SSP/SIS Graduate Scholarship Competition 2025
McGill’s Surgical Scientist Program (SSP) and Surgical and Interventional Sciences (SIS) graduate degree program are pleased to announce the 2025 SSP/SIS Graduate Scholarship Competition.
Scholarship Objectives:
1. To provide one-year stipend support for SIS Doctoral and Master's (thesis) trainees with exceptional potential.
2. To advance the Department of Surgery Research Strategic Plan, prioritizing support for students supervised by new faculty, newly enrolled in the PhD program (including fast-track), and those more likely to succeed in future external awards competitions.
Competition Timelines And Key Dates
Application Opens |
May 9, 2025 |
Application Closes |
July 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST |
Award Announcement |
August 1 to 15, 2025 |
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September 2025 to August 2026
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Award Details
- Four scholarships valued at up to $30,000 CAD.
- Funding period: September 2025-August 2026 OR January 2026-December 2026.
- Supervisors must cover any additional stipend required to meet the McGill Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences 2025-2026 Minimum Funding Policy:
Minimum Funding Packages in FMHS Graduate Programs 2025-2026 | Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies - McGill University. - If the trainee holds other awards that do not exceed the SSP/SIS Scholarship amount, the SSP/SIS award will be prorated to secure a total stipend of $30,000 CAD during the scholarship term.
For more information, please click on the tabs below:
- Eligibility & Restrictions
- Application Procedures
- Review Process & Criteria
- Awarding Procedures & Policy
Eligibility |
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Applicants must:
- Be enrolled in the SIS Doctoral and Master's (thesis) program during the funding period. These include trainees who have applied for or will apply for admission and have already secured a supervisor.
- Be within the following timeframes from their initial graduate program registration:
- MSc students: Two (2) years
- PhD students: Five (5) years
- All students except first-years must have applied for scholarships through at least one government granting agency (e.g., FRQS, CIHR) or provide documentation confirming ineligibility for such funding.
- Applicants must not hold other scholarships exceeding $30,000 CAD during the 2025 SSP/SIS Scholarship funding period. This excludes stipends funded by a supervisor’s grants or SIS tuition support (paid directly to McGill).
Who is NOT Eligible for this Competition:
SIS Master’s non-thesis (coursework/taught) students
Funding options for non-thesis students: www.mcgill.ca/gps/funding/gradfunding101/expectations/masters.
Trainees in Residency Programs
Funding support for residents in graduate research: www.mcgill.ca/surgery/research-mscphd/ssp/ssp-opportunities-residents/salary-support-residents.
Restrictions |
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Application Limits
- Primary supervisors may nominate up to two trainees for the SSP/SIS Scholarship Competition.
- Only one trainee per supervisor can receive the scholarship in each competition.
Funding Disclosure Requirements
Awardees must report all additional funding obtained after accepting the SSP/SIS Scholarship, including during the award term.
- If another award (≤$30,000 CAD) is secured, the SSP/SIS Scholarship will be adjusted proportionally to maintain a total stipend of $30,000 CAD during the term.
- If funding from other awards exceeds $30,000 CAD, the SSP/SIS Scholarship must be declined.
One-Time Award Policy with Exceptions for Fast-Track Students
- The SSP/SIS Scholarship is generally non-renewable— trainees may receive it only once during their Master’s or Doctoral candidature.
- Trainees who fast-track from a MSc to a PhD are eligible to receive the SSP/SIS Scholarship once during their MSc and once during their PhD.
- Other potential exceptions should be requested in advance of submission.
Application Requirements |
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Email your full application as a single PDF document to surgicalscientist.med [at] mcgill.ca by the deadline. |
FULL APPLICATION - DEADLINE: July 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM |
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Step 1. Complete and sign the SSP Registration Form |
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Step 2. Documents to be submitted with your application include: |
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1. Letter of Intent |
A Letter of Intent explaining the motivations for your graduate training in the Surgical and Interventional Sciences, your expectations, and your career goals as a researcher. - 1 page maximum ** |
2. University transcript |
University transcripts - BSc, MSc, or PhD, as applicable If not on a 4.0 scale, include a document explaining the equivalence and a conversion of the average to a 4.0 scale. ** Transcripts not in English or French must be submitted with a translation. |
3. Letter of Support |
A letter of support from your research supervisor Including research resources available and current funding arrangements for the trainee. – 1 page maximum ** |
4. Thesis proposal |
Submit as a separate Word Document - 1 page maximum ** |
5. Proposal references |
Submit as a separate Word Document - 1 page maximum ** |
6. Applicant’s CCV |
Applicant’s Canadian Common CV (CCV) ‘CIHR Academic’ A PDF file containing the CCV can be obtained by clicking ‘Preview’ on the CCV webpage |
7. Supervisor’s CCV |
Please provide a copy of your main supervisor's CCV - CIHR Biosketch or CIHR Academic CIHR Biosketch Quick Reference Guide A co-supervisor’s CCV can also be submitted if applicable. |
8. Proof of funding |
Please provide proof of funding applications from at least one government granting agency (i.e., FRQS, CIHR) or proof of ineligibility.
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** Rules for Formatting: Use Times New Roman font in black type. Use a minimum of single-line spacing. Insert a minimum margin of 2 cm (0.79 inch) around all pages. Smaller text in tables, charts, figures, and graphs is acceptable, as long as it remains legible when the page is viewed at 100%. |
How to Apply |
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REGISTRATION FORM
The application period closes on JULY 4, 2025 at 11:59 PM
1. DOWNLOAD the SSP/SIS Graduate Scholarship Competition 2025 Registration form
2. SUBMIT your completed registration form and required documents (as indicated on the Checklist) as a single PDF document to surgicalscientist.med [at] mcgill.ca (subject: SSP%2FSIS%20Scholarship%20Competition%202025)
** IMPORTANT**It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure the application is accurate and complete. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Adherence to page limits is required. |
Review Process & Criteria |
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Applications will be scored by the SSP Committee using the following grid:
SCORING |
SCORE |
OVERALL CRITERIA |
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1. Academic record and potential:
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/25 |
2. Quality and originality of research proposal:
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/25 |
3. Supervisor(s) and research environment:
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/15 |
4. Document(s) display/formatting/grammar:
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/5 |
PRIORITY CRITERIA (in line with the Department of Surgery Research Strategic Plan 2023-2026) |
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5. First-year PhD student - Applicant is a first-year PhD student or fast-tracked from MSc to PhD. |
+10 |
6. New faculty - Applicant’s supervisor was recruited < 2 years ago. |
+10 |
7. Previous funding application(s) |
+10 |
TOTAL SCORE |
/100 |
Awarding Procedures |
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Award results will be communicated between August 1 and 15, 2025.
Applicants have 5 days from the offer date to accept or decline the award. Failure to accept within this timeframe will result in the withdrawal of the offer.
- Payments will be issued in three installments (January, May, September).
- The trainee must provide a social insurance number and complete a direct deposit form as part of the online award acceptance process.
- Payments will be made via direct deposit on the dates specified in the award acceptance letter.
- By accepting the SSP/SIS Scholarship, the trainee and their supervisor commit to applying for provincial (e.g., FRQS, FRQSC, FRQNT) and federal Tri-Council (e.g., CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC) awards in the subsequent year of their Master's or PhD candidature.
Change in Status |
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If an SSP/SIS-funded trainee departs their supervisor’s lab:
- Notification Requirement: The trainee and/or supervisor must notify the program administrator in writing at surgicalscientist.med [at] mcgill.ca.
- Funding Adjustment: The prorated portion of the award covering the period from the departure date to the end of the funding term must be repaid.
- Non-Transferability: The SSP/SIS Scholarship cannot be transferred to another trainee or lab.