Graduate student funding
Athabasca University financially supports graduate student research through the Graduate Student Research Fund which is administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Visit Financial Aid and Awards for information about graduate student awards or contact that Faculty of Graduate Studies at fgs@athabascau.ca.
Student external award funding calendar
Graduate students are encouraged to apply for the following funding opportunities. These opportunities are sorted by agency.
If you would like feedback on your application for any of these awards, please email your working draft to research@athabascau.ca. Be sure to include any relevant information, including the application deadline.
| Opportunity | Agency | Internal deadline | External deadline | Award amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) | Minimum of 2.5 months before start of activity. | Minimum of 2 months before start of activity. | Up to $5,000. | |
| Mitacs | Anytime | Anytime | $15,000 for each 4-month internship. Master’s students can do up to two 4-month internships and PhD students can do up to 6. | |
| Tri-Agency | Sep. 6 | Sep. 20 | $70,000 per year for 2 years. Non-renewable. | |
| Tri-Agency | Oct. 9 | Nov. 21 | $35,000 per year for 26 months | |
| Tri-Agency | n/a | Dec. 1 | $17,500. Non-renewable. | |
| Tri-Agency | varies | varies | Up to $6,000. Non-renewable. | |
| Mitacs | July and September | July and September | $50,000 per year for 2 years. | |
| Mitacs | Anytime | Anytime | Up to $15,000. | |
| Mitacs | January and September | January and September | Varies. | |
| SSHRC | Oct. 9 | Nov. 21 | $20,000 per year for up to 4 years. | |
| SSHRC | Sep. 6 | Sep. 20 | $40,500 per year for up to 2 years. Non-renewable. | |
| Tri-Agency | Oct. 2 | Nov. 1 | $50,000 per year for 3 years. Non-renewable. |
Updated May 27, 2025 by Digital & Web Operations (web_services@athabascau.ca)