Funding and awards

The Faculty of Health is a rapidly growing faculty with the second-highest level of per-capita research funding at the University of Waterloo.

To complement our research and academic growth, we've committed to providing $108,520 in funding over four years to support domestic doctoral students. This funding may take the form of teaching (TA) or research assistantships (RA) for some terms. Students may also be eligible for internal and external funding opportunities and are encouraged to explore the graduate funding and awards database. 

International students may be eligible for the International Doctoral Student Award (IDSA). 

Academically-strong full-time graduate students are encouraged to apply for external scholarships including: 

Tri-Council Scholarships:

• NSERC scholarships (for domestic master's and doctoral students in science and technology fields) 
• SSHRC scholarships (for master’s and doctoral students in social sciences and humanities)
• CIHR scholarships (for master’s and doctoral students involved in health-related research)

Other scholarships:

• Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS) (for students enrolled in a graduate program at an Ontario university)
• Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) scholarship (for students in STEM disciplines including those in the School of Public Health Sciences and the Department of Kinesiology and Health Sciences. These are awarded at the faculty level alongside OGS applicants.)

• The Sharratt Scholarship was established by Jacquie Sharratt honouring the memory of Dr. Mike Sharratt for his leadership role in the establishment of the Research Institute for Aging (RIA) and passion for health promotion and physical activity. The Sharratt Scholarship will support up to two University of Waterloo graduate students who are sharing or have already shared their gerontology- or geriatrics- focused research at a recognized professional conference within the year of applying (January - December). Applications for up to two awards valued at $1,000 normally open in the Spring term and are submitted directly to RIA.

Exceptional scholars are encouraged to apply for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and should apply in the early Fall (September and October deadlines) for the following academic year. Workshops are offered to assist with the application process.

The University of Waterloo President's Graduate Scholarship (PGS) is available to supplement Tri-Council Scholarships, OGS/ QEII and Vanier scholarship recipients. A faculty component of this additional funding may include TA or RA opportunities.

There are a variety of financial resources available for graduate students. 

Bursaries are available for students who demonstrate financial need and are administered through the Student Awards and Financial Aid department. These are restricted to students who are Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) provides various types of assistance based on financial need to eligible students.

An Emergency Loan Fund can be provided through an application process for graduate students experiencing short-term financial difficulties.

Information on graduate parental leave and day care bursaries can be found on the Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs' financial need funding page. 

Other University of Waterloo and external scholarships are also available for graduate students in the Faculty of Health. For more information see University of Waterloo Future Students - Funding.