Grad Program Funding Questions

[indigo]

Since I'm planning to apply for a few grad programs as a back up to medicine for this coming round, I am a bit confused as to the process I should follow in applying for funding from OGS, CIHR, NSERC (etc.)

 

Apparently, I can only apply to both OGS and one of CIHR/NSERC, but if I'm applying for more than one graduate program (that are in different fields), how do I make an application for funding (since research/study plans would be different)? In other words, will I have to apply for funding twice if I choose two different grad programs that are unrelated?

 

Also, I understand that there are internal deadlines I have to follow within my current department for these types of applications. Does that mean I have to vet through all my funding applications for either CIHR/NSERC through my own department (even if they are for programs unrelated to my department), or do I submit them directly to the university programs I'm interested in applying for?

 

Any help is appreciated!

[iicii]

1) I can only apply to both OGS and one of CIHR/NSERC, correct, you can only apply to one of the tricouncils (SSHRC/NSERC/CIHR) and also OGS

 

2) but if I'm applying for more than one graduate program (that are in different fields, don't quote me on this, but you basically pick one program/study plan for the application and you are evaluated on that plan, so pick the one you feel is the strongest. The flaw with Tricouncil is that if you get the award, they don't care if you actually do the project you put in your proposal, so what I'm saying is if you applied with plan A and decide to go to the school with plan B, then you can still use the award.

 

 

 

3)I understand that there are internal deadlines I have to follow within my current department for these types of applications, if you are still talking about OGS/Tricouncil, if you are currently attending university, you MUST apply through you current program. They will take your application and everyone else's application from your program and evaluate them, then if you are good enough, recommend it to the university, from there, the university collects all the applications from all the departments and decide which one they would like to recommend to the national competition, and then, you compete with everyone in Canada.

 

make sure you apply by the internal deadline, it is VERY early, usually september or october, it may seem very intimidating to apply (it was for me) but DO IT...there are many awards to be won and since you GPA is weighted for a significant part of your application, a great GPA really boosts your application!

 

hope that helps!

[lovestruck]

 

2) but if I'm applying for more than one graduate program (that are in different fields, don't quote me on this, but you basically pick one program/study plan for the application and you are evaluated on that plan, so pick the one you feel is the strongest. The flaw with Tricouncil is that if you get the award, they don't care if you actually do the project you put in your proposal, so what I'm saying is if you applied with plan A and decide to go to the school with plan B, then you can still use the award.

 

Your right with this. Just pick one of the grad programs and write about a prospective project. In the end, for NSERC7CIHR they only care that your project falls within their mandate (ie basic biology or health) and for OGS only that you do a full time MSc/PhD.

[indigo]

Thanks for your help. This helps a lot. I also believe that GPA is looked at based on your last two years equivalent of courses. I've also read elsewhere that GPA is based on your last 20 credits taken at university. Does that mean that they take into account courses taken in the summer as well (in between 2nd and 3rd year), or does OGS, CIHR, NSERC evaluate solely on courses taken Sept-April? If it is the former, do they then take your top marks in 2nd year to fulfill the rest of the 20 credit consideration? And if it's the latter, do they all look at your GPA the same way? I guess I'm just not sure what is a competitive GPA for these graduate scholarships nowadays.

[lovestruck]

NSERC and CIHR are quite competitive. In some years its been 3.9 gpa and up. Grades are about 50% of the evaluation and then 30% is experience and project summary and research ability and 20% is leadership, communication, etc. (at least for NSERC). For GPA they take the last 4 semesters. So if you apply in 4th year, they take 3rd and 2nd year. I'm not 100% sure but I think they take summer courses as well. Basically they take the last 20 courses you've completed before you apply. OGS is less competitive in terms of GPA cutoffs but still you need at least a 3.7, sometimes even more. Don't quote me on all of this but having just recently applied for all these this is what I remember. Also, if you call NSERC they will tell you everything they are super nice!

[medhopeful64]

NSERC and CIHR are quite competitive. In some years its been 3.9 gpa and up. Grades are about 50% of the evaluation and then 30% is experience and project summary and research ability and 20% is leadership, communication, etc. (at least for NSERC). For GPA they take the last 4 semesters. So if you apply in 4th year, they take 3rd and 2nd year. I'm not 100% sure but I think they take summer courses as well. Basically they take the last 20 courses you've completed before you apply. OGS is less competitive in terms of GPA cutoffs but still you need at least a 3.7, sometimes even more. Don't quote me on all of this but having just recently applied for all these this is what I remember. Also, if you call NSERC they will tell you everything they are super nice!

 

Whoa, 3.9+? I didn't know it was that competitive...also, do they use your own university's GPA system?

 

Also, what if you have a less than 3.7 GPA- are you screwed when it comes to funding? Can you even apply for a masters?? man i'm screwed for med and grad :S

[indigo]

Thanks lovestruck for that info. Do you know if these numbers are posted anywhere online? How did you come to hear about these competitive stats?

 

What I find surprising is the fact that they assume applicants already have a working relationship with a PI/research group, because I'm assuming they essentially need to work with them to draft up a statement of research plans. In other words, you can't just state you'd like to conduct something like space research based on your own grounds. This gets frustrating because you kind of have to make a decision of what type of graduate program you will settle for before you even apply for the actual programs! I'd feel guilty if my funding proposal was based on a stem cell research project I asked a PI to think of and then I actually end up choosing to go into a program such as global health.

 

Is this how the process really works?

[LostLamb]

Whoa, 3.9+? I didn't know it was that competitive...also, do they use your own university's GPA system?

 

Also, what if you have a less than 3.7 GPA- are you screwed when it comes to funding? Can you even apply for a masters?? man i'm screwed for med and grad :S

 

There's plenty more people in grad school than there are OGS/CIHR/NSERC awards floating around.

 

In the basic sciences/biomed side (at least), most people are funded through their supervisor grants or other scholarships/awards from the university.

[lovestruck]

Whoa, 3.9+? I didn't know it was that competitive...also, do they use your own university's GPA system?

 

Also, what if you have a less than 3.7 GPA- are you screwed when it comes to funding? Can you even apply for a masters?? man i'm screwed for med and grad :S

 

You can get into grad programs with a B+ minimum average. Its just that you don't get external funding. You get funded internally, meaning your supervisor will give you funding but you may not get as much as an NSERC scholarship. In some cases, its a disadvantage if you can't get external funding since if you and someone with funding applies, the prof may chose the other person since they don't have to pay them from their own budget since NSERC pays them. So the awards ARE competitive but you don't need an award to get into a grad program.

[lovestruck]

Thanks lovestruck for that info. Do you know if these numbers are posted anywhere online? How did you come to hear about these competitive stats?

 

What I find surprising is the fact that they assume applicants already have a working relationship with a PI/research group, because I'm assuming they essentially need to work with them to draft up a statement of research plans. In other words, you can't just state you'd like to conduct something like space research based on your own grounds. This gets frustrating because you kind of have to make a decision of what type of graduate program you will settle for before you even apply for the actual programs! I'd feel guilty if my funding proposal was based on a stem cell research project I asked a PI to think of and then I actually end up choosing to go into a program such as global health.

 

Is this how the process really works?

 

The numbers are never officially posted but if you ask most profs they'll know and tell you. My supervisor told me the stats for the past year and no one that received NSERC at my school had under 3.9.

 

For applying, the PI does not at all write the research project summary section. You don't actually need to work with them to write up the draft. As someone already mentioned, the project summary is just an example of a project that you would be interested in doing that falls under the NSERC mandate. You don't at all actually have to do this project if you get the award (you just send them an updated project summary when you are notified that you've received the award describing the actual project you will do so they can ensure it falls under their funding mandate, it doesn't even need to be the same lab nor prof that you initially applied with). So in fact you don't at all have to settle for what kind of graduate program you want to do before you apply. You just need to find a prof whose research you think is interesting and write a possible project summary that could be conducted in there lab. I've known friends who find the profs research online, read some papers and write the summary without even contacting the prof. Since you don't actually NEED to do the project for which you submit the summary you can actually do this. It's a little weird I admit, but that's how it works.

 

If I were you, I would find a prof whose stuff interests you, meet them and see if they would take you. Then write the project summary and apply. While you wait for the answer from NSREC or OGS, look for other profs and do more interviews. Tell all these other profs that you've applied for external funding since this is important to them. Then, when you find out if you've got the award or not, decide who you want to go with. That's what I did and it worked out fine. Just be careful, since some profs will think if you are applying for NSERC with their project summary you will 100% stay with them. Make it clear that you are still looking around since October is rather early to make a decision. Find a prof that is ok with this (most are in my experience) and then apply. The prof will not at all help you write the summary, at least in my experience. They may if your lucky look over it when your done and provide a few tips but most are too busy to really collaborate and help you write it. They will give you the general idea of what your project will be (ex: you would look at this protein and how it works with this disease) and all the rest is up to you.

 

As for the contact numbers, just google NSERC PGS M and you should find most of the info. For OGS, you have to go to your universities graduate office and ask since they deal with them. You can also ask them about NSERC since they deal with that too. Hope this all helps!

[indigo]

Thanks lovestruck. That was really really helpful.