Award type:
Scholarships
Award description:
The WIN-Velocity Scholarship, with a value equivalent to a Graduate Research Studentship (GRS) for two years, has been made possible through a financial contribution from the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) to support domestic research-based master’s students, who will be registered full-time in their first year of graduate studies, in the Faculty of Engineering and/or Faculty of Science. Eligible students must pursue commercialization and entrepreneurship activities for establishing a start-up company at Waterloo with Velocity support, based on a business idea in “deep-tech” which matches research conducted by the WIN supervisor. Students participating in the program will receive mentorship and advice for start-up and entrepreneurial activities from Velocity. To be considered for this scholarship, students must complete the WIN-Velocity Scholarship application found on the WIN-Velocity website and submit it according to the graduate admission deadlines set by the Faculties of Engineering and Science: 1st February for Fall admission; 1st June for Winter admission; and 1st October for Spring admission. A committee composed of WIN and Velocity representatives will review applications and make selections based both on academic credentials as well as on the market potential of the applicant’s business idea within six (6) to eight (8) weeks of application submission.
Value description:
Up to two (2) awards will be given annually with the value being equivalent to two (2) years’ Graduate Research Scholarship (GRS) (value will normally be the upper value between Engineering or Science regardless of the student’s home department).
Eligibility & selection criteria:
- Students must be admitted into the first year of a research-based master’s program in the Faculty of Engineering or Faculty of Science at Waterloo, with a WIN member as the primary supervisor.
- Recipients who fast-track from a master’s program into a PhD may continue to receive the remainder of their scholarship for the original duration it was issued (i.e., maximum of two years). The scholarship value will continue to be at the master’s level.
- The student must be a Canadian Citizen/Permanent Resident.
- The applicant must complete the WIN-Velocity Scholarship Application found on the WIN-Velocity website and submit it to the WIN-Velocity Scholarship Coordinator according to the graduate admission deadlines set by the Faculties of Engineering and Science: 1st February for Fall admission; 1st June for Winter admission; and 1st October for Spring admission.
- A joint committee consisting of individuals from WIN and Velocity will receive and evaluate applications three times per year, coinciding with the application for admission deadlines. Following an in-person/virtual interview, awardees for each term will be selected by the evaluation committee.
- Selection will be based both on academic credentials as well as on market potential of the student’s business idea.
Level:
Masters
Program:
Engineering→Architecture, MBET, Chemical Engineering, Civil & Environmental Eng, Electrical & Computer Eng, Management Sciences, Mechanical & Mechatronics Eng, Quantum Computing, Systems Design Engineering; Science→Biology, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Pharmacy, Physics and Astronomy, Vision Science
Citizenship:
Canadian/Permanent resident
Selection process:
Application required
Term:
Winter, Spring, Fall
Application deadline:
February 1, June 1, October 1
Additional instructions:
- Recipients are expected to focus on their academic and start-up/entrepreneurship activities for the duration of the WIN-Velocity Fellowship program.
- The student is required to receive co-curricular mentoring through the Velocity Translation Program which includes support for successful spinout from the university.
- This scholarship is provided as part of any guaranteed minimum funding. The recipient’s supervisor would not be required to pay any GRS to their student for up to two (2) years from the start of the graduate program.
- The award may be held in conjunction with other major awards (i.e., awards valued at more than $3,000 per year such as Tri-Agency, OGS, EEF-M/D, Provost awards, etc).
Contact person:
- For further information about this award, please contact the Assistant Director, Research Programs at the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology.