Background
The 海角社区 Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate program supports 海角社区 graduate students (Masters and PhD) conducting global health research internationally in a lower- or middle-income country () or in Northern Canada. The research project submitted for funding consideration must be related to the student鈥檚 thesis or graduation requirements and must be done under the supervision of a 海角社区 faculty member. During the academic year, Global Health Scholars benefit from a variety of education, training and networking opportunities organized by Global Health Programs (GHP), including a research exchange seminar series, GHP's annual Global Health Night event, complimentary access to the 海角社区 Summer Institutes in Global Health, and other activities.
Key Dates
- Call for student applications opens: January 9, 2024
- Online Information Session: January 24, 2024 -
- Application Deadline: February 11, 2024
- Announcement of results: April 1, 2024
Program Timeline
- GHS Graduates Introduction Meeting: May 2024 (Date TBD)
- Pre-Departure Training: Complete at least 4 weeks before the travel date
- Travel to research site: six weeks on-site between May 1, 2024 鈥� April 30, 2025*
- Research Exchange Seminar Series: Between October 2024 - March 2025 (4 seminars)
- Global Health Night: November 2024 (Date TBD)
- Final Report and Survey: Within six weeks of completing travel
*For MScPH students, travel must occur between May-August 2024 and be directly linked to their practicum placement.
Eligibility Criteria
To participate in the Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate program, students must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Must be currently enrolled in a graduate program at 海角社区 (Masters or PhD level);
- Must not be graduating in May/June 2024; in other words, you need to register for at least a course in the Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 term.
- Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible to apply.
- Students who have been part of a previous Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate cohort are not eligible to apply.
Eligible Projects
- Each year, the Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate program supports students from various disciplines representative of the diversity found under the umbrella of global health. These include, but are not limited to: medicine, nursing, health sciences, nutrition, rehabilitation, law, social sciences, engineering, education, agriculture, epidemiology, population and public health, and health policy.
- Projects must entail field-based or lab-based work conducted in an international setting (LMIC country) or in Northern Canada (indigenous health). Please note that by LMIC we mean "low or middle-income country" which refers to countries listed as per the (up to and including upper-middle-income economies).
- The work must relate to the student鈥檚 thesis or graduation requirements.
- Students should have the support and approval of their 海角社区 supervisor to conduct the proposed research and should have a local partner with an agreed-upon research plan before beginning.
- If the project is at the implementation stage, it must have the approvals of all appropriate ethics boards.
- Learn about previous Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate cohorts
Funding
- Selected students will receive up to $3,000 to contribute towards travel costs.
- If a student or trainee is unable to travel according to the plan for which the application was submitted they must contact the Global Health Programs as soon as they know. On a case-by-case basis, the situation will have to be evaluated to determine if the award can be deferred, used for an elective in another location, or must be declined.
- The student鈥檚 supervisor or department should support actual research costs (e.g. equipment, tests)
- A student or trainee is eligible for only one award from GHP for the same trip. Any additional funding requests to GHP would have to be for a trip separate from the six weeks of travel covered by the Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate Program.
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Additional Travel-Related Information
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- Students must be on-site at least six weeks to be eligible for travel funding. These six weeks do not have to be consecutive.
- Travel must occur between May 1, 2024 and April 30, 2025. Travel must be initiated by April 1, 2025, at the latest.
- For MScPH students, travel must occur between May-August 2024 and must be directly linked to the student鈥檚 practicum placement.
- Students must communicate their travel dates to the GHP office as soon as they are confirmed.
- GHP only supports travel to countries and regions with a Government of Canada travel advisory risk level of Level-1 (鈥渢ake normal security precautions鈥�) or Level-2 (鈥渆xercise a high degree of caution鈥�).
- Following 海角社区鈥檚 International Mobility Guidelines, students are not permitted to travel to or through countries or regions with a Government of Canada travel advisory risk level of Level-3 (鈥淎void all non-essential travel鈥�) or Level-4 (鈥淎void all travel鈥�). Check the latest .
Terms of Participation
Students selected to participate in the Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate program must agree to the following terms:
- Students must complete the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) online pre-departure training at least 4 weeks before departure.
- Students must register their itinerary via the 海角社区 Student Travel Registry at least 4 weeks before departure.
- Students must regularly monitor their 海角社区 email address while abroad as this is the primary way we communicate with students.
- Students are required to communicate with GHP in advance of any changes to the student's project location, deviating from what was originally proposed in your application.
- Selected participants are considered part of the Global Health Scholars - Graduate cohort for the 2024-2025 academic year and must attend various training, workshops or events coordinated by GHP.
- Students must present a poster on their Global Health Scholars project at GHP鈥檚 annual Global Health Night event in November 2024. The poster is not required to present final research results. Faculty supervisors will need to confirm that they approve of the content of the student鈥檚 poster.
- Students must attend all four Research Exchange Seminar Series events held exclusively for Global Health Scholar gradutes (held between October 2024 and March 2025).
- Global Health Scholars must communicate with their faculty/partner organization supervisor and the GHP office on a regular basis before, during and after their project.
- Global Health Scholars must submit a mid-term report and a final report on their research project no later than six weeks after returning to Canada or after the six weeks are completed if they were not consecutive. GHP will provide a reporting template.
- Global Health Scholars can attend up to two courses in the 海角社区 Summer Institutes in Global Health in summer 2025 without paying the registration fees.
Online Information Session - (January 24, 2024)
Applicants are strongly encouraged to watch the recording of our听online information session for听the 2024 Global Health Scholars 鈥� Graduate Program held on January 24th.
How to apply
In addition to completing the application form, you need to prepare and upload a single PDF file containing all of the following:
- Project proposal (guidelines below)
- CV
- Copy of unofficial transcript - include the current term, even if grades do not appear.
Proposal Guidelines
- Max 3 pages, 11-point font, single-spaced.
- In addition to the 3-page proposal, applicants may submit a 1-page bibliography or reference sheet.
- Your proposal should respond to the following questions (1-6):
- Explain the research project you are seeking funding for through this program.
- How does your research project contribute to your field of study?
- How will your past experiences and interests in global health and research support your proposed work?
- Who are the on-site partners you are collaborating with? How are they involved in the execution of this work?
- How will the funding provided by this program make a difference to your project?
- The Global Health Scholars - Graduate program 4 seminars per year on global health topics and other learning opportunities. Please discuss one or more topics you would like to see covered and how you view this additional training piece of the program.
Evaluation Criteria
At least two reviewers will evaluate all applications based on the following criteria:
- Understanding of global health: The applicant provides an insightful reflection on how the proposed research project directly relates to their field of study within global health.
- Quality of research project: The quality and potential of the research project, how it relates to the applicant's thesis or graduate requirements, and overall clarity with which proposal is written to a multi-disciplinary committee (non-specialist audience).
- Research excellence: The applicant demonstrates the capacity for research excellence based on their academic track record as defined by the quality of research contributions, leadership in the research domain, and the sphere of influence achieved to date.
- Research partnership: The applicant has a clear and defined collaboration plan that includes the involvement of the partner institution or on-site partners in the execution of research project.
- Suitability for the program: The student's overall interest in the entire program (including training sessions) and perceived commitment to the year-long program.
(Supporting evidence to be evaluated for this criterion-not limited to: research project, CV, transcript, contributions to research, prior global health experience, language/cultural competency, degree of self-reflection, and overall readiness to conduct research internationally or in Northern Canada).
Application form
Applications should be submitted via the (the link opens a new window). The form will open on January 9, 2024.
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2024 Global Health Scholars are听supported by:
- Ambassador Paul Frazer Travel Award for Global Health - Established in 2015 by Paul Frazer, BA 1970, to provide support for two graduate students in the Masters of Public Health Program in the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at 海角社区, who are completing the practicum in under-resourced areas of the world. Spring. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine upon the recommendation of the Director of Global Health Programs, and the Director of the MScPH program. For more information, please email mscph.eboh [at] mcgill.ca.
- Spencer-Hick Family Global Health Education and Training Fund - The goal of the Fund is to support undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows pursuing training, travel, fieldwork, research, and other activities related to global health.
- Mary A Metcalf International Travel Fund - The Mary A. Metcalf International Travel Fund is designated to support international research of undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-graduate medical residents within the Faculty of Medicine. Elective, research project or community service program must be at least four weeks. Its intent is to promote the training of health care workers and researchers to combat global health disparities, by supporting students to work with underserved populations in resource limited settings.
- Soe-Lin-Hecht Global Health Graduate Award - Established in 2019 by Dr. Shan Soe-Lin, BSc 2003, PhD 2009, Dr. Robert Hecht, and Hla Hla Myint Soe-Lin. To provide support for one or more outstanding Master's students in the Faculty of Medicine and conducting research in public health or epidemiology. For students conducting research overseas in low or middle-income countries, or in an indigenous community in Canada. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine upon recommendation of the Director of Global Health Programs.
- Dr. Alice M. Chan鈥怸ip Humanitarian Global Health Initiatives Award - Established in 2022 by Alice M. Chan-Yip, C.M., MD CM 1962, FRCPC, FAAP, D.Sc. honoris causa 2018. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, upon the recommendation of the Director of Global Health Programs and the Director of the School of Population and Global Health, to one or more undergraduate or graduate students in the School. This award may be used to help defray costs related to travel and research for students participating in health-focused emergency or humanitarian relief projects. Preference will be given to students engaging in nutrition or mental health focused research or intervention through fieldwork.
- Dr. Alice Benjamin Global Maternal and Child Health Awards - Established in 2018 in honour of Dr. Alice Benjamin by family, friends and patients whose lives she touched throughout her career. To provide support for one or more students or trainees who are pursuing an elective or a research project overseas in under-resourced areas of the world. Awarded by the Faculty of Medicine upon recommendation of the Director of Global Health Programs. First preference will be given to medical residents. Second preference will be given to all undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine.
- Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research Award: The goal of the Steinberg Fund for Interdisciplinary Global Health Research is to catalyze innovative and impactful global health research at 海角社区 & affiliated hospitals, by providing seed funding that can help launch new, interdisciplinary global health research projects and make them competitive for sustained external funding.
