Graduate students are a vital component of any university’s research portfolio. This is as true at Queen’s Engineering as anywhere, with over 500 Master of Applied Science and PhD students supporting world-leading researchers in their pursuits.
Costs, however, have been rising – and while rent and food are a concern to everyone, graduate student researchers are feeling financial stresses more than most.
In response to graduate concerns, Aristides Docoslis, the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) at Queen’s Engineering, today announced a special research fellowship to help graduate students through the remainder of the Winter 2023 academic term. This initiative was funded to advance the Queen’s Engineering Strategic Plan, which includes a goal of making Queen’s Engineering one of Canada’s leaders in graduate student funding.
“Our graduate students provide vital work not only in their support of faculty, but as groundbreaking thinkers in their own right,” Docoslis says. “Our graduate students publish in world-renowned journals, pursue groundbreaking ideas, and travel and present at conferences around the globe. They support our faculty, but are vital and innovative academics in their own right.”
“Queen’s Engineering is launching a program to support their research work and also to signal how we value their efforts as part of the community at Queen’s.”
Funded by the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science for students within its five engineering departments, the Dean’s Graduate Research Fellowship (DGRF) will award $1000 to funding-eligible doctoral students and $670 to Master of Applied Science (MASc) students. Administered by the departments directly to their eligible students in the form of a one-time top-up, this funding will support their projects as they finish the Winter 2023 academic term. The funds will be administered by the end of April.
“The Faculty knows that this isn’t a complete solution to student financial issues,” Docoslis says. “Graduate studies can be challenging, and we want to help relieve some stress where we can, to ensure our MASc and PhD students continue to produce world-class work as they pursue their studies at Queen’s.”
“Financial stress shouldn’t be an impediment to academic excellence,” says Amir Fam, Vice-Dean, Research at Queen’s Engineering. “The Faculty hopes this gesture provides some relief to our students, and allows them to continue to excel in their studies and research.”
“The Queen’s Engineering community is one that values inclusion, diversity, and the fostering of new and innovative thinkers,” says Kevin Deluzio, Dean of Queen’s Engineering. “I am pleased that we can offer this kind of support to students who not only contribute to our world-changing research, but also bring diversity, vision and unique voices to our school.”
This article is relevant to the following Strategic Actions as defined in the Strategic Plan:
