Master, PhD, and Postdoc Scholarships and Fellowships at University of Waterloo

4 July 2022

As one of Canada’s most prestigious universities, the University of Waterloo is a world-renowned institution. All available Master, PhD, and Postdoctoral Scholarships and Fellowships at the University of Waterloo are listed in this post by our Fastepo Team.

University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is a world-renowned university in Canada and is ranked as one of the best universities in Canada. It is also ranked as one of the top universities in the world for engineering. There is the main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada for UWaterloo, a public research university. A 1959 founding year marked its beginning. As of 2020, the university will have approximately 36,000 undergraduate students and 6,200 postgraduate students. The University of Waterloo offers various programs, with over 200 undergraduate and graduate programs available to choose from.

Master and PhD Scholarships at the University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo has different types of PhD and Master’s Scholarships. Most of them are open to both Canadian and International students and will cover the full cost of tuition, books, travel, and living expenses during your time at the University. Here, you can find the list of Master and PhD Scholarships at the University of Waterloo with details.

Title: Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral program (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Value: $35,000 per year

Duration:  36 months

Tenure: Canadian institutions only

Summary: 

The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS D) program is a federal program of scholarships awarded through national competitions by the granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Objective:

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS D) program is to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.

Description:

The CGS D program supports and promotes research excellence in a wide variety of disciplines and broad fields of health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. This support allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and to contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.  

Agency-specific doctoral awards:

In addition to the CGS D, each agency has its own doctoral awards.

For all three agencies, one application must be completed and submitted to be considered for both a CGS D award and either an agency-specific doctoral award (for NSERC/SSHRC applications) or any available doctoral Priority Announcements (for CIHR applications). CGS D awards are then offered for the top-ranked eligible applications in each agency’s competition.

Some eligibility requirements for CGS D differ from those of the agency-specific doctoral awards. Refer to the appropriate literature for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC for further details as well as information on doctoral awards tenable at foreign institutions.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply, you must

  • be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the application deadline
  • have completed no more than 24 months of full-time study in your doctoral program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if previously enrolled in a graduate program
  • have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in your joint program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if enrolled in a joint program; such as, MD/PhD, MA/PhD
    • if you fall into this category, you have access to the 36-month window whether or not you were previously enrolled in a master’s program
  • have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in your doctoral program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if enrolled directly from a bachelor’s to a PhD program (without having completed or enrolled in another graduate program)
    • direct-entry applicants must be enrolled in their doctoral program at the time of application

Note: To maximize your potential period of funding, you may be eligible to apply to the CGS M program for your first year of doctoral funding. You are responsible for choosing the type of award for which you apply. See Other restrictions below for more information. 

Number of months

Eligibility for CGS D is based on the number of months of full-time study, including summer months, toward the degree for which you are requesting funding by December 31 of the calendar year of application. Two terms of part-time study count as one term of full-time study.

Note: The agencies count all studies toward the doctoral degree for which funding is requested, whether or not they were completed at the degree-granting institution.

Fast-track and joint programs

If you were registered in a master’s program and subsequently transferred to a doctoral program (fast-track), the months of study completed are calculated starting from the date on which you transferred into the doctoral program.

If you are registered in a joint program, and a master’s degree is obtained as part of the program (for example, MA/PhD), the months of study are calculated starting from the date on which you are officially registered in the joint program (including the master’s portion of the program).

Other restrictions

  • You can submit a maximum of one scholarship or fellowship application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC. Should more than one application be submitted, the eligible application submitted first chronologically will be retained. Nominations to the Vanier CGS program and applications to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program do not count toward this limit (other exceptions may apply to CIHR internships).
  • You cannot have already received a doctoral-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC (does not apply to CIHR Fellowships).
  • You cannot hold a tenure or tenure-track appointment concurrently with your CGS D award.

Program of study:

An eligible doctoral program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program.

Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component as described above.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Value: $17,500 for 12 months, non-renewable

Deadline: December

Objective:

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s (CGS M) program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.

Description:

The CGS M program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in an eligible master’s or, in some cases, doctoral program in Canada. This support allows these scholars to fully concentrate on their studies in their chosen fields.

The CGS M program supports up to 3,000 students annually in all disciplines and is administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The selection process and post-award administration are carried out at the institutional level, under the guidance of the three agencies.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply, you must

  • be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date
  • be enrolled in, have applied for or will apply for full-time admission* to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation
  • respect the internal deadline to apply for admission for your intended program of study—contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the selected Canadian institution(s) for more detailed information
  • have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application
    • either between 0 and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in the program for which you are requesting funding,** which may be one of the following:
      • a master’s program
      • a doctoral program that you are entering directly from a bachelor’s program without having ever been enrolled in any graduate programs (direct-entry)
      • a combined master’s-doctoral program
      • a master’s program that will transition to an eligible doctoral program, either before or after award activation, with no master’s degree conferred (fast-track)
      • a master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before the end of the award, allowing the award to continue into an eligible doctoral program
    • or between 4 and 12 months of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in an eligible master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before activation of the award, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding
  • not have held or be currently holding a CGS M scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
  • have achieved a first-class average**, as determined by the host institution, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)
    • Note: Institutions may, at their discretion, accept CGS M applications from individuals who have not obtained a first-class average; contact your proposed host institutions to determine their use of this eligibility criterion
  • submit a maximum of one scholarship (master’s or doctoral) or fellowship application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
    • Note: Should more than one application be submitted, the eligible application submitted first chronologically will be retained
    • Note: Nominations to the Vanier CGS program and applications to the Le lien suivant vous amène à un autre site Web Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program do not count toward this limit (other exceptions may apply to CIHR internships)

*Refer to the Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide for details regarding part-time admission.
**All studies credited toward the eligible program will be counted, whether or not they were completed at the degree-granting institution.

Program of study eligibility

An eligible graduate program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program.

Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/MA, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD, MA/MBA) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.

Master’s programs that are based only on course work are typically not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.

Given the specific requirements of certain disciplines, institutions are invited to contact the appropriate agency for guidance on the eligibility of programs of study.

Field of research and subject matter eligibility

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC support and promote high-quality research in a wide variety of disciplines and areas, which are divided into broad fields of research (health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities). This includes research that bridges two or more disciplines or that requires the skills of several disciplines.

You must ensure that you are submitting your application to an institution that has an allocation for the field of research you intend to pursue. Applications deemed by a host institution to have been labelled incorrectly will be re-labelled according to the agency’s research subject matter guidelines. You should contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the institution where you intend to hold the award for further guidance on subject matter eligibility.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Engineering Excellence Master’s and Doctoral Fellowships (EEMF and EEDF) (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Level:  Masters, Doctoral

Program:

Engineering→Architecture, MBET, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Eng, Electrical & Computer Eng, Management Sciences, Mechanical & Mechatronics Eng, Quantum Computing, Systems Design Engineering

Term: Winter, Fall

Description: 

Engineering Excellence Fellowships, valued at $30,000 per year for up to four years for doctoral students and $25,000 per year for up to two years for students registered in a MASc program, in the Faculty of Engineering are available annually. Students must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada and be registered full time in their graduate program in order to be considered. A specific fellowship application is not required. The Engineering Graduate Awards Committee, chaired by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Engineering, will automatically consider all applicants (or students who transfer to the PhD program, as applicable) in Engineering as potential candidates for this fellowship based on the evaluation criteria on the basis of information provided in the student’s graduate program application. Selection will be made annually in the Winter and (if required) Fall terms.

Value description: 

EEDF – $120,000 paid across 12 terms; students registered in the PhD program with a Master’s degree (PhD2) will receive $30,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years/12 terms.

Students who were admitted directly to the PhD program from a Bachelor’s degree (PhD3) will receive 5 years/15 terms of funding. The first 4 years will be funded by the fellowship ($30k/year) through the Dean of Engineering’s office. The 5th year of funding (terms 13.0-15.0) will be covered through a combination of the Engineering Domestic Doctoral Student Award (ENG DDSA) and Graduate Research Studentship (GRS) from the supervisor(s) with a value equivalent to the University minimum funding for PhD students for their 5th year (terms 13.0-15.0).

EEMF -$50,000 paid across 6 terms; students registered in the MASc program will receive $25,000 per year for a maximum of 2 years/6 terms. The fellowships will be fully funded by the Dean of Engineering’s office so no additional financial support from the supervisor will be required.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Engineering Dean’s Entrance Award (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships, Entrance awards

Level:  Masters, Doctoral

Program:

Engineering→Architecture, MBET, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Eng, Electrical & Computer Eng, Management Sciences, Mechanical & Mechatronics Eng, Quantum Computing, Systems Design Engineering

Term: Winter, Spring, Fall

Description: 

Engineering Dean’s Entrance Awards, valued at $5,000, are available to students applying for admission to a master’s (MASc) or doctoral program in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. Students must be Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada and be registered full time in their graduate program in order to receive the scholarship. A specific award application is not required. The Faculty of Engineering will automatically consider applicants to the program based on the evaluation criteria of the award on the basis of information provided in the student’s application for admission. Selection will be made as offers of admission are made throughout the year.

Value: 

$5,000

Value description: 

Paid out over the first two terms of full-time enrolment in the graduate program.

Eligibility & selection criteria: 

  • Students must be admitted to a MASc or PhD program for entrance in Spring 2018 or later.
  • Students must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident as of program registration.
  • Students applying for admission to an MASc program in Engineering must have a minimum average of 85% in the last 20 completed courses/two years from a Canadian institution.
  • Students applying for admission to a doctoral program in Engineering must have a minimum of 85% in the last 20 completed courses/two years or overall in their last completed degree program. Students transferring into the PhD3 from the MASc are still eligible, but also require 85% in their previous program OR 85% in their first four (0.5 credit) courses at Waterloo if they don’t have 85% in their last program.
  • Female recipients of the PDEAW cannot be considered for the DEA.
  • Must be registered full-time during the term in which the award is held.
  • Notes on concurrent funding:
    • This award may be held in conjunction with Engineering Excellence Fellowships, Advanced Manufacturing Fellowships, other internal (Waterloo) awards, Tri-Agency Scholarships (including Vanier), MITACS, and OGS/QEII-GSST scholarships.
    • Students holding a major ($15K+/yr) external international scholarship or sponsorship (e.g. Saudi, CONACyT) are not eligible.
  • Selection will be made automatically based on the student’s application for admission to the master’s (MASc) or doctoral program by Engineering Graduate Studies office in collaboration with Departments.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Doctoral Awards (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Level:  Doctoral

Program:

Open to any program (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Description: 

In fall 2019, the three national granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) harmonized the CGS D competitions. They share the same program guide, eligibility, and selection criteria, however the agency-specific doctoral awards (e.g. (CIHR Doctoral Foreign Study Award, etc.) were not harmonized and continue to have their own unique program guides, eligibility, and selection criteria.

Eligibility: 

Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada (at the time of application) are eligible to apply for the CIHR Doctoral Research Award. It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that the minimum eligibility criteria of this award is satisfied before they begin the application process. Interested applicants must review the eligibility and selection criteria on the official CGS D Program website and the CIHR DFSA website before beginning their application.

Note 1: Applicants may also be eligible to apply for the Vanier CGS; applicants MUST apply for the Vanier CGS and for the CIHR Doctoral Research Award separately.

Note 2: You may be eligible to apply to the CGS M program for your first year of doctoral funding. Applying for a CGS M, if you are eligible, will maximize your potential period of funding. You are responsible for choosing the type of award for which you apply.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Doctoral Scholarships (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Level: Doctoral

Description: 

In fall 2019, the three national granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) harmonized the CGS D competitions. They share the same program guide, eligibility, and selection criteria, however the agency-specific doctoral awards (ex. NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships etc.) were not harmonized and continue to have their own unique program guides, eligibility, and selection criteria.

ward Description:

The NSERC Doctoral Scholarships program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in doctoral programs in the natural sciences or engineering. There are two types of NSERC Doctoral Scholarships available:

  1. Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral Program (CGS D) – offered to top ranked applicants; without exception, these awards are tenable only at eligible Canadian universities; valued at $35,000 a year for three years.
  2. NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (PGS D) – for study in Canada or abroad; offered to the next tier of highly-ranked applicants; these awards may be taken up at any eligible Canadian university or an eligible foreign university provided that the applicant has received a previous degree in the natural sciences or engineering field from a Canadian university. This award is valued at $21,000 a year for three years.

By completing NSERC’s Form 201 using NSERC’s online application portal, applicants are automatically considered for both the NSERC CGS D and the NSERC PGS D. The agency determines the type of scholarship to be offered during the national adjudication. If a student is offered a CGS D but decides to undertake graduate studies at an eligible foreign university (provided they are eligible to do so), they must decline the CGS D and are alternatively awarded a PGS D.

Eligibility:

It is the applicant’s responsibility that the minimum eligibility criteria of this award are satisfied before they begin the application process. 

Note 1: Applicants may also be eligible to apply for the Vanier CGS; applicants MUST apply for the Vanier CGS and for the NSERC Doctoral Scholarships separately.

Note 2: If an applicant entered their doctoral program directly from their bachelor’s degree (that is, they were never registered in a graduate level program) and have completed between zero and 12 months of studies in the doctoral program, they may be eligible to apply for a Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS M) or for a PGS D (if already enrolled in your doctoral program at the time of application). Applying for a CGS M, if eligible, will maximize the applicant’s potential period of funding. If eligible for both a CGS M and an NSERC Doctoral scholarship, then it is the applicant’s responsibility to determine which scholarship they are going to apply for.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships

Level:  Doctoral

Program:

Open to any program

Eligibility: 

Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents of Canada and international students are eligible to be considered for a Vanier CGS at the institution where they are currently pursuing or wish to pursue their doctoral studies. 

More Details and Apply.

Title: Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council Doctoral and Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral (SSHRC Doc/CGSD) (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships

Level: Doctoral

Program:

Open to any program

Eligibility & selection criteria: 

It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that the minimum eligibility criteria are satisfied before they begin the application process. Some eligibility requirements for the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships differ from those of the CGS-D Scholarships.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships Master’s (CGS M) (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarships

Level:  Masters

Description: 

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships Master’s (CGS M) Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.

The CGS M scholarship provides non-renewable financial support of $17,500 paid across three full-time academic terms to high-caliber scholars who are engaged in eligible master’s or, in some cases, doctoral programs in Canada.

By completing the Tri-Agency CGS M application through the Research Portal, students may identify a maximum of three institutions where they would like their application to be considered. The scholarship is not portable from one institution to another – applicants must submit their application to the institution at which they intend to hold the scholarship.

Eligibility : 

It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that the minimum eligibility criteria of this award is satisfied before they begin the application process by reviewing the complete eligibility and selection criteria on the official CGS M website.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: Scholarship

Description: 

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions. The government contributes two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university provides the remaining one-third.

Students are considered for OGS and QEII-GSST at Waterloo by using one application. Both scholarships are of equal prestige. Students who are applying for tri-agency awards will NOT automatically be considered for OGS and QEII-GSST, and must submit a separate OGS/QEII-GSST application form. The differences between the OGS and QEII-GSST scholarships are as follows:

  • OGS – merit-based scholarship program for Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study; available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents and International students.
  • QEII-GSST – merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically towards students in a research-based graduate program in one of the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines; only available to Canadian Citizens/Permanent residents.

Value: 

Each OGS and QEII-GSST is valued at a maximum of $15,000 per year. The award is paid as $5,000 per term for either two or three terms.

Duration:

Awards are granted for up to one year in duration and are non-renewable. Applicants must apply annually in order to be considered.

Recipients can hold the scholarship for a minimum of two terms (receiving $10,000 total) or three terms (receiving $15,000 total). One term awards are not permitted.

Eligibility: 

Citizenship

  • International competition – applicants must be an international student studying in Ontario with a student study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada). Note: international students are not eligible for QEII-GSST awards.
    • Successful OGS International recipients who are residing outside of Canada due to COVID-19 will be required to show either proof of existing study permit or in-progress study permit application before funds will be released to them.
  • Domestic competition – applicants must be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) at the time of the application deadline;

Successful OGS International recipients who are residing outside of Canada due to COVID-19 will be required to show either proof of existing study permit or in-progress study permit application before funds will be released to them.

Minimum Academic Requirements

  • Applicants must have achieved a first-class average (minimum of A-/80%), in EACH of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent). 
  • Eligibility averages are calculated using grades from your most-recent academic history up to August 31, 2021, regardless of program or relevance to your proposed program. Waterloo is required to adhere to these parameters as dictated by Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU).

Program of Study

  • OGS awards are open to applicants in all disciplines of academic study (research-based AND course-based programs).  
  • QEII-GSST awards restricted to applicants in research-based graduate programs in a STEM discipline only (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Registration/Admission Status

  • International competition – due to the limited quota of awards available for international students, applications will only be accepted from students who are currently registered on a full-time basis in a graduate program (or on an approved inactive term from their graduate program) by at least the fall 2021 term. Current UW undergraduate international students are not eligible to apply.
  • Domestic competition – applicants must be currently enrolled on a full-time basis in a graduate program, or must apply for full-time graduate admission by the February 1, 2022 deadline for entry into the spring 2022, fall 2022 or winter 2023 term. 

Time in Program

Selected recipients are normally within their program time limits but students over their term limits are still eligible to apply.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Minimum funding for graduate students (University of Waterloo Scholarships)

Award type: fundings

Level:  Masters, Doctoral

Program:

All full-time students in the MASc and PhD programs are guaranteed a minimum level of funding while they are within their program time limits and in good academic standing. All funding is contingent on satisfactory academic progress throughout the duration of a student’s program. 

Departments may choose to offer a higher minimum to all students and individual supervisors may choose to support students above the minimum requirements.  

Minimum levels of funding are inclusive of vacation pay and benefits.

PlanDurationAmount (per year)
MASc6 terms (2 years)$18,000
PhD-2 (from a complete Master’s)12 terms (4 years)$25,000
PhD-3 (from a Bachelor’s)15 terms (5 years)$25,000

Minimum funding for students in a doctoral (PhD program)

  • The minimum funding for doctoral students in good academic standing is $25,000 per year, effective May 1, 2022 ($24,504 per year May 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022).
  • This commitment applies to the first four years of full-time enrolment in a doctoral program.
  • Many of Waterloo’s departments and schools offer minimum funding which exceeds the university’s minimum.
  • For international graduate students registered in a full-time doctoral program who are eligible for the International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA), the IDSA is not included in the calculation of minimum funding.
  • Minimum funding for doctoral students is reviewed annually by the Graduate Student Support Advisory Committee. Explore the annual review process.  
  • Any annual increase applies to both new (incoming) and current eligible doctoral students.

Minimum funding for master’s students (research programs only)

  • Effective May 1, 2012, Waterloo’s guideline for minimum funding for incoming full-time master’s students in the first year of a non-co-op Master of Arts (MA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Environmental Studies (MES), Master of Applied Science (MASc), Master of Mathematics (MMATH) (except coursework programs), or Master of Science (MSc) (except coursework programs) is $12,000.
  • This commitment applies to the first year of full-time enrolment for students in good academic standing. 

More Details and Apply.

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions at the University of Waterloo

A postdoctoral position is a temporary job in academia, usually at the level of research associate or higher. The position is a training ground for future academic careers and typically lasts 1-3 years. Here, you can find Postdoctoral Fellow Positions at the University of Waterloo.

Title: Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars

Duration: The maximum term of the appointment is 2 years.

Funding: The Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars invites applications for the inaugural award, which provides successful candidates with annual support that includes a salary of $60,000 plus a benefits package. The scholars will also receive a one-time research fund of $5,000 at the time of their appointment. The value of the support demonstrates the importance of and commitment to interdisciplinary research at Waterloo.

Summary:

The Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars will contribute to the reduction of barriers for Black and Indigenous scholars in a supportive environment that fosters inclusivity, a sense of belonging, and a culture of engagement. The Program directly supports Waterloo’s strategic plan to strengthen sustainable and diverse communities. More specifically, the Program advances Indigenous initiatives and promotes a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusivity for all, improving the representation, participation, and engagement of equity-deserving groups within our community.

Who is eligible to apply?

 You should apply for the Provosts Postdoctoral Program for Black and Indigenous scholars if:

  • you are an emerging scholar who identifies as Black or Indigenous*;
  • you are proposing work that is transformative and of societal importance; and
  • you are eager to contribute to and benefit from an evolving community of scholars whose diversity of perspectives and lived experiences contribute to a more inclusive, and enlightened, University community.

*For the purpose of this fellowship, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations (Status/Non-Status), Métis, Inuit community as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982. According to the University’s Equity Data Strategy, Black applicants may include those of African, Caribbean, Black Canadian, Afro-Latine, African American, or other African descent.

All qualified candidates regardless of citizenship status are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

For applicants who have completed more than one PhD, the eligibility window applies to the most recent of the degrees.

The window of eligibility can be extended by a cumulative maximum of two years if the applicant had their academic career interrupted for one or more of the following reasons:

  • Parental leave
  • Illness
  • Health-related family responsibilities
  • Mandatory military service
  • Attention to matters of cultural or community significance
  • Disruptions due to war, civil conflicts and/or natural disasters in a country of residence

Interruptions used to extend the eligibility window for degree completion must have occurred after the “fulfilment of the degree requirements” and before the application submission deadline.

**“Fulfilled all degree requirements” refers to the date that all degree requirements were met, including thesis defence corrections and submission of thesis. It does not refer to the convocation date.

Eligibility restrictions:

  • Applicants who currently hold a tri-agency postdoctoral fellowship (Banting, CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) are eligible to apply for the Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars only if the term of that funding officially ends prior to the start of the Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars.
  • Applicants must not hold a tenure-track or tenured faculty position, nor can they be on leave from such a position.
  • Applicants who submit an application to the Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars can not apply to the Provost’s Program for Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Scholars or the AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.
  • The Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars is non-renewable and is issued for the duration initially awarded. It can only be held once in a lifetime. Successful receipt of the Provost’s Program for Black and Indigenous Postdoctoral Scholars may prohibit scholars from holding any other University of Waterloo-funded postdoctoral fellowships.
  • Successful scholars must be able to start their appointments no later than September 30, 2023. One of the goals of this program is to create a community of scholars from the same competition year. Scholars unable to start an appointment by September 30, 2023 are encouraged to apply for the next round of competition if still eligible.
  • While adjunct faculty or faculty members associated with one of the University Colleges (e.g., Conrad Grebel, Renison, St. Jerome’s, United College (formerly St. Paul’s)) are able to support an application, a co-supervisor who is a fully appointed faculty member at Waterloo, must also support the application.

More Details and Apply.

Title: AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Funding : The AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowships invites applications for a prestigious one or two year fellowship; funding includes a $75,000 annual salary, an engagement fund of $7,500 plus access to additional funds to create disruptive research dissemination opportunities.  

Summary:

The AMTD Waterloo Global Talent Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is the “gold-standard” for postdoctoral opportunities in Canada and North America, designed to attract the most accomplished postdoctoral leaders from top universities across the globe.  The AMTD Fellowship provides financial support to postdoctoral scholars with the goal of fostering boundless opportunities to develop research and scholarship at the University of Waterloo.  The core financial elements of the program include a salary of $75,000 per year.  In addition, successful candidates will be provided with an engagement fund totalling $7,500 per year to be used at the discretion of the scholars in support of their academic activities.  Finally, the program will have a pool of additional funds for which proposals will be received to motivate the delivery of novel outreach or programming.

Eligibility restrictions:

  • Applicants who currently hold a tri-agency postdoctoral fellowship (Banting, CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) are eligible to apply for the AMTD Fellowship only if the term of that funding officially ends prior to the start of the AMTD Fellowship.
  • Applicants must not hold a tenure-track or tenured faculty position, nor can they be on leave from such a position.
  • The AMTD Fellowship is non-renewable and is issued for the duration initially awarded. It can only be held once in a lifetime. In exceptional cases, the terms of duration of the fellowship may be amended.
  • The competition is intended for scholars outside of the University of Waterloo; current Waterloo postdocs, research associates or those about to begin a postdoc appointment at Waterloo are not eligible. Only in exceptional circumstances (e.g., scientific, family, health) may a current Waterloo PhD candidate or a recent PhD graduate apply for AMTD endorsement. In order for a current University of Waterloo PhD candidate or recent graduate to be considered, the applicant and supervisor must demonstrate how the postdoctoral appointment will generate transformative outcomes that are beyond the trajectory of the PhD research.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

Summary:

This fellowship, valued at $70,000 per year for two years, is the most prestigious and competitive of all the Canadian tri-agency postdoctoral opportunities, with only 70 available annually across Canada. Interested applicants must apply through and receive endorsement from the institution where they anticipate holding the fellowship. The annual competition for this fellowship normally launches in April. Applicants of the Banting competition are not automatically considered for other agency-specific fellowships. Applicants who wish to apply for both the Banting and other agency-specific funding opportunities must apply separately for each if eligible to do so.

Funding: The Banting PDF is valued at $70,000 per year (taxable) for two years and is open to eligible Canadian and international applicants.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Caivan Communities Postdoctoral Fellowship

Funding :

Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunities will be made available through a donation from Caivan Communities starting in 2021 through to 2023. Normally a duration of two years, these fellowships will be valued at $60,000 per year with the possibility of an additional $3,000 to support research-related expenses.

Eligibility:

  1. Foreign citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and Canadian citizens, are eligible to apply.
  2. PhD in any discipline with dissertation related to future cities and the processes, issues and discoveries that will shape them
  3. Applicants must fulfil or have fulfilled all degree requirements for a PhD between July 1, 2017 and July 1, 2022 (inclusively).  For applicants who have completed more than one PhD, the eligibility window applies to the most recent of the degrees.

More Details and Apply.

Title: John Charles Polanyi Prizes

Funding: $20,000

Summary:

Five prizes, each valued at $20,000 are available annually through the Council of Ontario Universities. The prizes support researchers who are in the early stages of their career who are conducting research in the areas broadly defined as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Science. Interested applicants must apply through and receive endorsement from the institution where they anticipate holding the prize. The annual competition for these prizes normally launches in October or November.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Lupina Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellowship 

Funding: each valued at $70,000 per year for two years, plus a research stipend totalling $5000

Summary:

First established in 2021, these distinguished postdoctoral opportunities are available through a donation by the Lupina Foundation.Two fellowships will be awarded annually, each valued at $70,000 per year for two years, plus a research stipend totalling $5000. Both internal and external funding models are available. Applications are encouraged from outstanding early-career scholars investigating the social determinants of health, particularly at the intersections of health, society, and technology. Lupina postdoctoral fellows will be supervised by any faculty member within Waterloo’s Faculty of Arts, with interdisciplinary collaboration potential across the University.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral Fellowships

Funding: up to $40,000 per year for up to 3 years (plus benefits), and licensed health professionals may receive up to $50,000 per year for up to 5 years (plus benefits)

Summary:

The competition for the CIHR Fellowship, normally launches in July every year. Stipend levels and maximum duration depend upon the background of the applicants; trainees holding a PhD may receive stipend of up to $40,000 per year for up to 3 years (plus benefits), and licensed health professionals may receive up to $50,000 per year for up to 5 years (plus benefits). All CIHR fellowships receive $5,000 per year research allowance. Applicants complete an application in the CIHR portal ResearchNet. Once complete, the applicant submits the application online which is electronically directed to the proposed host institution for review and electronic approval. At the University of Waterloo, the Office of Research is responsible for this review, and will ensure eligibility and compliance with guidelines, before electronic approval and submission to CIHR.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships

Funding: valued at $45,000 per year for two years, normally launches in July every year

Summary:

The competition for the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, valued at $45,000 per year for two years, normally launches in July every year. Applicants must complete an application available through NSERC’s online system by the advertised agency deadline. The application is submitted directly to NSERC. There is no institutional adjudication process or administrative involvement in the application process.

Eligibility:

To be considered eligible for support, as of the deadline date of the year in which you apply, you must

  • be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada or a protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the application deadline
  • hold or expect to hold a doctorate in one of the fields of research that NSERC supports

In addition

  • you can submit a maximum of one scholarship (Master’s or Doctoral) or fellowship application per academic year to either NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC
  • you must not have already received a postdoctoral award (including a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship) from NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC
  • you must have completed all requirements of your doctoral degreeno more than two years before September 1 of the year in which you apply

More Details and Apply.

Title: Postdoctoral Fellowship in Active Assisted Living (AAL)

Location: The Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab

Funding :

This fellowship is supported by MITACS and the CSA Group as part of a three-year project. The selected candidate will receive CAD $45,000.00/year, plus benefits on a two-year contract.

Requirements :

The ideal applicants for this position will have:

  • a Ph.D. degree in computer science, health sciences, public health, or other related fields;
  • experience with active assisted living (AAL technologies), technology governance, and qualitative methods;
  • strong interest in standards development, smart communities, health technology, and health systems;
  • excellent writing and communication skills.

More Details and Apply.

Title: Postdoctoral fellowship opportunity

Location: Ubiquitous Health Technology Lab

Funding :

This fellowship is supported by MITACS and the CSA Group as part of a three-year project. The selected candidate will receive CAD $45,000.00/year, plus benefits on a two-year contract.

Requirements – the ideal applicants for this position will have:

  • a PhD degree in computer science, health sciences, public health, or other related fields;
  • experince with active assisted living (AAL technologies), technology governance, and qualitative methods;
  • strong interest in standards development, smart communities, health technology, and health systems;
  • excellent writing and communication skills.

Project summary:

The Canadian healthcare system is not yet prepared to access and leverage IoT (Internet of Things) data to support clinical decision-making outside of hospital settings. With advancements in low-cost IoT technology, it is now possible to meaningfully incorporate a variety of sensors into our homes and communities, leading to the implementation of Smart Homes and Smart Communities to support healthy living. Through this project, our research team will propose and develop new guidelines and checklists and identify the need for new standards to support current and future smart communities seeking to implement AAL technologies, at the individual household and the community level. This partnership between the UbiLab and CSA Group will provide a framework to guide: (1) new AAL technology manufacturers, (2) developers of new smart communities seeking to ensure that the new developments are compatible and prepared to receive AAL and IoT sensors, (3) communities seeking to leverage data generated by AAL and IoT sensors into fully integrated community health services (e.g., pharmacies, allied health professionals, community clinics, etc.).

More Details and Apply.

Title: Postdoctoral Position in IoT Data Mining and Predictive Analytics

Focus: Data science, user-centred design, IoT and wearables

Location: School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo

Funding :

This fellowship is supported by MITACS and Thinktum and the selected candidate will receive CAD $45,000.00/year plus benefits.

Requirements – the ideal applicants for this position will have:

  • a PhD degree in engineering, computer science, or related fields;
  • experience with user-centred design and UX, complex data visualizations, and/or in machine learning with a keen interest in becoming proficient in all three;
  • strong interest in health technology and health systems;
  • working knowledge of data analytics, databases, and web storage;
  • excellent writing and communication skills.

More Details and Apply.

Academic Positions at Canadian Universities

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