The Women's College Research Institute has obtained funding for several graduate student awards available to students supervised by Coalition for Research in Women's Health Members. For 2007-2008 there will be four endowments available:

• The Dorothy and Bill Palm Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology
• The Carol Mitchell & Richard Venn Graduate Fellowship in Women's Mental Health
• The Helen Marion Walker - Soroptimist Women's Health Research Scholarship
• The Enid Walker Graduate Student Awards in Women's Health Research

More details about each of these awards are available below. For more information about CRWH graduate student awards please contact Lisa Hall at 416-351-3732 ext. 2331.

The Palm Graduate Scholarship
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2007 (deadline was extended)
Award Value: $5,000/term, maximum of 3 terms

• Award Objectives and Criteria
• Eligibility
• Application Process for 2007-2008
• Current Recipient

The Dorothy and Bill Palm Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology is awarded annually to a student in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto whose graduate supervisor is a member of the Coalition (CRWH).

Applicants for the Palm Award must be full-time PhD student(s) in their first five years of study at the doctoral level in the Faculty of Nursing. This scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic excellence. The award was created by matching funds from a private donor with funds from the Ontario G raduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (OGSST) program at a 1:2 ratio. The value of this award is $15,000. It is awarded for one academic year consisting of two or three consecutive terms at a rate of $5000.00 per term.

Eligibility
In addition to the above requirements, students must be either Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Students are not eligible for an OGSST after five years of study at the doctoral level. Applicants entering the 1st or 2nd year of graduate studies must have an average of at least A-, or the equivalent, on the last 20 one-term/semester courses or the equivalent completed. Applicants entering the 3rd year or beyond of graduate studies must have an average of at least A-, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed. Applicants should also exhibit research ability/potential, excellent communication skills and interpersonal/leadership abilities. Applicants who have defaulted on a Canada or Ontario Student Loan or a loan made under the Ontario Venture Capital Program, or have failed to make satisfactory repayment on an Ontario Study Grant Overpayment may be ineligible.

Application Process
Details about applying for an OGSST award are provided in the Competition Guide for Applicants. Submit your application by March 1st, 2007 (deadline was extended) to:
Chair, Awards Committee, Faculty of Nursing
155 College Street, Suite 215
Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1P8

Include the following:

1. Application Cover Page (PDF Format)
2. for an online form
3. Two reference letters
4. All university transcripts
5. A one-page research proposal
6. A one-page summary of awards, publications, presentations

For further information about this award please contact Deirdre K. Chalmers, Assistant Registrar, Faculty of Nursing at (416) 978-7420.

Current Recipient

The 2005/06 recipient of the Palm award is Ruth Lowndes. Ruth is a registered nurse with a specialty focus on diabetes education. She has most recently worked in the outpatient diabetes care program at Southlake Regional Health Centre. Ruth completed her MN degree at the Faculty of Nursing at University of Toronto in spring 2005 and enrolled in the doctoral program in Nursing in September 2005. She is supervised by CRWH Member, Jan Angus.

Ruth is interested in using qualitative methods to study how socioeconomic status, gender and ethnocultural membership influence supports or barriers to health related decisions and activities in people with chronic illness. She is interested in supporting people with diabetes by going beyond the traditional, standardized educative workshops. In particular, she is eager to explore technological innovations, such as use of Internet communication to monitor patient progress without requiring clinic attendance.

The Mitchell & Venn Graduate Student Fellowship in Women's Mental Health
Applications for the 2007-2008 award are now being accepted
Application Deadline: March 2nd, 2007
Award Value: $11,000-12,000/yr

In 2007-2008 a single Mitchell & Venn Graduate Fellowship will be awarded to a student studying women's mental health. This award will be a partnership between CRWH and the Women's Mental Health Program at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Further details will be announced on this page as they are available.

• Award Objectives and Criteria
• Eligibility
• Application Process for 2007-2008
• Current Recipient

The Carol Mitchell & Richard Venn Graduate Student Fellowship in Women's Mental Health is open to University of Toronto Graduate Students registered at the Faculty of Medicine working with a supervisor who is a member of CRWH. This award is evaluated based on financial need and academic achievement. This award is administered through Graduate and Inter-Faculty Affairs at the Faculty of Medicine. The funding period for this year's applicants is September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2008.

Eligibility
The Mitchell & Venn Graduate Student Fellowship in Women's Mental Health is an Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF) Award. OSOTF awards bring together matching funds from the Province (1/3) with funds from the University (1/3) and funds from a private donor (1/3). OSOTF awards are restricted to residents of Ontario who demonstrate financial need, according to the provincial government's guidelines. (Please see the definition of Ontario Residency provided below)

To be eligible for the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Fellowship you must demonstrate financial need by completing a Needs Assessment form. If you have already been assessed for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or the University of Toronto Advance Planning for Students (UTAPS), you will only need to complete a portion of the Needs Assessment form. Please read all of the forms carefully. Inquiries about these forms may be directed to Debbie Chau at (416) 946-7317.

Individuals who demonstrate financial need will be assessed for academic achievement. Your application will be reviewed by a committee made up of CRWH members. For this process it will also be helpful for us to have a copy of your Curriculum Vitae. Evaluation criteria include:

• Relevance of research/study to women's health
• Degree of innovation
• Academic excellent
• Independent contribution
• Significance of project
• Other potential sources of support
• No previous support by this fellowship

Application Process
Completed applications for the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Fellowship must be submitted to the Office of the Associate Dean by March 2nd, 2007. Because applicants for the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Fellowship are evaluated based on both financial need and academic achievement, there are two forms to be completed to begin the process of applying for the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Student Fellowship in Women's Mental Health:

• Needs Assessment Form
• Application Form for OSOTF Awards

Guidelines for completing these forms are also available. Hard copies are available from the Graduate Affairs Office Room 2113 MSB.

Submit your application by March 2nd, 2007 to the:
Prof. Andrea Sass-Kortsak, Interim Associate Dean
Graduate Affairs
Faculty of Medicine
1 King's College Circle
Suite 2113
Toronto, ON M5S 1A8

Questions may be directed to Debbie Chau at 416-946-7317.

Please ensure that your application includes;

1. a completed Needs Assessment form,
2. an Application Form for OSOTF Awards
3. reference letters and transcripts as outlined
4. a copy of your CV

Please clearly note on your envelope that you are applying for the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Student Fellowship in Women's Mental Health.

Current Recipient
The 2006-2007 recipient of the Mitchell & Venn Scholarship in Women's Health is Ms. Nesime Askin.
The 2006-2007 recipient of the Mitchell & Venn Scholarship in Women's Mental Health is Ms. Randi Cull.


The Helen Marion Walker - Soroptimist Women's Health Research Scholarship
Applications for the 2007-2008 award are now being accepted
Application Deadline: March 2nd, 2007
Award Value: $10,000/yr

• Award Objectives and Criteria
• Eligibility
• Application Process for 2007-2008
• Current Recipients

The Helen Marion Walker - Soroptimist Women's Health Research Scholarship is made possible through the generosity of the estate of Ms. Helen Marion Walker and Soroptimist International of Toronto. The objective of the scholarship is to support the advancement of knowledge through research in women's health.

This $10,000 scholarship is granted by the Women's College Hospital Foundation, and awarded annually on the recommendation of the Coalition for Research in Women's Health Student Awards Committee.

Criteria in Order of Importance
Applications will be evaluated on:

1. Academic record of the candidate
2. Relevance to women's health
3. Significance of project
4. Degree of innovation
5. Original contribution to knowledge
6. Interdisciplinary aspects
7. Other potential sources of support

Reporting
The successful candidate must submit a written report to the Soroptimist International of Toronto at the end of the award year describing the research undertaken during the year and any other such information as the candidate may judge to be of interest. Renewed awardees will be expected to submit a written report each year.

The terms of reference for this award are also available as a PDF. Use this link to review this document.

Eligibility
The candidate must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and a resident of Ontario.

The candidate must be a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, conducting research in the area of women's health, and working with a supervisor who is a member of the Coalition for Research in Women's Health during the term of the award. This award is not restricted to the Faculty of Medicine and is available to students from any faculty where their research efforts are contributing to our understand of women's health. This may include a broad range of Faculties, including but not limited to, Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Social Work, Pharmacy, and Physical Education.

In keeping with the policies established by the School of Graduate Studies and other University of Toronto Departments and Faculties, only full-time students are eligible for this award. An exception is made for graduate students living with a disability, as defined under the Human Rights Code, Chapter 53, Section 9(1)(b). To be eligible, a student must provide a letter from the University's Director of Special Services to Persons with a Disability confirming that part time study is, in effect, full time study for that student.

The award may be held concurrently with other awards including the Mitchell & Venn Graduate Scholarship. Awardees may apply for renewal of the award.

Application Process
The application package should include:

• Completed application form for the Helen Marion Walker - Soroptimist Award
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae
• A 1-2 page description of the candidate's research, including details of
  1. Interdisciplinary aspects of their research, if any;
  2. How their work advances knowledge of women's health;
  3. How being associated with the Women's College Research Institute will contribute to their research.
• Two letters of support, including one from the candidate's current supervisor

Applications for Renewal
The submission must include:

• Two letters of support, including one from the candidate's department head and one from the candidate's advisory committee, both confirming that the candidate's research is progressing on a timely basis and that the candidate is continuing to demonstrate excellence in pursuing the advancement of knowledge through research in women's health.
• A copy of the student’s written report to the Soroptomists of the research conducted while they held the Award;
• An updated CV

The completed application package must be submitted by March 2nd, 2007 to:

Student Awards Committee
The Women's College Research Institute
790 Bay Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5G 1N8

Attention: Lisa Hall

Inquiries may be directed to Lisa Hall or (416) 351-3732 ext. 2331.

Current Recipient
The 2006-2007 recipient of the Helen Marion Walker - Soroptimist Women's Health Research Scholarship is Nalini Pandalangat.

The Enid Walker Graduate Student Awards in Women's Health Research
Applications for the 2007-2008 award are now being accepted
Application Deadline: March 2nd, 2007
Award Value: $25,000/yr, renewable

• Award Objectives and Criteria
• Eligibility
• Application Process for 2006-2007

This new award was offered for the first time in 2006. One new Enid Walker award will be available each year to a full-time PhD student from any University of Toronto faculty engaged in study relevant to women's health and supervised by a CRWH member. Enid Walker Graduate Student Awards will be renewable for a period of up to 4 years and may thus be used to support a student throughout their doctoral work. First preference for scholarship is given to students whose supervisor holds her/his primary appointment at Women's College Hospital. Second preference will be given to students whose supervisor holds a graduate appointment at the University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies. Applicants for the Enid Walker Award are assessed based on financial need and on the academic record of the candidate and the women's health relevance of their planned area of study. Because the capacity to work across disciplines will be a vital component of any women's health research career, the student's commitment to an interdisciplinary approach will also be considered.

Eligibility
An Enid Walker Graduate Student Award in Women's Health is an Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF) Award created with matching funds from the OSOTF II program. OSOTF awards are restricted to residents of Ontario who demonstrate financial need, according to the provincial government's guidelines.

To be eligible for an Enid Walker Award you must demonstrate financial need by completing a Needs Assessment form. If you have already been assessed for the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or the University of Toronto Advance Planning for Students (UTAPS), you will only need to complete a portion of the Needs Assessment form. Please read all of the forms carefully.

The candidate must be a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant and a resident of Ontario defined as follows:

1. student has always resided in Ontario or;
   Ontario is the last province that the student has resided in for 12 consecutive months without being a full-time post-secondary student.
2. student who is considered married for OSAP purposes can be considered an Ontario resident if the student's partner has resided in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the last day of the month in which classes began for the student's most recent period of full-time post-secondary studies and during this time, the student's partner was not enrolled in full-time post secondary studies
3. a single dependent student can be considered an Ontario resident if the student's parent(s), step-parent(s), legal guardian(s), or official sponsor(s) has resided in Ontario for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the last day of the month in which classes began for the student's most recent period of full-time post secondary studies.

In keeping with the policies established by the School of Graduate Studies and other University of Toronto Departments and Faculties, only full-time students are eligible for this award. An exception is made for graduate students living with a disability, as defined under the Human Rights Code, Chapter 53, Section 9(1)(b). To be eligible, a student must provide a letter from the University's Director of Special Services to Persons with a Disability confirming that part time study is, in effect, full time study for that student.

Application Process
The application package should include:

• Completed application form for the Enid Walker Graduate Student Awards in Women's Health Research
• Financial Needs Assessment
• Undergraduate and graduate transcripts
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae
• A 1-2 page description of the candidate's research, including details of the relevance of the proposed doctoral work to women's health research, highlighting the interdisciplinary aspects of the research, if any;
• Two letters of support, including one from the candidate's primary supervisor

Applications for Renewal of this Award must submit: Two letters of support, including one from the candidate's department head and one from the candidate's primary advisor, both confirming that the candidate's research is progressing on a timely basis and that the candidate is continuing to demonstrate excellence in pursuing the advancement of knowledge through research in women's health.

The completed application package must be submitted by March 2nd, 2006 to:

Student Awards Committee
The Women's College Research Institute
790 Bay Street, 7th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5G 1N8

Attention: Lisa Hall

Inquiries may be directed to Lisa Hall or (416) 351-3732 ext. 2331.

Current Recipient
The 2006-2007 recipient of the Enid Walker Graduate Student Award in Women's Health Research is Amina Khambalia.