Financial Support

Stipends

MSc students are guaranteed support for 6 semesters and PhD students for 9 semesters. MBS students do not normally receive guaranteed support and are responsible for the full costs of the degree program. Support for longer periods is at the discretion of the Advisor and subject to the receipt of funds from sponsoring agencies. The minimum stipend for MSc students is $18,500/year and for PhD students is $20,000/year. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external (e.g., NSERC, CIHR, OGS) and internal (e.g., OVC Scholarships) awards (see below).

Travel

MSc students are guaranteed up to $1,500, while PhD students are guaranteed up to $3,000 over the course of their program for travel to conferences and meetings. It will be at the discretion of the Advisor to approve the travel regardless of whether the student is presenting or not. Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external travel awards. Faculty are encouraged to fund travel for their postdoctoral fellows and research associates.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Incoming graduate students are eligible for a 0.5 GTA within their first 4 semesters, based on availability and qualifications. GTA opportunities are posted prior to the start of the Fall, Winter and Summer semesters on the University of Guelph's Academic Staff Work Assignments for Teaching Assistants, Graduates Service Assistants & Sessional Lecturers website.

OVC Awards

The OVC has a wide range of internal & external awards that can be applied to based on specific criteria. Some awards are ACCESS awards that take into consideration financial need. Some awards are very narrowly targeted, so the odds of success can be comparatively high.

Since 2020: Biomedical Sciences Recruitment Stipend Support for Black Canadians - Available for an MSc or PhD student.

External awards

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for both external and internal awards. Remember to give your referees at least a week to prepare a letter of reference.

The major external awards that Biomedical Sciences Students most often apply for include:

1. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Postgraduate Scholarships (NSERC-PGS)
   a. must be Canadians or permanent residents and have at least an 'A-' average (first-class standing) in each of the last two years of full-time study
   b. must have completed more than 12 months of graduate studies at time of application.
2. Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS)
   a. Canadians or permanent residents (some awards may be available for visa students)
   b. must have a first-class (A-) standing in each of the last two years of full-time
3. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
   a. must be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident
   b. must have been registered for no more than ten months
   c. persons with a health professional degree are eligible to apply for a post doctoral fellowship but not to both in the same year (i.e., September through August).
4. University wide internal sources
   a. Wide range of awards; some are ACCESS awards that take into consideration financial need.

Contact Us

OVC Graduate Programs Services

Heather Hamilton, Graduate Program Assistant
Stewart Building #45, OVC, Room 2509

Ext. 54780 / bmsgrad@uoguelph.ca