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Ontario Tech acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation.

We are thankful to be welcome on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered by the Williams Treaties and are the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to many Indigenous nations and peoples.

We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we acknowledge that the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.

This history is something we are all affected by because we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.

Learn more about Indigenous Education and Cultural Services

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) programs encourage excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Since 1975, the OGS program has been providing merit-based scholarships to Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study. In 1998, the Ontario government introduced the QEII-GSST, a merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically toward graduate students in science and technology.

Please note: The funding and university quotas for the OGS and QEII-GSST programs are contingent on the continued support from the provincial government.

  • Value and duration
    $15,000 annually or $5,000 per term for a minimum of two terms and a maximum of three terms
  • Quotas
    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) - 28
    • Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) - 7

    Quota are determined by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities each year.

  • Deadline

    The web-based OGS application and supporting documentation must be submitted to the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) by December 1, 2023 at 8 p.m. (ET)

    If the December 1 deadline falls on a weekend, the application deadline is the following business day by 8 p.m. EST.

  • Eligibility

    To be considered for an OGS/QEII*, a student must be:

    • A Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person [under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protections Act (Canada)] at the time of the OGS application deadline date.
    • International students who are studying in Ontario with a student study permit under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) are eligible for the allotted international student award.
    • Within their standard program length (normally four years of full-time study, or equivalent) for a doctoral student.
    • Enrolled or plan to enrol in a full-time program of study (Research Based) at Ontario Tech for the academic year following the year of application that leads to a graduate degree and is approved for operating grant purposes by the ministry.

    *To be considered for a QEII-GSST award, a student must be enrolled in a research master's or doctoral program in a science and technology discipline.

    Students who have OSAP restrictions may apply to an OGS if the other eligibility criteria are met; however, they must clear the restrictions before the funds may be disbursed. An OGS may be cancelled if the OSAP restrictions cannot be cleared.

    Minimum academic requirements

    An applicant must, at minimum, meet the following academic requirements:

    • Students entering the first or second year of graduate studies at the time of application deadline must have achieved a first-class average (at least 3.70/4.30 or A‐, or the equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).

    • Students entering the third year or beyond of graduate studies at the time of application deadline must have an overall average of at least A-, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed.

    • If master’s or doctoral degree marks used for calculating an applicant’s grade point average (GPA) are not available (e.g., courses were graded on a pass/fail basis), then SGPS will use the most recently available university marks to calculate an applicant’s GPA.

    Recipients cannot be enrolled in a qualifying or make-up year, or be on a paid educational leave or sabbatical.

    Concurrent support

    Recipients may not concurrently hold an OGS or QEII-GSST award in addition to a tri-council award, including:

    • The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Program (SSHRC).
    • The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Program (NSERC).
    • The Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR).

    Maximum support

    Students cannot exceed a lifetime maximum of six years of government-funded graduate awards. Awards under the following programs are counted towards this lifetime maximum:

    • Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)
    • Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEIIGSST)
    • Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS)
    • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
    • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
    • Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR)
    • Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS)
  • How to apply

    Application requirements

    A complete application includes the following:

    Online application

    ONTARIO GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

    Study permit

    • Temporary resident visa student – study permit (if applicable)

    References

    • Two academic assessment reports are required. Academic assessments are submitted online. Please note that there are different assessments for master's and doctoral candidates.
    • Please note: students must be sending their academic referees the links to access the referee forms.

    Academic Assessment Report: Master's

    Academic Assessment Report: Doctoral

    Transcripts

    Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions must be attached to the application (unofficial Ontario Tech transcripts from MyOntarioTech are permitted).

    Important note for prospective students

    Prospective students who are interested in holding an OGS at Ontario Tech must apply for admission into a graduate program by February 1.

    Students must submit an OGS application to each institution for which they are seeking admission. OGS awards are no longer transferable from one university to another.

  • Adjudication process

    All application files will be accepted, reviewed and processed by SGPS.

    Eligible applications are reviewed first by a Faculty Selection Committee and then by a University Selection Committee.

    Doctoral-level OGS applications are evaluated based on the following selection criteria (weightings):

    Area of assessment
    Score
    Academic excellence /30
    Research ability or potential /50
    Communication, interpersonal and leadership abilities /20

    Master's-level OGS applications are evaluated based on the following selection criteria (weightings):

    Area of assessment
    Score
    Academic excellence /50
    Research potential /30
    Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills /20
  • Results

    Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the competition no later than April 30.

  • Resources and questions

    To access the online presentations, tips for preparing scholarships applications and samples of winning research proposals, visit the Scholarship Tips and Tricks website.

    If you have any questions about this or any other scholarship competition, we recommend that you complete the External Scholarships Question Submission Form or contact gradscholarships@ontariotechu.ca.

  • Acknowledgements

    The university gratefully acknowledges the following donors who provide matching funds for the Ontario Graduate Scholarships presented in 2022-23.

    • The Alger Family
    • S.M. Blair Family Foundation
    • Carpenters Union Local 397
    • Clinical Laboratory Leaders of Ontario
    • The Dermarkar Family
    • Forum Investment and Development Corporation
    • Carol Gifford
    • Glasshouse Systems
    • Judy Goldring
    • Harcharan and Prem Singh Foundation
    • Hayball Foundation
    • Stanley and Wilma Lovell
    • Marigold Ford
    • Patricia Sammy, Caribbean Friendship Event 
    • Mark Mulroney
    • Paradise Developments
    • Sharon and Richard Swain
    • Tamarac Consulting Limited
    • Chris Tambakis
    • The Zilinsky Family