IBET PhD project aims to change the academic landscape within the next five to 10 years by increasing the number of Indigenous and Black engineering professors teaching and researching in universities across Ontario. The pipeline of students it creates will also increase diversity in Canadian technology industries by graduating more students from underrepresented groups.
The partnership includes the engineering Faculties at McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, Queen’s University, Western University and the engineering and math Faculties at the University of Waterloo. Each partner university will tailor the program structure and features to support student experience at their institutions.
The partner universities share a belief that greater diversity is needed among academic leaders in engineering and technology to properly reflect all populations and to ensure a full range of thought and problem-solving approaches.
IBET Momentum Fellowship
The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships aim to address the urgent need to encourage and support the pursuit of graduate studies by under-represented groups. This lack of representation has hindered the enrolment of Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Metis) and Black graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.
IBET PhD Mentorship
A key part of the success of the IBET PhD Project is mentorship with support from both our industrial partners and academic colleagues. By having supportive academics and professionals who have gone through the rigourous doctoral process we expect our young scholars will be even more successful.
A network of support will be a key part of building an environment of acceptance and connection.
Our IBET PhD Project Mentors will provide high-quality mentorship and connect students with:
- Outstanding research groups and professors
- Industry research mentors
- Combined industry and academic supervision
This will provide a network of peer support on their journey to becoming professors.
Faculty members will serve as role models in attracting and mentoring Indigenous and Black students while improving the preparation of all students for a fully diverse workplace and society. They can also help to identify key networking opportunities such as attending annual conferences.
Additional training that mentors can provide is CV/resume, professional social media use to build an online profile, online and in-person networking, future job search, and application tips.
For more information about how you can become a mentor