This program works to build an interdisciplinary research community that meets and exceeds international standards of scientific excellence in women's health. Through a rigorous peer-review process, it attracts and retains research excellence, accelerates the discovery of treatments, and promotes the dissemination of knowledge, thereby contributing to better health for the women of Ontario and to a stronger health care system.
Value of scholarships
- Master's awards: $25,000 plus a research allowance of $1,000
- Doctoral awards: $35,000 plus $2,000 research allowance
- Postdoctoral awards: $50,000 plus $5,000 research allowance
Application deadline
December 1
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for an Ontario Women's Health Scholars Award, the candidate must be:
- Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada by January 29, 2027.
- Master’s: registered as a full-time student in a master’s program at an Ontario university at the beginning of the award period (i.e., fall 2027), and must remain registered as a full-time student throughout the term of the award; a master’s student remains eligible until the end of the sixth term of full-time study.
- PhD: registered as a full-time student in a doctoral program at an Ontario university at the beginning of the award period (i.e., fall 2026) and must remain registered as a full-time student throughout the term of the award; a doctoral student remains eligible until the end of the 15th term of full-time study.
- Postdoctoral fellowship: engaged in full-time research at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award (i.e., September 1, 2027) and must have completed all requirements for the doctoral degree by May 31, 2027 and normally no earlier than January 31, 2024). In cases where an applicant completed all requirements for the doctoral degree before this date, an explanation of extenuating circumstances (e.g., childrearing responsibilities) must accompany the application. Additionally, a postdoctoral award winner will not be eligible to apply again as a new postdoctoral applicant.
Note:
- During the year an Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award is held, the recipient is precluded from holding any other award that offers financial support of more than $30,000 for that same year (subject to the university’s own policies).
Any publication of any kind, written or oral, related to the research undertaken by a recipient during the term of an Ontario Women’s Scholars Award shall acknowledge the support of the work from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care with the following notation:
The Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care
This acknowledgement shall precede all similar acknowledgments of financial support for the work of equal or lesser amounts, and shall also indicate that the views expressed in the publication are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Application process
The application must be submitted to the Financial Aid and Awards Service by email to [email protected] and must include:
- a duly completed application form, signed by the candidate and by the thesis supervisor. The Office of the Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will add the Dean of Graduate Studies' signature for candidates selected for the provincial competition following the internal selection process.
- the applicant’s curriculum vitae, which should include information regarding the eligibility criteria.
- a statement of no more than 1,000 words describing the research to be undertaken during the period of graduate or postdoctoral study and any progress already made in this research, and a non-technical summary of no more than 500 words, both written by the applicant (one additional page is allowed for diagrams, bibliography, etc.).
An application for a master’s or a doctoral award must also include:
- all official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate).
- copies verified and certified as accurate by the Registrar's office of the sponsoring university.
- confidential letters of appraisal of the applicant from two assessors, signed and on letterhead. Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by the assessors by email to the Financial Aid and Awards Service at [email protected].
An application for a postdoctoral award must also include:
- a brief summary of the doctoral thesis of no more than 300 words.
- confidential letters of appraisal of the applicant from four assessors, signed and on letterhead, of whom two:
- must not have been associated with the applicant as a supervisor, a member of the applicant’s supervisory committee, or a co-author; and
- are, if at all possible, not at the university at which the applicant was a doctoral student.
Letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by the assessors by email to the Financial Aid and Awards Service at [email protected].
Note: The letters of appraisal of an applicant for any award (master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral) should focus on an evaluation of the applicant’s research to date, and on the research the applicant proposes to undertake during the period of the award, paying particular attention to the criteria for selection described below. Assessors should also provide a short description of the relationship, if any, with the applicant.
Evaluation criteria
The Selection Committee assesses applicants for Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards at the master’s and doctoral level on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision that they bring to their endeavours, and the impact that the committee expects to result from the
applicant’s work, as indicated by:
- The program of study and research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women’s health.
- Past academic results, demonstrated by transcripts, awards and distinctions.
- Relevant professional and academic experience, including research training, as evidenced by papers presented at conferences and the applicant's publication record.
- Written letters of appraisal.
- The appropriateness of the choice of institution and supervising investigator.
The Selection Committee assesses applicants for Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards at the postdoctoral level on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision they bring to their endeavors, and the impact that they foresee resulting from their work, as indicated by:
- The program of study and research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women's health.
- The degree of originality and expected contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women's health.
- Significance of the research for women's health, understood to encompass scholarly or intellectual significance as well as social and cultural significance.
- The suitability of theoretical perspectives.
- The appropriateness and expected effectiveness of the research strategies or methodologies.
- The suitability and expected effectiveness of plans to communicate research results both within, and, as appropriate, beyond, the academic community.
- Where appropriate, the nature and extent of research training.
- Written letters of appraisal.
- The appropriateness of the choice of institution and supervising investigator.
Awards results and payment
The Council of Ontario Universities (COU) contacts the recipients directly to inform them of the results during the summer. Recipients must contact Financial Aid and Awards Service by email at [email protected] to activate payment of the award.
Website
Please visit the Ontario Women's Health Scholars Awards website for the application form and more details about the award.
* The information on this page is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment from the University of Ottawa.
The selection committee’s decisions are final. The dean (or delegate) of the faculty offering the program will hear appeals only on procedural grounds.