2024-25 Temerty Faculty of Medicine Harmonized Base Funding Agreement

This agreement excludes graduate students who receive funding over and above the base funding when registered in the Physician Scientist Training Programs (i.e. MD/PhD, Residents and CIP) and MD Research Fellowship Training Program (e.g. clinical fellows).

1.  Total Base Funding, 2024-25

2024-25 Student Base Funding for Doctoral-stream MSc and PhD students^a

a) Graduate stipends for eligible students will be partially offset by funding through Graduate Student Supplement (GSS).

b) Tuition & Fees include program fees, mandatory incidental, system access & ancillary fees.

2.  Merit-based Entrance Scholarships (MES)

One year Merit-based Entrance Scholarships, valued at no more than $5,000 each, can be offered to up to 20% of the most highly rated applicants (based on previous year’s enrollment) as determined by the participating graduate units. A student who receives such an Entrance Scholarship, approved by the Graduate Unit offering admissions, will be eligible to retain the full amount over and above his/her base funding. Department chairs and graduate coordinators will be advised of their unit’s allocation of MES. No other “admissions” or “recruitment” incentive scholarships may be offered by individual graduate units. Doing so would be considered a violation of the Harmonized Base Funding Agreement.

3.  Top-Up Practices

All awards that require student applications are eligible for a top-up from their supervisor.  The top-up amounts are as follows:

*Note:

• Within an academic year (or 12 months period), the total cumulative top-up maximum is $4,000. That is, if a student holds an award of $5,000 and another award of $17,500, their total top-up is $4,000.
• The top-up is only provided in increments of $2,000, $3,000 or $4,000 per year (does not exceed 12 months) and is added above the base funding amount.
• A student, who receives award(s) exceeding the amount equivalent to the base funding and  maximum top-up of $4,000, will not be eligible to receive a top-up for these award(s).
• Payment of top-ups will occur annually for the duration of the award. Thereafter, the student will revert back to the appropriate base graduate student funding package amount.
• Top-up eligibility excludes University of Toronto Fellowship (e.g. UTF Open), Doctoral Completion Awards, Temerty Faculty of Medicine Entrance Scholarship, travel awards, and bursaries.

4.  Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Funds (OSOTF) Awards

Students who receive funding from needs-based and merit awards, such as OSOTFs, are required to consider such funds as part of their base funding. See above for top up policy for such awards.

5.  Bursaries

Non-repayable grants, such as the UTAPS and SGS Emergency Grant, which assists students with sudden and/or unexpected financial need, are not part of the base funding outlined above. A student under these circumstances is therefore eligible to retain the entire amount of such an award.

6.  Funding Terms

In general, provided that he/she remain “in good standing”, a doctoral stream student will be funded for his/her thesis-based program. There are four basic principles that guide these funding terms, as follows:

• MSc students are guaranteed base funding for their first 2 years.
• PhD students admitted with completed master's degree are guaranteed base funding for a minimum of 4 years.
• Transfer students (i.e. transfer from MSc to PhD students), are guaranteed minimum base funding for their first 5 years, which includes 1 year as an MSc student.
• Direct-entry PhD students admitted with a bachelor's degree are guaranteed base funding for a minimum of 5 years.

Updated: 15-Jul-2024