Awards & Funding at UTM

The application for for this award is currently closed. 

The objective of the June Scott Teaching Excellence Awards for Teaching Assistants is to recognize publicly the contributions, which teaching assistants make towards the achievement of excellence in undergraduate education, and to honour those who have made exceptional contributions to teaching. 

The award recipient will receive $2000 for conference travel/professional development.

June Scott Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Assistants 2022-23 was awarded: 

Leila Farzinpur from the Department of Language Studies (Linguistics Program) was selected as co-recipient of the UTM June Scott Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding teaching by a teaching assistant.

Paula Sanchez Nuñez de Villavicencio from the Institute of Communication, Culture, Information and Technology was selected as co-recipient of the UTM June Scott Teaching Excellence Award for outstanding teaching by a teaching assistant.

Award Criteria

The award is made on the basis of excellence in teaching in its broadest sense. Excellent teachers typically demonstrate the following qualities: display a mastery of, and enthusiasm for, the subject area, and have effective communication skills; have been exemplary in one or more areas of teaching; are judged to be "outstanding," rather than merely "very good"; stimulate and challenge students' minds, and encourage their intellectual development; and are interested in and reasonably accessible to students.

Principal Nominators

Any individual or group at the University of Toronto Mississauga may submit nominations as the principal nominator. Nominations from students are encouraged. 

Nominators are encouraged to read the following guidelines carefully prior to submitting a nomination.

Nominee Eligibility

The award is open to individuals who are currently, or were during the past academic year, engaged as a Teaching Assistant to support a primary course instructor at UTM.    

Individuals may be nominated for the award any number of times, but may receive the award only once.

Adjudication Criteria

Nominees will be evaluated for the award by the Adjudication Committee on the basis of outstanding performance in several of the following areas:

• Outstanding effectiveness as a teaching assistant
• Excellent command of the subject area
• Skills in organizing, developing and presenting course material
• Implementation of innovative techniques that facilitate learning
• Sensitivity to student learning needs

 Nominees may be a teaching assistant at another UofT campus, however the nomination must focus on their work at UTM. .

Number of Awards

The role of teaching assistants varies by discipline; they are instructors, discussion leaders, tutors, laboratory demonstrators, markers, advisors, etc. Since it is impossible to compare teaching assistants who have different roles, up to three (3) awards may be made in any one year. The actual number of awards made in each year will be dependent upon the quality of the nominations received.  

Nomination Package Requirements & Format

 All nomination packages submitted to the Teaching Excellence Award for Teaching Assistants must be submitted electronically as single PDFs, and may not exceed 30 pages (excluding CV). No hard copies of any part of the package will be accepted.

A complete nomination package will include (1) a detailed covering letter from the principal nominator (maximum 3 pages), clearly explaining the reasons for considering the nominee, specifically addressing the adjudication criteria above, (2) a dossier outlining the nominee's teaching assistant duties and accomplishments in the areas listed under Adjudication Criteria, and (3) miscellaneous requirements outlined below, providing vital summary information to facilitate the adjudication process.

The nomination should be clearly, comprehensively address the adjudication criteria. Nominators will need to be selective in the type and amount of evidence they collect to support the nomination package, in order to meet the 30-page limit.

The dossier may include…

• The nominee's Curriculum Vitae. (Not included in the 30-page limit.) 
• Evaluation of the nominee by the course instructor.
• Representative letters from students and others, explaining why they think the nominee is deserving of the award.
• A summary of formal teaching evaluations, if any exists, normally provided by the Chair of the appropriate department. (Do not include raw data.)
• A sample and summary of other relevant information, such as teaching materials, which demonstrates the award criteria.

As academic departments have different expectations of their teaching assistants, it is not expected that a nomination dossier would include all the above evidence. 

Miscellaneous Nomination Requirements…

• A title-page that includes the principal nominator’s contact information.
• A table of contents, and labeled pages dividing distinct package sections.
• A list of those who have written letters supporting the nomination, including the constituencies represented. (In general, strong nominations include support from several constituencies, such as students, other teaching assistants, and faculty.)
• A summary, potentially included as part of the covering letter, of the important points brought forth in the letters, including pertinent quotations with the surname, in parenthesis, of the person who wrote the letter.

Deadline for Submission of the Nomination Package

The nomination package must be complete and in PDF format. The PDF should be saved in the name of the nominee. That PDF can then be uploaded to the File Request at the link below, and using that system, sent to Anna Reale (anna.reale@utoronto.ca)

Upload file here

Nomination packages are due: Friday, June 14, 2024.

Notes on Privacy & Confidentiality

• Nomination packages will be disseminated to Adjudication Committee members, and the membership of those Committees will likely not be set until after the nomination deadline.
• The successful nominee will be provided a congratulatory letter.
• The Adjudication Committee administration will NOT notify unsuccessful nominees of their nomination, nor will the administration provide them (or anyone other than the Adjudication Committee) with a copy of the unsuccessful dossier.
• Please do not include confidential information in the nomination package.

​Further Questions? 

Please contact Anna Reale (anna.reale@utoronto.ca) if you have questions about this year's June Scott Teaching Excellence Award competition. 

Award Overview:

· Deadline: The application is currently closed. 
· Duration: Variable; considering applications for 2024-2025
· Value: Variable, see below
· Level of Study: Full-time master’s or doctoral students
· Required Legal Status: Domestic or International

Grant Purpose:

The Graduate Student Initiatives Fund (GSIF) was established in 2020 through the generosity of Professors Angela B. Lange and Ian Orchard to support inspiring and engaging graduate initiatives that enhance the graduate student experience and foster a sense of community at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM).

Open to both individual graduate student applicants and recognized graduate student groups, the GSIF typically provides funding up to two graduate student proposals annually, with preference given to in-person initiatives, particularly those held at the UTM campus.

Possible events and activities include but are not limited to:

· Student-led conferences and symposia
· Guest lectures
· Professional development (to benefit the collective not the individual)
· Workshops

Eligibility:

Graduate students falling into one of the following four categories are eligible to apply:

1. UTM affiliated Master’s and PhD students in both research and professional streams; *

2. Research-stream master's and PhD students officially supervised or co-supervised by a UTM faculty member on ACORN/ROSI.

Additionally, all applicants must:

· Be registered full-time, in good-standing, and within their time limit, both at the time of the application and for the duration of the initiative.

*Students are identified as UTM-affiliated on ACORN/ROSI only if they submitted a completed SGS (School of Graduate Studies) Affiliation Form indicating that they are so affiliated (and have not subsequently changed that affiliation).

Value:

The value of this fund is based on accrued annual income, which can be divided among multiple recipients. At the discretion of the Awards Adjudication Committee, the awarded value will vary depending on endowment income, the number of recipients, and the proposed budget(s).

General Guidelines:

· Currently accepting applications for graduate initiatives proposed for the 2024-2025 academic year.

· Events and activities must be accessible for all members of the community in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and other University policies on inclusion, diversity, and equity, and demonstrate a positive impact on the educational, recreational, social, or cultural values of UTM.

· All budget items must be accompanied with a justification of the amount and necessity.

· It is recommended and encouraged that Fund recipients use exiting UTM resources where appropriate (e.g., technical support) · Initiatives that are grounded in UTM’s Strategic Framework will be given priority, with preference given to those that strengthen the reputation of the campus.

Application Process and Deadlines:

Submit an electronic copy of the Angela B. Lange and Ian Orchard Graduate Student Initiatives Application Form to the Office of the Vice-Dean Graduate by April 1, 2024, 11:59pm.

The application form specifies the objective of the initiative and how it aligns with enhancing the student experience, fostering a sense of community, and strengthening the reputation of UTM. It also includes a budget, including estimated expenses, other sources of funding, etc.

Adjudication Process:

An Awards Adjudication Committee will be established, led by the Vice-Dean Graduate Studies & Postdoctoral Affairs UTM, and will be comprised of representatives from both research and professional graduate programs.

· The committee normally will select up to two (2) initiatives annually.

· The committee may also wish to explore opportunities for partnering with other UTM departments.

Notification of Results & Reporting Requirements:

All applicants will be notified of the results by April 30, 2024.

Successful applicants must submit a summary report to the Award Adjudication Committee within 30 days of the end of the event or activity that includes a reflection on lessons learned and/or what was achieved.

Annual reports including summaries received from successful applicants will be used to prepare yearly updates for the donors.

Contact:

Questions can be directed to:

Karolina Szymanska, Graduate Programs Manager, k.szymanski @ utoronto.ca 

Applications for 2024 Summer Gym Bursary 

The Vice-Dean, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is committed to graduate students' well-being. To encourage them to stay active over the summer months, the Vice-Dean, Graduate & Postdoctoral Affairs, is providing a summer gym bursary for eligible graduate students who purchase a 2024 Recreation, Athletics & Wellness Centre (RAWC) summer gym membership.

UTM Summer Gym Bursary is available to graduate students in both professional & research stream programs.

Applicants must:

• Be a graduate student in a master’s or doctoral program;
• Be registered full-time for the summer 2024 session;
• Have purchased a full or partial summer 2024 gym membership from the Recreation, Athletics & Wellness Centre (RAWC)
• Have valid proof of purchase that displays name and/or student number.

Eligible students may receive the UTM Summer Gym Bursary once per summer session.​​​

Students will be reimbursed up to $130.00 of the summer gym membership. The membership fee is pro-rated on a daily basis. These funds will be deposited into your ACORN/ROSI account.

Registered students can access the online UTM Summer Gym Bursary Form, https://forms.office.com/r/MWZgau5f3H beginning on May 13, 2024 through to August 31, 2024. ​

​Please note:

• Students must be registered at the time of application;
• One application is permitted per applicant for summer membership or program fees incurred at one facility;
• ​The application cannot be modified after submission; and
• Proof of payment must be uploaded as a PDF, JPEG, or JPG file.

Payment​ to students will be processed on a monthly basis.  All applicants will receive an email notification via their official U of T email address regarding the status of their application and any relevant details regarding payment. To ensure that there is no delay in receiving your bursary make sure that you have direct deposit set up on your ACORN account.

Award Explorer is the University's central awards repository. The searchable database contains a comprehensive list of awards, scholarships, grants, and other funding opportunities from across the tri-campus. 

The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) houses the Financial Aid and Advising Office and the Graduate Awards Office. From emergency loans to conference and travel grants, the School offers multiple funding opportunities, in addition to administrative support and financial counselling. Explore scholarships and merit-based awards on the SGS website.