Vanier 2018-2019

[PsychBoy]

8 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

I should've changed the title of this thread to 2018-2019

 

can you change it? if not, ask the moderators

[Adelaide9216]

On 5/28/2018 at 11:11 AM, PsychBoy said:

can you change it? if not, ask the moderators

done!

 

 

[Adelaide9216]

Any tips for research proposal? I'm struggling to really see what are my research question & goals (but I have a topic!)

[Adelaide9216]

Contest opens this week.

[PsychBoy]

The competition is open!

[Adelaide9216]

Yeah I saw that! I had the first meeting at my current university for applicants!

Just have a question on the form, they are asking to enter a NIP for other research councils..is that for employees or if you've applied to another council in the past? (the only one I got was SSHRC at the master's level but I have no NIP associated with that application except for my email adress and password for my account.)

[PsychBoy]

4 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

Yeah I saw that! I had the first meeting at my current university for applicants!

Just have a question on the form, they are asking to enter a NIP for other research councils..is that for employees or if you've applied to another council in the past? (the only one I got was SSHRC at the master's level but I have no NIP associated with that application except for my email adress and password for my account.)

yeah I was applying for SSHRC but only had a CIHR NIP so I put the CIHR one and left the SSHRC one blank

[Adelaide9216]

Five pages for references is the max. Is it okay if we don't fill those 5 pages entirely? I am probably going to have 1 and 1/6 of references. 

[PsychBoy]

21 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

Five pages for references is the max. Is it okay if we don't fill those 5 pages entirely? I am probably going to have 1 and 1/6 of references. 

absolutely! I didn't even have two pages.

[Adelaide9216]

I need a bit of help in terms of laying out my schedule in my proposal.

Does this sound realistic to the doctoral candidates/students here?

1) Finish my year of seminars and courses (2 semesters)

2) Comprehensive exam (2 semesters)

3) Lit review (one semester?)

and then what would be the following steps (research project proposal, ethics, etc.) and what would be the length of each of these steps in the social sciences? 

[high_hopes]

7 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

I need a bit of help in terms of laying out my schedule in my proposal.

Does this sound realistic to the doctoral candidates/students here?

1) Finish my year of seminars and courses (2 semesters)

2) Comprehensive exam (2 semesters)

3) Lit review (one semester?)

and then what would be the following steps (research project proposal, ethics, etc.) and what would be the length of each of these steps in the social sciences? 

It depends on the type of program you are in and the structure of their comprehensive exams. A number of programs allow at least one comprehensive exam to be your literature review for your dissertation. My experience in sociology is that the lit review, research project proposal, and (often) ethics all take place at the same time. My advice is that your timeline should focus on ensuring you have ample time for dissertation research and then writing results, so be optimistic but realistic with the previous steps, adhering closely to the timeline proposed by the program you want to take. For me (in sociology), I indicated yr 1 = coursework + 1st area exam, yr 2 = 2nd exam and dissertation proposal, yr 3 = data collection, yr 4 = writing dissertation. However, I didn't get the Vanier -- but I did get a SSHRC!

Good luck!

[Adelaide9216]

On 6/27/2018 at 5:19 PM, high_hopes said:

It depends on the type of program you are in and the structure of their comprehensive exams. A number of programs allow at least one comprehensive exam to be your literature review for your dissertation. My experience in sociology is that the lit review, research project proposal, and (often) ethics all take place at the same time. My advice is that your timeline should focus on ensuring you have ample time for dissertation research and then writing results, so be optimistic but realistic with the previous steps, adhering closely to the timeline proposed by the program you want to take. For me (in sociology), I indicated yr 1 = coursework + 1st area exam, yr 2 = 2nd exam and dissertation proposal, yr 3 = data collection, yr 4 = writing dissertation. However, I didn't get the Vanier -- but I did get a SSHRC!

Good luck!

Good luck to you too! Where do you study? 

[Adelaide9216]

I am wondering if it's even relevant to put a timeline in the proposal. My methodology is very much described. My timeline is pretty much "I am going to do my PhD in 5 years" and explaining the different steps of the research process in more general terms. I don't know if it is useful to put this section because it's pretty much a "given" that everyone goes through these different steps (coursework, comprehensive exam, dissertation project, ethics approval, data collection, analyzing, writing the thesis.)

[PsychBoy]

3 hours ago, Adelaide9216 said:

I am wondering if it's even relevant to put a timeline in the proposal. My methodology is very much described. My timeline is pretty much "I am going to do my PhD in 5 years" and explaining the different steps of the research process in more general terms. I don't know if it is useful to put this section because it's pretty much a "given" that everyone goes through these different steps (coursework, comprehensive exam, dissertation project, ethics approval, data collection, analyzing, writing the thesis.)

are they asking for a timeline? I never included that in my application last year

did the instructions change?

[Adelaide9216]

57 minutes ago, PsychBoy said:

are they asking for a timeline? I never included that in my application last year

did the instructions change?

nope, I don't know why I included a timeline. Maybe I should include it in my methods section

[Shinhan]

Anyone applying for Vanier through University of Waterloo? They need departmental endorsement before I can even apply to the university-wide nomination process through ResearchNet. I emailed the Graduate Officer last week and I've not hear back since. I understand they might have an internal deadline to collect enough applications before they endorse candidates. I'm just wondering if there's anyone who has done this before through Waterloo and get some insider information. 

[Adelaide9216]

17 minutes ago, Shinhan said:

Anyone applying for Vanier through University of Waterloo? They need departmental endorsement before I can even apply to the university-wide nomination process through ResearchNet. I emailed the Graduate Officer last week and I've not hear back since. I understand they might have an internal deadline to collect enough applications before they endorse candidates. I'm just wondering if there's anyone who has done this before through Waterloo and get some insider information. 

I just responded to your private message

[Adelaide9216]

What's a "floating quota"? 

[Adelaide9216]

So I only have my referees letters that are missing to my application and that's it. I'm still nervous, everybody says I have good chances of getting the award but still, you never know.

[PsychBoy]

On 7/15/2018 at 8:09 AM, Adelaide9216 said:

What's a "floating quota"? 

the number of nominations they can do for that specific agency over 3 years 

for instance, if the floating quota is 2 for CIHR, they could nominate one person this year and one person next year, but then 0 person the following year

[SLBlais]

On 2/18/2018 at 2:42 PM, Adelaide9216 said:

Yeah, they are due this Fall but for the following year, 2019-2020.

Yes, I am applying. The way it worked last year was that I submitted my application via ResearchNet, the Graduate Chair nominated me, and then it went through an internal departmental project. After that, it went to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the University and then they nominated for the national or rejected (I was rejected for this one, made it to the national competition for the Trudeau and then wait listed for the SSHRC). This year, I am focusing on the Vanier and SSHRC. While I loved the process of the Trudeau, it isn't for me (I have a child and can't do the amount of travel it requires.)

I had multiple people go through my application but sometimes its just the committee too and what is "hot" as a research topic that year. But I have had a friend who won the Vanier helped me and offered to help me again. Also, check out ANY and ALL workshops that the faculty of graduate studies holds. I didn't last year and I think I suffered for it. This year, I am going to both the writing workshop and they have a Vanier writing bootcamp that I am going to attend. I have been told that these can be crucial to learning how to frame your topic for a vast audience. 

Good Luck!

[Adelaide9216]

Yes, I've attended all the workshops that I could and did multiple drafts of my research proposal and asked for feedback from past recipients as well. I'm applying to SSHRC Doctoral, Vanier & Trudeau this year. Good luck to you too!

[Adelaide9216]

I don't know why: I can't see the deadline of my chosen university in ResearchNet. Am I the only one? I hope it won't affect the moment when my application will be downloaded by the coordinator of the program at UOttawa.

[Adelaide9216]

The only thing that's missing to my application are my academic referees letters. I always get anxious about that because I'm always afraid that they forget about me.

[CrazyPugLady]

Ugh, the process at my institution is SO annoying. :|

Departments can only nominate one candidate and they must not have completed 20 months of their doctoral studies by May 2019. I qualify despite being 2nd year PhD. Since I got nominated last year, the chances of my department renominating me is in the air. I had conversations with the grad chair and the department chair who gave me diplomatic but canned responses of, "you are such a strong candidate, you should be happy being waitlisted for Vanier! Not many people make it that far!" and then telling me because of my performance in the Vanier competition, I would be a strong candidate for the SSHRC Doctoral CGS. I also get bulls*it responses about how not everyone gets their SSHRC in their first and second year as if that's a consolation prize. In any case I do not agree with at all because I scored pretty high in Vanier and basically failed the rankings on the SSHRC Doctoral. It's like comparing apples to oranges - the Vanier is based on community involvement and leadership much more than SSHRC, which seems to be purely academic. So this is pissing me off.

They sent calls for nominations I believe and I got two faculty members to put my name in. But it is still in the air. By the time we find out who is nominated it'll be late-August to early-September which is what f*cked me over last year giving me a month to prepare to submit an application! If I had known publications counted for that much I wish I knew before September so I could have at least made a manuscript to submit to a journal. Sigh.

 Do I seem bitter about it, yes I am, because I was so close and now due to stupid politics at my institution, I may not have a chance at Vanier again even though I made many strides into improving my application for next season, such as actually submitting stuff to journals and doing high-level conference panel talks.
 

Edited July 26, 2018 by CrazyPugLady