Graduate Scholarships Opportunities and Tips for Success

Renate Scheidler, Graduate Program Director

Graduate Research Seminar, September 15, 2015

Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Why Graduate Scholarships?

Benefits to the Applicant $$$ Career booster More $$$ - scholarships beget more scholarships

Benefits to Others Save your supporters money Boost reputation of the University/Department Boost reputation of supervisor

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Department of Mathematics & Statistics website

GraduateFees & Funding

Faculty of Graduate Studies websiteAwards

Let’s start with scholarship opportunities …

Good Places to Start

Source: Government of CanadaEligibility: Canadian Citizens and permanent residentsTime in Program: Max 2 years by Dec. 31 of app yearApplication: NSERC Online Services Portal Amount: 21K or 35K per year, for up to 3 yearsDeadlines:

Notice of Intent to FGS (optional): September 14Graduate Committee review/feedback: late SeptemberTranscript arrangements: October 8Faculty of Graduate Studies: October 15Notification: end of March

Review: U of C and externalgrad.ucalgary.ca/awards/tricouncil)

NSERC Doctoral

Source: Government of CanadaEligibility: Canadian Citizens and permanent residentsTime in Program: max 1 year by Dec. 31 of app year

apply to up to 5 institutionsApplication: Through NSERC Research PortalAmount: 17.5K per year, for up to one yearDeadlines:

Graduate Committee review/feedback: mid NovemberTranscript arrangements: November 16NSERC: December 1Notification: April 1

Review: U of C Scholarship Review Committeegrad.ucalgary.ca/awards/tricouncil

NSERC Master’s

Source: Alberta Government

Eligibility: Citizens and PRs with an Alberta address

Program: Second year MSc

Amount: $3000

Number: Currently 4 awards

Deadlines: Varies (usually November/December)

Review: Graduate Program Director

Alberta Graduate Scholarships

Source: VariousEligibility: UnrestrictedProgram: Mostly PhD, some MSc, University wideAmount: Ranging from $750 to $60,000Deadlines:

Graduate Committee review/feedback: late JanuaryGraduate Program Administrator (Yanmei): February 1Notification:

by August

Review: U of C Scholarship Review Committeegrad.ucalgary.ca/awards/opportunities/gac

Graduate Award Competition, I

Izaak Walton Killam Pre-Doctoral ≤ 1 Math/Stat award, PhD, 36K, one year renewable

Open Doctoral ≤ 5 Math/Stat awards, PhD, 10K, one year

Alberta Innovates – Technology FuturesMSc 26.5K up to 2 years, PhD 31.5K up to 4 yearsAreas: ICT, Nano Tech, Omicsgrad.ucalgary.ca/awards/alberta_innovates

Special Awards Check FGS Graduate Awards Database

Bursaries – based on financial need and merit

Graduate Award Competition, II

Source: Alberta Government

Eligibility: Tri-council applicants who placed high, but were unsuccessful in, tri-council competition

Program: MSc and PhD

Amount: MSc up to 10.8K, PhD up to 15K

Number: depends on number and quality of NSERC applicants

Deadline: none (consideration is automatic)

Review: U of C Scholarship Review Committee

Queen Elizabeth II, Grad Studies

Source: Alberta Government

Eligibility: Citizens and PRs with Alberta address

Program: MSc and PhD

Amount: MSc up to 10.8K, PhD up to 15K

Number: at least 1 PhD, at least 2 MSc

Deadlines: Graduate Program Administrator (Yanmei): late March

Faculty of Graduate Studies: March 31

Review: Ranked by Math & Stats Graduate Committee

Queen Elizabeth II, Department

Commemorates and honours the late Eric Milner, former professor in our Department

Source: Math & Stats Department (Endowment)Eligibility: Any math & stats graduate studentAmount: Scholarship: usually between $4200 and $5600

Prize: usually $1000 (for winners at funding cap)Deadline: April 30Notification: usually in JulyReview: Eric Milner Scholarship Committee

“The successful candidate should have demonstrated not only expertise in mathematics but also a capacity to share this expertise with others, interacting with faculty members and other graduate students.”

Winner gives a colloquium talk, usually in September or October

Eric Milner Scholarship & Prize

Faculty of Graduate Studies$500-$1000, depending on destination, one per degree Open to any student who presents their work at a conference 6 deadlines, see Graduate Awards Database

Graduate Students’ Associationgsa.ucalgary.ca/grants

Department of Mathematics & Statisticsmath.ucalgary.ca/graduate/fees_funding#funding_travel

Professional Societies (CMS, SSC, SOA, AMS, MAA, SIAM, AWM etc.)

External Agencies (PIMS, NSERC, AITF, MITACS etc.)

Conference/Workshop Organizers

Supervisors (with grants)

Travel Funding

Vanier – for early PhDs, very prestigious, evidence of leadershipgrad.ucalgary.ca/awards/opportunities/vanier

Various medals & awards from U of C, Faculty of Science, FGSBest research, best thesis, best TA, most community outreach, etc.

Mathematics & Statistics GAT Excellence AwardFor best TA, usually 5-6 per semester, $500-700 each

NSERC Industrial Postgraduate AwardsNeeds industrial partner, ≥ 90% success rateOpen to international studentswww.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/students-etudiants/pg-cs/ips-besii_eng.asp

MITACS Accelerate - www.mitacs.ca/accelerateNeeds industrial partner, ≥ 90% success rate

Other Awards

Proactively apply for every award you are eligible for Identify a research topic early on (students, bug your

supervisors) Maintain an up-to-date CV/resumé and research

description; post them on your web page Read and act on notifications from Yanmei, me, FGS Attend info sessions (FGS, Dept, funding agencies, …) Arrange for reference letters in plenty of time Submit your application for review by the Grad Committee Before applying, educate yourself

General Recommendations

10 Tips for Preparing a Successful Scholarship Application

1. Apply – a necessary condition to get the award2. Read and follow the instructions3. Inform yourself 4. Be mindful of your reviewing audience – avoid jargon5. Emphasize motivation and significance 6. Organize your proposal (headings, white space, …)7. Pay attention to evaluation criteria8. Proof-read (multiple times!)9. Get help and feedback10. Start early and keep deadlines

Applying is a necessary condition to get a scholarship “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” (Wayne Gretzky)

Identify a research topic early on (with help from your supervisor). It doesn’t have to your final thesis research.

Don’t wait until the first time you think you have a legitimate shot at a scholarship to try preparing an application: Next time around, you are more experienced Your application has already been reviewed once, with

feedback Incorporating this feedback makes your next application

stronger

1. Apply

2. Follow the Instructions

This means that you actually have to read them first, even if they are lengthy and complicated.

Read the entire instructions!

Instructions are mandatory, not optional. This applies to Format (e.g. max one page, 12pt font, 1in margin, …) Submission procedure

Before submission, double-check that you’ve followed all the instructions.

3. Inform Yourself

The Faculty of Graduate Studies offers many great workshops and information sessions – attend them!

Some helpful resources: FGS Tips for Success: grad.ucalgary.ca/awards/tip_for_success My 10 helpful hints for preparing a successful scholarship

applicationmath.ucalgary.ca/math/files/math/scholarship-hints.pdf

Scholarship instructions, criteria etc. A fellow student’s successful application if possible Internet (google “successful graduate scholarship application”)

4. Mind your Reviewers

Most of the time, reviewers are not experts: not statisticians or mathematicians, let alone experts in your area.

Write your research proposal in such a way that they can appreciate your work. You need to convince them that Your research is cool, exciting, worthwhile You know what you are doing

Minimize use of technical terms, avoid jargon!

Two Research Proposal Openings

An algebraic curve over a field K is defined to be the set of points in K2 whose coordinates are roots of a multivariate polynomial with coefficients in K. Algebraic curves have important applications in number theory, algebraic geometry and topology.

Elliptic curves are a special type of algebraic curves. For most fields K, an elliptic curve E can be described by an equation of the form y2 = x3 + ax + b with a, b K. The points on E form an abelian group under addition. When K is a finite field, the discrete logarithm problem in this group is computationally very difficult. This makes elliptic curves a highly suitable mathematical tool for public key cryptography.

Algebraic curves are mathematical objects with a long and rich history. They are the subject of intense research in a wide variety of mathematical areas, including number theory, algebraic geometry and topology. Elliptic curves, for example, are a crucial ingredient in A. Wiles’ ground-breaking proof of Fermat’s celebrated Last Theorem.

In recent decades, algebraic curves have additionally found their way into important real world applications in cryptography and coding theory. They are employed for error detection and correction in modern satellite transmission, and ensure secure and confidential communication across the internet and in smart phones such as the Blackberry.

5. Motivation/Significance and Objectives

Arguably the most important elements of your proposal!

Answer the following questions: Why care? Why do it? What is to be accomplished?

Need to state clear expected outcomes.

Fit your topic and contribution into the “big picture”.

6. Organization

Use self-contained sections or paragraphs, white space, etc.

Often, the instructions ask to address specific points. Use these as section headers or devote a paragraph to each of them, beginning with the point. For example: Motivation: why is this research worthwhile? Significance: why is it important? Objectives: what do you expect to accomplish? Proposed Research: what do you plan to do? Methodology: how will you do it?

You will not be held to the exact proposed research and its outcomes. But you need to understand enough of the research to answer the above questions convincingly.

7. Evaluation Criteria

You need to convince your scholarship reviewers that you perform well in all the evaluation criteria: Academic excellence is almost always one of them There might be others: leadership, outreach, teaching, …

Choose your referees carefully: One of them should always be your supervisor The others should know you well, or at least well enough to provide a

meaningful assessment of you

Help your referees out: Give them plenty of lead time to write their letters Give them materials: copy of award description and evaluation criteria,

CV or resumé, transcript, proposal, reference form … Ask them to specifically address the evaluation criteria in their letters

8. Proof-Read

Spelling errors, improper grammar, and poor writing style weaken your application. They convey a message to reviewers that you couldn’t be bothered, which is annoying and disrespectful to them.

Proof-read your ENTIRE application – not just the research proposal – MANY times.

For the proposal: Use a spell checker and grammar checker if possible If English is not your first language, ask a native English speaker

to proof-read and comment Even if English is your first language, ask a fellow student or

friend to proof-read and comment Return the favour to the fellow student

9. Get Help and Feedback

Work closely with your supervisor: It is their job to help you write your proposal It is NOT their job to write your proposal for you

After careful proof-reading, ask the following individuals to review your proposal (in this order): Supervisor (possibly multiple times) Fellow student in your area Non-mathematician/statistician Graduate Committee

Be sure to take their advice. Carefully incorporate their feedback.

10. Deadlines and Time Management

Deadlines are firm! Unlike assignments in some courses, you don’t just get a 10%

penalty for late submission Funding agencies simply do not accept late applications

Frequently, the online submission website just closes down at the cut-off time

As a result, start working on your application early, well in advance of the deadline. Suggested lead time: 2 months

For external submissions, mind time zones (e.g. Ontario is two hours ahead of Alberta, so midnight there is 10 pm here)

Reviewing deadlines imposed by the Graduate Committee should also be considered firm (you do not want to annoy us)

GOOD LUCK !!!

Questions?