SSHRC Doctoral 2018-2019

[SSHRC]

Has anyone checked their online awards profile through their institution? I just checked mine and saw that a doctoral SSHRC award was 'initiated' in my account approx. 1 week ago.... I have no idea what this means... I'm wondering if a work around of waiting for institutions to email results is to just check our awards accounts? Although I'm really curious about the date that the doctoral award was 'initiated' in my account. 10+ days ago seems too early for even institutions to have had access to competition results....

Edited April 27, 2019 by SSHRC
clarity

[displaynamesarehard]

5 hours ago, SSHRC said:

Has anyone checked their online awards profile through their institution? I just checked mine and saw that a doctoral SSHRC award was 'initiated' in my account approx. 1 week ago.... I have no idea what this means... I'm wondering if a work around of waiting for institutions to email results is to just check our awards accounts? Although I'm really curious about the date that the doctoral award was 'initiated' in my account. 10+ days ago seems too early for even institutions to have had access to competition results....

I don’t know if it’s the same, but my school has an online portal for the result and it has just said “nominated” for a while now (but apparently changes once they get the results). Yours might mean something, but it also might just be that your SSHRC application was “initiated.”

Edited April 28, 2019 by displaynamesarehard

[WestCoastEagle]

The online system showing it has been initiated could be a administrative housekeeping thing.   Now that the results are close to being released, they may be making sure the awards system shows who has applied so they can later show if whether the application was successful.  

Fingers crossed that results are mailed on Monday!  This wait is brutal and made worse by the fact that they snail mail the results.  

Edited April 28, 2019 by WestCoastEagle

[PhDough]

I won a Vanier so I had to contact SSHRC and tell them i would decline an award. When I spoke to a person at SSHRC Friday, they stated I had won a SSHRC, the letters are definitely being mailed Monday and Tuesday, and letters hadn't been mailed for sure on Friday. And institutions do not know yet. I was really surprised to recieve this info. Well since I declined the SSHRC hopefully someone here who might end up on the waiting list gets it! Last year I was on the waitlist and was not funded. 

[SSHRC]

11 hours ago, displaynamesarehard said:

I don’t know if it’s the same, but my school has an online portal for the result and it has just said “nominated” for a while now (but apparently changes once they get the results). Yours might mean something, but it also might just be that your SSHRC application was “initiated.”

Thanks! Good to know that you have something similar. Given the timeline, it makes sense that it was just the initiation of the application.

10 hours ago, WestCoastEagle said:

The online system showing it has been initiated could be a administrative housekeeping thing.   Now that the results are close to being released, they may be making sure the awards system shows who has applied so they can later show if whether the application was successful.  

Fingers crossed that results are mailed on Monday!  This wait is brutal and made worse by the fact that they snail mail the results.  

Yeah - makes sense that they would just initiate an application for all of the contestants so they can issue the results online when they hear from SSHRC.... Fingers crossed for finding out Monday!

[GAPhD]

I also talked to my scholarships office and they said they were anticipating results on Monday- hopefully they’re right! As for OGS, our university is hoping to have their lists finalized by the end of the week after SSHRC results are announced. Hopefully that is similar for most universities. Good luck everyone!!

[kawa49]

I'm trying desperately to wait until a reasonable hour to email my awards office ... It's not going well. 

[BibliophileSW]

3 minutes ago, kawa49 said:

I'm trying desperately to wait until a reasonable hour to email my awards office ... It's not going well. 

I woke up at 430 this morning thinking about SSHRC. I'm trying to wait until they tweet before emailing. Let us know if anyone hears from their awards office. 

[Almond]

I can confirm SSHRC has not mailed the letters yet, as I asked them if it would be possible to change the address my letter is being sent to and they said this morning that would be fine. Going a little crazy over here 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Almond

[displaynamesarehard]

Just now, Almond said:

I can confirm SSHRC has not mailed the letters yet, as I asked them if it would be possible to change the address my letter is being sent to and they said that would be fine. Going a little crazy over here 

That doesn’t necessarily mean that they haven’t sent them yet, they could just be sending a new one to the new requested address.

[elodie]

Here is a question for everyone while we are all nervously on edge -- I'm trying to balance being optimistic and hopeful regarding winning SSHRC, while at the same time staying prepared for a rejection, and thinking through how I'd move on from that (change of research plans, travel plans, another year of living below the poverty line in an expensive city etc.,). As a direct applicant, and first year applicant, I was rejected with a 112/170 on my committee, so I'm a little less anxious at this point having been rejected twice already (the first time was soul crushing). At the same time I've made a number of changes in the last year on my application and hoping they will be significant enough, and thankfully I was ranked highly in my dept (without SSHRC I would have to change my proposed dissertation research all together, which will be hard to accept).  

How is everyone managing expectations? Do you have a plan B? 

[ThisIsFine]

I'm joining in here on the agonized waiting, because clearly writing is not happening today.  I "officially" have another year and a bit left of my PhD but my goal is to have a rough draft of my dissertation done in the fall and to defend next summer.  I've had two SSHRC rejections (at the university level) already and so am already living my Plan B at this point, but getting SSHRC would definitely open up my options for my last year and allow me to do more conferences, etc. because I'd only have to TA one term next year.  On a practical level, it'll really change nothing about what I'm doing at this point if I DON'T get it, but it could change a lot if I DO.  

This is the first time I've actually been sent out from my university and I was ranked first in my department, but we're a small department so I know that that means very little once it gets to the national competition.  Anyway, just holding my breath this week (while TRYING to actually MAYBE get this chapter finished as planned????) with the rest of you.  ?

[GAPhD]

1 hour ago, elodie said:

Here is a question for everyone while we are all nervously on edge -- I'm trying to balance being optimistic and hopeful regarding winning SSHRC, while at the same time staying prepared for a rejection, and thinking through how I'd move on from that (change of research plans, travel plans, another year of living below the poverty line in an expensive city etc.,). As a direct applicant, and first year applicant, I was rejected with a 112/170 on my committee, so I'm a little less anxious at this point having been rejected twice already (the first time was soul crushing). At the same time I've made a number of changes in the last year on my application and hoping they will be significant enough, and thankfully I was ranked highly in my dept (without SSHRC I would have to change my proposed dissertation research all together, which will be hard to accept).  

How is everyone managing expectations? Do you have a plan B? 

I’m definitely nervous, this is my first time applying, so I really don’t know what to expect. It’s hard not to be pessimistic knowing how many fantastic candidates get rejected every year. It’s also hard not to feel frustrated with the entire process of being judged. A low Vanier ranking was already devastating. I guess plan B is fingers crossed for OGS?

I’ve basically got all my plans on hold. Without funding, I’m cancelling my fieldwork plans and foreign partnership plan. It’s just going to be too expensive. I will have to refocus on data analysis for my PhD which isn’t ideal and funnel any department funding/TA pay into living expenses. I’ll also have to keep my 3 part time jobs. After that, I’d reapply the following year and if I got it, I’d try to reintroduce some of the initial elements into my thesis.

I hope we all manage to do well here. Fingers crossed for everyone!

Edited April 29, 2019 by AnthroPhD

[fabula]

50 minutes ago, elodie said:

Here is a question for everyone while we are all nervously on edge -- I'm trying to balance being optimistic and hopeful regarding winning SSHRC, while at the same time staying prepared for a rejection, and thinking through how I'd move on from that (change of research plans, travel plans, another year of living below the poverty line in an expensive city etc.,). As a direct applicant, and first year applicant, I was rejected with a 112/170 on my committee, so I'm a little less anxious at this point having been rejected twice already (the first time was soul crushing). At the same time I've made a number of changes in the last year on my application and hoping they will be significant enough, and thankfully I was ranked highly in my dept (without SSHRC I would have to change my proposed dissertation research all together, which will be hard to accept).  

How is everyone managing expectations? Do you have a plan B? 

I have also been thinking about this. This year is my third attempt, too. My direct application and rejection, before I was even in the PhD program, was the hardest. Crushing. I now know that it’s not everything, but I also know it doesn’t feel that way. Yes, I’m trying to come up with a Plan B. But I’m also spending some time thinking about how to be gentle with myself if it’s a third no. 

[TBay]

I can't remember which article it was, but I did see one that said that 30% of applicants who were rejected the first time, got funding in 2nd year.  Also my supervisor is a big believer in the number 3, he says all of his funding came on the third try.  I am on second try to SSHRC, first to Vanier.  So I've had 2 rejections and accept that it is a crap shoot.  I tried last year as a Master's student coming into my PhD, but a lot has changed (completed MA, thesis, public speaking engagements, got the Vanier nomination, etc).  I would have a little more for next year but not a whole lot.  If I get funding, I can work on publications and plan travel for research, if not I am off to a 40 hr a week job until I finish because I have dependents (I had a phone interview last week).  I doubt I would have time for funding applications as well as my TA job will not be possible.  The OSAP cuts reduced my funding and I have bills to pay so I had no choice but to start applying to jobs.  One thing I am worried about next year for the SSHRC application is that we will compete with people who may already have a PhD, as they are taking away that restriction for the funding being for a 1st PhD.  That scares me.

[Almond]

1 hour ago, elodie said:

Here is a question for everyone while we are all nervously on edge -- I'm trying to balance being optimistic and hopeful regarding winning SSHRC, while at the same time staying prepared for a rejection, and thinking through how I'd move on from that (change of research plans, travel plans, another year of living below the poverty line in an expensive city etc.,). As a direct applicant, and first year applicant, I was rejected with a 112/170 on my committee, so I'm a little less anxious at this point having been rejected twice already (the first time was soul crushing). At the same time I've made a number of changes in the last year on my application and hoping they will be significant enough, and thankfully I was ranked highly in my dept (without SSHRC I would have to change my proposed dissertation research all together, which will be hard to accept).  

How is everyone managing expectations? Do you have a plan B? 

This is a good question. If I don't win, then I'll be spending the next year also living below the poverty line (off a 30,000 stipend but 6,000 of that will be going to tuition). I don't know what I'll do, as I'm deep in debt on my credit card and student loans already. Not winning a SSHRC will mean I cannot do my planned exchange abroad in third year as well. Plan B is basically to cut down all expenses from an already meagre budget and figure out how to survive for the next year, and re-apply to SSHRC. I'm glad everyone is sharing so honestly and openly about this! These conversations are needed!

[Antikythera]

I’ve been lurking for months. Hello, all you familiars. As I’m reading through all of these comments to the tune of “I don’t know how I’ll make it through financially if I don’t get this SSHRC,” does anyone else find themselves kind of harrowed by the fact that the *majority* of people don’t? Some people don’t even apply—I’m imagining the majority don’t. But HOW? That’s (at least) four of our years below the poverty line, and then future prospects either start to snowball from there, or they don’t. I am probably banking far too much on succeeding this round for my own good.

[SSHRC]

Gah! SSHRC finally tweets after days of silence and it's STILL not about the doctoral competition!! ?

[KaliLogan]

1 minute ago, SSHRC said:

Gah! SSHRC finally tweets after days of silence and it's STILL not about the doctoral competition!! ?

Literally just thinking the same thing!

[Almond]

they are torturing us on purpose now LOL 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Almond

[BibliophileSW]

this is becoming unbearable... we all better win after all the anguish ?

[displaynamesarehard]

Did anyone try emailing their awards department today?

[KaliLogan]

Just now, displaynamesarehard said:

Did anyone try emailing their awards department today?

Not yet - I've been bugging them so much lately that I hesitate to do it again. But if you haven't been as annoying as I have, you can for sure check in with them!

[GAPhD]

1 hour ago, KaliLogan said:

Not yet - I've been bugging them so much lately that I hesitate to do it again. But if you haven't been as annoying as I have, you can for sure check in with them!

I’ve also been bothering them quite a bit. I’m probably going to ask tomorrow again.

[KaliLogan]

27 minutes ago, AnthroPhD said:

I’ve also been bothering them quite a bit. I’m probably going to ask tomorrow again.

That's an excellent plan. I caved, and emailed the faculty of graduate studies at my institution and their response was that they are still awaiting the results. Now I have to resist the urge to email them every hour asking "What about now?"