Ontario Graduate Scholarship Application Instructions

Accessing the Application

Please carefully review this section before selecting the Login button below.

Web browser compatibility: For the best user experience, use the most update-to-date version of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge web browsers to complete the form. Internet Explorer is not compatible. It is recommended to use an incognito or private browsing window. If you are unable to access the form, verify your web browser version and update if necessary before trying again.

Logging In

The application system provides two log in options.

1. Current and previous U of T students with an activated UTORid, should use their UTORid to log into the OGS application system.
2. Non-U of T users without a UTORid (i.e., admissions applicants) should use their JOINid to log into the OGS application system.
3. Non-U of T users without a UTORid or JOINid (i.e., admissions applicants) may create a BlueAccount in order to log into the OGS application system. To create a BlueAccount, select the Log in with BlueAccount button on the login page, then select the Register here link to register for a BlueAccount.

Note: You may save and leave your incomplete application and return to it later by logging back in using the same account.

• If you obtain a UTORid after starting an OGS application with your BlueAccount, please be aware that your BlueAccount will not be connected to your UTORid.
• You must continue to log in using your BlueAccount in order to complete your application and view your competition result. 
• Your BlueAccount and associated OGS application is connected to the email address you used to create the account. Please make note of the email address, with which you registered your BlueAccount. 

Remember to close your browser after logging out to completely logout of the U of T online system.

Log in Error Solution: If you are stuck on the Proceed to Log In page (the page refreshes but does not take you to a new page), refreshing your browser may be required. For Mac users the short cut is Cmd+Shift+R and for Windows users, the short cut is Ctrl+F5. Next, close all browser tabs and windows that you currently have open. Open up a new browser window in private or incognito browsing mode and proceed to log in. For detailed step-by-step instructions to clear cache/cookies on different web browsers, visit the Information Commons website.

It is recommended to review all application instructions before creating an application. Once you have reviewed the instructions below, proceed to log in by clicking the button below.

General Information & Navigation

Screenshots of the U of T OGS online application form including the Academic Assessment form are available to students and referees for their reference.

Creating an OGS Application

Once you have logged in, you will land on the My Forms page.

To create an application, select New Form on the left-hand side menu which will take you to the Form Library screen.

Under Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) select the blue Start Form+ button.  Once you have selected this button you will be taken to the application form.

In order to successfully create and save a draft of your application you must save at least one page of the application, by filling in the required information and selecting the Save or Next button at the bottom of the page. Once you have successfully saved, you can exit the form and continue at a later time, see Navigation – My Forms Page section to review instructions on how to edit a saved application.

If you exit the application before saving at least the first page of the application, any information you have already completed will be lost and there will not be a draft application on your My Forms page.

Navigation — My Forms

Your My Forms page will list all in progress and submitted OGS application forms on the forms table. The forms table has nine columns and each form will have its own row on the forms table.

Each row will indicate the form name under Collection. For example:
Collection: Ontario Graduate Scholarship
Initiator: Your name
Cycle: Academic Year associated with the form
Last Modified: Date the application was Last Modified
Submitted: Date the application was submitted will be displayed after you submit your application
Progress: Either draft, ready for submission, submitted, or completed
Status: Either waiting on Academic Assessment(s), Ready for submission, Received by Administrator, or it’s blank until you send reference requests to your referees.
Outcome: Your outcome results would be updated here after early June
Actions:  If you click anywhere on a form’s row, the form components will appear below. The OGS form components will include the applicant form and Academic Assessments (once they have been initiated).  For each form component, you will be able to see the component’s individual progress, last modified date, status, and access the Actions options for that particular component. For example, the Actions options for the applicant form are View and Delete. Academic Assessments have the Actions item to Resend or Unsubmit. The Sent date under the Status column indicates when the invitation was most recently sent to the referee.

Once an application component has been submitted or completed, the Submitted date will be shown. Once the application has been submitted, the default Status of Received by Administrator will be displayed.

Editing

To edit after exiting the application, click on My Forms on the left-hand menu bar to view your My Forms page.

Click anywhere on the form’s name to make the form components appear. The first component should be Applicant Form and there should be two options in the Actions column: View or Delete. To edit the application, select View.

Navigation – Application Form

You must complete all required fields on the current page in order to proceed to the next page. Use the Next button at the bottom of the page to save the current page and move to the next. If you save and exit the application, when you return to the application to edit, it will bring you to the last saved page when the form is loaded. You may review and edit any pages that you previously saved/validated by clicking the page you wish to view on the breadcrumb menu at the top of the page.

Saving

To save an application page’s content, you must select the Save or Next button at the bottom of the page. Selecting Save will save the fields you have completed without validating the page. If you have not completed all the required fields on a page prior to selecting Next, you will be brought to the top most required field with missing information. All required fields with missing information will be highlighted in red. All required fields must be completed before moving on to the next page.

If you leave a page before selecting Save or Next, the information will not be saved. If you are working on a section that requires a considerable amount of time (e.g., Awards & Financial Aid), be sure to select Save every 10 minutes or so to ensure the system does not time out and you do not lose your information.

If you need to send your referee requests right away, you may enter draft information in the preceding pages and go back later to edit the information. You may navigate through the different pages you have completed by using the breadcrumb menu across the top of the applicant form.

1. Proposed Studies for 2025–2026

Enter all information of the program in which you intend / propose to be registered and hold the award in for the 2025–26 academic year.

Faculty: Select the appropriate Faculty name. If you are unsure which Faculty your graduate unit / department / program belongs to, please review the Graduate Unit OGS Student Deadlines page, the Faculty will be listed in the column beside your graduate unit’s name. Note, you will be prompted to first select the Faculty value before the next fields appear in sequential order: Graduate Unit, Program, Level of Study, Year of Study, and then Research Discipline.

Graduate Unit: Your completed OGS application will be submitted to the graduate unit (e.g., department) you select here for review and will not be available to any other graduate unit. Please be sure to select the correct graduate unit name.

Applying to More Than One Graduate Unit / Department

If you are applying for admissions to more than one graduate unit / department, you must create a separate application for each graduate unit to which you are applying.

Creating a separate application per graduate unit allows you to customize your plan of study specifically to each graduate unit.

Please be aware the application does not allow you to clone / copy a completed application. Therefore, if you are submitting an OGS application to multiple graduate units, your referees will have to complete a separate Academic Assessment for each OGS application you intend on submitting. It is strongly recommended that you advise your referees ahead of time that you will be sending them more than one Academic Assessment request. It is recommended that referees save a copy of their comments which they can re-use for any additional requests. Referees can view completed assessments in the My Forms section within 60 days of the sent date of email request and as long as the email invitations were sent to the same email address. Please review the Academic Assessments section below for further details regarding references and instructions for referees.

Program

Select the program that you will be in for the 2025-2026 academic year.  Note: Not all programs listed are eligible for OGS. Please verify with your graduate unit/program to confirm eligibility before applying.

Level of Study

Select the level of study that you will be in for the 2025-2026 academic year.  For example, Doctoral or Master’s program.

Research Discipline

This field is collected for reporting purposes to the Ministry of Colleges and Universities only. The field is not used for assessing the merit of your OGS application. If you do not find your exact research discipline in the drop-down list, please choose the discipline that is most closely related.

Year of Study

Enter the year of study that you will be in for the 2025-2026 ​academic year. For example, if you’re applying for admissions to the program, enter 1, which means you’ll be in the first year of the program in 2025-26.

Award Start Session

Select your expected start session of the OGS.  Most awards are started in September to align with the regular academic year/funding cycle. Applicants would likely only choose May if they expect to complete their program by the following April. Choosing January would be recipients who could not start in September either because they are not starting the program until January or they have other funding in the fall session that cannot be held at the same time as the OGS if awarded.

Expected Date of Completion of Degree Requirements

As OGS recipients must take up the award for a minimum of two sessions. Applicants should not be applying for an OGS if they will be completing their degree requirements within one session of starting their award -e.g., finishing before December 31, 2025 if starting the award in May 2025, or finishing before April 30, 2025 if starting the award in September 2025.

2. Applicant Profile

The University of Toronto uses the information you provide here to address its correspondence to you, including the official award offer letter (if awarded).​

Name

The name on the application form will be the First and Last name associated with your login ID, either UTORid or Blue Account. It cannot be changed on the application itself.

UTORid users: If the pre-populated name is incorrect, before submitting the OGS application form, you can modify the “Display Name” associated with your UTORid by going to https://my.auth.utoronto.ca/. However, if you have already submitted an OGS application form prior to changing your Display Name, the name associated with the OGS application will remain as it was prior to modifying the Display Name. To change the Display Name for a submitted OGS application form, you will need to request with your graduate unit to unsubmit your OGS form to you to Draft state. The Display Name will reload/update automatically and then you may re-submit the OGS form.

For applicants who wish to have both their legal first and preferred names used on their OGS application so that both names appear on official communications, they may temporarily change their “Display Name” as per the instructions above to include both names under “Preferred Name”, and upon submission of their OGS application, change their Display Name back to just their preferred name.

BlueAccount users: To modify your display name, you would need to log into https://blueaccount.provost.utoronto.ca with Draft state OGS application form, then you may need to navigate back to this site in order to see the page with the “Change Your Preferred Name” option.

Email Address

The main method of communication regarding your OGS application is email. This email is prepopulated based on your login ID, either UTORid or Blue Account.

It is your responsibility to check the email account displayed for updates and other information regarding your application.

Date of Birth

Your date of birth must be provided for checking any OSAP restrictions with the Ministry.  Note, date of birth is not used by selection committee members.

Mailing Address

International (study permit holder) applicants who are not currently residing in Canada: please enter your international mailing address as best as you can in the fields provided.

Status

You must indicate your citizenship status by selecting the appropriate drop-down option.

Permanent residents, protected persons, and study permit holders must specify the date on which they received their status or study permit. Note: in order to be eligible for the domestic OGS competition, permanent residents must have obtained their PR status by the graduate unit’s student deadline.

International applicants who do not currently hold a valid study permit are ineligible for this award opportunity. Applicants must have an approved or a valid study permit by the graduate unit’s OGS international​ application student deadline in order to be eligible to apply for the OGS. Applicants who select “Temporary resident visa/student study permit” as their status must enter the date in which their study permit was approved. If your submitted study permit application has not yet been approved by the graduate unit’s OGS international student application deadline, you will not be eligible for this year’s competition.

If you are not applying for an OGS or QEII-GSST but for another award that requires you to complete the OGS application form, you may select “No status at time of application (ineligible for OGS/QEII-GSST).

If an OGS applicant self-identifies as Indigenous to Canada (recognized in the Constitution Act, 1982 as a person who identifies with First Nations (Status / Non-Status), Métis, or Inuit), the University may also consider the applicant for one of at least three (3) Ontario Graduate Scholarship Indigenous Scholar Awards and other Indigenous awards offered by the School of Graduate Studies at the University of Toronto, such as the McCuaig-Throop Bursary and the newly created SGS Inclusive Excellence Graduate Scholarship, each valued at $10,000

*“Indigenous peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. “Aboriginal peoples” is also often used as a synonym. For the purposes of this program, the University of Toronto uses the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 definition of Aboriginal peoples as including the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.

3. Academic Background

Current & Previous Studies

Beginning with your degree currently in progress (including current U of T program) or your most recently completed degree, enter all undergraduate and graduate degree studies information in reverse chronological order (i.e., newest to oldest). Degrees that were started but not completed must also be included. Disclosure of CEGEP or Canadian college programs are not required but may be included if you feel it is helpful / relevant to your application.

To add an additional degree entry, select the Add button.

Level of Study

Indicate your degree type by selecting from the choices provided. If “Other,” enter the degree type in the box provided.

Program / Discipline

Indicate the discipline of your degree. This may be the same as your graduate unit/department or program name; e.g., mathematics.

Start Date

Select the start date of the degree.

Did you complete the degree?

Indicate if you have completed the degree at the time of application (e.g., Yes or No).

If yes, you will be required to then select your degree granted/awarded date. Indicate the date your degree requirements were completed, not the date of graduation or convocation.

If no, you will be prompted to select your Expected graduation date.

For degrees currently in progress, you may enter your expected graduate date.

Institution

Indicate if you have completed the degree at the time of application (e.g., Yes or No).

If yes, you will be required to then select your degree granted/awarded date. Indicate the date your degree requirements were completed, not the date of graduation or convocation.

If no, you will be prompted to select your Expected graduation date.

For degrees currently in progress, you may enter your expected graduate date.

Institution Country

Select the country where the institution or organization is in, that awarded or will award the degree. For example, Canada.

Transcripts

Up-to-date transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies (including those from U of T) must be scanned and uploaded by the applicant as a single PDF file. If you are already registered in your program of study at the time of application, you must submit a transcript for this program, regardless of the number of months completed or if there are any grades posted, to demonstrate registration in the program.  Transcripts from CEGEP or Canadian college programs are not required but may be included, if appropriate.

Scanned unofficial, student-issued, or web transcripts are permitted. If you have online access to your academic history, you may submit a PDF print out (print to PDF) of your web transcript (be sure to choose full academic history). Your name and student number should be present on the print out, if possible. Although official transcripts are not required at the time of the OGS application, those from outside of U of T must be available in your graduate unit admission file in order for you to accept and hold the award. The OGS application system is not directly linked with ACORN or the U of T admissions application system at this time; therefore, you must upload a copy of all of your transcripts (including U of T’s) so that reviewers can view your complete application package on the OGS application system. Missing transcripts may render the application ineligible.

If a submitted transcript includes transfer or exchange program credits without grades shown, the original transcript from the other institution must be included in the application.

Applicants with transcripts written in a language other than English or French must provide a certified English translation.

Transcripts must conform to the following presentation standards:

• PDF format (.PDF extension);
• The file size cannot exceed 10MB (greyscale recommended);
• It must include one copy of the legend (grading scale) located on the reverse of each transcript or on the institutional website; do not scan the legend multiple times. For online transcripts, take a screenshot or ‘print to PDF’ of the grading legend at your university, which may be on a different web page, and append it to the end of that institution’s transcript. The legend is not required for U of T ACORN transcripts;
• Transcripts text orientation should be upright (if possible) and must be readable on a computer monitor without any adjustment by the viewer;
• Do not upload digitally signed / certified / encrypted transcripts. Alternatively, you may use freely available PDF software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or a web browser such as Chrome to “print to PDF” in order to create an unencrypted “copy” of the file to upload.

After uploading the PDF file, verify that the uploaded file is complete, viewable and legible on the OGS application system. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all transcripts are included and legible in the attached file.

To replace the PDF you have uploaded with a new PDF, you must first remove the file that is currently uploaded. To remove a transcript, click on the Remove button.

To download a transcript, click on the Download button. Downloading a transcript allows you to view the file that is currently attached to your application. If there is a security feature on the PDF, you will be able to download the file but it will not be viewable by your graduate unit.

4. Awards & Financial Aid

Current OSAP Status

Applicants must be in good standing with OSAP in order to be awarded and hold an OGS. You do not need to apply for OSAP in order to apply for or hold an OGS. If you have never applied for OSAP, then you are in good standing. However, if you have a Canada Student Loan (CSL) through another province, it must also be in good standing as restrictions on a CSL are attached to your SIN, which is used for your OSAP eligibility check. If unsure, contact the Ministry or Enrolment Services Office at U of T to see if there is a restriction on your OSAP file. Students not currently registered at U of T should contact the OSAP office at their own institutions.

For those who are not in good standing (i.e., have a restriction on their OSAP file), depending on the type of restriction, you may be given time to remedy your status. If nominated by your graduate unit for an OGS, you will have 30 calendar days from the date of notification to clear your restriction. For a full list of restrictions that will affect your OGS eligibility, please consult the OSAP Restrictions that Impact OGS Award Funding Table. 

OSAP—Income Verification Discrepancy

An OSAP Income Verification Discrepancy occurs when the Ministry has found out that you misreported your income and placed a restriction on your OSAP file for three to five years. Those affected may appeal the decision. For more information on the appeal process, please contact the OSAP office at the institution you were registered in at the time the restriction was placed on your OSAP file. If you were registered at U of T when the restriction was placed on your OSAP file, please contact the U of T Enrolment Services Office. You will not be eligible for OGS until the restriction is lifted.​

Previous Government Awards

For all of the government-funded awards listed indicate the number of years you have previously held that award at the graduate level. Do not include awards you were offered but declined or awards held at the undergraduate level. Enter “0” for any awards you have not received.

In order to hold an OGS for the 2025-26 academic year, the total number of years of government-funded awards must be five or fewer. Please also be aware of the degree maximums for holding OGS/QEII-GSST awards as listed under Maximum Support in the Eligibility section of the SGS OGS webpage.

Governmental Award Applications in Progress

Check the box beside each governmental award that you have applied for or will be applying for to start in the 2025-26 award year. This data is collected for statistical purposes only, and will not affect how your OGS application is reviewed.

Select Yes or No if you would like your OGS application to be considered for other graduate award competitions for which you may be eligible at the University of Toronto. By selecting Yes you are giving permission to the proposed graduate unit and SGS to use your OGS application for other award competitions, if available.

Applicants who would like to be considered for the QEII-GSST competition must select Yes in order to be considered for the award. Note: the QEII-GSST application may require additional requirements depending on the graduate unit. For QEII-GSST applications details, please review the Application Process section of the QEII-GSST webpage.

Also, by selecting Yes, if a particular award competition(s) requested specific documents to be appended to the OGS form, you can upload the documents as a single PDF file.

5. Academic Achievements

Scholarships & Awards

List scholarships, fellowships, prizes, and other awards/recognitions you have received and think would be most pertinent to the evaluation of your application (most recent first). Include those indicated in the ‘Previous Government Awards’ section. Limit awards to those received during your post-secondary education.

To start, click Add under the Scholarships and Awards heading. All fields are required except for Amount. Fill in all applicable fields and click Add to add another award / scholarship.

If this is a long section for you, remember to periodically (every 10 minutes or so) click Next at the bottom of the page once you have filled in all the required information on the page so you don’t lose your information in case you time out. You may also upload a small pdf file under ‘Research Contributions’ as a “holder” and replace later.

Definitions

Academic Prize: An award of small or no monetary value based on general academic excellence, or on proficiency in a specific area of study, or competition. Example: A poster competition is held and prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places are awarded to students / researchers.

Fellowship: Financial support to reduce the cost of a graduate student’s education. Some fellowships include a tuition waiver or a payment to the University in lieu of tuition. Fellowships may include stipends to cover living expenses.

Bursary: Financial support based primarily on demonstrated financial need. Additional selection criteria may also be used. Bursaries do not have to be paid back to the university. They supplement students’ primary sources of funding such as OSAP, bank loans / lines of credit, and parental/spousal contributions.

Scholarship: Financial support based on academic achievement or other criteria that may or may not include financial need. The donor of the scholarship sets the criteria for recipient selection. The grantor specifically intends money be spent to defray the costs of study, training, or research. Proceeds of the scholarship offset the cost of the student’s education for an upcoming or current academic year, depending on when the student receives the funds.

Honorary Position: A position given as an honour within an organization, for which there are no duties or payment.

Non-academic Prize: Recognition based on competition or other criteria outside of an academic / research setting. Example: An award given for outstanding volunteerism and/or leadership within a community.

Postdoctoral Fellowship: Funding given to an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path.

Professional Designation: A credential given by a certifying / regulatory body, warranting that an individual has the skill/ expertise/knowledge necessary for safe and appropriate practice within a specified trade or profession. Annual dues are usually paid to the certifying/regulatory body in order to continue to have the right to use the designation.

Research Contributions, Relevant Experiences & Activities

Maximum two pages (approximately 7,900 characters including spaces). List publications, presentations, posters, or other significant work that was submitted to an external organization (e.g., a consulting report) using the referencing style for your discipline. List and describe also your relevant experience and any extracurricular activities to support your application.

PDF File Upload

Formatting

Your PDF file must meet the following requirements provided below.

General presentation:

• Body text in a minimum 12 pt Arial, Times New Roman, or similar font
• Single-spaced, with no more than 6 lines of type per inch
• All margins set at a minimum of 3/4″ (1.87 cm)

File requirements:

• PDF format (.pdf extension); unprotected
• Maximum file size of 500 kb
• 8 ½” x 11″ (216 mm x 279 mm) or A4 (210 mm x 297 mm)
• Maximum 2 pages

To replace the PDF you have uploaded with a new PDF, you must first remove the file that is currently uploaded. To remove a Research Contributions file, click on the Remove button.

To download a Research Contribution file, click on the Download button. Downloading the uploaded PDF allows you to view the file that is currently attached to your application. If there is a security feature on the PDF, you will be able to download the file but it will not be viewable by your graduate unit.

Content

Given the page limit, be selective and summarize information where appropriate. Provide information in the two sections listed below.

Part 1. Research Contributions:

• If you are applying for or are in a non-research program, you may put “N/A” for this section.
• Specify your role in co-authored publications.
• For published contributions, provide complete bibliographic details as they appear in the original publication (including co-authors, title, publisher, journal, volume, date of publication, page numbers, number of pages, etc.).
• For publications in languages other than French or English, provide a translation of the title and the name of the publication

Group your contributions by category in the following order, listing your most recent contributions first:

• Refereed contributions: books (where applicable, subdivide according to those that are single authored, co-authored, and edited works), monographs, book chapters, articles in scholarly refereed journals, conference proceedings, etc.
• Other refereed contributions, such as: papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, articles in professional or trade journals, etc
• ​Non-refereed contributions, such as: book reviews, published reviews of your work, papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, preprints of your manuscripts, research reports, policy papers, public lectures, posters, community products, etc.
• Forthcoming contributions: Forthcoming contributions should be listed if they have been formally accepted for publication. Manuscripts “submitted” or “revised and submitted” but not yet accepted may be noted as well. Indicate one of the following statuses—submitted, revised and submitted, accepted, or in press. Provide the name of the journal or book publisher and the number of pages. Manuscripts under preparation should not be listed but may be mentioned in referee assessment reports.
• Creative outputs: Applicants whose research outputs include an artistic creation may list their most significant achievements, starting with the most recent, in a separate category: Creative outputs. This category may be followed by the categories shown above, as appropriate. Examples of creative outputs may include, for example, exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, film, video, audio recordings, etc.

Notes:

• Refereed work is defined as being assessed:
  • in its entirety – not merely an abstract or extract
  • by publication; and
  • by appropriately independent, anonymous, qualified experts. “Independent” in this context means at arm’s length from the author
• A thesis is not considered a refereed publication.

Part 2. Relevant Experience & Activities

Describe the research / academic abilities that you have gained through your past research / academic / extra-curricular experience, including special projects, honours / master’s thesis, co-op reports, etc. If you have relevant work or volunteer experience, discuss the relevance of that experience to your proposed field of study / research and any benefits you gained from it.

This section may also be used to describe your training relative to your plan of study such as knowledge gained through lived experience and traditional teachings.

Relevant Activities

Describe your professional, academic and extracurricular activities, interactions and collaborations that best demonstrate your communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. Examples of these include:

• teaching, mentoring, supervising and / or coaching
• managing projects
• participating in science and / or research promotion
• community outreach, volunteer work and / or civic engagement
• chairing committees and / or organizing conferences and meetings
• participating in departmental or institutional organizations, associations, societies and / or clubs

Leaves of Absence and / or Special Circumstances

OGS adjudication committees can take into consideration special circumstances that may have interrupted or delayed the completion of your current or a previous degree. Please specify the dates of the delay or interruption. Special circumstances include health problems, family responsibilities, or disabilities. The OGS adjudication committees consider special circumstances or interruptions that could have affected applicants’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees. Relevant circumstances could include maternity/parental leave, child-rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, health-related family responsibilities, or trauma and loss. Specify the dates for any delays or interruptions.

If your current or previous thesis supervisor is unable to provide you with a reference letter, you may use this section to provide an explanation.

Indigenous applicants are encouraged to use this section to describe special circumstances that could have had an impact on their academic or career paths.

At the graduate unit’s discretion, exceptions may be made for highly meritorious applicants who’s GPA fall below the required minimum. Examples of cases in which a unit may consider granting an exception include (but are not limited to): applicants with documented medical issues or family care responsibilities, applicants who have pursued alternative career paths, or mature students with professional experience. You may describe your extenuating circumstances here for consideration. Contact your proposed graduate unit(s) first to confirm their use of this eligibility criterion.

If you do not have any special circumstances to discuss, please leave this section blank. Do not use this section for any purpose other than those described above.

All information provided to the University of Toronto is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Applicants are reminded that the information included in this section will be shared with selection committee members for consideration as part of their application. Committee reviewers cannot share this information outside of the merit review process.

6. Plan of Study

Applicants must complete this section themselves. Provide a description of your proposed research project and / or studies for the period during which you are to hold the award. Maximum one page. An additional one page maximum for bibliography & citations may be added (see below).

PDF File Upload

Formatting

Your PDF file must meet the following requirements provided below.

General presentation:

• Body text in a minimum 12 pt Arial, Times New Roman, or similar font
• Single-spaced, with no more than 6 lines of type per inch
• All margins set at a minimum of 3/4″ (1.87 cm)

File requirements:

• PDF format (.PDF extension); unprotected
• Maximum file size of 500 kb
• 8 ½” x 11″ (216 mm x 279 mm) or A4 (210 mm x 297 mm)
• Maximum 2 pages (1 page for Plan of Study, 1 page for references / citations)

To replace the PDF you have uploaded with a new PDF, you must first remove the file that is currently uploaded. To remove a Plan of Study file, click on the Remove button.

To download a Plan of Study file, click on the Download button. Downloading the uploaded PDF allows you to view the file that is currently attached to your application. If there is a security feature on the PDF, you will be able to download the file but it will not be viewable by your graduate unit.

Content

Below are suggested guidelines that you may use to write your Plan of Study:

For students applying to a thesis-stream graduate program:

Write your proposal in clear, concise language, avoiding jargon. Clearly state your current level of study. If applying to a doctoral program, give the title and a brief description of your master’s thesis or research project, if applicable. Identify the degree program that you will pursue, including any relevant courses, and provide an explanation for your choice. Provide an outline of your thesis proposal, including, for example, background/context to position your proposed research within the context of current knowledge in the field, hypothesis, objectives, outline the experimental or theoretical approach to be taken (citing literature pertinent to the proposal), methodology, significance, and expected contribution to the advancement of knowledge, and your special interests in the proposed area of research.

If you have not yet decided on a specific project, you should still provide a description of a research project that interests you. You are not bound by this project. You may change your research direction or activities during the course of the award.

You may use you​r statement of intent from your admission application if applying as an incoming student.  You may also re-use the research proposal from your Tri-Agency scholarship application.  The CGS Master’s and CIHR doctoral is the same length. NSERC/SSHRC doctoral award research proposals will need to be shortened by half.

You may also check your graduate unit website or contact your graduate administrator or faculty members in your unit to see if there is anything specific the unit is looking for since they will be the ones reviewing your application.

For students applying to a non-thesis-based graduate program:

Describe your plan of studies, including proposed course and research work. In addition, outline your rationale behind engaging in graduate-level work. You may use your statement of intent from your admission application. You may also check your graduate unit website or contact your graduate administrator to see if there is anything specific the unit is looking for since they will be the ones reviewing your application.

For students currently in a thesis-stream graduate program:

Be as specific as possible while writing your proposal in a clear and concise language (avoiding jargon). Your plan of study will be read by faculty members at your graduate unit but they may not be familiar with the details of your research. Clearly state your current level of graduate study. Indicate why your research holds significance to you, what stage you are at in your thesis/research project. Provide an outline of your thesis proposal, including, for example, background/context to position your proposed research within the context of current knowledge in the field, hypothesis, objectives, outline the experimental or theoretical approach to be taken (citing literature pertinent to the proposal), methodology, significance, and expected contribution to the advancement of knowledge. Clearly state the differences between work already completed for your thesis, what you hope to accomplish during the award tenure, and what will remain to be done before you obtain your degree.

You may re-use the research proposal from your Tri-Agency scholarship application.  The CGS Master’s and CIHR doctoral is the same length. NSERC/SSHRC doctoral award research proposals will need to be shortened by half. 

You may also check your graduate unit website or contact your graduate administrator or faculty members in your unit to see if there is anything specific the unit is looking for since they will be the ones reviewing your application.

For students currently in a non-thesis-based graduate program:

Describe your plan of studies, including proposed course and research work. Outline what stage you are currently at in your studies and what remains to be done before you obtain your degree. You may also check your graduate unit website or contact your graduate administrator or faculty members in your unit to see if there is anything specific the unit is looking for since they will be the ones reviewing your application.​​

Bibliography & Citations

Maximum one page. Applicants are expected to properly reference ideas or text belonging to others. Use this section to list references to works that are cited in or directly relevant to your application. Ensure that they are clear and complete to allow reviewers to locate the sources easily. Follow the citation conventions that are appropriate to your research discipline or field.

Additional tips are available in the SGS OGS Information Session, and access writing support through Graduate Centre for Academic Communication GCAC)

SGS Fall 2024 OGS Information Session:

Each November, SGS offers an OGS Info Session for OGS applicants. Link to the MS Teams session is sent out via email through graduate units. A reminder email will be sent out in early November.

To access the latest video or slides, visit the SGS OGS webpage under “Additional Info”, click on the video link, enter your utoronto email address when prompted to sign-in, then login using UTORid credentials. It is recommended that you use your internet browser’s incognito/private mode so that you’ll be prompted to login using your utoronto email address.

7. Academic Assessments

Deadline Date

You will be asked to first enter the deadline for your referees to complete their confidential Academic Assessment in the Requested Completion Date field.  Enter the date by which the Academic Assessment must be submitted by your referees to your application. This should not be the same date as your graduate unit deadline. You should give yourself enough time (e.g., at least a couple of days or even two weeks in advance) to receive the assessments and complete your application before your graduate unit deadline.  This date will appear in the email request to you referee.

REMINDER: You can only submit your online OGS application when both assessments are complete.

NOTE: Your referees have 60 days from the sent date of email request to complete the Academic Assessment.  After 60 days, the link in the email would expire.  To extend the access to complete the Academic Assessment, you may “Resend” the request.  See how to Resend below.

Sending an Academic Assessment Request (email invitation): 

• You will need to enter both referees’ information before you may click Next to complete and go the next page. 
• You may enter both referees’ information to send their invitations at the same time.  Complete all fields and click Next.
• For each referee, ensure to enter First name, Last name and their Email in their respective field. All three fields are required before the referee email will be sent.
  • If you would like to send one academic assessment email invitation first, complete one referee’s information and click the SAVE button at the bottom of the page and wait for the page to reload before exiting the application. An email invitation will be sent to this referee. You can exit your application and come back at a later time to enter the second referee’s information.
  • When you are ready to enter your second referee, return to the Academic Assessment page of your OGS Form, enter the second referee’s information and click NEXT and wait for the next page to load. An email invitation will be sent to this second referee. Clicking on Next will only cause an email to be sent to the newly added email address. The other referee, whose information was not changed, will not receive another request.
• If you need to send your referee requests right away, you may enter draft information in the preceding pages of your application and go back later to edit the information.
• Referees will not be able to see any part of your OGS application on the system.

Please remind your referee(s) to check their junk mail box. The email should only take a few seconds to arrive. If the email doesn’t arrive after a few minutes, ask if they have a personal email address that can receive the request instead.

Once referees submit their assessment online, the data will automatically be attached to your online OGS application.

To verify if your referees have been sent an email invitation to complete the Academic Assessment, return to the My Forms page and click on the form’s row to display the application components. If there are two Academic Assessment components/rows present, then the initial invitation has been sent. The date that the reference request was sent should also display under the Status column.

To check the status of an Academic Assessment, return to the My Forms page and click on the form’s row to display the application component. Each Academic Assessment will have a setting displayed in the Progress column, either Draft or Completed. If the assessment has been completed, you will no longer be able to resend the invitation.

To resend an Academic Assessment (email invitation), return to the My Forms page and click on the form’s row to display the application components. If an Academic Assessment is currently pending completion (i.e., Draft under Progress), in the Actions column, there will be a Resend button. Click the resend button and a new email invitation will be sent to the referee and the Sent date in the Status column will be updated.

To delete a referee, return to the Academic Assessments page of the applicant form. Above and to the right of each referee’s name there will be a blue Delete button. Click Delete which will clear the referee’s contact information and then click Save before entering any new information. Only after clicking Save, should you then enter the new referee’s information. Please be very cautious when selecting these buttons as deleting a referee will permanently remove a completed academic assessment attached to your application. If you accidentally delete a referee and click Save, the assessment form will be deleted and the referee will need to complete the assessment again.

Modifying a completed Academic Assessment:

If your referee would like to make a change to their submitted form, you may unsubmit the form so changes can be made. Return to your My Forms page and click anywhere on your form’s row to display the application components. Find the row for referee whose Academic Assessment you would like to unsubmit, and select the Unsubmit button in the Actions column for that row

Once the Academic Assessment has been unsubmitted, the referee will receive a new email invitation with a link that will take them to the previously saved form where the necessary changes can be made. The referee must re-submit the form in order for it to be considered Complete again.

Selecting Referees

You are limited to two referees. Referees should be faculty members or individuals who have had sufficient opportunity to assess your academic potential. You will not have access to view the content of the completed Academic Assessment.

If you are currently completing a bachelor’s degree or are just starting graduate-level studies, obtain letters from faculty members who have had sufficient opportunity to assess your academic potential.​

If you are completing a master’s degree, one of the referees should be your master’s supervisor (or equivalent).

If you are currently enrolled in a doctoral degree program and have a supervisor, one of the assessments should be from your doctoral thesis supervisor. If you completed a master’s degree previously, the other assessment should be from your master’s supervisor (or equivalent). If you do not yet have a supervisor, obtain letters from faculty members who have had sufficient opportunity to assess your academic potential, at the bachelor’s or master’s level.

If you have changed universities since last year, one of the letters of appraisal should be from a faculty member at the previous university.

In addition to the email that the U of T OGS application sends to your referee, it is good practice that you also send your referee the following information:

• a list of your research contributions;
• a copy of your Plan of Study;
• a summary of your experiences with the referee that highlight the attributes being assessed in the report (blank copy of the report is available in the application screenshots document); and
• a link to the instructions regarding content for the Assessment Details section is posted on the U of T OGS Academic Assessment Report — Instructions for Referees​​.

8. Applicant Consent and Declaration

Please carefully read the information on the Applicant Consent and Declaration page. Once you have read and understood the consent and declaration information, select the check mark box beside I Confirm at the bottom of the page and click Next to move on to the next page.

9. Review

Review all components of your application for accuracy and completeness before submitting.

Under Academic Background, you should review your transcript file by clicking Download to ensure that all required transcripts are present and legible.

If your Academic Assessments are incomplete, you​ will not be able to select the Submit button. Once both Academic Assessments have been submitted and your application is complete, you will be able to ​use the Submit button at the bottom of the Review page. Once you click Submit you will be taken to a confirmation page with your confirmation number. Be sure to copy this number at this time as it is not possible to obtain the number at a later time.

Confirmation

To confirm if your application was successfully submitted, check your form’s progress and status on the My Forms page.

On the forms table, in the form row for the application you just submitted, you should see that the Progress column indicates Submitted and the Status column indicates Received by Administrator.

If you click on the form row to make the application components appear, you should also see a new application component with the name Graduate Unit with the Progress column indicating Draft.

If the progress, status and the Graduate Unit components are displaying as described, your application has been successfully submitted to the graduate unit and is pending review.

After submission, you may no longer make any changes to your application. You are still able to view your application by selecting anywhere on your OGS form’s row to make the application components appear, and selecting the View button in the Actions column of the applicant form.

It is recommended that you save a copy of your application (e.g., Print to PDF) and record your date of submission for your records.

Outcome (Result)

Once the graduate unit / department concludes their internal review, you should receive an email from the department indicating that your Outcome (Result) has been updated and is ready for you to view.

International applicants should receive their graduate unit results by early May.

Domestic applicants should receive their graduate unit results by early June.

NOTE: Outcome results on the SGS Forms Tool system are for OGS applications only.

Outcome Definitions

Nominated (international applicants): Application has been selected by the graduate unit for the university-wide adjudication and the application will be reviewed by the SGS Awards Committee. Results from the SGS Awards Committee are communicated by email and are not updated on the OGS application.

Recommended (domestic applicants): Application has been selected by the graduate unit to receive the OGS pending final SGS eligibility check. SGS communicates the results of the final eligibility check by email starting in mid-July.

Alternate (domestic applicants): Application was deemed meritorious; however, due to its ranking, fell below the award cut-off. The applicant is therefore, placed on a waitlist for an award. Should an award become available due to a decline, and you are the next candidate on the waitlist, you will be contacted by email, otherwise an update is not provided.

Non-OGS Result: Application was considered or nominated for a non-OGS award(s). Results are communicated outside of the OGS application form via email.

Not Offered: Application has not been selected to either move forward to the university-wide adjudication (International) or for an award (Domestic).

Missed Deadline: Application is not considered for the competition as it was submitted after the graduate unit’s OGS deadline. 

Ineligible: The application has been deemed ineligible based on the eligibility criteria outlined in the funding opportunity description.

Questions?

If you have further questions about the OGS application, please contact ​ogs@​utoronto.ca.​​