Internal + Donor Funded Awards

Terms of Reference

The Community Trust Endowment Funds Graduate Fellowship is a one-semester award valued at $7,000 (effective Fall 2020), available only to Doctoral students in the Humanities (Archaeology, English, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Sociology/Anthropology, Individualized Interdisciplinary Studies). Interested applicants should read the Terms of Reference below to ensure they are eligible.

1. The CTEF Graduate Fellowship (GF) is a merit based award valued at $7,000 (effective Fall 2020). CTEF GFs cannot be divided or split like regular GFs.
2. To be eligible to hold a CTEF GF, a student must be registered as a full-time, regular (not "on-leave") in a Doctoral program in the Humanities (Archaeology, English, History, Linguistics, Political Science, Sociology/Anthropology) and must normally have a first-class (≥ 3.50) grade point average. In exceptional cases, other evidence of outstanding ability may outweigh this criterion. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, students must be taking at least six credits to be eligible to hold a CTEF Graduate Fellowship.
3. Academic merit is the primary criterion for ranking eligible applicants; departments will advise all applicants in advance if additional criteria will be used. Academic merit is based on grades, research ability, and progress in the graduate program.
4. CTEF Graduate Fellowship recipients may accept other scholarship support from other sources. Effective Fall 2021, new or current graduate students holding awards valued at $60,000 or more are not eligible to apply for a CTEF GF or for other scholarship income from SFU sources.
5. Recipients should be aware that some external awards may restrict students from holding a CTEF GF at the same time as the external award.
6. There is no restriction on CTEF GF recipients receiving income for work performed during tenure of the CTEF GF.
7. Students will be eligible to receive CTEF GF support only during the first 15 semesters of a PhD program.
8. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee on the recommendations of the Departmental Graduate Program Committee.
9. The award application or nomination is made using the Graduate Awards Application System.

Revised: May 2024

Terms of Reference:

1. Intent: this award is intended to recruit outstanding applicants to master’s and PhD programs by offering a multi-year award.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment: 
   1. valued between $1,000 - $8,000 (annual max per year is 24K) 
   2. held for a maximum of 2 (master’s) or 4 (PhD) years.
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must:
   1. be entering as a full-time graduate student in a master’s or PhD program. 
   2. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   3. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, the successful candidate must be taking at least six credits to be eligible to hold the award.
4. Evaluation criteria: academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and communicated/published to students. Generally, awards are granted based on:
   1. the extent to which the student has made excellent progress
   2. demonstrated academic excellence
   3. research and/or scholarly output and leadership
5. Restrictions specific to this award: Restrictions are detailed in the GDES Guidelines 
   1. Students offered a major entrance award (eg., Simons Foundation Scholarship, Indigenous Entrance Award etc...) and a GDES must decline the lower value award. 
   2. GDES funding will be adjusted when a student receives a Tri-agency award (CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC).
   3. Some admission funding sources cannot be deferred; students must discuss options with their academic unit.
   4. Some funding sources cannot be transferred to a new or different program; students must discuss options with their academic unit
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding.
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook. 
7. Application and adjudication: students do not apply; they are nominated for this award. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Chair or Awards Committee. 

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award is intended to recruit and support students in master’s and PhD programs. 
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment: 
   1. valued at $3,500 or $7,000 per term (annual max $21,000). 
   2. Academic units may use award values between $1,000 - $7,000, provided their principles and criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and appropriately communicated/published to students.
   3. held in 1 term 
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must:
   1. hold this award within the first 9 terms (master’s) or 15 terms (PhD). Students who transfer from a master’s to a PhD program without completing the master’s program are eligible to hold this award within the first 15 terms from the PhD start date
   2. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, the student must be taking at least six credits to be eligible
   3. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   4. have any other status than unsatisfactory in most recent progress report. If satisfactory with concerns, a clear plan must be outlined.
4. Evaluation criteria: academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and communicated/published to students. Generally, awards are granted based on: 
   1. the extent to which the student has made excellent progress
   2. demonstrated academic excellence
   3. research and/or scholarly output and leadership
5. Restrictions specific to this award: Award values and maximums may depend on academic unit approval and budgetary restrictions. Some admission funding sources cannot be deferred; students must discuss options with their academic unit.
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
   3. Generally, awards are not paid retroactively once a new term starts.
      
7. Application and adjudication: students can apply or be nominated for this award, depending on unit processes. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Chair or Awards Committee.

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award supports the travel and/or research component of the student’s graduate degree.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment: 
   1. valued between $200 - $7,000 depending on the expenses being submitted, academic unit approval and budgetary restrictions 
   2. held in 1 term
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must: 
   1. hold this award within the first 9 terms (master’s) or 15 terms (PhD). Students who transfer from a master’s to a PhD program without completing the master’s program are eligible to hold this award within the first 15 terms from the PhD start date.
   2. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   3. be a full-time graduate student in a master’s or PhD program; students cannot hold this award while on a co-op or practicum term
4. Evaluation criteria: academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and communicated/published to students. Generally, awards are granted based on: 
   1. the extent to which the student has made excellent progress
   2. demonstrated academic excellence
   3. research and/or scholarly output and leadership
5. Restrictions specific to this award: students cannot hold the Indigenous Travel award and this award to cover the same expense.
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
7. Application and adjudication: students can apply or be nominated for this award, depending on unit processes. The application must include a reference by the student’s supervisor and an outline of expenses. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Chair or Awards Committee.

Eligible Expenses

1. Examples of ELIGIBLE travel expenses include travel for research purposes, travel to present at or attend a conference, workshop or seminar related to research. 
2. Examples of ELIGIBLE research related expenses include direct costs of doing research such as interpretation services, paid data sets, computers/laptops, reasonable computer peripherals (keyboard, mouse, microphones), art supplies. This award may also be used to reward research excellence.
   
3. Examples of expenses NOT eligible include travel to practicums, co-ops, internships, job fairs or interviews, business or first class travel, course related travel or supplies (such as textbooks or journals).

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award is intended to recruit and support incoming Canadian Indigenous students.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment:
   1. Award values may vary, depending on other funding held
   2. Master’s awards are 2 years, Doctoral awards are 4 years 
3. Eligibility: candidates must
   1. be entering a research-based master’s or PhD program
   2. have Canadian citizenship and Indigenous identity
4. Evaluation criteria: generally, awards are based on academic excellence, fit for the research being proposed and/or scholarly output and leadership. For these awards, additional considerations may include the following which indicate Indigenous excellence:
   1. Giving back to Indigenous communities or other community/collectives.
   2. Creative output, visual expression, cultural expression such as art, music, theatre, language, photography.
   3. Inclusivity and communication with community members, peers; seeking or giving mentorship and guidance
   4. Prior learning experiences, including those outside of academic settings.
5. Restrictions specific to this award: 
   1. Award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   2. There is no restriction on scholarship recipients receiving income for work performed during tenure of the scholarship.
6. Funding limits and policies:  
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU's annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU's general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
7. Application and adjudication: awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee after a University-wide competition in which departmental nominations are considered.

Updated: September 2024 / GUSE006

Terms of Reference

1. The purpose of the Indigenous Graduate Travel Award is to provide financial support for Indigenous graduate students for the travel and/or research component of their research. Students can only apply for the Indigenous travel award once per academic year. Indigenous graduate students may apply for this fund before their travel to pay for costs in advance.
2. To be eligible for this award, the following criteria must be met:
   
   1. This award is for Indigenous graduate students attending Simon Fraser University.
   2. Indigenous or “Aboriginal” is defined by Canada’s 1982 Constitution as people identified as First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples of Canada.
3. Disbursements of up to $1000 each may be applied for in each academic year (starting September 1 of each year).
4. The funds will be given out on a first come / first applied for basis. The fund will be considered used for the year when the $5,000 limit for the year has been reached. Once the total fund has been distributed for the year, a message will be sent out through the Indigenous graduate student listserv.
5. Repeat applications will be allowed from year-to-year. Preference, however, will be given to students who have not yet received money from this fund (this is at the discretion of Graduate Studies).
6. Application includes:
   1. A completed budget which accounts for the requested amount;
   2. A letter of support from the applicant’s academic supervisor or a faculty member familiar with your work (to verify the student’s academic status, intent, and need).

Travel Report

Upon completion of travel, successful applicants will need to submit the following within two weeks to the Graduate Awards Assistant: gpsaward@sfu.ca

A concise Travel and Activity Report, written in language suitable for the general public. Contents and/or quotes from the report may be published in Graduate Studies promotional material. If you do not wish for your travel report to be published, please indicate so.

The following could be included in your report:

• The activities that were carried out, in respect to how the travel contributed to your research and/or scholarly activities
• Any unanticipated benefits derived from the travel, including those in relation to your current research objectives an/or to your general experience as a graduate student
• Any special issues or problems you encountered

Terms of Reference

This scholarship supports new and current PhD students if they meet all the eligibility requirements and conditions outlined in these Terms of Reference. Students should be aware that there are restrictions specific to this award.

1. Intent: this award is intended to support full-time students in PhD programs.
2. Value:  students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment:
   1. valued at $1,836 per term (As of fall 2024)
      
   2. paid each term student is eligible
3. Eligibility criteria: the student must:
   1. be enrolled full-time in a PhD program and within the first 12 active terms. Students who transfer from a master's to a PhD program within the first three terms of their master's may receive this award up to the 12th term of their PhD. Students who transfer from a master's to a PhD program after completing more than three terms of a master's may receive funding up to the 9th term of a PhD, regardless of time spent in a Master's
   2. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   3. have a satisfactory (S) or IP in all courses with an S/U assessment in the past term
   4. have any other status than unsatisfactory in most recent progress report. If satisfactory with concerns, a clear plan must be outlined.
4. Evaluation criteria: students should contact Graduate Studies with concerns regarding eligibility.
5. Restrictions specific to this award:
   1. Tuition waivers: students who have an SFU tuition waiver must decline this award but can list it on CVs and award lists (as declined).
   2. Working professionals: students who are full time working professionals must decline this award but can list it on CVs and award lists (as declined).
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding.
   1. Generally, this scholarship counts towards the admission funding offer.
   2. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   3. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
   4. Generally, awards are not paid retroactively once a new term starts.
7. Application/Nomination: Students do not apply for this award. Award notice/offer is sent each term to students, provided they are enrolled and meet the eligibility criteria outlined above. 

Revised September 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

Students and staff can find instructions for the Academic Progress Report (APR) Access: Student instructions | Staff instructions

1. Intent: this award supports PhD students who make excellent progress in their degree, completing all university and program requirements prior to their 12th term.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment:
   1. valued at $7,000 
   2. held in 1 term
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must:
   1. have completed fewer than 12 terms in a PhD program; students who did not complete a master's program before transferring into a PhD are eligible to hold the award within the first 12 terms of their PhD, from the PhD start date;
   2. eligible students must have completed all program and university requirements for the degree (eg. courses, comprehensive or qualifying examinations), except the thesis and, in the case of students in the Clinical Psychology Program, the internship;
   3. be in satisfactory/good standing.
4. Evaluation criteria: academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and communicated/published to student s. Generally, awards are granted based on:
   1. the extent to which the student has made excellent progress
   2. demonstrated academic excellence
   3. scholarly output and leadership
5. Restrictions specific to this award:
   1. Students holding a national award from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC or their equivalent (ie. SFU Entrance Scholarship or a major international award) are ineligible to hold the President’s PhD Scholarship at the same time.
   2. Given the intent of the award, recipients are expected, but not required, to limit the number of hours worked weekly
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding.
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
7. Application and adjudication: students do not apply; they are nominated for this award. The nomination must include a reference by the student’s supervisor addressing the student’s progress, academic excellence, scholarly output and leadership.  Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Chair or Awards Committee. 

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award is intended to recruit outstanding international students who are starting a graduate program at SFU with a major scholarship from their home country.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment:
   1. valued at $1,500 per term
   2. paid up to a maximum of 2 (masters) or 4 (doctoral) years, provided the student continues to hold their country of origin’s scholarship to study abroad.
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must:
   1. receive an award from their home country (or equivalent) that provides a stipend for living expenses to study abroad for at least 3 terms including costs of Health and Medical Insurance and student fees, other than tuition
   2. meet the English language requirements for SFU program admission
   3. meet the CGPA requirements for SFU program admission
   4. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, students must be taking at least six credits. This award is not normally available in premium fee programs.
      
   
   In addition: academic units are encouraged to match the value of the PIF through Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships on an annual basis provided the student is suitably qualified to act as a teaching assistant or tutor marker
4. Restrictions specific to this award: 
   1. awardees must remain in good academic standing
   2. for students on an approved leave, the award payment will be interrupted until the student is again registered full-time; payments will be reinstated at that time.  
5. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook. 
6. Application and Adjudication: interested students should contact Graduate Studies directly. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Dean and Associate Provost, Graduate Studies.

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award is intended for outstanding students who are initiating their PhD program at SFU with Tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) or equivalent funding. 
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment: 
   1. valued at $1,500 per term
   2. paid congruently with the major award
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must:
   1. be a full-time student in PhD program
   2. maintain good academic standing 
   3. have applied for the Tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) or other equivalent funding prior to applying for admission at SFU. 
4. Evaluation criteria: students should contact graduate studies with concerns regarding eligibility or evaluation.
5. Restrictions specific to this award: 
   1. not normally available to students in specialty programs.
   2. for students on approved leave the award payment will be interrupted until the student is again registered full-time; payments will be reinstated at that time. 
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
7. Application and adjudication: students do not apply for this award; inquiries should be directed to Graduate Studies directly. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Dean and Associate Provost, Graduate Studies.

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award is intended to recruit outstanding applicants to master’s and PhD programs, who are considering admission to other institutions.
2. Value and duration: students must be registered full time, regular (not ‘on leave’) to receive payment: 
   1. valued between $1,000 - $10,000 (annual max per year is 10K) 
   2. held in 1 term 
3. Eligibility criteria: the candidate must: 
   1. be a full-time student in a master’s or PhD program
   2. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   3. In programs where fees are assessed on a per-credit basis, the successful candidate must be taking at least six credits to be eligible to hold the award.
4. Evaluation criteria: academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are approved by Graduate Studies and communicated/published to students. Generally, awards are granted based on: 
   1. the extent to which the student has made excellent progress
   2. demonstrated academic excellence
   3. research and/or scholarly output and leadership
5. Restrictions specific to this award: some admission funding sources cannot be deferred; students deferring admission must discuss options with their academic unit.
6. Funding limits and policies: award recipients may hold funding from other sources but should be aware that those other sources may have restrictions on funding. 
   1. This scholarship is included in SFU’s annual maximum support permitted from university administered awards and scholarships.
   2. All awards are subject to SFU’s general graduate funding policies, outlined in the Graduate Student Handbook.
7. Application and adjudication: students do not apply; they are nominated for this award. Awards are made by the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee (SGAAC) on the recommendation of the Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Chair or Awards Committee.

Revised May 2024/ For awards paid Fall 2024 onward