Waterloo partners with five other Ontario universities to increase academic diversity

Monday, January 18, 2021

The University of Waterloo has partnered with five other Ontario universities to increase academic and industry diversity by creating new fellowships for Indigenous and Black students pursuing doctoral degrees in mathematics and engineering to prepare for careers as professors and industry researchers.

Announced today, the Indigenous and Black Engineering and Technology (IBET) Momentum Fellowships address an 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.

The partnership includes the engineering and math faculties at Waterloo, and the engineering faculties at McMaster University, the University of Ottawa, the University of Toronto, Queen’s University and Western University. The IBET Momentum Fellowships will include funding support and work to provide access to networking and partnership opportunities. Partner universities will tailor their structure and features to support the student experience at their institutions.

To learn more about the IBET Momentum Fellowships, visit Waterloo Stories