Discover Funding Opportunities

Pat Rowe I/O Psychology Graduate Scholarship

A scholarship valued at $3,000 will be awarded annually to a graduate student who will be registered full-time in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology program in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Waterloo. Selection will be based on academic achievement and demonstrated interest in I/O Psychology based on a student's application for admission to the graduate program. The I/O Psychology program will identify and select candidates annually in the winter term based on the student's application for admission into the program for the upcoming academic year. If no suitable candidate is identified, the I/O Psychology program will identify outstanding graduate students who are already in the program. This scholarship is made possible by the generous donations received from I/O alumni, faculty, current graduate students, Pat's family and by Pat Rowe herself. Students are automatically selected by the Faculty/Department and no application is required. The scholarship is open to both Canadian/Permanent residents and International students with study permits.

Nitin Jain Family Award for Entrepreneurship

The Nitin Jain Family Award for Entrepreneurship is an annual award valued at $5,000 that supports undergraduate or graduate students participating in Concept or Velocity programming at the University of Waterloo. The award is designed to encourage student entrepreneurship and support those pursuing start-up ventures. Preference is given to students pursuing this experience on a co-op term. Selection is based on a merit-evaluation process that includes assessment of the start-up's business model and viability for commercial success. This fund was made possible by a donation from proud UWaterloo alumnus Nitin Jain (BASc '01) and the Vijay Anand Foundation to support student entrepreneurship at Waterloo and to encourage more students to follow their passion in the start-up community. The award is available from 2025 to 2031, with the first selection made in fall term 2025 and the last in fall term 2031. Applications must be submitted to Velocity by the Friday of the second week of the fall term. In the case of group submissions, award funds will be divided equally among each team member.

Mrs. Samia Barakat and Dr. Soliman Abdelfattah Soliman Graduate Scholarship in Engineering

Three scholarships valued at $10,000 each will be provided annually to international graduate students who are or will be registered full time in a research-based master's or doctoral program in the Faculty of Engineering. Selection will be based on academic excellence with a minimum 80% cumulative average or equivalent required. Preference will be given to students who graduated from an accredited University in Egypt. If a suitable candidate cannot be found, then the scholarship will be awarded to any international student in a research-based graduate program in Engineering. The Faculty of Engineering will identify candidates based on their application for admission. This fund is made possible by a donation from the Soliman family, in honour of their parents, Mrs. Samia Barakat and Dr. Soliman Abdelfattah Soliman's 50th anniversary of making Canada their home.

Mark Zanna Graduate Scholarship in Psychology

A scholarship, valued at up to $1,500, will be awarded annually to a graduate student registered full time in the Social Area in the Department of Psychology in the Faculty of Arts. Selection is based on academic excellence (minimum 80% cumulative average) combined with demonstrated interest in conducting basic research relevant to pressing social issues. Interested students should submit an application by May 15th to the Department of Psychology who will make the selection of a recipient in the Spring. This fund is made possible by a donation from family and friends to honour Mark's memory and to continue to foster the type of basic research with real-world implications and impact that animated his career.

John Parish Memorial Graduate Scholarship

The John Parish Memorial Graduate Scholarship is an annual award valued at $5,000 for full-time graduate students conducting research in the fields of fluvial geomorphology, river and stream processes, or river and aquatic habitat protection and restoration. The scholarship recognizes students' anticipated research contribution and academic excellence in water-related research programs. Preference is given to applicants conducting research within Ontario. This memorial scholarship was established by friends and family in memory of John Parish and is administered by The Water Institute at the University of Waterloo. The application and selection process takes place during the Fall academic term. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative average of 80% or equivalent in their last two years of full-time academic study to be eligible.

John M. Harper and William J. Harper Scholarship

A scholarship valued at $2,500 is provided annually to a full-time graduate student enrolled in the Master of Accounting program at the School of Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Arts on the basis of academic achievement and extracurricular involvement in the Kitchener-Waterloo region. This fund is made possible by a donation from the family and friends of John M. and Jim Harper in recognition of their support to the University of Waterloo. The scholarship is awarded during the winter term and requires an annual application. Applicants should contact the School of Accounting and Finance for more details and must include a copy of a recent grade report with their application.

Jenny Francis Graduate Award in Architecture

The Jenny Francis Graduate Award in Architecture provides financial support valued at up to $7,500 annually to students enrolled full-time in the Master's program in the School of Architecture at the University of Waterloo. This award was established in memory of Jenny Francis (MArch '02) through the generous support of her family to provide assistance for research travel. The award is intended to support students conducting research projects that require travel, enabling them to pursue field research and other travel-based scholarly activities essential to their graduate work. Selection is based on academic achievement combined with the merit of the proposed research project. Applicants must submit a 1-page proposal describing their intended research project, travel requirements to complete the research, and a budget of expected costs. The value of the award is determined annually by the income generated by the endowment fund, with the goal of providing one or two awards valued at up to $7,500 each. The actual award amount is determined by the School of Architecture based on available funds, whether the travel is domestic or international, and the duration of the research trip, with international travel and longer trips potentially resulting in higher award amounts. Candidates must have a minimum overall average of 75% or equivalent in their current or last completed program. Students must be registered full-time in the Master of Architecture program in the winter term when the award is issued. Recipients are selected annually by the School of Architecture, normally each winter. Students can receive this award only once during their studies.

Jean and William Leach Memorial Scholarship

This award has been established in loving memory of Jean and William Leach by their daughter's family. The award will be presented to a graduate student currently registered full-time in the Health Studies Master's or Doctoral program at the University of Waterloo. The scholarship is awarded annually on the basis of the student's first year standing as of May 31. The selection is made by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, and students are automatically selected by the Faculty/Department without needing to apply. The award is presented during the spring term and is open to both Canadian/Permanent residents and international students with study permits.

Jain Family Award for Entrepreneurship

Two awards, valued at $5,000 each, are provided annually to undergraduate or graduate students participating in Concept or Velocity programming at the University of Waterloo. Preference is given to students pursuing this experience on a co-op term. Selection is based on a merit-evaluation process including, but not limited to, the progress of the start-up's business model and viability for commercial success. This fund is made possible by a donation from the Vijay Anand Foundation to support student entrepreneurship at Waterloo and to encourage more students to follow their passion in the start-up community. Note: Effective 2025, this award has been replaced with the Anuj Jain Family Award for Entrepreneurship and the Nitin Jain Family Award for Entrepreneurship. The award period runs from 2022 to 2031, with selections made in winter term annually.

IQC Entrance Award

The IQC Entrance Award is supported by a variety of sources including the Bell Family Fund and Industry Canada. These awards are made to graduate students entering studies in quantum information at the University of Waterloo. The awards recognize academic excellence and potential for research as determined by grades, research statements, and reference letters. Several awards valued at $5,000 are available each term (Winter, Spring, and Fall). All students applying to the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) are automatically considered for this scholarship, with decisions made by the IQC Scholarship Committee based on academic performance, research statements, and references.

IQC Achievement Award

Several awards valued at $5,000 are available each term for University of Waterloo graduate students working on quantum information. These awards are supported by a variety of sources including the Bell Family Fund and Industry Canada. The awards are made based on academic excellence and potential for research as determined by grades, research statements, and reference letters. Selection is made once per term by the Institute for Quantum Computing Scholarship Committee. Applications should include published papers or pre-prints of relevant work done while an IQC student, explain contributions to the results, and describe the significance and potential impact of the work. Students nominated by a faculty member are invited to submit an application for this award and will be contacted by the Graduate Program Manager.

Innovation in Psychology Graduate Scholarship

Two scholarships, valued at $7,500 each, are awarded annually to graduate students in the Department of Psychology at the University of Waterloo who are conducting innovative research on improving the mental health outcomes for children and their families. This could be helping children and adolescents function better in a variety of environments, including school, their peer group or in their family. The period of this defined term award will be from 2025 to 2029. The first selection will be made in Winter term 2025 and the last in Winter term 2029. This award was made possible by the generous contribution of an anonymous donor. Students are required to submit an application which can be found on the Department of Psychology website. The deadline to apply is February 15.

Inch Engineering Research Award

An award valued at $6,000 will be awarded annually to a female graduate student registered full-time in a master's or doctoral program in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo. The student must be conducting research in the areas of clean energy technology or other technology for climate change mitigation or adaptation. Selection will be based on academic achievement (minimum 80% cumulative average) and demonstrated financial need. This fund is made possible by a donation from the Inch family. The value of the award will be determined by the income generated by the Fund each year, with a goal to provide at least one award valued at $6,000 annually. The value and/or number of awards may change from year to year. Preference will be given to female candidates pursuing research on campus in clean energy technology or climate change mitigation or adaptation technologies.