Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Scholarship/Award at the University of Toronto

Award Overview

• Award Category: Doctoral Awards, In-Course Awards, International Awards
• Student Deadline : November 12, 2020, 4:30 pm
• Application Dates : Fall
• Value & Duration : Up to $25,000 for 1 year; finalists receive $1,000 each
• Level of Study : Doctoral
• Year of Study : Second or third year of a doctoral program (third or fourth year of a direct-entry doctoral) at the University of Toronto
• Required Legal Status : Domestic / International

 

Purpose

In honour of the significant contributions made by Professor Adel S. Sedra, former U of T Vice President and Provost, the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) has established this award to recognize a doctoral student who demonstrates outstanding academic achievement and extracurricular leadership.

One fellowship of up to $25,000 is awarded annually. If the recipient is an international student, the award is increased to fund any tuition differential and individual University Health Insurance Plan premium.

 

Eligibility

At the time of application, applicants must be registered and in good standing in the second or third year of a doctoral program (third or fourth year of a direct-entry doctoral) at the University of Toronto. The scholarship is not open to students who are pursuing master’s degrees.  Please see UTAA’s website for complete eligibility requirements.

Note: If a student transfers from a master’s program to a doctoral program without completing the master’s degree, the commencement of their doctoral program will be from the date of first registration in the master’s program. For example, if the student transferred after their first year of registration into a PhD program, they would now be in year two of a direct-entry PhD program.

Eligible candidates:

• Will have an outstanding academic record and be making exceptional progress in their doctoral program, as demonstrated by academic records, letters of recommendation and other measures of scholarship;
• Should be involved in work that reflects a concerted effort to understand and respond to the changing intellectual landscape in their field of study;
• Should have demonstrated a commitment during their doctoral program to enhancing the student experience of their peers through extracurricular leadership within the University and involvement in the life of the University. Of equal importance will be the candidates’ commitment to community outreach and involvement, as demonstrated by extracurricular activities outside of the University; (NOTE: only achievements/contributions during the doctoral program will be considered)
• Must be available to participate in an in-person/virtual interview in the winter session as a part of the selection process.

 

Application Process

Applicants must submit an electronic copy of their completed application as a single PDF file via email to tara.lock@utoronto.ca by the application deadline. The email must have the subject title “Sedra 2021 – NAME OF APPLICANT”. Please use file naming convention of “Last name, Sedra 2021” for the PDF file. Applications that are incomplete, ineligible or are submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

A complete application package will include all of the following items:

• Application Form;
• CV;
• Statement;
• Scans of original or certified/validated copies of up-to-date official transcripts from master’s and doctoral level studies. Direct-entry doctoral students must also supply original or certified/validated copies of their official undergraduate transcripts; and
• Three or four supporting letters of recommendation.

Letters of recommendation must be emailed by each referee as a PDF attachment directly to tara.lock@utoronto.ca​ with the subject title “Sedra 2021 – NAME OF APPLICANT” by the application deadline. Please use file naming convention of “Last name, Sedra 2021” for the PDF attachments. Referees’ letters must remain confidential and not be reviewed by applicants.

Complete application details are listed on the University of Toronto Alumni Association’s website.

 

Additional Info

By late January, the Adel S. Sedra Committee will invite selected candidates for an interview and SGS will notify unsuccessful applicants. Finalists who are not selected as the Sedra Scholar will each receive a $1,000 prize in recognition of their achievement, and will be named UTAA Graduate Scholars. The Sedra Scholar and all finalists are honoured at the annual Awards of Excellence ceremony held each spring.

Contacts & Resources

View the complete application details on the University of Toronto Alumni Association’s website.

For questions about this competition, please contact:

Tara Lock
Graduate Awards Officer, Internal
School of Graduate Studies
tara.lock@utoronto.ca
(416) 978-2386