Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology Momentum Fellowship

IBET PhD Project logo Indigenous and Black

The Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology Momentum Fellowship is the flagship fellowship for the IBET PhD Project.

This prestigious Fellowship will provide financial support of $30,000 per year for 4 years for University of Waterloo recipients. This funding support ($25,000 from faculty and $5,000 from faculty supervisor) will allow the recipient(s) to pursue advanced degrees and undertake both traditional and/or non-traditional areas of research without incurring financial hardship.

The IBET Momentum Fellowship is intended to support Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Metis) and Black researchers in achieving their rightful place and respected inclusion in academia at the University of Waterloo. Waterloo currently has four IBET Fellows.

This Fellowship is intended to help build and support an equitable environment that is reflective of Canada’s population and reconcile the under-representation of Indigenous and Black scholars at the University of Waterloo. An integral component of the IBET Momentum Fellowship will be access to mentorship and community-wide support. 

Application Process

Applications for the IBET Momentum Fellowship were open as of January 18, 2021. Details for applicants for this fellowship, along with all Faculty of Engineering Graduate Studies Funding and Awards 

To be eligible for this award applicants must:

  • Be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada who self-identify as being Indigenous* or Black
  • Meet the qualifying admission requirements (normally a cumulative average of 80%) for their chosen Faculty of Engineering PhD program
  •  Be admitted into the PhD program in Spring 2021 or later;
    • Students transferring from an eligible, incomplete Master’s program to a PhD may also be considered for the Fellowship

Direct entry (from Bachelors) PhD applicants may also be considered for the Fellowship.

*For the purposes of this Fellowship, an Indigenous person is a person who self-identifies as First Nations (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982

Mentorship Process

Students in 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.

Learn how you can become a mentor.

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