Research stipend composition
Background
Research program graduate students in the funded cohort receive a guaranteed minimum stipend. Whereas the minimum value of the stipend is fixed, the composition of the stipend may vary. The following are four of the most common funding models (and their corresponding compositions) issued at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
Stipend structures
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Basic Funding Model (Type 1): The student is part of the funded cohort but has not won any awards. |
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Basic Funding Model (Type 2): The student is part of the funded cohort and has won an award or several awards, which have a combined total of less than $10,000 CAD. In this situation, the supervisor may decrease their contribution provided that the guaranteed minimum stipend amount is maintained. The supervisor determines the financial adjustment(s) to be made. |
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Award Funding Model (Type 1): The student has won a major (≥ $10,000 CAD) award but the award value is not sufficient to cover the full amount of the guaranteed minimum stipend. In this situation, the award replaces the BME contribution, and the supervisor will contribute remaining funds to meet the minimum stipend. |
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Award Funding Model (Type 2): The student has won a major award (≥ $10,000 CAD) and the award is sufficient to cover the full amount of the guaranteed minimum stipend (e.g., VANIER CGS). In this situation, the award funds will replace both the BME and supervisor contributions. |
Payment Schedule
BME contribution: Paid in equal instalments every session (Sep, Jan, May). Students can find the invoice for these payments in ACORN listed as “U of T Fellowship – BME”.
Supervisor contribution: Scheduled by the research finance office. Normally, this is the human resources division of the department, research institute, or hospital location where the supervisor’s grant is held.
Award contribution: Scheduled by the sponsor/funding agency. Award payout information is normally provided to the recipient in the award letter. Of note, most funding agencies provide awards to both faculty and students. Whereas faculty members may use their award funds to pay students for research, such funds are not considered “student awards” (e.g., NSERC CREATE program, etc.)
Note(s):
- Funded cohort: A set funding duration that is standardized across the institute. After students have reached the end of their time in the funded cohort, students may continue to receive a research stipend at their supervisor’s discretion. However, the amount and duration of these funds are fully and solely determined by the supervisor.
- Minimum stipend amount: Students in the funded cohort receive a guaranteed minimum stipend to cover the costs of tuition, fees, and basic living expenses. The minimum stipend amount is determined by BME. Supervisors cannot pay students below this minimum.
- Maximum stipend amount: Beyond the minimum, the value of the total funding package is negotiated between the student and the supervisor. Thus, the maximum stipend amount is determined by the student’s supervisor.
- Award top-up: As per the Award Funding Models, BME increases the total guaranteed minimum stipend for major award holders. This stipend increase (i.e., top-up) applies to all major award holders across the board.
- Teaching assistantship: BME graduate students are not required to teach. Teaching assistantship income is not part of the guaranteed minimum stipend.
Contacts and additional resources
- BME funding policies: https://uthrprod.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0012776
- BME student awards: https://bme.utoronto.ca/current-students/student-awards/
- How to accept and manage award(s): https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards-funding/how-to-activate-maintain-your-award/