Funding and Awards

This entrance award, valued at $5000, is open to prospective female full-time doctoral students (Canadian citizen, permanent resident or student on study permit). Awardees must have first class academic standing, as well as an outstanding record of research accomplishments and/or references citing significant future potential in research. Students will be nominated by their proposed supervisor and/or the Associate Chair, Graduate Studies.

Additional details are available on the Graduate Studies website.

This was awarded to the best MSc and PhD presentation at the annual Biology Graduate Student Symposium.  In 2022 the Department switched to a bi-weekly format.

Recipients

• 2021 Evan Balzer, Ellen Cameron
• 2020 Symposium cancelled due to COVID-19
• 2019 Alicia Dubinski, Parisa Mirzapour (Vision Science), Jody Daniel, Jackson Tsuji
• 2018 Casey Remmer, Shawna Semple, Wynona Klemt, Eric Le Dreff-Kerwin
• 2017 Sarah Poynter, Ashley Ross

 Past recipients

This fund is made possible by a donation from the J. Frank Brookfield Trust to support exceptional students studying zoology. The scholarship will be awarded annually 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 of Biology will identify and select a recipient annually.

Recipients

• 2024 Yubing Chen
• 2023 Ryan Leys
• 2022 Karyn Robichaud
• 2021 Alexander Douglas, Mehdi Moslemi Aqdam

This award was established by colleagues and former graduate students of Professor Erwin B. Dumbroff in recognition of his contribution to plant science research and his training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. As a plant physiologist, he researched how plants cope with environmental stress, among other related interests. As a teacher, he developed one of the first courses in the biochemistry of natural products to be offered anywhere. The award will be given to a graduate student for research excellence in any aspect of plant science and will consist of a monetary amount and other forms of recognition, if appropriate. It will be awarded annually or less frequently (if there are no suitable candidates) as deemed appropriate by the Department of Biology Scholarship Committee. A nomination letter from the student's supervisor(s) should outline the outstanding nature of the research including descriptions of their research contributions. This letter is due by the second Friday in March to the Biology Graduate Office.

Recipients

• 2024 Hanna Hickey
• 2023 Sabina Henry
• 2022 Nilanth Yogadasan
• 2021 Alyssa Overton
• 2020 Lina Aragon Baquero

Past recipients

A scholarship valued at $2,000 will be awarded annually to a full-time graduate student enrolled in the department of Biology in the Faculty of Science, working in the area of ecology.  Preference will be given to students who do not hold another major award.  This fund is made possible by the family and friends of Dr. Noel Hynes, first permanent Chair of the Department of Biology.

This scholarship 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.

Recipients

• 2024 Sana Gavarikar
• 2023 Jessica Turecek
• 2022 Mehdi Moslemi Aqdam
• 2021 Nathanael Harper
• 2020 Isabel Hilgendag

This 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.

Recipients

• 2024 Ryan Leys
• 2023 Arisha Imran
• 2022 Nathanael Harper
• 2021 Hannah Thibault
• 2020 Mitchell Kay
• 2019 Mike Mansfield

This $1,000 scholarship has been established by Dr. and Mrs. Nagraj Tumkur in memory of their children Rammonhan and Chitralekha, who lost their lives in Air India flight 182 that crashed in June 1985 with no survivors. It is awarded annually for postgraduate study leading to a MSc degree in any field of biology and is based on both scholarship and financial need. Applications are due in October each year. 

Recipients

• 2024 Noah Rogozynski, Eddie Wu
• 2023 Sana Gavarikar, Benjamin Piticaru
• 2022 Patrick Breadner, Bronte McPhedran, Madeline Prater
• 2021 Keith McAllister
• 2020 Isabel Hilgendag, Lucia Liao

Past recipients

Recipients

• 2024 Anjali Krishna, Anastasiia Kurnosova, Abtin Roostan, Anja Skrobonja
• 2023 Alyssa Graham, Harold Hodgins
• 2022 Nathanael Harper, Molly Chen, Eugenia Dadzie, Isabella Ippolito, Zjardyn Liera-Hood
• 2021 Delaney Nash
• 2020 Alexander Douglas, Aranksha Thakor, Alex Umbach

Past recipients

GSPA has a fund available to subsidize the travel costs of graduate students presenting papers or posters at scientific meetings. Students may apply once per fiscal year (May 1 - April 30). Please refer to the Graduate Student Research Dissemination Award Application for more information. This is only a subsidy, so the student should consult their supervisor first to ascertain whether they are willing to pay some of the travel expense. Proof that the student’s abstract has been accepted is required as well as all original travel receipts.

In addition, the Department has a small budget to assist as well.  Please contact the Biology Graduate Office for information.