SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship/CGS Doctoral Scholarship 2015-2016

[Konstantin]

Will correct this post slightly, as I had an MA SSHRC this year at Queen's! Without any external funding my department guarantees 18 000$/year to MA students through a variety of internal fellowships/TAships etc. Getting a SSHRC bumps you up to 24 000$, or OGS gets you 21 000$. In any case, it's much better than a lot of universities, though there is definitely a significant 'claw back'.

Good point! Do you know if this is also the case for Ph.D. students there? My friend who applied to the Sociology Ph.D. program at Queen's last year was informed that he'd be able to keep his Doctoral SSHRC and all of the internal funding. It could also be that the claw-back is program- and department-specific, though I'm just speculating.

[bentharbour]

Does anyone know when the public announcement will be made? I'd like to tell some people my results but the letter said to wait...

 

The public announcement does not happen until sometime in the summer, usually ranging from May to as late as August. There are a lot of moving parts which we do not necessarily see. For example, there is time given for awardees to accept, then there are always administrative issues that must be solved before the final lists can be produced, then the communications team has to make all of the spreadsheets and other data to be released, and finally (probably what causes the most delay) is that they must set up a "Ministerial Announcement" that usually takes forever to organize. This is all happening during a very busy time for all government agencies (annual plans and Departmental Performance Reports are due to parliament in the fall and are worked on extensively throughout the summer). It could happen soon, but it may also happen very late into the summer. It varies year to year.

[markinwaterloo]

Perhaps someone here knows that can put me at ease - Im going into my third year and got the CGS for 3 years, which means my 3rd, 4th and 5th years could be funded.  Anyone here heard of not being able to accept the award in your fifth year?  Im worried they might take it away as my university doesnt fund in the fifth year....Perhaps someone at Western in the same boat?

 

 

[Konstantin]

Perhaps someone here knows that can put me at ease - Im going into my third year and got the CGS for 3 years, which means my 3rd, 4th and 5th years could be funded.  Anyone here heard of not being able to accept the award in your fifth year?  Im worried they might take it away as my university doesnt fund in the fifth year....Perhaps someone at Western in the same boat?

First, congrats on the CGS! I was actually in the same situation as you last year -- I won the CGS going into my third year. I can't speak for Western, but I know that Carleton U will not prohibit its students from holding external awards after they have exhausted their internal funding. I would be willing to bet that Western will not keep you from holding an external award in your senior years of the Ph.D. Besides, the money isn't Western's to keep, it's SSHRC's!

Edited April 30, 2015 by Konstantin

[Lorelai_Gilmore]

Thanks bentharbour! 

[solala]

Hi folks, I just wanted to thank everyone for the messages of encouragement for those of us who didn't make it this year. I emailed sshrc to see if I could get more information, and I am shocked that they won't even provide unsuccessful applicants with a breakdown down their scores based on SSHRC's own 5 evaluation criteria (I think it's the minimum they could do in the absence of qualitative feedback). It doesn't seem like there are proper checks and balances in place to see if reviewers are taking these criteria into account, which is discouraging. But I hope we all keep trying, and I'm sure I will be seeing many of you around here next year.

 

After many sleepless nights and a lot of advice from other applicants, I still can't figure out what I could have done wrong, but I think I'm going to try simplifying my proposal, cutting out much of the interdisciplinary component (and being enrolled in a program next year will also likely help). 

 

Perhaps the one useful piece of information I received from sshrc is that the cut-off score for successful applicants this year was 12.1. It looks like many of you who posted from the wait list are very close. Best of luck! 

[markinwaterloo]

First, congrats on the CGS! I was actually in the same situation as you last year -- I won the CGS going into my third year. I can't speak for Western, but I know that Carleton U will not prohibit its students from holding external awards after they have exhausted their internal funding. I would be willing to bet that Western will not keep you from holding an external award in your senior years of the Ph.D. Besides, the money isn't Western's to keep, it's SSHRC's!

Thanks Konstantin! That makes sense to me, but western has the habit of taking away as much as it can, though I doubt they will be able to touch the SSHRC funding.  All the best!

[rugox]

Can anyone help? I still have not received my letter here in the Eastcoast of US. I think it may have been lost. I contacted SSHRC already but it's been a slow process in getting their response. I read that the deadline to take up the award is May first and it is already May first and I don't even know my results yet. If by chance I am awarded a fellowship, is this going to be a problem? Has anyone had a similar issue?

[sarah-bellum]

Can anyone help? I still have not received my letter here in the Eastcoast of US. I think it may have been lost. I contacted SSHRC already but it's been a slow process in getting their response. I read that the deadline to take up the award is May first and it is already May first and I don't even know my results yet. If by chance I am awarded a fellowship, is this going to be a problem? Has anyone had a similar issue?

You just gave me a mini heart attack until I re-read my letter! The deadline to accept or decline is May 15, not 1st. Somewhere way back in this thread people talked about how SSHRC would be posting the results on the Web portal by May 6th (I think?), so hopefully you can find out that way.

[Carthage32]

There is a direct deposit form specifically for US accounts. It's on the direct deposit page below the Canadian one. I am filling out the same forms right now What state are you in?

 

Also if they exchanged it today it looks about $8310 USD, which kind of sucks but its better than no money. 

 

Thanks Kermit! I see the form online. I'm in Massachusetts. 

[wanmotz]

There is a direct deposit form specifically for US accounts. It's on the direct deposit page below the Canadian one. I am filling out the same forms right now What state are you in?

 

Also if they exchanged it today it looks about $8310 USD, which kind of sucks but its better than no money. 

You lose over half in exchange? Really? 

[Pol]

You lose over half in exchange? Really? 

 

I'm assuming it was half of the yearly amount that was transferred (10K). Otherwise it doesn't make sense. 

[bentharbour]

You lose over half in exchange? Really? 

 

 

Yeah, I think Kermit was referring to the payments made by SSHRC. You do not get all 20K in one payment, you get two payments of 10K (one in August and one in March).

[becaustic]

Hello! I received the CGS Doctoral Scholarship beginning May 2015.

 

How long did it take for your money to arrive for those of you that also won this award? From submission of the activation form to the money in your bank?

 

I had to resubmit my form because of an error  (the year on the form was written as 2013 by myself by accident in my signature area!), but that was 2 weeks ago, and I am still awaiting my funds.

 

I would appreciate your advice.

 

Cheers,

B.

[becaustic]

Hi folks, I just wanted to thank everyone for the messages of encouragement for those of us who didn't make it this year. I emailed sshrc to see if I could get more information, and I am shocked that they won't even provide unsuccessful applicants with a breakdown down their scores based on SSHRC's own 5 evaluation criteria (I think it's the minimum they could do in the absence of qualitative feedback). It doesn't seem like there are proper checks and balances in place to see if reviewers are taking these criteria into account, which is discouraging. But I hope we all keep trying, and I'm sure I will be seeing many of you around here next year.

 

After many sleepless nights and a lot of advice from other applicants, I still can't figure out what I could have done wrong, but I think I'm going to try simplifying my proposal, cutting out much of the interdisciplinary component (and being enrolled in a program next year will also likely help). 

 

Perhaps the one useful piece of information I received from sshrc is that the cut-off score for successful applicants this year was 12.1. It looks like many of you who posted from the wait list are very close. Best of luck! 

I'm sorry to hear that you were not successful this year. I applied 3 times before finally wining a CGS Doctoral Scholarship this year. 

 

I have found in the past that the best way to receive feedback is from advisors in your department. SSHRC is looking for something very specific, and they do not provide feedback other than your score. I'm sorry that you did not know this before hand. Your advisors should tell you this type of thing. There is an internal system of 'checks and balances' though even if they don't provide you with a breakdown of your score.

 

It is not what someone does 'wrong' on their application. It is more how you stand out amongst thousands of excellent applicants. When I applied for my SSHRC, I collected the proposals of successful applicants. I now have a file of 20 or so successful CGS Doctoral Scholarship applications from the University of Toronto. I based my successful CGS Doctoral applications on the formats of these applicants. When you read 20 or more successful applications, you can tell immediately what they are looking for: clear, simply communicated, coherent, easily-understood language, no jargon, a do-able project, a sense of continuity from your BA to your MA to the PhD, having professors already on-board with your project, plans for after your degree (that are consistent with your project), etc. 

 

I hope that you can contact friends and colleagues to make your own 'CGS Successful Application' folder. It is truly invaluable. Paragraph by paragraph, reading 20 of these, you see immediately what makes one person win and an other not win. 

 

An other reality that can take a while to realize is that academia is NOT meritocracy. Yes, merit has a lot to do with it, but it is not everything. Certain projects will never get funded because of their political nature, because they are too 'inter-disciplinary', because they are too radical, etc. It is crucial to translate your project into the language and format that is appealing to a nationally-based infrastructure that is invested in small, achievable, gains in scholarship, not huge, radical changes.

 

Best of luck!

Cheers,

B.

[Carthage32]

Quick question for folks starting their awards in September: do we need to submit any paperwork now, or am I correct in thinking that the form for the first instalment should be sent in August? (Can't remember where I read that or if I just imagined it...)

Also, if I attend an American school, do I need to do direct deposit with an American bank, or can I do it with my Canadian bank account too? I'm not planning to be on campus for the whole year, so I thought it would be better to have the funds sent to my Canadian account and then transfer to the US on an as-needed basis.

Thanks! Hope everyone is having a good summer.

[gs24]

Hey all,

I will be applying as direct applicant this year, and this makes me a bit nervous. Has anyone gone through the direct application process? Any warnings or words of advice?

[clinicalapplicant]

Hey all,

I will be applying as direct applicant this year, and this makes me a bit nervous. Has anyone gone through the direct application process? Any warnings or words of advice?

I applied last year as a direct applicant, and it wasn't any different from the main process at all (aside from not submitting a department appraisal form). I understand why you're a bit nervous as I was, but it's literally the exact same process. I was forwarded but ultimately not awarded the scholarship. 

Trying again this year, but I'm in graduate school now so I'll be going through their channels (due at the end of this month actually!). 

[Dsc746]

On 4/30/2015 at 5:56 AM, bentharbour said:

 

The public announcement does not happen until sometime in the summer, usually ranging from May to as late as August. There are a lot of moving parts which we do not necessarily see. For example, there is time given for awardees to accept, then there are always administrative issues that must be solved before the final lists can be produced, then the communications team has to make all of the spreadsheets and other data to be released, and finally (probably what causes the most delay) is that they must set up a "Ministerial Announcement" that usually takes forever to organize. This is all happening during a very busy time for all government agencies (annual plans and Departmental Performance Reports are due to parliament in the fall and are worked on extensively throughout the summer). It could happen soon, but it may also happen very late into the summer. It varies year to year.

lol...its SSHRC not the CIA...gimme a fuckin break...

Edited June 24, 2016 by dtc921

[phdeath]

Just one update: I received a PhD Doctoral Fellowship offer late April, and last week received an email that I have been upgraded to a CGS. Just one datapoint for those curious. Best of luck to all.

[DealBreakerC]

4 hours ago, phdeath said:

Just one update: I received a PhD Doctoral Fellowship offer late April, and last week received an email that I have been upgraded to a CGS. Just one datapoint for those curious. Best of luck to all.

Congrats. That same thing happened to a friend of mine but he had held the fellowship for two years at that point. And yes, the upgrade came with retroactive pay. It was perfectly timed as he was leaving for a bachelor party in Cuba the next week.