Graduate Studentship Award Program

Become a WCHRI-funded graduate student

Graduate Studentship Award Program information

The WCHRI Graduate Studentship Program offers competitively funded trainee support to outstanding students who are engaged in a full-time, thesis-based graduate-level program of study at the University of Alberta. The award is valued at up to $18,000 per year and may be held for up to two years. Students and their supervisors from all faculties/departments and disciplines researching issues related to women and/or children’s health are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

All applications to WCHRI must align with our relevance criteria in order to be eligible for funding.

Eligibility criteria for the Graduate Studentship Award Program is as follows:

  • All applicants must be actively working on the proposed research.
  • Applicants must be physically attending the University of Alberta and participate in the proposed research activities as per University of Alberta guidelines and policies supporting graduate student engagement in research.
  • Applicants must be registered in a full-time, thesis-based, graduate program in a health-related discipline leading to a Master’s or Doctoral degree at the time of application.
  • Applicants may not hold or be on leave from a faculty position.
  • Projects must be supervised by a WCHRI academic member.
  • Supervisors must be WCHRI academic members for not less than one year prior to application, except new recruits with an academic appointment of less than one year at the time of application deadline.
  • Supervisors may submit only one application per competition as primary supervisor; no more than two graduate students will be supported simultaneously for any faculty member as either a supervisor or co-supervisor.

Program eligibility is established upon submission of the completed application access request and application forms.

Graduate Studentship Award Program call for applications

In order to access the application form and support program requirements, the following applies:

  • The applicant must submit the WCHRI Graduate Studentship application access request form.
  • An application form link will be sent to the applicant (in one business day) when all application access requirements have been met.
  • Application form links are unique and specific to each applicant.
  • Graduate students under the primary supervision of a WCHRI academic member are automatically WCHRI in-training members. 
  • Letters of reference are confidential and will be solicited directly by WCHRI from the referee.

Submitted information is final and not subject to amendment. Late submission and/or supplemental information is not accepted.

Summary of program changes

Changes to this competitive program include:

  • WCHRI no longer requires/ allocates points based on Grade Point Average (GPA).
  • Amendment of the WCHRI 2023 Graduate studentship grading grid includes:  
    • Introduction of grading criteria for the Quality of the lay summary. 
    • Amendment of the grading criteria for the Personal statement. 

Priority call in mental health

WCHRI has a commitment to support graduate student research at the PhD level in the area of children’s mental health with a specific focus on addressing EDI in mental health research, children’s e-mental health/ technology-based research, and improving/ innovating care.

This priority call seeks to fund two WCHRI Graduate students; program requirements and processes are the same for all applicants.

Program reference material

Application and deadlines

The application is a two-step process:

  1. Application access request form
    • The deadline for submission is March 17, 2023, at 4 p.m.
  2. Application form
    • Access will be provided based on the submission of the application access request form.
    • Letters of reference, solicited directly by WCHRI.
    • The deadline for submission is April 14, 2023, at 4 p.m.

A complete, current listing of all funding programs and deadlines is available on the WCHRI grants and awards page. 

Grant Information Session

WCHRI will hold a Grant Information Session on March 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., to support applicants interested in this award opportunity.

Access the application form

Competition results

Please refer to the grants landing page for competition outcome timelines.

View the 2022 Graduate Studentship competition results or past grant award and statistics. 

Applicant feedback will be provided on July 7, 2023, at 3 p.m. 

For further information

All Graduate students are to refer to the program information (including guidelines) and then refer questions to their supervisor.

Supervisors that require program clarification are invited to contact WCHRI grants.