Trent provides a minimum level of funding for the first four years of our doctoral students' programs comprised of Research Awards and Graduate Teaching Assistantships. Further financial support may be available in the fifth year of the program. Additional internal scholarship support in recognition of outstanding academic performance is also available. We encourage all applicants to apply for external scholarships provided through granting agencies such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program, SSHRC and the Trudeau Foundation. In addition, Trent has a variety of means of supporting graduate students including the provision of teaching assistantships, research assistantships scholarships and bursaries.
Program Specific Awards
The Ph.D. in Canadian Studies is grateful to have the support of donors who have made available the scholarships listed below. These funds are granted at the time of admission and are assessed automatically.
Eugene Forsey Scholarship
Named in honour of Senator Eugene Forsey, activist and constitutional expert, former Chancellor of the University and member of the Board of Governors. Awarded to deserving students entering the MA Program in Canadian Studies & Indigenous Studies to pursue their work on questions of importance to the country Eugene Forsey loved so much.
Ian and Margo Nelson Graduate Scholarship in Canadian Studies
Named in memory of Ian and Margo Nelson by their parents Gayle and John Nelson. Awarded to a PhD student in Canadian Studies with a special interest in the history and development of Ontario.
Mary Northway Graduate Award in Canadian Studies
Established in honour of Mary Northway (1909-1987). Based on the recommendation of the Programme, these funds will be distributed to graduate students in Canadian Studies & Indigenous Studies. Priority will be given to qualified incoming PhD students, but MA students are also eligible for lower amounts of funding. Any one individual award in any one year will not normally exceed $5,000. OSOTF guidelines apply.
Quaker Oats Company of Canada Limited Graduate Scholarship Program in Canadian Studies
These scholarships were established by the Quaker Oats Company of Canada Ltd. Awarded to a deserving student entering the first year of the Canadian Studies PhD program.
John Henry Wadland – Canadian Studies Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Established to honour the work of Professor John Wadland and recognize his leadership and commitment to the field of Canadian Studies. The recipient is in the first year of the Canadian Studies PhD program and may continue the scholarship in their second year subject to academic performance. It may be awarded for OGS matching funds for a Trent scholar.
Alan Wilson Graduate Student Entrance Scholarship
Established in 2009, in honour of Dr. Alan Wilson, founding chair of both the History and Canadian Studies programs. Awarded to Trent graduate students in the Canadian Studies PhD, History MA, and Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies MA graduate programs. These scholarships will be offered to students with outstanding academic records.
Shelagh Grant Endowment for Northern and Arctic Research
To celebrate the 2014 opening of The School for the Study of Canada at Trent University, a new graduate travel and translation fund was established for an exceptional incoming doctoral student who wishes to undertake research in northern or Arctic contexts (i.e. any regions in Canada north of 50 degrees latitude). In addition to Trent’s generous regular funding package, the Shelagh Grant Fellowship will provide a guaranteed research travel and translation allowance of up to $20,000 to be used over the course of our four-year PhD program (offered jointly with Carleton University), made possible by the Shelagh Grant Endowment. Preference will be given to a candidate whose research shall focus on one of the following thematic areas in Canadian northern or arctic contexts: history; archaeology, anthropology and cultural heritage; human ecology/climate change; borders and security; or aging, health and well-being. This funding opportunity is open for applicants to the coming academic year; applicants should note their wish for consideration for the Fellowship in the Plan of Study in their application package. For further information please contact the Frost Centre.
PhD students in Canadian Studies at Trent have an enviable success rate in winning external scholarships. Our students have been awarded Ontario Graduate Scholarships, Canadian Graduate Scholarships, Trudeau Scholarships, and several other major discipline-specific awards and fellowships.
For more information about funding and financial support visit the Graduate Studies Financial Support page. There is travel and research funding available to Frost Centre students as well.
Graduate Teaching Assistantships
GTAs assist with undergraduate instruction, and may lead seminar groups in courses, or do marking. The field of instruction is normally related to the department of the student's supervisor, as regulated by the CUPE 3908 unit 2 Collective Agreement. GTA work commitments are limited to a maximum of 10 hours per week.
Graduate students find these GTA assignments useful in several respects: for those interested in pursuing further graduate studies, TAing provides exposure to the stimulation and challenges of university teaching. TAing also broadens contact with the larger Trent community, offering opportunities to meet faculty, staff, and students, and to become engaged with the larger project of university research and teaching.