Awards and Scholarships

UBC Mechanical Engineering offers a number of scholarships, as well as top-ups to external awards. We are committed to providing funding to every accepted M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. student in the form of Research Assistantships or Top-Ups.* Teaching Assistantships may also be available.

Please note that the awards below are not available to M.Eng. students.

Awards for New Students

Graduate Support Initiative (GSI) Awards and Department-Selected Awards

All students have one opportunity to be considered for the GSI and Departmental Awards.

For students starting in September – applicants who submit their complete application packages  by the 1^st of February each year (see How to Apply) will automatically be considered for the following year’s award competition.

For students starting in January – you are eligible to be considered in the February competition following the start of your program.  A nomination from your Supervisor is required.

There is no need to submit a separate application for the award competition.

The Graduate Awards Committee will select award winners based on academic merit, using the same guidelines as those used to award NSERC/Affiliated scholarships.

GSI and Department-Selected Awards available in our Department include:

• Four Year Doctoral Fellowship (4YF)

Ph.D. awards worth up to $18,000 plus tuition for up to four years.  NSERC PGS-D winners will automatically receive a 4YF, but will not receive the stipend during the PGS-D.  NSERC CGS-D winners will automatically receive a 4YF, but will not receive the stipend or tuition award during the CGS-D.

• Gartshore Graduate Entrance Fellowship

 Awards up to $21,000 for Ph.D. students or $17,500 for M.A.Sc. students (minimum award value is $8,000) are offered to the students entering a M.A.Sc. or Ph.D. Program in Mechanical Engineering. Scholars who hold more than $9,000 in external scholarships receive a top-up to a total of $30,000 (Ph.D.) or $26,000 (M.A.Sc.), or the minimum fellowship value, whichever is greater.

• Graduate Entrance Scholarship

$6,000 (or $3,000  if held in conjunction with  a major award) one-time entrance scholarships for top M.A.Sc./Ph.D. students.

• Merit Award

$2,000 one-time entrance scholarships for students who received a UBC B.A.Sc. with Distinction in Mechanical Engineering and start  an M.A.Sc. within one year of their graduation.

• NSERC Funding Packages

NSERC CGS-D winners will receive a $4,000 top-up (approximately equal to tuition) while they hold the award, to complement their 4YF.  There are no other automatic NSERC top-ups, but all NSERC winners are eligible for the Gartshore and Graduate Entrance Scholarship competitions.

International Partial Tuition Scholarship

Many international graduate students are eligible for an International Partial Tuition Scholarship to assist with their tuition fees (renewable).

Department Affiliated Award Programs

Bridge Program

NSERC CREATE-APP

Awards for Continuing Students

Continuing international students are automatically considered for International Partial Tuition Scholarships.

NSERC funding package guarantees, as described above, apply to continuing students.

Other UBC awards available include:

• Affiliated Fellowships

An award competition is held every fall for the Affiliated Fellowships. Current students will be given information in early fall each year.

• Vinod Modi Endowment Travel Award

In honor of Professor Vinod Modi, a distinguished former colleague, up to four travel subsidies are given to graduate students who have presented at a conference during the previous year. The selection is held every spring for the previous year.

• ICICS Support

ICICS supports Graduate Students by providing funding such as Travel support, Graduate Scholarships.