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Research and Graduate Studies

Awards and funding

There are many opportunities for graduate and undergraduate research funding. Contact rgs@ufv.ca to set up an appointment if you require assistance with your applications.

Student research funding opportunities

*The application must be approved prior to expenses being incurred*

Award amount: Up to $1,500

Eligible: UFV undergraduate and graduate students

Description: This fund is intended to defray research and scholarly activity project costs of student-led scholarship that is supervised by a UFV faculty member up to $1500. The funding can be applied to projects from any discipline, and the project can be part of a directed studies or honours course. The funding is intended to cover student-led research/scholarship for individual student courses, such as Directed Studies or Honours projects, that have a research/scholarship intensive focus.

Funding focus: Projects that focus on issues of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, Indigenization, and anti-racism are encouraged. However, funding for student-led research is not limited to these focus areas and other topics are welcome.

Eligible costs: Eligible costs and activities are defined broadly and can include activities that focus on public awareness, such as the painting of a mural or more conventional costs such as software licenses. Funding cannot be used to compensate the student for their time, but it can be used for justifiable personal expenses such as travel and mileage expenses for the research project. All expenses must be pre-approved.

*Funds cannot be used for attending conferences.

How to apply: 

Deadline: Ongoing, as funds are available.‌


Purpose: To assist students with funding to attend a scientific or professional conference in order to present a research-based paper they have produced or co-authored.

*The application must be submitted and approved prior to expenses being incurred and the event taking place*

Eligibility: Full-time UFV students involved in research (or degree students in their final semester) attending a recognized professional or scientific conference in Canada or internationally. When circumstances warrant, the Director of Research Services & Industry Engagement may grant financial assistance to a student to attend a conference or event that is taking place after graduation, provided that the application was approved while the student was still registered at UFV.

Award Amounts:

  • up to $ 750 for local events (BC)
  • up to $1,250 for other Canadian locations
  • A student can only receive ONE student presentation grant while a student at UFV

Deadline: ongoing, applications will be accepted as long as funds are available.

Criteria for financial assistance:

  1. The student has been invited to make a presentation at a scientific or professional conference (or is presenting a paper together with a UFV faculty member)
  2. The student application for assistance is endorsed by their instructor/faculty supervisor
  3. The student application is endorsed by the department
  4. The student will present on research in which they have made a substantial contribution
  5. We will fund a maximum of two students per presentation
  6. The project is not a class based project, but an honours project, directed studies or a student component of a major grant funded project held by faculty

Completed applications will be rated with respect to:

  1. The merit of the research‐based paper to be presented (including whether it is being published)
  2. Whether the student is receiving other partial funding for their participation
  3. Whether there are alternate sources of funding which the student should first explore (e.g. department/school support, faculty grant funds, etc.)
  4. The importance of the event at which the presentation is occurring
  5. The location of the event and the type of presentation
  6. Decisions seek to maintain an equitable distribution of assistance among departments and divisions

Required documentation:

  1. Student Presentation Grant - Application Form
  2. Details of the event/conference (a website that provides the program, sponsoring organization information, etc.)
  3. Copy of the invitation to present or approval of the proposal
  4. Anticipated eligible expenditures (e.g. travel, food, registration, membership, etc.) *Car rentals are not an eligible expense
  5. Statement of instructor/faculty supervisor support and details of any grant funds available
  6. Statement of department/school approval and details of any contribution towards expenses
  7. Copy of the presentation, research paper, poster, or draft, including any significant findings or other outcomes.
  8. Submit all documents to RGS@ufv.ca. 

Post Activity Requirements:

  1. Post-activity report
    A brief 200 word report describing the highlights of the activity and how participating in the activity added to your education experience at UFV (a photo or two of your experience is appreciated, if you are okay sharing them with us). 
  2. Expense claim with all receipts for eligible expenses
    For example:
    -Flights (full invoice with a breakdown of costs and taxes)

    -Meals (must have detailed receipts of food items and    taxes - alcohol is not eligible, and must have proof of purchase i.e. bank statement)

    -Mileage with a Google map showing start point, end point and km's (if driving own vehicle, gas is not eligible for reimbursement as it is included in the calculations for mileage). Car rentals are not eligible

Expense Claim FAQS:

  • You cannot split the costs of items with other people on an expense claim unless everyone paid each portion with one's own method of payment and everyone has separate receipts or invoices
  • You need to include proof of payment for each item (such as a bank statement, or screenshots of the account from where the payment was made)
  • If you do not have the detailed receipts for food, you are eligible to claim meals at the per diem rates, but you can only claim either per diem for ALL meals, or receipts for ALL meals - there cannot be a combination of receipts and per diems
  • You can only claim meals that were not included at the conference
  • Car rentals are not an eligible expense
  • Expense claims are to be submitted within one month of the event taking place
  • Late or incomplete expense claims will be returned for correction, or may not be processed

Please refer to the approval email for further information or contact RGS@ufv.ca with any questions you may have regarding eligible expenses.


Purpose: To assist students with funding to attend a scientific or professional conference abroad in order to present a research-based paper they have produced or co-authored.

*The application must be submitted and approved prior to the event taking place*

Eligibility: Full-time UFV students involved in research (or degree students in their final semester) attending a recognized professional or scientific conference in Canada or internationally. When circumstances warrant, the Director of Research Services & Industry Engagement may grant financial assistance to a student to attend a conference or event that is taking place after graduation, provided that the application was approved while the student was still registered at UFV.

Travel requirements: For international travel, students must create an International SOS (ISOS) account and register their travel itinerary. For assistance with ISOS, please contact UFV International's Study Abroad department.  

Award Amounts:

  • up to $1,250 for US locations
  • up to $1,750 for international events (other than US)

Deadline: ongoing, applications will be accepted as long as funds are available.

Criteria for financial assistance:

  1. The student has been invited to make a presentation at a scientific or professional conference (or is presenting a paper together with a UFV faculty member)
  2. The student application for assistance is endorsed by their instructor/faculty supervisor
  3. The student application is endorsed by the department
  4. The student will be present research in which they have made a substantial contribution
  5. We will fund a maximum of two students per presentation
  6. The project is not a class based project, but an honours project, directed studies or a student component of a major grant funded project held by faculty

Completed applications will be rated with respect to:

  1. The merit of the research‐based paper to be presented (including whether it is being published)
  2. Whether the student is receiving other partial funding for their participation
  3. Whether there are alternate sources of funding which the student should first explore (e.g., department/school support, faculty grant funds, etc.)
  4. The importance of the event at which the presentation is occurring
  5. The location of the event and the type of presentation
  6. Decisions seek to maintain an equitable distribution of assistance among departments and divisions

Required documentation:

  1. Student Presentation Grant - Application Form
  2. Details of the event/conference (a website that provides the program, sponsoring organization information, etc.)
  3. Copy of the invitation to present or approval of the proposal
  4. Anticipated eligible expenditures (e.g. travel, food, registration, membership, etc.)
  5. Statement of instructor/faculty supervisor support and details of any grant funds available
  6. Statement of department/school approval and details of any contribution towards expenses
  7. Copy of the presentation, research paper, poster, or draft, including any significant findings or other outcomes
  8. Submit all completed documents to RGS@ufv.ca

Post Activity Requirements:

  1. Post-activity report
    A brief 200 word report describing the highlights of the activity and how participating in the activity added to your education experience at UFV (a photo or two of your experience is appreciated, if you are okay sharing them with us). 
  2. Expense claim with all receipts for eligible expenses
    For example:
    -Flights (full invoice with a breakdown of costs and taxes)

    -Meals (must have detailed receipts of food items and    taxes - alcohol is not eligible, and must have proof of purchase i.e. bank statement)

    -Mileage with a Google map showing start point, end point and km's (if driving own vehicle, gas is not eligible for reimbursement as it is included in the calculations for mileage)

Expense Claim FAQS:

  • You cannot split the costs of items with other people on an expense claim unless everyone paid each portion with one's own method of payment and everyone has separate receipts or invoices
  • You need to include proof of payment for each item (such as a bank statement, or screenshots of the account from where the payment was made)
  • If you do not have the detailed receipts for food, you are eligible to claim meals at the per diem rates, but you can only claim either per diem for ALL meals, or receipts for ALL meals - there cannot be a combination of receipts and per diems
  • You can only claim meals that were not included at the conference
  • Expense claims are to be submitted within one month of the event taking place
  • Late or incomplete expense claims will be returned for correction, or may not be processed

Please refer to the approval email for further information or contact RGS@ufv.ca with any questions you may have regarding eligible expenses


The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada provides programs and opportunities for undergraduate students in the natural sciences and engineering. These include the Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) program, Aboriginal Ambassadors Award, Experience Awards, and more.

View NSERC opportunities


The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) supports post-secondary research in the social sciences and humanities.

Visit the SSHRC website for award descriptions, deadlines, and application guidelines.


The Research office can help you with applications for graduate funding submitted to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for:

Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's program

  • $17,500 for 12 months, non-renewable
  • Deadline is Dec. 1 annually
  • Multi-discipline including:
    • health, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences and humanities

To be eligible for a graduate studies scholarship, you must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
  • be enrolled in, have applied for, or will apply for full-time admission to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation
  • have achieved a first-class average, 3.67 A- at UFV, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent); and
  • submit a maximum of one CGS M application per year (the research portal will allow the application to be submitted to up to five institutions)

Contact us at rgs@ufv.ca for more information about graduate scholarships



"(Research has) been a really sweet way to optimize my time at school. Looking back, I’m so grateful that I did this. It has truly been a highlight to work under Shelley (Canning). She has been a wonderful mentor and has impacted me and my nursing practice immensely."

  • – Rosaley Klassen
  •    BSN