Doctoral Student Fellowship

*** Please note: The deadline for this call has now passed. Thank you to all the applicants and for your interest. The below information is being left up for reference.***

Overview

Application Deadline
This competition is currently not accepting new proposals
Supervisor/Referee Deadline
January 19, 2024 23:59ET
Value & Duration
CDN $25,000 per year up to 3 years
Level of study
Doctoral
Required Legal Status
Domestic or International

Purpose

The Data Sciences Institute (DSI) is a central hub and incubator for data science research, training, and partnerships at the University of Toronto. Its goal is to accelerate the impact of data sciences across disciplines to address pressing societal questions and to drive positive social change. DSI is focused on training the next generation of data science scholars.

DSI Doctoral Student Fellowships are designed to support multi/interdisciplinary training and collaborative research in data sciences. In addition to their thesis supervisor, students will select a co-supervisor that can include faculty from the University of Toronto and partner institutes.

To be considered for the Fellowship, applicants in PhD programs must pursue a research project that has a data sciences focus, through the development of novel methodology or the innovative application of existing approaches. Applicants must identify at least two faculty members from complementary disciplinary backgrounds to serve as co-supervisors, who together can supervise the different multidisciplinary aspects of the research project. At least one supervisor should have a track record supporting the training and development of novel statistical or computational tools. Co-supervisors can be drawn from the same academic unit as long as they represent different disciplines and one is focused on the development of a novel methodology.

The DSI is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Accepted applicants will form an integrated cohort and will be expected to participate in the networking activities of the DSI, present their research at the annual DSI Research Day, and provide a yearly activity report and exit survey. Fellows are required to acknowledge the DSI in publications, presentations, and communications resulting from the Project. Fellows must also fulfill the academic requirements of their degree program and plan of study.

How to Apply

Applicant Eligibility The award is open to both domestic and international post-graduates. Successful international candidates must meet all Canadian immigration requirements. Applicants must:

  1. Be registered in their second or subsequent year of their doctoral program at the University of Toronto; 
  2. Demonstrate strong academic performance and high potential for success in their chosen fields and provide evidence of training and strength in quantitative skills; 
  3. In addition to their supervisor, engage a co-supervisor from a U of T unit or external funding institution (see Supervisor Eligibility below); 
  4. Have one member of their supervisory team involved in the development of novel statistical or computational tools, or the innovative use of existing methods, for data science applications;
  5. Have a focus on building or using quantitative tools to solve their primary research question; 
  6. Not hold concurrently another major fellowship;
  7. Begin the fellowship between May 1 and December 1 in the year of award. 
The expectation is that successful applicants will be nationally competitive for external awards.

DSI Doctoral Fellows may not concurrently hold another major doctoral fellowship. As this award is competitive, however, Canadian citizens and permanent resident applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the appropriate CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC doctoral awards in addition to their DSI Doctoral Student Fellowships.

Supervisor Eligibility

An applicant’s co-supervisors must have a budgetary appointment either at the University of Toronto OR an external funding partner institution, and:
  • University of Toronto supervisors must be Members of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies and be eligible Principal Investigators, according to the University of Toronto PI eligibility criteria.
  • External funding partner supervisors must be appointed as a Principal Investigator and be eligible to hold tri-council funding at their institution and be Members of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies.
Faculty budgetary appointments for the University of Toronto are continuing, full-time academic appointments with salary commitments from a University of Toronto academic unit.

Applications are submitted via the DSI Good Grants application portal.

Register an account and select “Start Application” for “Doctoral Student Fellowship.”

The application is divided into tabs; each tab includes a set of instructions and fields to fill out. These instructions are also highlighted below.

Applicants will need to complete the following fields.

Tab 1: Start Here

Title

Tab 2: Team Information

For each team member, click “Add contributor” and a series of fields will appear. You will need the following information for the PDF and all Co-Supervisors:

  • Role
  • Name
  • Email
  • Institution
  • Division (if applicable)
  • Unit (if applicable)

Ph.D. students will also need to indicate their year of program. Candidates must be in at least Year 2 at time of application unless they are direct entry Ph.D. candidates.

A Fellowship proposal should include one Ph.D. student and, at minimum, two Co-Supervisors, one of whom should be designated as the "Supervisor." The distinction between "Supervisor" and "Co-Supervisor" is administrative: Supervisors will help to administrate a granted fellowship. In the "Role" field:

  • For the trainee, select "Ph.D."
  • For the Co-Supervisor who will administrate the grant, select "Supervisor."
  • For all other Co-Supervisors, select "Co-Supervisor."

This form will allow for multiple Co-Supervisors to be added in situations that merit additional team members. Please note the following:

  • Additional Co-Supervisors beyond the required two (one "Supervisor" and one "Co-Supervisor) are not required.
  • All listed supervisors must be eligible to hold DSI funding (see below).

Tab 3: Proposal

Candidate Statement (maximum 500 words): summarize your suitability for the Fellowship and your training goals.

Thesis Description (maximum 1200 words): comment on the following:

  • Project rationale and alignment with the DSI mission
  • Explanation of how the project is relevant for data science applications by either (a) developing novel statistical or computational tools or (b) making innovative use of existing methods
  • Relevance to the DSI Thematic Programs, if applicable
  • Research objectives
  • Research approach
  • Feasibility and timeline
  • Impact

EDI Statement (maximum 500 words): summarize your capacity and plans to align with the DSI's EDI statement and advance EDI during your Fellowship. This response can focus on your integration of EDI considerations into your research question and methods; any EDI-related social outcomes from your research; and/or your work promoting EDI in research, training, and mentoring environments relevant to your thesis program.

Figures & Supporting Material (maximum 1 page): upload a 1-page .pdf with figures and supporting material.

Transcript: upload an unofficial transcript.

Tab 3: Administrative Information

Name and email for the proposal supervisor who will fill out the supervisor form.

Name and email for the referee who will upload a letter of reference.

Tab 4: CVs

Using the provided template, upload CVs for all team members. You must upload a minimum of three CVs.

Once the applicant has submitted their component of the application on or before January 12, the following things occur:

Supervisor Form

The Co-Supervisor indicated on the tab “Administrative Information” will receive an email requesting that they log into Good Grants to fill out the Supervisor Form. This form includes three components:

Applicant Potential (maximum 250 words): comment on the applicant’s research potential.

Research & Training (maximum 250 words): As part of the plan of study, DSI Doctoral Student Fellows are required to gain skills in quantitative and domain specific areas, depending on their primary program of enrollment. Please describe your roles as supervisor and co-supervisor in training and supporting the applicant’s development of novel statistical or computational tools, or the innovative use of existing methods, for data science applications.

Unit Head Signatures: Using the provided template, upload Unit Head signatures for all listed Co-Supervisors on the application.

Letter of Reference

The Referee indicated on the tab “Administrative Information” will receive an email requesting that they log into Good Grants to upload a Letter of Reference. They should use the provided template.

Demographic Survey

The applicant will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to a Demographic Survey. While this survey is required for each team member, when filling it out respondents have the option to select “Prefer not to answer” for all questions.

While the supervisor and referee have until January 19 to submit their components of the application, and all team members have until January 19 to submit their Demographic Survey, we recommend providing your referee with the template and notifying your Supervisors about their components of the application in advance of submitting your portion.

The DSI will form a Review Committee to lead the review of all eligible proposals received by the submission deadline. Reviewers are asked to consider the following categories:

  • Project rationale and the extent to which it aligns with the DSI mandate including, if applicable, alignment with the DSI Thematic Programs.
  • The extent to which the training (including co-supervisors from different and complementary disciplinary backgrounds) and project are truly multidisciplinary.
  • The extent to which the proposed thesis includes the development of novel methodology or the innovative application of existing approaches.
  • The applicant's research record of accomplishment and future potential.
  • The extent to which the project considers how to advance EDI in research and training.

All application materials can be submitted directly onto the form. Certain fields on the form ask for uploads and require the following templates:

How to Apply

The award is open to both domestic and international doctoral (PhD) students enrolled at the University of Toronto. Successful international candidates must meet all Canadian immigration requirements.

Applicants must:

  1. Be registered in their second or subsequent year of their doctoral program at the University of Toronto;
  2. Demonstrate strong academic performance and high potential for success in their chosen fields and provide evidence of training and strength in quantitative skills;
  3. In addition to their supervisor, engage a co-supervisor from a U of T unit or external funding institution (see “Supervisor Eligibility” below);
  4. Have one member of their supervisory team involved in the development of novel statistical or computational tools, or the innovative use of existing methods, for data science applications;
  5. Have a focus on building or using quantitative tools to solve their primary research question;
  6. Not hold concurrently another major fellowship;
  7. Begin the fellowship between May 1 and December 1 in the year of award.
The expectation is that successful applicants will be nationally competitive for external awards. DSI Doctoral Fellows may not concurrently hold another major doctoral fellowship. As this award is competitive, however, Canadian citizens and permanent resident applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the appropriate CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC doctoral awards in addition to their DSI Doctoral Student Fellowships.

An applicant’s co-supervisors must have a budgetary appointment (i.e. be directly employed) either at the University of Toronto OR an external funding partner institution and:

Faculty budgetary appointments for the University of Toronto are continuing, full-time academic appointments with salary commitments from a University of Toronto academic unit.

Applications are submitted via the DSI Good Grants application portal.

Register an account and select “Start Application” for “Doctoral Student Fellowship.”

DSI Good Grants Dashboard

The application is divided into tabs; each tab includes a set of instructions and fields to fill out. These instructions are also highlighted below.



Applicants will need to complete the following fields.

Tab 1: Start Here

  • Thesis Title
Tab 2: Team Information

For each team member, click “Add contributor” and a series of fields will appear. You will need the following information for the Ph.D. and all Co-Supervisors:
  • Name
  • Email
  • Institution
  • Division (if applicable)
  • Unit (if applicable)
You will also need the following information for the Ph.D.:
  • Year in Ph.D. Program
A Fellowship proposal should include one Ph.D. student and, at minimum, two Co-Supervisors, one of whom should be designated as the "Supervisor." The distinction between "Supervisor" and "Co-Supervisor" is administrative: Supervisors will help to administrate a granted fellowship. In the "Role" field:
  • For the trainee, select "Ph.D."
  • For the Co-Supervisor who will administrate the grant, select "Supervisor."
  • For all other Co-Supervisors, select "Co-Supervisor."
Typically, we expect your indicated Supervisor to be your thesis supervisor; however, atypical arrangements are welcome to accommodate eligible students whose thesis supervisors are not eligible to hold DSI funding.

This form will allow for multiple Co-Supervisors to be added in situations that merit additional team members. Please note the following:
  • Additional Co-Supervisors beyond the required two (one "Supervisor" and one "Co-Supervisor) are not required.
  • All listed supervisors must be eligible to hold DSI funding (see below).
Tab 3: Proposal

Candidate Statement (maximum 500 words): summarize your suitability for the Fellowship and your training goals.

Thesis Description (maximum 1200 words): comment on the following:
  • Project rationale and alignment with the DSI mission
  • Explanation of how the project is relevant for data science applications by either (a) developing novel statistical or computational tools or (b) making innovative use of existing methods
  • Relevance to the DSI Thematic Programs in Reproducibility or Inequity, if applicable
  • Research objectives
  • Research approach
  • Feasibility and timeline
  • Impact
EDI Statement (maximum 500 words): summarize your capacity and plans to advance EDI during your Fellowship. This response can focus on your integration of EDI considerations into your research question and methods; any EDI-related social outcomes from your research; and/or your work promoting EDI in research, training, and mentoring environments relevant to your thesis program.

Figures & Supporting Material (maximum 1 page): upload a 1-page .pdf with figures and supporting material.

Transcript: upload a .pdf copy of your unofficial transcript.

Tab 3: Administrative Information
  • Name and email for the proposal supervisor who will fill out the supervisor form.
  • Name and email for the referee who will upload a letter of reference.
Tab 4: CVs

Using the provided template, upload CVs for all team members. You must upload a minimum of three CVs.

Once the applicant has submitted their component of the application on or before January 13, the following things occur:

Supervisor Form

The Co-Supervisor indicated on the tab “Administrative Information” will receive an email requesting that they log into Good Grants to fill out the Supervisor Form. This form includes three components:

Applicant Potential (maximum 250 words): comment on the applicant’s research potential.

Research & Training (maximum 250 words): As part of the plan of study, DSI Doctoral Student Fellows are required to gain skills in quantitative and domain specific areas, depending on their primary program of enrolment.

Please describe your roles as supervisor and co-supervisor in training and supporting the applicant’s development of novel statistical or computational tools, or the innovative use of existing methods, for data science applications.

Unit Head Signature: Using the provided template, upload Unit Head signatures for all listed Co-Supervisors on the application.

Letter of Reference

The Referee indicated on the tab “Administrative Information” will receive an email requesting that they log into Good Grants to upload a Letter of Reference. They should use the provided template.

Demographic Survey

The applicant will receive a confirmation email that includes a link to a Demographic Survey. While this survey is required for each team member, when filling it out respondents have the option to select “Prefer not to answer” for all questions.

While the supervisor and referee have until January 20 to submit their components of the application, and all team members have until January 20 to submit their Demographic Survey, we recommend providing your referee with the template and notifying your Supervisors about their components of the application in advance of submitting your portion.

The DSI will form a Review Committee to lead the review of all eligible proposals received by the submission deadline. Reviewers are asked to consider the following categories:

  • Project rationale and the extent to which it aligns with the DSI mandate including, if applicable, alignment with the DSI Thematic Programs in Reproducibility or Inequity.
  • The extent to which the training (including co-supervisors from different and complementary disciplinary backgrounds) and project are truly multidisciplinary.
  • The extent to which the proposed project includes the development of novel methodology or the innovative application of existing approaches.
  • The applicant's research record of accomplishment and future potential.
  • The extent to which the project considers how to advance EDI in research and training.

All application materials can be submitted directly onto the form. Certain fields on the form ask for uploads and require the following templates:

Past Recipients

To see what our current Doctoral Student Fellows are working on, click here.

Further Information

A previous information session’s recording and slides are available here.

For more information, please contact awards.dsi@utoronto.ca.