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Well, it’s October already and for a lot of us grad students, this means it’s the time of year when we’re scrambling to get those grant applications written and sent away. Looking to win, this year I went to an info session offered by the Department of Curriculum, Learning and Teaching at OISE to try and get a handle on what I could do to improve my application. The information found in this post owes a lot to this helpful seminar. Here are some tips and information I took away in case you weren’t able to make it to a seminar yourself.

The Straight-Up Facts

OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship):
Eligibility:
– Visa students included
– 1st 2 years for a Masters’ program
– 1st 5 years for Ph.D.
– overall average of at least A-, 80% or a GPA of 3.7/4.0
– students must be full-time at the time of taking the award
– if you do not qualify under these specifications DO NOT apply – you will be cut out at the first round of elimination

SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada)
Eligibility:
– Must be registered full-time to take an award
– Canadian citizen or permanent resident at time of application
Masters:
– Applicants must have completed no more than 12 months at the graduate level by the expected start date of the award
– Pursuing your first graduate degree
– Overall average of at least A-, 80% or a GPA of 3.7/4.0
Doctoral:
– Pursuing first doctoral degree
– Overall average of at least A-, 80% or a GPA of 3.7/4.0
– Students may hold award in Years 1 through 4

Okay, so that’s enough of the boring stuff. What about the tips you ask? It’s getting down to the wire as the deadline is October 19th! Here are some really pertinent things I learned in the seminar:

Referees:

– Make sure that you pick colleagues who know you and your work well. Strong letters are those that provide specific evidence that you have the capacity to carry out your research successfully.
– Make sure you give your referees enough time to write a carefully thought-out letter. Additionally, give them your Statement of Intent to work from.

Your Proposal:

– Make a strong case for the significance of your research. If there is already bodies of literature surrounding your topic, identify the gap you’ll fill.
– But, don’t waste too much space talking about the existing literature. This proposal is ultimately about the value of your own research.
– Write like an academic –cite appropriately and make sure there are NO SPELLING OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS!
– Make sure to include: who you are, your research methodology and your experience.
– The panel reading your application may not be directly related to your field. Write intelligently, but avoid disciplinary jargon and define your terms.
– Try and say something memorable. Easier said than done, but this may be the difference between and winner and a failure.
– Appear as organized and well-directed as possible.
– Have your referees look over your drafts for suggestions. If not referees, then friends work too.
– OGS tends to be more student-oriented (ie: who you are, what are you interests, why are you a good potential researcher)
– SSHRC wants good research – so play this up. What experiences have you had that have prepared you to be able to do research, and do it well?

Grant writing can be difficult and it’s unlike any other writing you will do. Remember that there is a little bit of luck involved here – and that is a good thing. Besides – who says luck won’t be on your side this time? Or again?

Note: I have not covered NSERC grant applications because I am not a Science or Engineering student. That being said, I have found the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) wesbite that offers helpful resource videos related to grant applications. Check it out!

Here is some additional information as offered by the School of Graduate Studies:
– Information re: Federal awards ie: SSHRC, NSERC
– Information re: Provincial awards ie: OGS
– Information re: additional awards to fund your research and education

Also check your college website to see what seminars may be offered within your discipline. Good luck grant writers!