Effective January 2011, the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is making available Maternity/Parental Leave Funding for doctoral students. These funds provide support to a new parent who takes a leave from full-time graduate study to start or expand their family.
The SGS will provide $5,000 to funding-eligible Ph.D. students who have been granted maternity or parental leave under the Maternity and Parental Leave regulation.
Eligibility criteria for Doctoral Student Maternity/Parental Leave Funding are as follows:
1. The student must have been registered as a full-time doctoral student for at least one term to qualify for this funding.
2. The student must be a full-time student in year 1, 2, 3 or 4 of their doctoral degree program at the time of the maternity/parental leave to qualify for this funding.
3. For students who hold Tri-Agency funding support (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC) for maternity/parental leave, or who receive benefits for maternity/parental leave through an employment relationship, the amount of the Graduate Student Maternity/Parental Funding will be discounted accordingly.
4. To receive this funding, the student must take the maternity/parental leave during the first year of the child’s life or, in the case of adoption of a child, within 12 months after the child first comes into the custody of the parent.
5. The funding will be paid in one instalment near the beginning of the first term of the approved maternity/parental leave, via the normal SGS payment methods.
6. A student may apply for and receive the Graduate Student Maternity/Parental Leave Funding no more than two times during their Ph.D. program. All eligibility criteria must be met each time.
7. Students must indicate that they wish to be considered for this funding by completing the relevant section(s) of the Maternity/Parental Leave Request Form.
8. All terms and conditions of the SGS Maternity and Parental Leave regulation apply.
Awards & Financial Assistance 
