McGill.CA / Department of Surgery / Research MSc/PhD / SSP - Surgical Scientist Program / SSP Opportunities for GRADUATE STUDENTS

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


Funding Period

September 2025 to August 2026
              - OR -
January 2026 to December 2026

Award Details

For more information, please click on the tabs below:

Eligibility

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

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

Email your full application as a single PDF document to surgicalscientist.med [at] mcgill.ca by the deadline.
NOTE: Your PDF documents can be merged using PDF Merge

FULL APPLICATION - DEADLINE: July 4, 2025, at 11:59 PM

Step 1. Complete and sign the SSP Registration Form

Step 2. Documents to be submitted with your application include:

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
CCV - Quick Reference Guide

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
** First-year students are exempt **

Please provide proof of funding applications from at least one government granting agency (i.e., FRQS, CIHR) or proof of ineligibility.
Accepted documents include:

  • Confirmation email from the agency
  • Screenshot showing submission status or attesting ineligibility
  • If applicable, proof of additional funding secured
  • If applicable, reviews/scores obtained from previous funding applications (i.e., FRQS, CIHR).

** 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

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

Applications will be scored by the SSP Committee using the following grid:

SCORING

SCORE

OVERALL CRITERIA

1.  Academic record and potential:

  • Letter of intent.
  • Transcripts.
  • Honours (awards, distinctions, scholarships).
  • Achievements (scientific, professional, social).
  • Scientific productivity (publications, conference presentations, other)

/25

2.  Quality and originality of research proposal:

  • The project proposed is original and innovative.
  • The project rationale is well documented.
  • The project’s research question(s) is (are) clearly stated.
  • The methods proposed are clearly described.
  • Study outcomes are measurable and tangible.
  • The project can be feasibly completed within the proposed timeline.

/25

3.  Supervisor(s) and research environment:

  • Experience of the supervisor(s) in the proposed area of research
  • Experience of the supervisor(s) with the proposed methodology
  • Scientific productivity of the supervisor(s) (i.e., publications, presentations, grants)

/15

4.  Document(s) display/formatting/grammar:

  • Files are in accordance with competition requirements.
  • Evidence of attention to detail.
  • References follow citation standards.
  • No major grammar or punctuation errors.

/5

PRIORITY CRITERIA (in line with the Department of Surgery Research Strategic Plan 2023-2026)

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)
Applicant applied for provincial (e.g., FRQS, FRQSC, FRQNT) and/or federal Tri-council (e.g., CIHR, SSHRC, NSERC) award in the previous year and was deemed ‘fundable’.

+10

TOTAL SCORE

/100

Awarding Procedures

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

If an SSP/SIS-funded trainee departs their supervisor’s lab:

  1. Notification Requirement: The trainee and/or supervisor must notify the program administrator in writing at surgicalscientist.med [at] mcgill.ca.
  2. 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.
  3. Non-Transferability: The SSP/SIS Scholarship cannot be transferred to another trainee or lab.

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