Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Dalhousie University

Awards, Prizes & Funding

Funding

Financial support for our graduate students comes from (a) operating grants to faculty, (b) competitive scholarships awarded to graduate students, (c) the department, and (d) funds awarded to the department by the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) based on our intake of graduate students with an A-minus or better entrance GPA. Since 2019, our minimum graduate student stipends are calculated as a minimum take-home pay, hereafter referred to as the base stipend, plus tuition and fees. This scheme provides the students with a consistent income throughout their time in the program despite changing tuition and fees.

The amount of the stipend is as follows:

The minimum take-home pay for MSc students is $16,000 per annum, for PhD students it is $17,000 per annum. Tuition and fees are added to the base stipend to calculate the total minimum stipend the student receives.

If a student receives a competitive award, their base stipend is increased by 20% of the sum of all awards they have received.

Formula:

  • Total Minimum Stipend = Base stipend + tuition + fees.
  • Base Stipend for MSc = $16,000 + 20% awards
  • Base Stipend for PhD = $17,000 + 20% awards

All supervisors have the option to increase the Total Stipend above the minimum therefore:

  • Total Stipend = Total minimum stipend + voluntary supervisor top up.

In some cases, student scholarships will exceed the Total Minimum Stipend (e.g. CGS-D and Killam ~ $40,000, Vanier ~ $50,000). In these cases, the student’s Total Stipend is equal to the value of the scholarship.

Awards

Doug Hogue Award
Dr. Douglas Hogue bequeathed funds to the department to establish an award to be presented each year. One graduate student is recognized for exceptional dedication and achievement in research and intradepartment student activity.

Patrick Prize
Dr. Sydney J. Patrick endowed the Patrick Prize, awarded annually for the best Ph.D. thesis and defence in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. A considerable number of winners of the prize have gone on to distinguished careers in their fields.

The Beth Gourley Travel Award for Research Excellence
An annual award for research excellence to permit a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology to present their research at a recognized national or international scientific conference. The award has been established by John and Catherine Lazier in memory of John's aunt, Beth Gourley (1915-2010).