Funding

2021-2022 Deadlines

Undergraduate and Graduate Student Travel Award

Deadline: June 30, 2022 

Purpose: to provide funding to support undergraduate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students to support travel to present at conferences or in community.

Funding Details: 

Use of Funds:

• Conference fees, travel (including mileage, airfare, parking, bus or train fare), per diem for meals (following U of S Tri-Council and travel guidelines), accommodation, baggage fees.
• Poster printing, equipment and supplies for presentation.
• In light of COVID-19 travel restrictions, students can also apply to this fund for online conference fees for events  where they have been invited to present (same eligibility criteria apply as in-person gatherings as noted below)

Funds available: 

Undergraduate: The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $2000 per fiscal year for undergraduate travel awards (April 1 - March 31). Applications are on an ongoing basis and reviewed by the SK-IMN Awards & Adjudication committee until the annual amount available is expended. Priority will be given to first time applicants and awardees can receive one award per fiscal year. Unspent funds roll into the following year's budget.

Graduate: The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $10,000 per fiscal year (April 1 - March 31). Of this, $5000 is specific to University of Saskatchewan applicants (source of fund is OVPR in-kind contribution) and $5000 is open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit graduate students registered at First Nations University of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, or the University of Regina. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed by the SK-IMN Awards & Adjudication committee until the annual amount available is expended. Priority will be given to first time applicants and awardees can receive one award per fiscal year. Unspent funds roll into the following year's budget.

Eligibility

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, First Nations University, or Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
• Have submitted or been accepted to present at a conference, gathering, or community activity.*
  • *Confirmation of submission/acceptance/invitation must be provided prior to release of funds

Application Requirements:

• Completed application form
• SK-IMN registration form (if you have submitted this as part of a previous competition, you do not need to submit it again unless you'd like to edit your response)
• Documentation from conference/meeting/community confirming acceptance of the abstract or invitation to present.
• Abstract or brief summary of what will be presented (max 250 words)
• Proof of First Nations, Métis, or Inuit ancestry. Please see our website for what is considered acceptable proof of ancestry. 

Evaluation of Applications

• Priority will be given to students who do not have other funding support or who do not have sufficient funding support
• Priority will be given to first time applicants and awardees can receive one award per academic/fiscal year.
• Priority will be given to students presenting on topics related to health, wellness, and community based research.

• Registration Form
• Terms of Reference

Undergraduate Summer Studentship

Deadline: February 3, 2022

Purpose: to provide funding to support undergraduate First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students engaging in health and wellness research during the summer months (May - August) in an environment that provides strong mentorship.

Funding Details:

Use of Funds:

• Student salary support for a duration of two, three or four months between May - August in the form of a stipend of up to $8000 ($2000/month). Mentors may top up stipends as needed through their own funds.
• No supervisor or project overhead costs can be deducted from the funds.

Funds available: The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $18,000 per fiscal year (April 1 - March 31). Applications are accepted in the Winter semester and reviewed by the SK-IMN Awards & Adjudication committee until the annual amount available is expended. In the event of unused funds, these will be rolled into the next year’s pool and/or used for undergraduate travel awards.

Eligibility

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, First Nations University, or Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
• Conducting a summer research project related to health and wellness (any discipline and methodology).
• Supervised by a faculty member at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, or First Nations University who has sufficient funding to support the proposed research.
• OR Supervised by a faculty member in partnership with a community member, community or First Nations, Métis, or Inuit organization who has sufficient funding to support the proposed research.
• Please note: Faculty are now eligible to apply for this funding and name the student they would like to hire or be matched with a student if they have not identified someone. 

Application Requirements:

• Completed application form
• Completed SK-IMN registration form (if you have submitted this as part of a previous competition, you do not need to submit it again unless you'd like to edit your response)
• Letter providing proof of sufficient funding to support the research project (outside of student salary)
• Proof of student's First Nations, Métis, or Inuit ancestry. See our website for what is considered acceptable proof of ancestry.

Evaluation of Applications

• Applications will be reviewed yearly in the Winter semester by the SK-IMN Awards and Adjudication Committee
• Priority will be given to first time applicants and awardees can receive one award per fiscal year.
• Priority will be given to students who have not received this award previously and/or who have not previously participated in research.
• Priority will be given to Indigenous New Investigators (junior faculty within the first 6 years of their first faculty appointment).
• The committee will do their best to ensure as many students have support for summer studentships as possible.

SK-IMN Accountabilities: On condition of receiving the stipend, recipients (faculty and students) have to meet specific obligations, including:

• Participate in the SK-IMN’s resources and activities
• Student/mentee will attend a monthly lunch with all recipients (in-person or online depending on COVID and locations of recipients)
• Mentor/faculty will attend opening (May) and closing (August) lunch events
• Co-present our research at the Mentorship Network’s Annual Gathering (Date TBD, option to pre-record)
• Agree to be featured on the Mentorship Network's website under 'Funding Recipients' i.e. info on research project and/or mentee/mentor experience
• Acknowledge the Saskatchewan Indigenous Mentorship Network in any publications or presentations discussing research supported by this funding. 

• Application Form
• Registration Form
• Terms of Reference: Undergraduate Summer Studentship

Deadline: February 3, 2022

Purpose: to support First Nations, Métis, and Inuit graduate students studying in health, wellness and community-based research to engage in their individual development and mentorship needs.

Funding Details:

Use of Funds: Proposed activities to support the graduate student’s mentorship needs are eligible. The funds could also be used to:

• Support travel for meetings with mentors, Elders, Community celebrations and ceremony,
• Support access to any academic or personal development resources such as courses or workshops.
• Funds could also be used for self-funding graduate students, compensating them for their time as research associates in existing projects, as direct research experience with established Indigenous health researchers is valuable.
• Personal expenses to support your success in developing as a health and wellness researcher (examples include software, books, and other supplies)

Funds available: The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $30,000 per fiscal year (April 1 - March 31). Max $3000/year for ten students, $30,000 available annually. Of this $15,000 is specific to University of Saskatchewan applicants (source of fund is OVPR in-kind contribution) and $15,000 is open to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit graduate students registered at First Nations University of Canada, University of Saskatchewan, or the University of Regina.  Applications are accepted and reviewed by the SK-IMN Awards & Adjudication committee once a year or until the annual amount available is expended. In the event of unused funds, these will be rolled into the next year’s pool and/or used for graduate student travel awards.

Eligibility

• First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students enrolled full-time in a graduate program at the University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina, or First Nations University.

Application Requirements:

• Completed application form
• Completed SK-IMN registration form (if you have submitted this as part of a previous competition, you do not need to submit it again unless you'd like to edit your response)
• Proof of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit ancestry. See our website for what is considered acceptable proof of ancestry. 

Evaluation of Applications

• Applications will be reviewed once per year by the SK-IMN Awards & Adjudication Committee
• Priority will be given to first time applicants and awardees can receive one award per fiscal year.

Accountability

On condition of receiving the stipend, students have to meet specific obligations, including:

• Student will actively participate in the SK-IMN’s resources and activities
• Student's work will be profiled on the Network's website
• Student will present their research at a talk, poster presentation, or other opportunity offered by the Mentorship Network

• Application Form
• Registration Form
• Terms of Reference: Graduate Student Stipend

This award has been made possible through sponsorship from the College of Graduate and Post-Doctoral Studies at the University of Saskatchewan.

• Terms of Reference

Thank you to the following Colleges and Schools for their continued support of the Network! If you're a student applying to or who has recieved one of these awards, we encourage you to connect with our Network to access resources and further mentorship opportunities!

College of Medicine

CoMGRAD: Indigenous Health Scholarship

MSc: $19,000 (for a maximum of two years)
PhD: $24,000  (for a maximum of three years)

The CoMGRAD is the College of Medicine’s premier entrance scholarship. One of the awards given through this competition is the Indigenous Health Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded in order of preference to a person of Indigenous ancestry conducting graduate research within the College of Medicine or to a person conducting graduate research related to Indigenous health topics.

• CoM Grad Scholarship

School of Public Health

College of Pharmacy and Nutrition

College of Nursing

Western College of Veterinary Medicine

College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

See Mentee Scholarship above.

Acceptable proof of ancestry are: Status or Treaty Card, Métis Membership Card, Nunavut Trust Service Card, or Inuit Roll Number. The Saskatchewan Indigenous Mentorship Network will recognize ONLY Métis cards from the provincial counterparts of the Métis National Council -- Métis Nation British Columbia, Métis Nation of Alberta, Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, Métis Nation of Ontario (please see the MNC website) and the Manitoba Métis Federation (please see their website). 

Genealogies may be requested and the decisions of the Awards and Adjudications Committee are final. Acceptable proof of ancestry documentation must be received by the  award deadline for the award to which you are applying. If you have any questions about documentation regarding proof of ancestry, please contact sk.imnp@usask.ca