Taking a SSHRC award from masters to phd

[aaces]

I have a question about a strange last-minute funding situation that I'm hoping someone can help me with:

I was lucky enough to win a SSHRC masters award for the second year of my MA starting this year.

Last week I received an offer from my program to start a direct-entry phd ... in September... eek!

Does anyone know what happens to SSHRC masters awards when you switch from a masters to phd program? I looked through the award holder's manual and couldn't find any information. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I won't lose my award if I accept, will I?

If anyone else has encountered this situation and knows what happens, I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks!

[TakeruK]

Here is the related text in the Award Holders Guide:

http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/using-utiliser/guide-A/regulations-reglements-eng.aspx#a2

It says:

Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Master's Scholarship holders: If you complete your master's degree or transfer to a doctoral degree program prior to the end of the term of the award, you can request and use the balance of your award to immediately start a doctoral degree program (at the first available start date of the program). To receive the balance of the award, you must have completed a minimum of one full-time term of studies at the master's level.

I know for NSERC awards, if you "upgrade" to a PhD program, your stipend is also upgraded from the Masters level to the PhD level but it doesn't say this explicitly for SSHRC (but maybe it still does!). In any case, you should probably check this with your Graduate School because I'm sure they have dealt with this issue before. I'd probably ask about a stipend upgrade anyways! But this is not an upgrade to the PhD award, and you should make sure you choose your start dates properly so that you are still eligible for applying to doctoral level awards from SSHRC this fall for the 2013-2014 year.

[lewin]

"To receive the balance of the award, you must have completed a minimum of one full-time term of studies at the master's level."

Maybe they will let you be an MA student for the fall term and start as a PhD in January.

[TakeruK]

The OP said they were already finished 1 year of masters and from that paragraph alone, it's not clear whether or not the "completed a minimum of one full-time term of studies at the master's level" means that the term must be completed while holding a SSHRC award, or just completed in general.

What lewin00 suggest is a good idea if it's the former case, but again, your Graduate Office should know what to do best!

[lewin]

Oh yes, you're right. The paragraph is ambiguous; my interpretation had been the former (while holding the award). But the latter makes more sense.

[aaces]

Thanks for your responses, TakeruK and lewin00.

I'm still waiting to hear back from SSHRC, but it looks like I may be out of luck. According to grad studies a student in a previous year was in the same situation, and SSHRC would not make an exception. In that case, unfortunately, I lose my direct entry spot as I wouldn't have funding

Kind of a frustrating policy...

[TakeruK]

Ouch that's a really frustrating Catch-22! It seems like similar things, but at smaller scales, happen to many people. A friend of mine was in a situation where in order for his supervisor to have enough funding to pay for a trip to an international workshop, he needed to win a fellowship. So if he won the fellowship, he'll not only have a slightly higher stipend for next year, but also have a fully funded workshop trip, but if he didn't win, he would get a lower stipend for next year and also have to pay out of pocket for the workshop!

Sometimes it might not be so bad to get a Masters then a PhD though -- especially if you are staying at the same school, it probably won't add another year to your PhD program. And if you were successful at SSHRC once before, it will help you when you apply for Doctoral level SSHRC this fall! But here's hoping that you get your award upgrade!

[raise cain]

Thanks for your responses, TakeruK and lewin00.

I'm still waiting to hear back from SSHRC, but it looks like I may be out of luck. According to grad studies a student in a previous year was in the same situation, and SSHRC would not make an exception. In that case, unfortunately, I lose my direct entry spot as I wouldn't have funding

Kind of a frustrating policy...

I am so sorry to hear that. I mean, you were fast tracked because you are a top student. Doesn't SSHRC ostensibly want to fund and support the top students? Pfft.

[aaces]

A happy update: my program is letting me start in January, so I can keep my SSHRC this year.

Now onto applications for next year. Eek!

Thanks for all your support!