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Ontario Graduate Scholarship

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. Both programs are jointly funded by the Ontario government and participating institutions, with the government contributing two-thirds of the value of the awards and the university providing the remaining one-third. The University of Waterloo reserves two OGS awards specifically for Indigenous applicants each year, recognizing citizens or members of First Nations communities (Status/Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit as defined in the Canadian Constitution Act 1982.

Keith & Debbie Geddes Graduate Scholarship

Dr. Geddes and his wife Debbie established this research scholarship for a graduate student in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo, with priority given to students with a concentration in Computational Mathematics. In the event that a suitable candidate is not found in Computational Math, the scholarship will be awarded to a student in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science. Recipients will normally hold an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) or a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST) within the Faculty of Mathematics. Selection of the recipient will be made by the Associate Dean, Graduate Studies, Faculty of Mathematics, on the recommendation of the Computational Math Steering Committee. Recipients must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

John E. Thompson Biology Graduate Scholarship

The John E. Thompson Biology Graduate Scholarship is valued at $5,000 and is awarded annually to a full-time University of Waterloo graduate student registered in the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Science. The scholarship is awarded on the basis of scholastic excellence to a graduate student who holds an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST) or another major external scholarship that requires a matching or enhancement component. If the match or enhancement becomes unavailable or a suitable recipient cannot be found, the funds will be paid out as a regular graduate scholarship. The award is paid over 3 academic terms starting in the Fall term.

James Downey Grad Scholarship

This scholarship will be awarded annually to a full-time University of Waterloo graduate student who holds an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) or a Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology (QEII-GSST). The scholarship has been made possible by the generosity of Trina McQueen who is an honorary alumna of the University. The scholarship is valued at up to $5,000 for one full award paid over three academic terms. Students are selected automatically by their Faculty or Department and do not need to apply directly. The award is open to both Master's and Doctoral students in any program, and is available to Canadian/permanent resident students as well as international students with study permits. The scholarship is awarded in the Fall term.