmentfunded awards and prohibit students from holding a QEII-GSST and another government-funded award concurrently. Awards under the following programs are included in these restrictions: Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology(QEII-GSST) 2

3 Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS) Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) Special Circumstances: If you believe you have special circumstances, you may include details to describe any special considerations such as health problems, family responsibilities, disabilities, or other circumstances that have had an effect on your performance or productivity, including any delays in disseminating your research results or completing your degree, up to a quarter page maximum. The weight to be given to any special circumstances will be determined by the QEII-GSST panels evaluating your application. Students with special circumstances must still meet the minimum A minus grade (80%). The University Selection Committee may require applicants to meet more rigorous academic requirements as they deem appropriate. Selection Criteria: MASTERS LEVEL APPLICANTS Criteria Description Weighting Academic Excellence Research Potential Personal Characteristics & Interpersonal Skills Academic Record (first class average) Scholarships and awards held Duration of previous studies Type of program and courses pursued Course Load Relative standing (if available) Quality and originality 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 Judgment and ability to think critically Ability to apply skills and knowledge Initiative, autonomy and independence Research experience and achievements relative to expectations of someone with the candidate s academic excellence Work experience Leadership experience Project management including organizing conferences and meetings Ability or potential to communicate theoretical, technical and/or scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats Involvement in academic life Volunteerism/community outreach 50% 30% 20% 3

4 DOCTORAL LEVEL APPLICANTS Criteria Description Weighting Academic Excellence Research Ability or Potential Communication, Interpersonal & Leadership Abilities How to Apply: Application Deadlines: April 27, 2018 Academic record Scholarships and awards held Duration of previous studies 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 Ability to think critically Ability to apply skills and knowledge Judgment Originality Initiative and autonomy Enthusiasm for research Determination and ability to complete projects within an appropriate period of time Ability or potential to communicate scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats. For example, this could include: o quality of the application s presentation; o participation in preparing publications; and o awards for oral presentations or papers o Professional and relevant extracurricular interactions and collaborations. mentoring; Please submit your application package to the School of Graduate Studies at Trent University, Science Complex, Room 201 or by mail to the address on the application form. Attention: Jane Rennie Transcripts: The School of Graduate Studies will print out Trent transcripts for the internal QEII-GSST application. Any other institutions attended by the applicant will require official and final transcripts to be on file. Results & Appeals: Applicants will be notified as soon as the adjudication process has been completed. There will be no appeals accepted for QEII-GSST decisions Presentation Standards: You are responsible to submit a complete application which also includes: Provide the required information from Part II using the specified headings and follow the order indicated. Make sure your name appears at the top right-hand corner of each page. Text should be single spaced, Times New Roman, minimum 12pt or any other comparable serif font. Condensed type is not acceptable. Set margins at a minimum of 2 cm all around. 30% 50% 20% 4

5 For multipage attachments, number the pages sequentially. Double sided printing is not permitted, use one side of page only. If you have supporting documents written in a language other than English or French, you must provide a translation of the document in English or French. Reference letters must be submitted with complete application in a sealed, signed envelope OR delivered to the School of Graduate Studies in a sealed, signed envelope to the attention of Jane Rennie. Incomplete applications will be rejected. Applications that do not meet presentation standards above will be rejected. Appendix A The QEII-GSST program supports graduate students enrolled in research master s and doctoral programs in science and technology disciplines. Collaboration, inter-disciplinary study, and innovation are encouraged. The following are the eligible disciplines: 1. Applied Sciences: Aerospace (may include Aeronautical Engineering) Biomedical Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering and Architecture (may include Landscape Architecture) Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Engineering Science (may include Engineering, Engineering Physics, and Nuclear Engineering) Mechanical Engineering Mining, Metallurgy, and Materials Science (may include Metallurgical Engineering) Systems and Industrial Engineering (may include Systems/Design Engineering and Operational Research) 2. Biological and Life Sciences: Biochemistry and Biophysics (may include Medical Biophysics) Environmental Sciences (may include Agriculture, Ecology, Forestry, and Toxicology) General Biological Sciences (may include Biology, Botany, Entomology, Microbiology, Mycology, Plant and Animal Biology, and Zoology) Genetics, Cell, and Molecular Biology General Health Science (may include research-oriented programs in Epidemiology, Human Kinetics, Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Audiology, and Speech Pathology) Human Biology (may include Anatomy, Biomedical Sciences, Food Science, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology) Medical and Veterinary Sciences (may include research-oriented programs in Dentistry, Medical Sciences, Nursing, Optometry, and Pharmacy) 3. Physical Sciences: Chemistry Computer Science (may include Information/Systems Science) Earth Sciences (may include Geology and Geophysics) Mathematics and Statistics Physics (may include Astronomy, Meteorology, and Space Science) 5