The University of Guelph is allocating an additional $800,000 to increase stipends for research graduate students starting in fall 2024. This new investment recognizes the importance of attracting world-class research talent to U of G and will help make a research-focused graduate education more affordable for students.
The new funding will be distributed through Graduate Tuition Scholarships, one important part of the University’s overall supports for graduate students. In the 2022-23 academic year, the University supported its 3,100 graduate students with $63 million of funding through Graduate Teaching Assistantships, faculty research stipends, bursaries, and external and internal awards including Graduate Tuition Scholarships.
“In addition to generating and mobilizing knowledge, graduate students make important contributions to society and the economy,” says Ben Bradshaw, assistant vice-president, graduate studies. “It’s vital we do what we can to address the rising cost of living for these students to ensure their contributions can continue and grow. Amid the financial pressures the University is facing, we are committed to putting together competitive offers of admissions that will attract the best and brightest applicants to U of G.”
Investing in research-focused graduate education important for Canada’s talent pipeline
The increase to research graduate student stipends will help U of G recruit highly skilled students to advance excellence and innovation in research at the University. Furthermore, increasing investments into research-focused graduate student education could enhance Canada’s position in the global research community and foster its talent pipeline. For example, only 10 per cent of Canadians have completed a master’s or doctoral degree compared to the 15 per cent average of OECD countries. Making research-focused graduate education more affordable is a critical component to ensuring the health and prosperity of the Canadian economy.
“While we are delighted to announce this new funding, we know that more needs to be done to support graduate students and their critically important research,” says Dr. Charlotte Yates, president and vice-chancellor. “We will be exploring ways we can bolster our supports further in the years to come and look forward to working with governments to help realize this goal.”