SSHRC 2010

[wordbird]

<br />I was wondering if anybody could explain to me the dates they have: may, sept, jan. If I choose May, does that mean they only start paying may of next year (2011) or May 2010? Or does it mean they pay over 3 times? Not sure if I understand it. If someone does I would love to hear from you all <img src='http://forum.thegradcafe.com/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='' /> <br />Thanks!<br />

<br /><br /><br />

Generally, it all depends on the start date of your program. If you start in September, you find out now that you got it and get payments starting Sept 2010. If you start in the winter semester, you start getting payments in January 2011. If you are currently in a program, you start getting the payments right away (ie. May 2010).

Two years ago I won a MA SSHRC and I found out late (right at the end of May or maybe in the first few weeks of June). Since I was already in a program I was supposed to start payments right away. However, at that point I had already found a full time (paid) summer internship. I was working far too many hours to qualify for a SSHRC, but because I got my letter so late (they had actually emailed me to let me know I won) I had the choice to push the start date to September.

[mudlark]

I was wondering if anybody could explain to me the dates they have: may, sept, jan. If I choose May, does that mean they only start paying may of next year (2011) or May 2010? Or does it mean they pay over 3 times? Not sure if I understand it. If someone does I would love to hear from you all

Thanks!

Wordbird has it right, although if you're an ongoing student you usually have the choice of whether to start in May or September. That is, I don't think it was unusual for her to have the choice. If I win, I'll hopefully start in September, since I have another scholarship to get me through the summer, and I want to stretch the funding as far as possible.

May means May 2010. Of course, by the time we hear and the lucky winners get all their paperwork in, a big chunk of May will likely be gone. That means that people with a May start will get their May 'paycheck' along with their June paycheck.

Not sure what you mean buy "does it mean they pay over 3 times". Clarification?

[sylvie88]

Wordbird has it right, although if you're an ongoing student you usually have the choice of whether to start in May or September. That is, I don't think it was unusual for her to have the choice. If I win, I'll hopefully start in September, since I have another scholarship to get me through the summer, and I want to stretch the funding as far as possible.

May means May 2010. Of course, by the time we hear and the lucky winners get all their paperwork in, a big chunk of May will likely be gone. That means that people with a May start will get their May 'paycheck' along with their June paycheck.

Not sure what you mean buy "does it mean they pay over 3 times". Clarification?

Yes, you can choose to start in September. BUT if it is the last year of your program you will end up getting two payments: September and January. You sacrifice the third payment - they don't divide it in two, you just get 2/3rds of the award. If you look back, you'll see this happened to me. So be careful!

[Phalène]

Truthfully, does anyone reading this thread think letters will be in the mail this week? Or have we all resigned ourselves to finding out in May?

And, who else is still working on assignments/essays for the semester? Surely I can't be the only one... (perhaps I am the only procrastinating one, hmm...)

[caterinacanadese]

Hey!

This is my first time posting, though I've been obsessively checking this thread for a while. I'm a first year PhD in Italian studies; I had a SSHRC for my MA, and this is my first time applying at the doctoral level. My app was forwarded to the national level. Waiting is so hard! I did find out that I got OGS though, so that's a relief.

I wanted to ask your guys' opinion on something. I am nervous about the fact that when I submitted my application in October, I had no publications or conference presentations (I did, however, manage to mention an upcoming conference in my proposal). On the other hand, I had all A+s except for one A in my 9 MA courses, and in my undergrad got a medal for having the highest graduating average in the humanities at my university, along with many other scholarships and awards. I know that grades don't matter as much for the doctoral SSHRC, but do you think that my GPA, together with great letters and a really solid proposal, is enough to make up for the fact that I don't have pubs? Honestly, publications at this stage in the game are rare in my discipline, but I don't know if SSHRC knows that :S

Any advice is much appreciated!

Edited April 26, 2010 by caterinacanadese

[NorthernStar]

Truthfully, does anyone reading this thread think letters will be in the mail this week? Or have we all resigned ourselves to finding out in May?

And, who else is still working on assignments/essays for the semester? Surely I can't be the only one... (perhaps I am the only procrastinating one, hmm...)

You're not the only one - still working on two papers, not making the deadline and keep procrastinating. Who said that you get work ethics in grad school?

[Snasser]

I'm thinking May, myself.

[RaaR]

Truthfully, does anyone reading this thread think letters will be in the mail this week? Or have we all resigned ourselves to finding out in May?

And, who else is still working on assignments/essays for the semester? Surely I can't be the only one... (perhaps I am the only procrastinating one, hmm...)

I was told a few weeks back that we should hear at the end of April. That's why I do think they should be mailed out either this week or the next. This week is a definitive possibility.

[RaaR]

Hey!

This is my first time posting, though I've been obsessively checking this thread for a while. I'm a first year PhD in Italian studies; I had a SSHRC for my MA, and this is my first time applying at the doctoral level. My app was forwarded to the national level. Waiting is so hard! I did find out that I got OGS though, so that's a relief.

I wanted to ask your guys' opinion on something. I am nervous about the fact that when I submitted my application in October, I had no publications or conference presentations (I did, however, manage to mention an upcoming conference in my proposal). On the other hand, I had all A+s except for one A in my 9 MA courses, and in my undergrad got a medal for having the highest graduating average in the humanities at my university, along with many other scholarships and awards. I know that grades don't matter as much for the doctoral SSHRC, but do you think that my GPA, together with great letters and a really solid proposal, is enough to make up for the fact that I don't have pubs? Honestly, publications at this stage in the game are rare in my discipline, but I don't know if SSHRC knows that :S

Any advice is much appreciated!

Sounds like you're in excellent shape. I think SSHRC people are experienced enough to know in which disciplines it is more common to publish and in which less so. I can tell you that in economics for instance (which is what I'm studying) it is also quite rare to have (noteworthy) publications at the time of application, and people still win this award. My guess is that this rather depends much on your research proposal, and to a lesser extent on the letters of recommendation as well.

[Canuckonomist]

Sounds like you're in excellent shape. I think SSHRC people are experienced enough to know in which disciplines it is more common to publish and in which less so. I can tell you that in economics for instance (which is what I'm studying) it is also quite rare to have (noteworthy) publications at the time of application, and people still win this award. My guess is that this rather depends much on your research proposal, and to a lesser extent on the letters of recommendation as well.

Sure, RaaR. Play down the good points of my application, why don't you (miss ya, good buddy). Noteworthy is a key word -I doubt my little co-authored theory exercise will garner any attention, so I see your point there. Publications are not all that important, methinks. Isn't it something like 60% research proposal, 40% grades, and the other stuff may be scale tippers @ the Ph.D level? I'm trying to remember which authority told me that. Hearing something like that always shakes me up. I always worry that I am too technical or tangential in my proposals. Learning experiences, all.

Best of luck to everyone this week. If Ottawa ships the letters, I'll get mine 2 (maybe 3) days from sending, as it only takes 2 days from Ottawa to southern Ontario via regular mail. The stronghold here may be the first radar signs (or perhaps, those in Ottawa, Montreal or Kingston!)

Cheers,

Canuck

[caterinacanadese]

Thanks, RaaR; I feel a bit better!

Ugh, patience is NOT my virtue. At least I have studying for my comps to keep me occupied. Very appropriately, I am currently re-reading Dante's Purgatorio...

[hbaert]

Wordbird has it right, although if you're an ongoing student you usually have the choice of whether to start in May or September. That is, I don't think it was unusual for her to have the choice. If I win, I'll hopefully start in September, since I have another scholarship to get me through the summer, and I want to stretch the funding as far as possible.

May means May 2010. Of course, by the time we hear and the lucky winners get all their paperwork in, a big chunk of May will likely be gone. That means that people with a May start will get their May 'paycheck' along with their June paycheck.

Not sure what you mean buy "does it mean they pay over 3 times". Clarification?

I was asking about the number of times they pay out but from reading the quotes I think it is monthly, which would make sense. Thank you all for explaining this to me. I can therefore count on a June pay out if I get one... it is good to know

I appreciate all your responses.

[mudlark]

I was asking about the number of times they pay out but from reading the quotes I think it is monthly, which would make sense. Thank you all for explaining this to me. I can therefore count on a June pay out if I get one... it is good to know

I appreciate all your responses.

Ah, that makes sense! The people you should really be asking are the awards workers at your faculty of graduate studies. You don't get a paycheck directly from SSHRC. They give the money to your school, who then doles it out. Different schools have different set ups. My MA school paid you bi-weekly, while my PhD school pays monthly.

If you win a PhD SSHRC, it will support you up to the end of your fourth year of study, so you might want to set your start date to make it last right up to that date.

Forgive me if the following is obvious, but it sounds like it might be helpful. It helps not to think of SSHRC as a set amount, but as a promise of financial support for a set period of time. SSHRC supports graduate students up through the 24th month of their MA program (to a max of one year of funding) and through the 48th month of their PhD programs (to a max of three years of funding for the 'big' SSHRC ($35,000/year) and four years for the 'small' SSHRC ($20,000/year). So you can get big SSHRC for years 1-3 or years 2-4, and you can get small SSHRC for years 1-4, 2-4, 3-4, or just 4. The amount goes down with each passing year, since the yearly payout remains the same, but you're not eligible for as many years of support. So if you won small SSHRC for year one you'd receive a total of $80,000, and if you won a small SSHRC for year four you'd receive a total of $20,000.

Ok, so the timing thing. For example, I'm in my first year now, and would be picking up a PhD SSHRC for my second year if I won. Again, SSHRC supports PhD students up through the 48th month of their PhD programs-- in my case, with my Sept 2009 start, that's August 2013. The trick is to match the date at which you're no longer eligible with the date at which your SSHRC runs out. Now, if I hypothetically started getting payments in May 2010, then I would run out of SSHRC in April 2013. But if I start getting payments in September 2010, then my SSHRC doesn't run out until August 2013. Since I have good funding for this summer, I could hypothetically gain an extra summer's worth of funding by timing my SSHRC out properly (I'd have to give up this summer's funding if I started on SSHRC). Since a lot of scholarships and other funding opportunities are only available up through your 48th month, when we're all *supposed* to finish, it's smart to max out what you're making in those first four years and make sure you're covered right up til the end of them. Of course, my program has an average completion time of 5.5 years, but funding gets scarce for 5th and 6th year students.

Hope this is helpful.

Edited April 26, 2010 by mudlark

[Phalène]

SSHRC is still saying that results will be out (mailed) by the "end of April, early May." Sigh. Would it really be so difficult for them to just pick a date and run with it?

[RaaR]

Sure, RaaR. Play down the good points of my application, why don't you (miss ya, good buddy). Noteworthy is a key word -I doubt my little co-authored theory exercise will garner any attention, so I see your point there. Publications are not all that important, methinks. Isn't it something like 60% research proposal, 40% grades, and the other stuff may be scale tippers @ the Ph.D level? I'm trying to remember which authority told me that. Hearing something like that always shakes me up. I always worry that I am too technical or tangential in my proposals. Learning experiences, all.

Best of luck to everyone this week. If Ottawa ships the letters, I'll get mine 2 (maybe 3) days from sending, as it only takes 2 days from Ottawa to southern Ontario via regular mail. The stronghold here may be the first radar signs (or perhaps, those in Ottawa, Montreal or Kingston!)

Cheers,

Canuck

Canuck, your publication is def. noteworthy. It is a peer-reviewed publication, co-authored with a respected professor in our field. I have no doubts this plays a significant role in your application; even more so given that almost no other SSHRC applicant in our field (and in our stage of the program) presents something similar. I can only wish I had something like that under my belt.

All I tried to say was that it is very much possible to win this even with no publications (especially in economics); yet having one shows great research potential which is a major booster in this competition.

What's a scale tipper by the way?

[RaaR]

SSHRC is still saying that results will be out (mailed) by the "end of April, early May." Sigh. Would it really be so difficult for them to just pick a date and run with it?

'still' means they told you that today (or at least recently)? If so they should indeed simply pick a date and stick to it. Would be easier to everybody (including themselves I think).

[Phalène]

^^ Yep. Couldn't help myself and ended up emailing them. Got the same response, word for word, as an earlier poster on this thread.

[Rana]

Sounds like you're in excellent shape. I think SSHRC people are experienced enough to know in which disciplines it is more common to publish and in which less so. I can tell you that in economics for instance (which is what I'm studying) it is also quite rare to have (noteworthy) publications at the time of application, and people still win this award. My guess is that this rather depends much on your research proposal, and to a lesser extent on the letters of recommendation as well.

see i'm not so sure about that - for instance in psychology, clinical students often (not always!) have less publication, because they also have their clinical work and training to do in addition to their research - consequentl they get less sshrcs! so i'm not sre how much they care about the program youre in...

either way, a response would be nice.

R

[Phalène]

I was talking to one of my profs the other day (he's been on many SSHRC committees in the past), and he said if you're an MA student or a PhD1 student, don't worry about publications. He seemed to think that reference letters were the most important part of an application. He also said adjudicators put a lot of weight on the departmental evaluation.

The whole process is extremely subjective, though - I'd be willing to be each adjudicator has their own criteria for determing what the best applications are... trying to determine if your application meets SSHRC's amorphus criteria is probably little more than an exercise in frustration. (Doesn't always stop me from thinking about it, but it's true...)

[waitinggggg]

I thought clinical students can apply for CIHR funding?

So, I contacted SSHRC to ask when the letters would be sent out and the reply I received was "April 2010". :S

Also, could it be that the letters will be mailed over several days, so that when they say "April/early May" they mean "starting in April, possibly continuing into early May" or are we certain that the letters are all sent out at once?

My guess is that the letters will go out Friday and that none of us will get them until May (next week)...

[allornothing]

Also, could it be that the letters will be mailed over several days, so that when they say "April/early May" they mean "starting in April, possibly continuing into early May" or are we certain that the letters are all sent out at once?

Based on the communication on last year's thread, it appears that all the initial letters (funded and not-funded) are mailed on the same day. I was not funded last year and received my letter at the same time as those who were funded. How soon you get that letter obviously depends on geographic location (the poor people living in Vancouver were in agony last year). Once people start to accept and reject their offers, letters are sent out at various intervals to people on waiting lists.

[waitinggggg]

I will be in the "agony" camp since I'm in the US. Are the waitlisted people notified at the same time as well (i.e., that they are on the waitlist) or do they have to wait longer to hear anything?

Based on the communication on last year's thread, it appears that all the initial letters (funded and not-funded) are mailed on the same day. I was not funded last year and received my letter at the same time as those who were funded. How soon you get that letter obviously depends on geographic location (the poor people living in Vancouver were in agony last year). Once people start to accept and reject their offers, letters are sent out at various intervals to people on waiting lists.

[waitinggggg]

Also, from what I can tell, no one received a score this year so far. Is this a change from last year? Should we expect scores with our letters in the final round?

[allornothing]

Also, from what I can tell, no one received a score this year so far. Is this a change from last year? Should we expect scores with our letters in the final round?

I will be in the "agony" camp since I'm in the US. Are the waitlisted people notified at the same time as well (i.e., that they are on the waitlist) or do they have to wait longer to hear anything?

The letter that you receive from SSHRC will let you know if your applicaition has been accepted, waitlisted or declined. So, if you are waitlisted, you will find out at the same time that you find out that you were unsuccessful.

From what I remember, last year we did not receive a score with our initial letters, but received scores with our final acceptance/rejection letters. This is likely because the scoring that takes place within the universities is different what is done for the external applicant who apply directly to SSHRC. Can you imagine if they gave us scores in our first letters and they went down in the second round? Talk about asking for complaints from overly anxious and highly motivated grad students. Not giving us multiple scores is probably the smartest administrative decision SSHRC makes.

[waitinggggg]

Can you imagine if they gave us scores in our first letters and they went down in the second round? Talk about asking for complaints from overly anxious and highly motivated grad students. Not giving us multiple scores is probably the smartest administrative decision SSHRC makes.

I was under the impression that this is what happened, at least for some candidates (external ones). I know some people with SSHRCs who applied from a foreign PhD program and they asked me what my score was. I told them I could find no score, which they said was different from last year. So I'm assuming that something has changed and scores are not being released. It's sensible not to, because it does seem that people were freaking out a lot, like you suggest above.