Financial Support

In order to be eligible for funding, such as bursaries and travel awards, and off-campus courses, a graduate student must be in “good standing” in their program. This means that the student is within program time limits, has completed the Academic Integrity Workshop, has no incomplete courses and has a minimum overall average of 75%.

            To be eligible for scholarships, the student must have a grade average of 80% or better, be within program time limits, and have no incomplete courses.

Students who are registered as full-time and meet the academic requirements, are normally supported until the end of their program time limit (refer to the Time Limits section). 

Complete policy guidelines on graduate student support can be found on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.

The Graduate Research Studentship (GRS) is funding provided by your supervisor. Studentships are paid as awards and thus are tax free. Students with major scholarships normally do not receive GRS support.

Biology graduate students normally assist in the running/supervision of undergraduate laboratories or otherwise help in the undergraduate instructional program. In return for this, graduate students receive Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) support which is part of their funding package.

To be eligible for a GTA, you must attend the Biology TA workshop, held in September and January each year. Students will be contacted by the Grad Coordinator with additional information.

Students are eligible for a maximum of four GTA units each year. Within program time limits, M.Sc. students are eligible for a maximum of 8 GTA units, Ph.D. students are eligible for a maximum of 16 GTA units, and those students who have transferred to the Ph.D. program (or are direct entry) are eligible for a maximum of 24 GTA units. 1 GTA unit = 5 hours/week = half GTA; 2 GTA units = 10 hours/week = full GTA. Note that students are not permitted to do more than two TA terms in a row, meaning that the 3^rd term in an academic year is a 0 GTA term.

Graduate students who are within one year beyond their normal program limits (3 terms or less) will still be eligible for a GTA, if positions are available. Before applying for a position, please be sure that you have your supervisor’s approval.

Declining your GTA

Students do have the option to decline their GTA offer, however neither the supervisor nor the Department are required to compensate the student for lost funding. Students will be required to fill out and sign a ‘Decline TA funding’ form (available from the Biology Graduate Office). The supervisor’s signature is required on the form before it is submitted to the Biology Graduate Office.

If a student declines or does not respond to a GTA offer for 3 consecutive terms, they will no longer receive GTA offers. This does not change the student’s eligibility for a GTA, but requires that the student expressly indicate to the Graduate Office that they wish to be considered for a GTA position.

The SGA is given to eligible students who are full-time, within time-limits and in good standing. Students with a major scholarship that includes the Presidents Graduate Scholarship (PGS), with the exception of the Vanier Scholarship, are also eligible for the SGA.

As of May 1, 2021, the SGA is valued at $3,375/year for International MSc and PhD students; $3,750/year for domestic MSc students; and $6,000/year for domestic PhD students.

These apply to students that do not hold a major scholarship (i.e. NSERC, OGS, and QEII).

For Domestic M.Sc. students:

For Domestic Ph.D. students:

For International M.Sc. and Ph.D. students:

Note: for International students, the GRS amounts do not take into account any additional funding provided to help cover the tuition differential between international and domestic students. 

updated March 16/23

UW and External Scholarships

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) maintains a database of scholarships and awards information for postgraduate and postdoctoral studies. Information can be found on the Graduate Studies Scholarship website.

The competition for OGS and NSERC awards begin in September, with applications due in the Fall term; competition for UW Grad Scholarships takes place in Winter and at other times as announced by the Associate Chair. Notice of competitions is sent by e-mail. Please see the website above for more details.

Please be aware of the GSPA deadlines for ordering your transcripts can be up to three months in advance of the scholarship deadline.

 Endowment Scholarships

The J. Frank Brookfield Memorial Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student registered full time in a master’s or doctoral program who is conducting research in zoology. Selection is based on academic achievement over the last two full-time academic years. The Department will identify and select a recipient annually in the Winter term. The award is valued at up to $3,750.

The E.B. Dumbroff Award in Plant Science is awarded to a graduate student for research excellence in any aspect of plant science. All eligible student records are reviewed by members of the graduate committee who select the winner. The value of the award is variable, but no less than $250.

The Dr. Noel Hynes Memorial Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student working in the area of ecology. Preference is given to students who do not hold another major award. All eligible student records are reviewed by members of the graduate committee who select the winner. The value of the award is up to $2,000.

The Brian M. Jessop Graduate Scholarship in Fisheries Science is awarded to a Department of Biology graduate student based on academic achievement over the last two full-time academic years and interest in the biology and/or management of freshwater and/or diadromous fishes in Canada. Students are nominated by the Department. The value of the award is $9,000.

The John E. Thompson Biology Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a graduate student who also holds an Ontario Graduate Scholarship or other major external scholarship that requires a matching or enhancement component. If a suitable recipient cannot be found, the funds will be paid out as a regular graduate scholarship. Students are nominated by the Department and the award is valued at $5,000.

The Ram and Lekha Tumkur Memorial Graduate Scholarship was established in memory of their children who died in the Air-India flight 182 crash and is awarded annually to an M.Sc. candidate based on academic achievement, financial need, and research potential. Students must apply for the award, information will be distributed by e-mail when the competition is open, the value of the award is $1,000.

The Waterloo Pioneers of Microbiology Graduate Award is awarded annually to a graduate student in the first year of their M.Sc. or Ph.D. program. The recipient must have demonstrated research ability, scholastic aptitude, and an interest in pursuing microbiology or a related field. Students are nominated by the Department; the value of the award is $1,000.

GSPA has a fund available to subsidize the travel costs of graduate students attending academic conferences, as well as presenting papers or posters at scientific meetings, although a student may apply only once per fiscal year (May 1 to April 30). The Conference Assistantship form should be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator, ideally as soon as a student knows they will be presenting at (or attending) a conference. Applications submitted before the GSPA deadlines (April 1 for Spring term travel, August 1 for Fall, December 1 for Winter) have a greater chance of receiving funding, while those submitted a minimum of 2 weeks BEFORE the trip are less likely to be successful. This award is only a subsidy, so the supervisor must provide additional funding. Students must submit their claims upon returning from the trip, within 30 days of the end of the conference.

The form can be found on the Graduate Studies forms website.