Thesis/Dissertation Awards & Convocation Medals

About this Award

The Canadian Association for Graduate Studies provides the CAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, which have been recognizing outstanding Canadian doctoral dissertations for more than 20 years. They seek work that makes significant, original contributions to both the academic community and to Canadian society. Each award includes a $1,500 prize, a Citation Certificate, and an awards ceremony at the CAGS Annual Conference.

There are two awards at the Doctoral level:

• Engineering, Medical Sciences and Natural Sciences
• Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Eligibility
Students must have completed their degree requirements between January and December, in the year previous to the competition, to be nominated.

How to Apply / Be Nominated

1. Graduate Studies sends all academic units a memo, inviting nominations (usually in January)
2. Academic units submit nomination packages to their Faculty Graduate Program Chair in February
3. Faculties submit their nominations to Graduate Studies in early March
4. The Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee will choose the two candidates to be nominated forward to national competition

About this Award

• Students must have completed their degree requirements within the period of April 1 of the previous year through March 31 of the nomination year
• Quality of the thesis, project or extended essay, CGPA, Timeliness of completion of the degree and other contributions to research (measured by such indicators as publications, performances or conference presentations) will be taken into account when selecting the awardee.

How to Apply/Be Nominated

1. Graduate Studies sends all academic units a memo, inviting nominations (usually in March)
2. Academic units submit nomination packages to Graduate Studies by April
   
3. The Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee will choose the top candidates to be awarded the medals

About this Award

Lord Dufferin, Canada’s third Governor General after Confederation, created the Academic Medals in 1873 to encourage academic excellence across the nation. Over the years, they have become the most prestigious award that students in Canadian schools can receive. Medals are awarded at four distinct levels: Bronze at the secondary school level; Collegiate Bronze at the post-secondary, diploma level; Silver at the undergraduate level; and Gold at the graduate level.

Two graduate level Governor General Gold Medals are awarded to students from SFU who have achieved the most outstanding academic record during their thesis completion. Students are presented with their medals and certificates at the June Convocation ceremonies. 

Eligibility/Criteria

• Students must have completed their degree requirements within the period of April 1 of the previous year through March 31 of the nomination year
• CGPA, Timeliness completion of degree, quality of the thesis/dissertation will be taken into account when selecting the awardee.

How to Apply/Be Nominated

1. Graduate Studies sends all academic units a memo, inviting nominations (usually in March)
2. Academic units submit nomination packages to Graduate Studies by April
3. The Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee will choose the top candidates to be awarded the medals

Terms of Reference

1. The Quirks & Quarks Graduate Award for Best PhD Thesis will be awarded annually from a portion of the income earned from the endowment fund. The purpose of this award is to recognize the best PhD Thesis by a convocating doctoral student.
2. The criteria for this award are:
   1. successfully defended the thesis and completed all degree requirements within the twelve month period ending March 31st in a doctoral program in the Faculty of Science at SFU
   2. demonstrated academic and research excellence
   3. The student must be nominated for this award by the Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee (FSGSC) from a nomination package received from each department within the Faculty, consisting of the following:
3. nomination letter from the Department Chair explaining the significance, impact and originality of the doctoral research and identifying the contribution made by the student as distinct from that by the supervisor of the research
   1. a one-page summary of the research written in plain language and signed by the student
   2. an up-to-date curriculum vitae that clearly indicates the student’s contributions to publications and collaborative research activities
   3. a copy of the external examiner’s pre-defense report on the thesis
   4. a current, unofficial SFU transcript
4. The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee will select one candidate from the nominations received.
5. The award will be made by the Dean of Graduate Studies, on the nomination of the Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee, on behalf of the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee.

How to Apply / Be Nominated

• Graduate Studies sends all academic units a memo, inviting nominations (usually in April)
• Academic units submit nomination packages to the Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee in March
• The Faculty of Science Graduate Studies Committee will forward their top nominee to the Graduate Studies office by March 31

Terms of Reference

1. Intent: this award supports PhD students who are finishing their program but are outside of eligibility range for other support. 
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. students can only hold this award between their 16th and 24th term; for students who did not complete a master's program before transferring into a PhD, the count starts at the PhD start date 
   2. have a minimum CGPA of 3.00
   3. not have held this award previously
4. Evaluation criteria: Academic units may add additional eligibility and evaluation criteria for their program, provided all additional criteria are appropriately communicated/published to students and approved by Graduate Studies. Generally, awards are granted on the basis of:
   • the plan outlined in the submitted TCF worklist
   • the extent to which the student is making progress, but considering factors that may have impeded progress.
5. Restrictions specific to this award: 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 can apply or be nominated for this award. The nomination must include the TCF worklist and a reference from the student’s supervisor outlining how this award will assist the student in completing their degree. 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

About this Award

Each year, the Western Association of Graduate Schools (WAGS) seek nominees in these award categories:

• Innovation in Technology Award
• WAGS Distinguished Master's Thesis and/or Final Master's Capstone Project Award in the Creative, Visual and Performing Arts
• WAGS/UMI Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award for the Humanities, Social Sciences, Education and Business (non-STEM award)
• WAGS/UMI Distinguished Master's Thesis Award for the Biological Sciences, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Engineering (STEM award)

Eligibility

Students must have completed their degree requirements within the period of July 1 of the previous year through June 30 of the nomination year.

How to Apply/Be Nominated

1. Graduate Studies sends all academic units a memo, inviting nominations (usually in June)
2. Academic units submit nomination packages to Graduate Studies in mid July
3. The Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee will choose the candidates to be nominated forward to national competition