Nanofellowships for existing graduate students

The Nanofellowship Competition is now open! New Deadline is February 7^th 2023!

Application Process

The Nanofellowships competition is held annually. Applicants must hold an active graduate status, with a minimum of two terms remaining in their program, at the University of Waterloo (UWaterloo). Applicants must satisfy the general eligibility requirements for the University of Waterloo graduate scholarships.

For Existing Graduate Students:

Please review the Nanofellowship Program Guide for Existing Graduate students.pdf carefully.
Complete the Nanofellowship Application form for Existing graduate students.pdf and email to nanofellowship@uwate rloo.ca (submit as LastName_FirstName.pdf) with the subject line: Nanofellowship Application.
Arrange for two electronic letters of reference to be sent directly to WIN (download Reference form and fill out the “Applicant’s Information” section before sending a copy to each of your referees). Your referees are to send the document directly to nanoref@uwaterloo.ca. Letters of reference forwarded by students will not be accepted.
All documents must be received electronically at WIN by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.
Students who have already received two Nanofellowship awards valued at $10,000 are not eligible to apply.

Summary guidelines and tips for completing your application: Eligibility and Guidelines for Application 2023

NOTE: All awardees are required to provide a poster presentation of their research in nanotechnology at the Annual Nanofellowship Ceremony, usually held in the Fall term as a condition of award acceptance. Incompliance will result in forfeiture of the award.

The notification of the decision will be made in the Spring Term of the academic year. Selection of recipients for the award will be made by the Nanofellowship Adjudication Committee.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Nanofellowships

The first section of the FAQs applies to all Nanofellowship applications. If you have further questions, please contact us at win-office@uwaterloo.ca.

When is the deadline for submitting my application?

Applications are due by February 1 at 11:59:59 pm.

I am an international student. Am I eligible for the award?

Yes, International students, Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents of Canada are eligible for the WIN Nanofellowship.

I have just completed a Masters degree from UWaterloo and I am now continuing my graduate studies for as a PhD at UWaterloo. Am I considered an existing or a prospective student?

Yes, you would be a prospective student. Please sign the consent form to review your University of Waterloo graduate application and that you will not need to re-ask your references to supply a duplicate letter of reference for you.

I have completed a Masters degree from another university and am applying for PhD studies at UWaterloo. Am I considered an existing or a prospective student?

You would be considered a Prospective Student if you completed a Masters degree from another university.

Does my supervisor need to be a WIN member to be eligible for a Nanofellowship?

No, your supervisor does not need to be a WIN member. You must demonstrate that your research is directly related to and contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the field of Nanotechnology.

If my supervisor is a WIN member, I am wondering if providing both references from the UWaterloo is preferred or will have a special consideration during reviewing process?

Please refer to slide 10 on the following link for the list of acceptable references: Eligibility and Guidelines for Application 2023

Whom should I ask to provide a letter of reference for me?

Please refer to slide 8 on the following link for the list of acceptable references: Eligibility and Guidelines for Application 2023

The program guide does not have references listed as a requirement for prospective graduate students while the presentation says it will count as 20% of the evaluation. Are references required for prospective students or not? If not, are they a way to boost an application for prospective students?

For the prospective student applications, consent provided by the applicant to review their UWaterloo graduate application and the reference letters already submitted to UWaterloo will be reviewed. Prospective students’ reference letters are evaluated at 20% of the overall score, the same as for existing students.

The award is for $10,000 CAD paid out over 2 terms. Can I apply for only one term to receive $5,000 CAD?

No, a student must have at least two full terms left in their graduate program in order to be eligible to win the award.

Do I have to be enrolled in the Collaborative Graduate Nanotechnology option to be eligible for the scholarship?

No, you do not need to be enrolled in the Collaborative Graduate Nanotechnology program/option. You must demonstrate that your research is directly related to and contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding of the field of nanotechnology.

Can the Nanofellowship award be held simultaneously with other awards and scholarships (such as NSERC, OGS or the Engineering Excellence Fellowship)?

The WIN Nanofellowship does not restrict the number of other awards a student can hold. There are, however, some awards that do restrict the number or amount of scholarships/monetary awards you can receive. You will need to check with those agencies for compatibility and compliance guidelines.

What are my chances of winning a Nanofellowship?

Every year is different, depending on the performance of the endowment. In a typical year, an application has a 25-30% chance of winning.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Existing students applying for a Nanofellowship

The second section of the FAQs applies to existing Nanofellowship applications only. If you have further questions, please contact us at win-office@uwaterloo.ca.

What is the definition of an existing student?

Existing Students are defined as a student who has been accepted to UWaterloo Graduate Studies, has made tuition arrangements and have started their program with courses and/or conducting research. In this case, you are to complete the form for Existing Students (add link) to include your most recent and complete transcripts and make arrangements for two (2) letters of reference.

Please read the guidelines for Existing Students.

Am I an existing student?

You are an existing student if you have already started your program – ie: you started your research program, taking courses and have made tuition arrangements.

I applied to UWaterloo graduate studies and was accepted, and recently started my program. Am I considered “prospective”?

No, if you have already been accepted and started your degree program, you are considered an existing student and will need to complete the existing student application form and you will need to arrange for new letters of reference to be sent to WIN. Your original application to UWaterloo Graduate Studies is no longer kept on file as too much time has passed and your application status within your home department has changed.

I was wondering if my referees need to submit separate reference letters to your email directly or if you will be looking on my Quest account at the references forms there?

If you are an existing student then you must ask your references to complete the reference letter form found here: Nanofellowship Reference Letter Form for Existing Students

I’m a graduate student at UWaterloo and my program has been extended due to the delay caused by COVID-19 measures and the university shut down. Will I be still eligible for Nano-fellowship?

Please include the explanation of the reason for the delay in your degree program and why an extension is required in Section C6 of the Existing Student application form.

I plan to graduate in Fall 2021 term, but it may as well be delayed to Winter 2022. Can I please learn if I am eligible for the Nanofellowship?

A student must have at least two full terms left in their graduate program in order to be eligible to win the award.

I would like to apply to the Nanofellowship, and I wonder if the reference can be from another institution (for example the University of Toronto)?

It is advisable that Existing Students request at least one (1) letter of reference from UW, preferably from your thesis supervisor (unless your research work has not yet started by the time of submitting your Nanofellowship application). Please see the list of preferred references found on slide 8 of this link: Eligibility and Guidelines for Application 2023

Is there a time limit that I can be in my graduate program to be eligible for the Nanofellowship?

The evaluation committee will consider all applications on an individual basis, but typically Master students who have completed 2 years of study, and PhD students who have completed 5 years of study would be considered beyond the typical time limit for consideration of the award.

I have already won a Nanofellowship. Can I apply again?

Students are eligible to win the Nanofellowship twice over the entire graduate career at UWaterloo. If a student wins a Nanofellowship during their Masters degree, they are eligible to win once more if they continue PhD studies at UWaterloo.