Funding & Awards
Faculty-wide awards
The Faculty of Arts offers multiple awards that recognize students for their academic excellence, as well as their community involvement. Whether you demonstrate high academic skills, strong community engagement, participate in research or are in financial need, there is an award for you! Explore what each award has to offer and find out if you qualify.
The Carla Cassidy Award recognizes an eligible fourth year student enrolled in a full-time Arts program with the highest CGPA across the Faculty of Arts, through 6 semesters of study; must demonstrate financial need. Students with the highest CGPA at the end of the sixth semester and preregistered to take at least four billing units in the upcoming fall semester will be identified and invited to apply to the award. Carla Cassidy wants to ensure students from across the Faculty are recognized so, the award will be rotated among the various programs in the Faculty of Arts in alphabetical order starting with ACS in 2017.
In accordance with the award criteria, preference for the 2024 year will be given to a student in the History or Language and Intercultural Relations programs. The award recipient will receive a monetary award of $1000.
Apply through AwardSpring (external link, opens in new window)
Opens: September 3, 2024
Deadline: September 30, 2024
Description / The COMMA Book Award in the Faculty of Arts will be awarded in each of the fall and winter terms to a full-time undergraduate student who has demonstrated financial need and who has self-identified as being from a racialized group or who has self-identified as an Aboriginal (Metis, Inuit, First Nations, status and non-status) person.
Background / The name COMMA is an anagram taken from the names of the donor’s parents, whom the award is intended to honour, for the love of books and of learning that they imparted.
Purpose / To provide financial assistance for a student in the Faculty of Arts to facilitate the purchase of text books for their studies.
Award Value / One award of $500 in each of the fall and winter semesters.
Application Deadline / Fall Term: September 3, 2024 - September 30, 2024
Winter Term: January 1, 2025 - January 31, 2025
Eligibility /
- Applicants must be self-identified as being from a racialized group; or be self-identified as being an Aboriginal (Metis, Inuit, First Nations, status and non-status) person.
- Applicants must demonstrate financial need by completing the student application form and budget;
- Applicants should write, in confidence, to the Faculty of Arts, naming the COMMA Book Award and explaining how they meet the Award criteria;
- Applicant students must be registered in a minimum 4 courses in the semester in which the award will be received;
- Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.67 and have a clear academic standing (students entering TMU will simply need to have met Faculty entry requirements);
- Applicants who have received the award previously are eligible to re-apply.
Application Information / Interested candidates will need to submit:
- a one-page cover letter describing why they are an ideal candidate
- a resume demostrating your commitment to community and volunteer work
Apply through AwardSpring (external link, opens in new window)
Nominations for the 2024-2025 Dean of Arts Liberal Studies Essay Prize can be submitted by any TMU faculty teaching a liberal studies course(s) during the Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 terms.
There are four prizes, each worth $100.00, awarded annually for the best essays in Liberal Studies courses (day and CNED) during an academic year. Two prizes are awarded for essays in lower-level courses, and two are awarded for essays in upper-level courses. To qualify, an essay must achieve a grade of 85% (A) or higher. Nominated essays will be reviewed by a selection committee in May and awarded in June 2025. The students, their program advisors, and instructors are informed of the winners. Please note, liberal studies instructors may nominate up to three students per course. Essays must be individually-written.
Deadline to submit nominations: May 2, 2025
Faculty should submit nominations to Elisa Wreford, Undergraduate Program and Liberal Studies Coordinator (elisa.wreford@torontomu.ca).
The Dennis Mock Student Leadership Awards recognizes graduating students who have made outstanding voluntary extracurricular contributions to their school or academic program department, their faculty, or to Toronto Metropolitan University as a whole. The awards acknowledge and encourage student participation in university affairs. Students are nominated for this award by their academic Program Departments.
The Global Exchange Award provides two annual awards of $2,000 each to Faculty of Arts students to assist in paying for a learning exchange opportunity. The learning exchange must involve taking a credit course at another post-secondary institution that has a formal partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University.
Opens: April 28, 2025
Deadline: May 15, 2025
Apply through AwardSpring (external link, opens in new window) .
The Jehangir Saleh Fund was originally established in 2014 as an annual lecture series to honour the memory, life, and work of Jehangir Saleh. Jehangir was a curious, creative, and inspirational student of philosophy at Toronto Metropolitan University, who graduated from Arts & Contemporary Studies in 2008.
Do you need financial support to get your project up and running? The Faculty of Arts Student Projects Grant provides financial support for student-initiated extra-curricular projects and activities that promote experiential learning and student engagement. The SPG website is currently under construction, please email spg@torontomu.ca if you would like to apply for a grant.
This award is intended to celebrate Black women in higher education. The successful recipient of this award will have the opportunity to receive mentorship from the donor. The award recipient will receive a monetary award of $1,000.
Eligible students must be an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts. Applicants must have clear academic standing; demonstrate Financial Need as determined by Toronto Metropolitan University; enrolled in full-time studies (minimum 60% course load); enrolled in their second, third, tourth, or graduating year; must have a minimum CGPA of 2.00; must identify as a Woman, including cisgender and transgender; must identify at Black (including those that identify as Afro-Caribbean or African-Canadian).
Students must provide a written statement elaborating on at least one of the following: current experiences or upcoming initiatives as it pertains to elevating Black culture, on and/or off campus; contributions to the Black community, on and/or off campus; career or life path goal(s).
Apply through AwardSpring (external link) .
Opens: October 1, 2024
Deadline: October 25, 2024
The Donor seeks to recognize a first-year female student in the Faculty of Arts who is from Caribbean heritage. This award is open to both domestic and international students, but preference is given to international students. The Donor will also offer personal mentorship to the student, and understands that it would be considered a 'follow-up' once they receive the award, and the student would only receive mentorship if they have consented to it. The award recipient will receive a monetary award of $1,000.
Eligible students must be registered as an Undergraduate student at Toronto Metropolitan University; have clear academic standing; enrolled in full-time studies; enrolled in the Faculty of Arts; have a minimum Admission’s average of 85% (or international equivalent) and self-identify as female.
Applicants are to submit a (500-word max) written statement detailing how their Caribbean heritage has shaped their self-confidence and journey into post-secondary.
Apply through AwardSpring (external link) .
Opens: October 1, 2024
Deadline: October 25, 2024
The TMU Gold Medal is the University's highest student award available across all Faculties. Students are nominated for this award by their academic Program Departments.
Purpose / The Undergraduate Research Opportunity (URO) grant offers a minimum of 6 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Arts the chance to meaningfully participate in the Scholarly, Research and Creative (SRC) activities of a faculty member in Arts and to benefit from their mentorship. The URO grants are designed to provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to enhance their research, analytical, presentation and writing skills that they can use in their careers or future research projects. Please note: The Faculty of Arts in collaboration with OVPRI will be funding up to 5 additional URO positions (subject to finances).
Student Eligibility / The applicant:
- Must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate Faculty of Arts program with a cumulative GPA greater than 3.0
- Only current full-time undergraduate students are eligible to apply; part-time students will be considered with a rationale/justification.
- Faculty supervisor must be a tenure-stream faculty member. For more details regarding faculty supervisor eligibility, please ask your potential supervisor to review the URO policy available on the Faculty of Arts Internal Grants website.
- The URO is for SRC assistance on a faculty member’s new or existing project.
- May apply for only one URO opportunity per year.
Faculty Supervisor Eligibility /
- All tenured and pre-tenure faculty members are eligible to serve as supervisors.
- Limited Term faculty members must hold a position during the award period (May 1 to August 31, 2025).
- The URO is for SRC assistance on a faculty-member-driven new or existing project. Work that is not part of a faculty member’s SRC project is not eligible for funding.
- Ineligible projects include those that do not enhance a student’s research or academic potential, for-profit contract research, consulting contract work, and administrative, organizational, or non-academic research projects.
Amount / The total amount for each URO Grant is $11,725.70 (inclusive of benefits and vacation pay). The hourly base rate (not including benefits and vacation pay) is $21.11. Students cannot work more than 35 hours in any week. The URO grant supports student employment for up to a maximum of 14 weeks (490 hours total), from May to August 2025. The faculty supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the student completes the assigned work within the time frame noted above (no more than 35 hours per week for 14 weeks). Support for Showcase presentation materials, i.e., costs associated with printing posters, will be covered by the supervisor. Any overages will be the financial responsibility of the faculty supervisor.
Review Process / The URO applications will be jointly adjudicated by the Associate Dean of Arts, Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Dean of Arts, Research and Graduate Studies. The adjudication criteria include:
- The quality of the research experience being offered to the student (40%)
- Specific research skills to be developed/enhanced.
- Opportunity to develop increased understanding of the depth and breadth of the student’s academic field.
- Direct supervision and mentorship by the faculty member/supervisor and interaction with research team members.
- Consideration of EDI-focused measures in place.
- Enhanced academic and career opportunities made available to the student (30%)
- Potential for conference attendance, participation in research seminars, and/or an advanced training opportunity.
- Potential for continued involvement in research and co-authorship on papers or presentations.
- Potential for developing post-graduation employment contacts/preparation for graduate school.
- Excellence of the student (20%)
- Based on GPA, or a combination of GPA with demonstrated research interest and/or community or research experience.
- Quality and completeness of the application (10%)
- Strength and likelihood of success of the project.
Responsibilities / The URO student must agree to participate in an undergraduate research workshop and a separate showcase event (details to follow). Financial reporting to the OVPRI is not required, but unused funds must be returned to the OVPRI by no later than September 30, 2025. Unused funds cannot be banked for other purposes. Successful faculty and student applicants must sign the Mutual Expectations Checklist (to be provided) prior to the start of the project.
URO student is responsible for finding a supervisor/faculty member, discussing the proposed project and secure the supervisor’s agreement to sponsor the application.
Application / Students must complete the online application below in consultation with their potential supervisor. URO student applicant must upload their transcript and a one-page student statement. Please consult the (PDF file) URO/USRA Application Upload Attachment Instructions for detailed instructions.
The URO/USRA supervisor form must be completed by the Faculty supervisor and attached to the student’s online application. Please note that URO applications that are missing information or do not include the completed URO/USRA supervisor form will not be considered.
Deadline / Closing date: March 31, 2025.
Please consult the (PDF file) Frequently Asked Questions for additional details.
Purpose / The Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) program supports more than 3000 students annually and is administered jointly by Canada’s three research granting agencies: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). There will be 5 NSERC USRA positions available with an additional 4 NSERC and 4 CIHR/SSHRC focused USRA positions offered to Black students university-wide.
Information about the awards is available at the NSERC USRA website (external link)
Student Eligibility / The applicant:
- Be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline.
- Registered in a bachelor's degree program at an eligible university as of the application deadline.
- Have a cumulative GPA equivalent to a B (3.0 at TMU) over the previous years of study.
- Completed all the course requirements of at least your bachelor's degree’s first year of university study (2 academic terms). Preference will be given to students entering their 3rd and 4th year of study.
- Be engaged on a full-time basis in research and development activities in your proposed field of research during the tenure of the award.
- Not hold more than 3 USRAs throughout your (undergraduate) university career.
Preference will be given to students entering their 3rd and 4th year of study.
NOTE – The applicant is ineligible if:
- Currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN) (does not apply to CIHR USRAs) or
- Currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study.
For CIHR and SSHRC USRA: Applications for these opportunities are exclusively for Black student researchers. To be eligible to apply for these awards, you must self-identify as Black by checking the relevant box within the application Form. Your application will be shared with the OVPRI (TMU) which is governing the CIHR/SSHRC USRA. If you are not selected for these grants, you will still be eligible and considered for the NSERC USRA.
Faculty Supervisor Eligibility / All tenured and pre-tenure faculty members are eligible to serve as supervisors. Supervisors no longer need to hold an active grant.
For NSERC USRA: The proposed research project must clearly lie within the natural sciences and/or engineering (NSE) (external link)
Projects deemed outside of the NSE will be deemed ineligible, and the application will be withdrawn from the competition.
Amount / $6,000 from the Agency plus the supervisor's contribution ($3,692 for 14 weeks, $5,077 for 16 weeks). Contribution by the supervisor is not optional. The minimum hourly base rate (not including benefits and vacation pay) is $17.20 but supervisors are encouraged to offer a higher wage than minimum wage to their student. The duration of the award is 14-16 weeks on a full-time basis. Any overages will be the financial responsibility of the faculty supervisor.
Review Process / The USRA applications will be jointly adjudicated by the Associate Dean of Arts, Undergraduate Studies and the Associate Dean of Arts, Research and Graduate Studies. The adjudication criteria include:
- The quality of the research experience being offered to the student (40%)
- Specific research skills to be developed/enhanced.
- Opportunity to develop increased understanding of the depth and breadth of the student’s academic field.
- Direct supervision and mentorship by the faculty member/supervisor and interaction with research team members.
- Consideration of EDI-focused measures in place.
- Enhanced academic and career opportunities made available to the student (30%)
- Potential for conference attendance, participation in research seminars, and/or an advanced training opportunity.
- Potential for continued involvement in research and co-authorship on papers or presentations.
- Potential for developing post-graduation employment contacts/preparation for graduate school.
- Excellence of the student (20%)
- Based on GPA, or a combination of GPA with demonstrated research interest and/or community or research experience.
- Quality and completeness of the application (10%)
- Strength and likelihood of success of the project.
Due to the limited number of awards, CIHR and SSHRC USRA applications (for self-identified Black students on the student application form) will be assessed and awarded at the university level using the above criteria.
Responsibilities / Unused agency funds cannot be banked for other purposes. Successful faculty and student applicants must sign the Mutual Expectations Checklist (to be provided) prior to the start of the project.
USRA student is responsible for finding a supervisor/faculty member, discussing the proposed project and secure the supervisor’s agreement to sponsor the application.
Application / Students must complete the online application below in consultation with their potential supervisor. The URO/USRA supervisor form must be completed by the Faculty supervisor and attached to the student’s online application. Please note that USRA applications that are missing information or do not include the completed URO/USRA supervisor form will not be considered. The USRA student is responsible for finding a supervisor/faculty member, discussing the proposed project and secure the supervisor’s agreement to sponsor the application.
New: USRA student applicants are now required to upload their transcript and a one-page student statement. Please consult the (PDF file) URO/USRA Application Upload Attachment Instructions for detailed instructions.
Successful student and faculty applicants must complete Form 202 on the NSERC On-Line Services Portal (external link) by May 1, 2025 (instructions will be provided).
Deadline / Closing date: March 31, 2025.