Through a commitment of funds from the Graduate Student Association (GSA), the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF) and Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA), the GSA is launching the “Graduate Award for Black and Indigenous Students” to increase accessibility to education for Black and Indigenous students who are currently underrepresented in graduate programs at the University of Waterloo.

Award description

Six scholarships, totalling $30,000, each valued at $5,000, will be awarded to Black* or Indigenous** students registered full-time in their first year of a doctoral program at the University of Waterloo. Selection will be based on academic achievement (minimum cumulative average of 75% or equivalent in the current or most recently completed program) as well as their written statement where they describe any academic or nonacademic extracurricular, volunteer, leadership, or entrepreneurial-related experiences they have been involved in within the last three years.

Award value

A total of six awards each valued at $5,000 in 2023-2024, one to each Faculty, will be provided. The awards will be paid in two equal installments within the first year of the student’s program, provided they are registered full-time.

The goal is to award scholarships to applicants from each of the six faculties at the University of Waterloo; the committee may award multiple recipients from the same faculty if the applicant pool within a given faculty is not sufficient, or a suitable candidate from a given faculty did not apply.

Eligibility & selection criteria

• Black* or Indigenous** students registered full-time in their first year of a doctoral (PhD) program at the University of Waterloo.

• Applicants will be asked to identify as Black or Indigenous on the scholarship application form.

• Applicants must have achieved a minimum cumulative average of 75% or equivalent in their current or most recently completed program as demonstrated in their transcripts.

• Applicants must provide a written statement as part of their scholarship application, where they describe any academic or non-academic extracurricular, volunteer, leadership, or entrepreneurial-related experiences they have been involved in within the last three years. Applicants will also be asked to explain how these funds will help them achieve their educational goals.

• Interested applicants must submit an application form by June 15, 2023.

• Selection will be made by a committee, chaired by GSA that includes diverse representation, normally by July 15, 2023, with the first term’s installment starting in Fall 2023.

• This award will be in addition to the minimum funding the student receives.

* For the purpose of this award, according to the University’s Equity Data Strategy, Black students may include those of African, Caribbean, Black Canadian, Afro-Latine, African American, or other African descent. Applicants who identify as Black must provide a written attestation that they identify as belonging to the respective community, including an explanation of how their lived experiences demonstrate their inclusion in one of these communities.

** For the purpose of this award, an Indigenous person is one who is a citizen or member of a First Nations community (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982. To protect the integrity of Indigenous candidates, applicants who identify as Indigenous are required to provide documentation confirming their Indigenous identity. This supporting documentation will be verified by the Indigenous Relations Office at the University of Waterloo

Additional instructions

Interested students must complete and submit the following application form by June 15, 11:59 pm.