SSHRC

[Neatgirl]

Do you think that the scores needed to get each award might vary by the committee that judges them?

Also, no letter today in Vancouver. sigh. I used to like weekends.

Could be ogopogo, that's a better idea than I could come up with anyways! As for your letter, hang in there and try to enjoy the weekend!

[Neatgirl]

And maybe the year of application makes a difference, too?

Also a good suggestion Cree8tiveGyal, at this point I'm just thankful that the LOOOOONG wait is over for me. I'm hoping that everyone else's long wait is over very soon.

[Sarah7]

And maybe the year of application makes a difference, too?

I am not sure if you mean that the standard varies from year to year or if you mean that the year of the program matters, but I have heard that the latter is true, although I don't have any way to confirm that the information I received was correct. If I correctly understand what I was told, what is deemed a high score depends on what year you're in. Using myself as an example, I received 18.5 and applied while in my first year of the PhD program and received funding for three years. However, maybe for someone in second or third year already, 18.5 might be an unacceptably low score. Again, I don't know if there's any truth to this, but it's something that seems generally accepted, at least in my department. Sorry I can't offer any more concrete information I have also heard that the threshold for an acceptable score is higher this b/c of cuts, but again, I don't think we can confirm this.

Sarah

[ogopogo]

Could be ogopogo, that's a better idea than I could come up with anyways! As for your letter, hang in there and try to enjoy the weekend!

Thanks, I will get out and enjoy this beautiful weather we are getting this weekend. I'm just grumbling because it'll be JUNE before I get the letter now, and because I can get away with grumbling a bit here. It's much worse for the people who don't know yet, at least I can be pretty sure it'll be a good letter whenever it eventually comes.

[sylvinka]

I am not sure if you mean that the standard varies from year to year or if you mean that the year of the program matters, but I have heard that the latter is true, although I don't have any way to confirm that the information I received was correct. If I correctly understand what I was told, what is deemed a high score depends on what year you're in. Using myself as an example, I received 18.5 and applied while in my first year of the PhD program and received funding for three years. However, maybe for someone in second or third year already, 18.5 might be an unacceptably low score. Again, I don't know if there's any truth to this, but it's something that seems generally accepted, at least in my department. Sorry I can't offer any more concrete information I have also heard that the threshold for an acceptable score is higher this b/c of cuts, but again, I don't think we can confirm this.

Sarah

Hi Sarah.

I got 18.3 as I posted earlied and I am in my third year of PhD. Unfortunately, SSHRC does not provide scheme for evaluation unlike NSERC but I believe it may be similar. Check http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-E ... es_eng.asp if you are interested. Based on this scheme the year of your program does not make a difference if I understand it correctly.

[none]

Hey all,

To add to the gathering data - I received the fellowship with a score of 17.8.

I am entering the second year of a doctoral program.

Thanks to all you posters! If not for this board, I would have gone nuts with the waiting.

i scored 17.7 and got waiting list... does anyone know if waiting list people have a chance? is the cutoff officially 17.8?

[Cree8tiveGyal]

I am not sure if you mean that the standard varies from year to year or if you mean that the year of the program matters, but I have heard that the latter is true, although I don't have any way to confirm that the information I received was correct. If I correctly understand what I was told, what is deemed a high score depends on what year you're in. Using myself as an example, I received 18.5 and applied while in my first year of the PhD program and received funding for three years. However, maybe for someone in second or third year already, 18.5 might be an unacceptably low score. Again, I don't know if there's any truth to this, but it's something that seems generally accepted, at least in my department. Sorry I can't offer any more concrete information I have also heard that the threshold for an acceptable score is higher this b/c of cuts, but again, I don't think we can confirm this.

Sarah

Yes, I meant the year the applicant is in/entering. There must be different cut-offs depending on what year a person is in/entering - that makes sense to me....

Different number of applicants, yield different expectations. I mean, you can't really adjudicate a 1st year app against a 3rd year, whereas anyone entering 1st and 2nd year are eligible for the CGS and would more likely be read against one another. Who knows!...lol.....Congrats to MissTheory and to everyone again!

[phreeduh]

Come on lucky Monday mail!

[canuckle]

Ah, yes. SSHRC notification in JUNE!! Weeeeeeee!!!

On an good note, we have almost proved ourselves more compulsive than the yanks. One more page and we'll pass the Fullbright thread!

[ogopogo]

Ah, yes. SSHRC notification in JUNE!! Weeeeeeee!!!

On a good note, we have almost proved ourselves more compulsive than the yanks. One more page and we'll pass the Fullbright thread!

Well, I think I'm pulling my weight in the compulsive department, and we have way more views than they do, just less posts and pages. Anyway, I'll bet that gradcafe's canadian count has gone waaaaay up this year due to SSHRC's lateness.

[sshrchopeful]

For all those who are wait-listed like myself, I have some good information about the process.

I emailed SSHRC to find out what, exactly, it means and here was their response. As you can see, there's still a glimmer of hope.

"Good morning,

When applicants apply to a committee in the Doctoral Awards program (National competition), their applications are forwarded randomly to one of the committee's sub-groups (the number of sub-groups varies by committee and depends on the volume of applications received by the committee). Each sub-group is assigned three committee members (normally from different research backgrounds) that evaluate, score and rank all applications in their assigned sub-group. The success rate in the competition remains the same across all committees and their respective sub-groups.

Your place on the waiting list is determined by your score within your sub-group. If an award recipient in your sub-group declines their award, we will proceed through the list in rank order.

Please note, that there will be allot of movement on the recommended but not funded lists this summer. SSHRC plans to let applicants know their final decisions by August 2009.

Thank you very much for your patience with this matter and good luck in this year's competition"

[phreeduh]

Come on lucky Tuesday mail.

[dramanda]

Please note, that there will be allot of movement on the recommended but not funded lists this summer. SSHRC plans to let applicants know their final decisions by August 2009.

Thank you very much for your patience with this matter and good luck in this year's competition"

If true, this is fantastic!

[studynorth]

Hi all. I've been obsessing over this page until just now; I just checked the mail (in the States), and I received a package informing me that I received a SSHRC -- hooray! I wanted to let you all know -- I don't think the wait can be toooo long, now. Good luck to you all.

[UofTgrad]

For those of you in Ontario, does anyone know how SSHRC's "recommended but not funded/waitlisted" list works with OGS? I've been waitlisted for SSHRC but have won an OGS. OGS is giving recipents until June 30th to accept the award. With this new info from SSHRC (i.e., that there will be a lot of movement on the SSHRC waitlist this summer up until August 30th), once we accept OGS are our hopes over for SSHRC? Because you can't hold both an OGS and a SSHRC in the same year, the SSHRC is obviously much more attractive given that it is over several years and $5000 more per year. Any advice?

[sshrchopeful]

For those of you in Ontario, does anyone know how SSHRC's "recommended but not funded/waitlisted" list works with OGS? I've been waitlisted for SSHRC but have won an OGS. OGS is giving recipents until June 30th to accept the award. With this new info from SSHRC (i.e., that there will be a lot of movement on the SSHRC waitlist this summer up until August 30th), once we accept OGS are our hopes over for SSHRC? Because you can't hold both an OGS and a SSHRC in the same year, the SSHRC is obviously much more attractive given that it is over several years and $5000 more per year. Any advice?

I'm in the same situation. I've emailed my program director for advice and will post here when I find anything out.

However, I suspect that OGS will let us cancel our scholarship if awarded a SSHRC later. The only reason I assume so, is because when you agree to accept OGS you also have to agree to inform them if you receive another award. I tried calling the number given to us on the OGS acceptance letter, but she's out of the office until Wednesday.

[Neatgirl]

I'm in the same situation. I've emailed my program director for advice and will post here when I find anything out.

However, I suspect that OGS will let us cancel our scholarship if awarded a SSHRC later. The only reason I assume so, is because when you agree to accept OGS you also have to agree to inform them if you receive another award. I tried calling the number given to us on the OGS acceptance letter, but she's out of the office until Wednesday.

I'm pretty sure that you're fine to accept the OGS and then let them know later if you end up getting a SSHRC. SSHRC doesn't care if you have an OGS (they don't place limits on other funding the way OGS does, they would actually allow it), so accepting won't affect your SSHRC chances. Having a SSHRC is only a problem from the OGS side because they won't let you hold both. I'll bet that you're told to go ahead and accept the OGS and then see what happens. Good luck!

[Neatgirl]

Come on lucky Tuesday mail.

Oh no, seriously! Where do you live? I was hopeful that since someone in the states got theirs that lots of others in Canada did too! Time to hunt down your mail carrier!!!

[ricol]

Been following this for a while. I got a rejection letter this morning. Applied directly to SSHRC, got a 24.2 in the first round, and a 16.2 in the second. That felt pretty harsh. An 8 point drop? I thought I was in the clear (though remained cautious), especially given a post I read earlier by another independent applicant one who'd gotten 24 in the first round and then 19.3 in the second, and was a awarded SSHRC for 4 years. I'm in the 3rd year of a doc program in clinical psychology at Columbia in New York. I still believe in my research, but I'm very disappointed about the finances.

[Snasser]

Been following this for a while. I got a rejection letter this morning. Applied directly to SSHRC, got a 24.2 in the first round, and a 16.2 in the second. That felt pretty harsh. An 8 point drop? I thought I was in the clear (though remained cautious), especially given a post I read earlier by another independent applicant one who'd gotten 24 in the first round and then 19.3 in the second, and was a awarded SSHRC for 4 years. I'm in the 3rd year of a doc program in clinical psychology at Columbia in New York. I still believe in my research, but I'm very disappointed about the finances.

Keep on believing in your research, ricol. More people never get a SSHRC than do get one. Think of this as an opportunity to build a thicker skin. Academia takes no prisoners. I have been so impressed with the positive attitude that unsuccessful applicants have shown. I am still licking my wounds a bit because I was so hopeful, but all of your strength and your belief in your research are really helping me to find the positive side of all of this. Thank you. I am so happy to see that there are really well-adjusted, balanced people lurking around in the Academy.

[Snasser]

Faint hope: One more thing that I would like to add that may provide a faint hope for those of us who are waitlisted. I have noted that the SSHRC website still has not published statistics for the 2009-2010 doctoral competition (note that I refer to 'program statistics' and not 'competition results'). MA and PostDoc stats were published as soon as results were announced to successful candidates. I think given the perilous position of government funding this year that it is faintly possible that the government may choose to provide more funding to the doctoral SSHRCs if the over all economic picture starts to look up a bit. Doc funding caps may not be written in stone yet, and the fact that program stats for this year have still not been published may be a reflection of this.

[woody]

I got the letter in Winnipeg. Very positive. Rank 19.5/30. Good luck to all!

[dramanda]

Faint hope: One more thing that I would like to add that may provide a faint hope for those of us who are waitlisted. I have noted that the SSHRC website still has not published statistics for the 2009-2010 doctoral competition (note that I refer to 'program statistics' and not 'competition results'). MA and PostDoc stats were published as soon as results were announced to successful candidates. I think given the perilous position of government funding this year that it is faintly possible that the government may choose to provide more funding to the doctoral SSHRCs if the over all economic picture starts to look up a bit. Doc funding caps may not be written in stone yet, and the fact that program stats for this year have still not been published may be a reflection of this.

I like the way you think!

[jerome888]

I'm getting the sense that a lot of people are just getting their actual letters now.

I got the news about my Doctoral SSHRC back in mid May but still haven't received my letter from SSHRC. Is this typical?

[ogopogo]

I'm getting the sense that a lot of people are just getting their actual letters now.

I got the news about my Doctoral SSHRC back in mid May but still haven't received my letter from SSHRC. Is this typical?

yep, that's pretty typical. a bunch of people have their letters, but a bunch of us don't. not surprisingly, distance from Ottawa seems to be a factor.