Affiliated Fellowships-Master's and CGS-M Competitions - Apply by Dec 1, 2024

Affiliated Fellowships-Master’s and CGS-M Competitions – Apply by Dec 1, 2024

October 23, 2024

UBC Affiliated Fellowships-Master’s

The UBC Affiliated Fellowships Master’s competition runs in concert with the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M; see below) competition. Approximately 50 fellowship with values ranging from $175 to $16,000 are offered through this competition. Current and prospective full-time UBC-Vancouver graduate students can apply. Students who are eligible for the CGS-M must submit a CGS-M application in order to additionally be considered for Affiliated funding.

Detailed Affiliated Fellowships-Master competition information with links to application and reference forms is available at: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/affiliated-fellowships-masters-program.

UBC Deadline for Affiliated Fellowships Master’s Competitions

Tri-Agency Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS-M)

Applicants for Tri-Agency CGS-M competition must be domestic students (Canadian citizen or PR) who are applying for or enrolled in graduate studies anywhere in Canada. Each applicant can select up to 3 universities with the same application. To be considered for a CGS-M at UBC, they must select The University of British Columbia as one of the 3 available institutions.

Details about this award opportunity, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, are available at http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/CGSM-BESCM_eng.asp and our site at https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/canada-graduate-scholarships-masters-cgs-m-program.

Students who apply for CGS-M awards will automatically be considered for open/un-restricted Affiliated Fellowships. To be additionally considered for criteria-based/restricted Affiliated Fellowships, students should fill out and submit to their graduate programs the checklist available at https://www.grad.ubc.ca/forms/list-criteria-based-affiliated-fellowships.

Deadlines for the Tri-Agency CGS-M

  • Application deadline: 1 December 2024 before 5:00 pm PT
    • Applicant must complete and submit online application using Research Portal. (make sure to follow the instructions listed on the G+PS webpage)
    • Note that the application deadline is set at the national level and is not flexible; late applications cannot be submitted in the system and extensions to the deadline are not possible.

Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative (NSERC and SSHRC)

The Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative consist of a one-year, non-renewable supplement valued at $5,000 for all meritorious Indigenous CGS M applicants and a one-year, non-renewable award valued at $27,000 for all alternate candidates, subject to the limit of available funding. If you self-identify as Indigenous you are eligible to apply for this initiative.  Note: CIHR is not participating in this initiative.  For more information, see the Tri-Agency’s pilot initiative webpage.

Tips for submitting an NSERC CGS-M application:

  • The importance of the application deadline. CGS-M applications cannot be submitted or edited after the application deadline.  Late applications will be ruled ineligible.  The CGS-M application deadline is set nationally by the CGS-M funding agency and is not flexible.
  • Students are encouraged to ask for reference letters early and to send the instructions to their referees: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ResearchPortal-PortailDeRecherche/Instructions-Instructions/CGSM_REF-BESCM_REF_eng.asp.
  • Check early if you have all official transcripts for all previous studies (including transfer credits).  Transcript guidance for applicants is outlined on the G+PS CGS-M webpage.
  • Note that although the Advising Transcript document (available through Workday) is accepted for UBC CGS-M applications, it may not be accepted by other universities in Canada, so students applying elsewhere for the CGSM in addition to UBC should order official UBC transcripts.
  • Applicants are recommended to use the same email in their CGS-M Research Portal login as in eVision or SSC. This is not a requirement, but it helps match the applications to correct programs quicker after the application deadline.

Please reach out to admissions@mech.ubc.ca if you have any questions.

Defence: Shubham Agarwal – Oct 30, 2024 | 12:30 PM | Room 200: Graduate Student Centre

October 23, 2024

The Mechanics of Low-Areal-Density Fiber Networks

Candidate: Shubham Agarwal

Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Time: 12:30 PM

Location: Room 200 of the Graduate Student Centre (6371 Crescent Road)

Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships – Apply By Nov 25, 2024

September 26, 2024

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship Program offers a three-year leadership program designed to train Engaged Leaders, equipping doctoral candidates with the skills to translate their ideas into action, for the betterment of their communities, Canada, and the world.  At least 12 doctoral Scholars are selected each year and receive generous funding for their studies.

The Foundation welcomes applications from candidates across a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, in business schools, public health and law. Candidates’ research must be related to one or more of the Foundation’s four central themes: Human Rights and Dignity; Responsible Citizenship; Canada and the World; and, People and their Natural Environment.

  • Value: Up to $50,000 stipend plus up to $20,000 research and travel allowance per year for three years
  • Application Deadline: November 25, 2024 at 1:00 pm PT (4:00 pm ET)

Reminder: As of the 2020 award competition year, interested applicants apply directly to the Trudeau Foundation to be considered in the national competition; all interested and eligible applicants may apply.  The University of British Columbia no longer nominates a subset of applicants to the national competition (there is no department-level or university-level adjudication).

For further information, such as detailed eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, and application procedures, please visit our webpage: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/trudeau-foundation-doctoral-scholarship or the Trudeau Foundation webpage: https://www.trudeaufoundation.ca/become-scholar.  Questions about this scholarship should be directed to the Trudeau Foundation at scholarships@trudeaufoundation.ca.

Soccer headers briefly slow brain activity, study shows

September 25, 2024

This article originally appeared on UBC News. Photos: Lou Bosshart/UBC.

The study revealed that impacts from heading the ball are followed by a momentary slowing of brain activity, producing brain waves that are more typically associated with sleep and drowsiness.

A male participant performs a controlled soccer header in a lab, wearing an EEG cap and custom mouthguard to track brain activity and head movement, while two researchers observe in the background.

UBC study shows even mild impacts have a measurable effect on the brain

Using the head to pass, shoot or clear a ball is routine in soccer and does not typically lead to concussions. However, a new study from the University of B.C. reveals that even mild heading has some measurable effects on the brain.

The study published in the Annals of Biomedical Engineering revealed that impacts from heading the ball are followed by a momentary slowing of brain activity, producing brain waves that are more typically associated with sleep and drowsiness.

In the experiment, eight healthy adults performed controlled headers with a soccer ball, with forces comparable to those typically seen during play. They wore electroencephalography (EEG) sensors and custom mouthguards that simultaneously tracked brain activity and head movement.

The participants experienced brief but statistically significant increases in delta brain waves within moments of impact, said lead researcher Dr. Lyndia Wu, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in the faculty of applied science who studies sports-related injuries.

“Delta waves are low-frequency waves linked to drowsiness and sleep,” said Dr. Wu. “When this sleep-like delta activity occurs while awake, it may disrupt information processing and lead to lapses in attention. For athletes, this may translate to reduced focus following an impact.”

She noted the growing concern over the effects on the brain of repeated exposure to this type of milder head impact.

“This study is unique since it allowed us to measure what’s happening in the brain immediately after a head impact. There is increasing research on sub-concussive head impacts, but most studies have only been able to measure post-game or post-season effects, which would not help understand the effects of individual impacts and how they may be accumulating.”

The study also examined how the severity and direction of impacts influence brain activity. Stronger impacts resulted in greater increases in delta waves, while oblique impacts led to greater activity on the opposite side of the head.

Most participants’ brain activity returned to normal quickly, indicating no long-term effects. However, some showed more pronounced changes, suggesting individual differences in brain response.

“Understanding these changes in brain activity helps us assess how the brain responds to impacts and can inform future safety protocols and guidelines for sports,” Dr. Wu added.

These findings underscore the need for personalized safety measures and further research into how individuals react to impacts, particularly in sports with frequent head impacts such as soccer and football.

“This research advances our understanding of how mild head impacts affect brain function. It paves the way for further studies on repeated impacts and speaks to the importance of ongoing research to protect athletes’ health,” said Dr. Wu. “Our future research may look into the effects of more frequent repeated impacts, and how the rest time between impacts may affect recovery.”

Global News interviews Dr. Lyndia Wu about new study:

Dr. Adam Clare elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering

September 18, 2024

Dr. Adam Clare

UBC Mechanical Engineering faculty member Professor Adam Thomas Clare has been elected Fellow of the United Kingdom’s prestigious Royal Academy of Engineering, one of 71 new members recognized for “outstanding and continuing contributions to the profession.” The Royal Academy of Engineering brings together a community of experts in their field to provide leadership in engineering and technology in the UK, as well as expert advice to the UK government, supporting research and entrepreneurship through funding, policy & resources, and education.

Previously a Professor at the University of Nottingham, Dr. Clare held a Research Chair from the Royal Academy of Engineering, and was the Deputy Director of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre. At the University of British Columbia, he is the Associate Program Director of Manufacturing Engineering, an undergraduate program jointly run by the departments of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. His research focuses on developing manufacturing technologies and approaches for a sustainable future, investigating additive manufacturing, electrical discharge machining, electrolyte jet machining, electron beam and laser processes, stochastics in engineering design and manufacture, as well as manufacturing for high value and high integrity applications like aerospace, biomedical, tool and nuclear.

Dr. Clare will be formally admitted as a Fellow in a ceremony in London on November 27, 2024, when the new members sign the roll book and join the almost 1700 existing Fellows of the Academy.

Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation Grant – Apply by Sep 30, 2024

September 12, 2024

Tyler Lewis Clean Energy Research Foundation offers a research grant worth $10,000,  available to graduate students (PhD and Masters) who are Canadian or permanent residents, with projects within the broad scope of clean and alternative energy. The grant is awarded annually and depending on the calibre and worthiness of applicants and projects, as many as three grants are awarded each year. More information on the grant and the foundation can be found at www.TylerLewis.ca

Eligibility & Application Details

More information on the grant, eligibility and how to apply can be found at http://tylerlewis.ca/how-to-apply

  • Deadline: Applications are due by September 30, 2024 (midnight PST)

Please reach out to Sean T. McBeath (grants@tylerlewis.ca) with any questions.

NSERC 2024 – Doctoral Scholarships and Postdoctoral Fellowships Q&A sessions

September 4, 2024

NSERC is hosting the following question and answer sessions for the doctoral scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships programs.

These sessions will be hosted as live Q&A MS teams events. They are supported by a series of informational videos available on the NSERC YouTube channel. These videos are intended to completely replace the presentation portion of the NSERC sessions, allowing NSERC and applicants to engage in a more in-depth and detailed Q&A session than they would normally have time for. Participants should watch the videos in advance and come to the Q&A session with specific questions in mind.

Please attend any of the sessions that best suits your schedule. Registration is not required.

IODE War Memorial Scholarships – Apply by Oct 1, 2024

September 4, 2024

The IODE War Memorial Scholarships support PhD scholars whose research makes important contributions to Canada and the world. Up to three scholarships of $15,000 for study in Canada or for study within the Commonwealth will be awarded. Applicants are judged on academic attainments and promise as well as personal character and career goals.

Eligibility: Applicants must be Canadian citizens, hold a first degree from a Canadian university, and be enrolled in at least the second year of their doctoral program.

Deadlines:

  • Letter of Intent: 1 October 2024
  • Complete application: 1 November 2024

Interested students submit their letter of intent and application directly to IODE.  For more information, including application procedures, please see: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/iode-war-memorial-scholarship.  Questions should be directed to: iodewarmemorial@gmail.com.

Call for Nominations: ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award – Due by Sep 20 (8 AM)

September 4, 2024

ACM established the Doctoral Dissertation Award program to recognize and encourage superior research and writing by doctoral candidates in computer science and engineering. The award is presented each June at the ACM Awards Banquet and is accompanied by a prize of $20,000 plus travel expenses to the banquet.  As of January 1, 2014 all winning dissertations are published exclusively in print and electronic formats as part of the ACM Books Series, which includes distribution through the ACM Digital Library.  Honorable Mention(s) may also be awarded, with a prize of $10,000 shared among recipients.

  • Eligibility: The nominated dissertation must have been successfully defended and submitted between October 1, 2023 through (and including) September 30, 2024. Only a PhD student’s thesis supervisor may nominate a dissertation.
  • Note regarding the competitiveness of this award: UBC may nominate only 2 dissertations to the international competition, and only 1 ACM Doctoral Dissertation Award is offered by ACM annually worldwide.
  • Nomination: Supervisors need to submit the nomination statement(s) (nomination statement should be written by the supervisor of 200-300 words in length), to admissions@mech.ubc.ca by 8:00AM on Friday, 20 September 2024.

Note that, should the student be selected to be one of UBC’s nominees, the PhD student’s thesis supervisor will be responsible for submitting the nomination items to ACM by the October 31 institution nomination deadline.  ACM requires that the nomination be submitted by the PhD student’s thesis supervisor.

The full nomination package includes:

  • Suggested citation if the candidate is selected.  This should be a concise statement (maximum of 25 words) describing the key technical or professional accomplishment for which the candidate merits this award.
  • Nomination statement (200-300 words in length) addressing why the candidate should receive this award.  This should address the significance of the dissertation, not simply repeat the information in the abstract.
  • An endorsement letter from the department head.
  • At least 3, and not more than 5, supporting letters should be included from experts in the field who can provide additional insights or evidence of the dissertation’s impact.  (The nominator/advisor may not write a letter of support.)
  • Copy of the dissertation, together with a copyright transfer form filled out by the candidate and assigning exclusive publication rights to ACM.  Copyright will revert to the author if it is not selected for publication.

For further information, including detailed nomination procedures, please visit: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/acm-doctoral-dissertation-award

UBC Affiliated Fellowships – Doctoral competition – Apply by Sept 13, 2024

August 21, 2024

The UBC Affiliated Fellowships doctoral competition runs in concert with the university-adjudicated Tri-Agency Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS-D) competition.

Students who submit an NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR doctoral award application are automatically considered for “unrestricted” Affiliated Fellowship awards and do not need to submit a separate Affiliated Fellowships application. To be considered for “criteria-based” affiliated fellowship(s), students must submit the criteria-based checklist to their graduate program by the application deadline.

Those applying only for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship must submit a separate and complete Affiliated Fellowships application in order to be considered for the Affiliated Fellowships.

Affiliated Fellowship competition information and application/reference forms are available at: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/affiliated-fellowships-doctoral-program.

UBC Deadlines for the Tri-Agency CGSD / Affiliated Fellowships Doctoral Competitions

  • Applicant deadline: Friday, 13 September 2024 at 12:00 noon PT