UBC Okanagan Indigenous Scholars Award

Deadline:

Open Year-Round

Eligibility of Citizenship: Canadian
Degree Level: Masters, PhD, and EdD
Award Status: Open
Applicant Status: Incoming Students and Continuing Students

Description

Quick Facts

The UBC Okanagan Indigenous Scholars Award is an award to support Indigenous students entering or continuing in a full-time research-based graduate program. The Award is for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people of Canada. At UBC, we are transitioning to the internationally-preferred term “Indigenous” to refer inclusively to status and non-status First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples of Canada, in accordance with the BC Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which defines “Indigenous peoples” as Aboriginal peoples under section 35(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982. The term “Aboriginal” appears in the application’s self-identification questions to ensure consistency with the BC Aboriginal Data Standard.

UBC recognizes this terminology may not be reflective of how Indigenous individuals and communities prefer to identify themselves. Students are welcome to identify their Band/Nation/Community/Métis Settlement/Inuit Treaty Area within their Personal Statement (see below).

The Award will also consider Indigenous people of a transborder Indigenous nation (American Indian or Alaska Native).

Value: $10,000/year

Duration: Up to 2 years for master’s students, up to 5 years for doctoral students

Eligibility

Indigenous students entering or continuing in a full-time research-based master’s or doctoral program.

Academic Standing

Each year, students’ progress is evaluated as either satisfactory, requiring improvement, or unsatisfactory through an Annual Progress Report. Students with unsatisfactory progress become ineligible for award funding. Students will regain eligibility when improvement required or satisfactory status is reported in the required six month interim progress report or a subsequent annual progress report.

Number of Months of Study

Master’s students may not receive funding once they are beyond 24 months of study in the program for which they are requesting funding.
Doctoral students may not receive funding once they are beyond 60 months of study in the program for which they are requesting funding.

Application Procedures

Applicants who have submitted a complete admission application by the deadline, and who have identified as Indigenous, must submit the following materials to the College of Graduate Studies via the forms linked below:
- Indigenous Personal Statement
  - A written essay up to 500 words and should be constructed as a narrative or story in your own words. It should include:
    - Your background and history, including your family, clan, Nation, community name, membership, etc.
    - Your involvement with and contribution to Indigenous community (Note: Besides your home community, “community” can also be an organization, a program, or a different community to your own).
    - Any other information that you think would be relevant for review.
- Community Support Letter
  - Applications must also include a letter written by a representative of a community organization (band office, Métis organization, Friendship House, etc.) who can verify and support your Personal Statement. This letter should include:
    - An introduction of the community supporter including their own background and history, such as their family, clan, Nation, community name, membership, etc.
    - Their relationship to the applicant.
    - Verification and details of the applicant’s involvement with and contribution to Indigenous community as written in their Personal Statement.
    - Any other information the community supporter would like the reviewers to be aware of.
    - Letters must be on letterhead with contact information (name, phone number, email).
      - If letterhead cannot be provided, the referee may be contacted for verification.
- The Indigenous Personal Statement and Community Support Letter need to demonstrate the applicant’s personal connection and contribution to Indigenous community. Please reach out if you require assistance writing the statement and/or finding a reference for your statement. You can contact the Indigenous Graduate Student Advisor at eli.kelly@ubc.ca.
Students are not able to update or make changes to their admission application for the purpose of this fellowship.
The UBC Okanagan Indigenous Scholars Award is administered by the College of Graduate Studies.
Applications are reviewed by the College of Graduate Studies Indigenous Scholarship Committee.

Indigenous Personal Statement Form Community Support Letter Form

Additional Resources

Indigenous Graduate Fellowship / Scholars Award Info Session
- Thursday, January 29 at 2pm

Conditions for Award Holders

Academic Standing

Each year, students’ progress is evaluated as either satisfactory, requiring improvement, or unsatisfactory through an Annual Progress Report. Students with unsatisfactory progress become ineligible for award funding. Students will regain eligibility when improvement required or satisfactory status is reported in the required six month interim progress report or a subsequent annual progress report.

Registration

In order to remain eligible for this fellowship, students must remain registered as a full-time student for each term of the fellowship payment. Students must register in their thesis course in each term of their studies to ensure that they maintain full-time status.

Leave of Absence

Students granted a leave of absence retain the full value of any university graduate fellowship or other award whose terms and conditions are established by the College of Graduate Studies. An award will be suspended at the onset of the leave, and reinstated at the termination of the leave period.

Withdrawals

If an award holder withdraws from their program of study, the funding received during the term for which the withdrawal is processed will be recovered by the College of Graduate Studies.