The School offers competitive funding packages for all graduate students including Teaching Assistantships, Research Assistantships via supervisors, and internal funding awards through a competitive process, and Queen’s graduate allocation funding. Funding award opportunities are also available through external funding agencies.
You must not exceed the lifetime maximum of six (6) years of government-funded student awards, i.e. 2 years at the master’s level and 4 years at the doctoral level.
The minimum eligibility average for applicants for OGS and Tri-Council Funding Awards (CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC) is the equivalent of one of either: A- / 80% / 3.7 GPA overall grade average in your last twenty 3.0 GPA / 0.5 credit courses.
If you are unsure of your overall average, and you are a current Queen’s student, send an email to the SKHS Graduate Assistant at: skhs.grad@queensu.ca and request that your current average be calculated for funding application purposes – please include your Queen’s ID #.
If you are a student external to Queen’s, you may either request that your own university run your grade average for you, or send an unofficial transcript to the SKHS Graduate Assistant via email at: skhs.grad@queensu.ca for calculation to verify your eligibility.
All eligible SKHS graduate students are required to apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). Application to OGS ensures your eligibility for other internal fellowship award opportunities offered by the School. Applications are due 01 March each year.
Funding Award Eligibility = A- or 80% minimum overall average on last twenty 3.0 GPA credit courses completed
Tri-Council Funding Agencies – Harmonized CGS Award
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Value ~$17,500 – $21,000
National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) – Value ~$17,300 – $22,000
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) – Value = $17,500 – $35,000/yr
Special Feature at SKHS/Queen’s University – Tri-Council Top-Up Funding Awards
All incoming master’s and incoming doctoral students who receive a Tri-Council Funding Award in their first year of graduate studies, will ALSO RECEIVE a Queen’s Tri-Council Top-Up Funding Award – AUTOMATICALLY – in addition to your original CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC Tri-Council Funding Award
Queen’s University Master’s Tri-Council Top-Up Funding Award – Value $5,000 in Year 1 in addition to your original Tri-Council Funding Award
Queen’s University Doctoral Tri-Council Top-Up Funding Award – Value $10,000 in Year 1 in addition to your original Tri-Council Funding Award
CIHR / NSERC / SSHRC Funding Award Information (Tri-Council Funding)
Eligibility: Candidates for Queen’s Fellowship awards must be eligible for and have applied for OGS funding.
Process OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship): Candidates nominated for an OGS award are identified by the SKHS Graduate Subcommittee through the student’s OGS Award application – no other action is required by the student.
Process Queen’s Internal Fellowship Awards: Candidates nominated for a Queen’s Fellowship award are identified by SKHS Graduate Subcommittee and ranked using the student’s OGS application – no other action is required by the student.
Process QGA (Queen’s Graduate Award): Candidates are identified to receive QGA allocation by the SKHS Graduate Subcommittee – no other action is required by the student.
All full-time students receive teaching assistantships – Approximate Value ~$7.0K per year. Value changes yearly. Eligible students are notified in July each year.
Offered through individual supervisors.
All funding applications require strong academic reference letters.
Here is a useful tool to ensure you obtain the best reference letters for your funding award application.
Tips document for referees writing reference letters for ALL funding award competitions is available at Tips for Referees.This letter has useful information to guide students in preparing their referees to write strong letters.
