• Ann Sorenson Scholarship (award amount varies)
• Carol Stephenson Graduate Award
• Dennis William Magill Scholarship in Canadian Society (award amount varies; student expected to write dissertation on an aspect of Canadian society)
• Faculty Legacy Scholarship Fund (award amount varies; student must be a full-time graduating student enrolled in a Sociology major or specialist)
• Faculty of Arts & Science Alumni and Friend Graduate Scholarship (award amount varies)
• Faculty of Arts & Science Domestic Graduate Entrance Award (award amount varies)
• Faculty of Arts & Science Doctoral Recruitment Award (award amount varies)
• Faculty of Arts & Science Recognition of Excellence Award (award amount varies)
• Faculty of Arts & Science Top (FAST) Doctoral Fellowship ($22,500 per year, plus tuition and fees, for the first four years of the Ph.D. program)
• Raymond Breton Graduate Scholarship (award amount varies)
• S.D. Clark Fellowship (award amount varies)
• Sociology Merit Award (award amount varies)

Beginning in 2022, the department will be offering up to $10,000 in Admission Awards for incoming domestic or international M.A. or Ph.D. students of high academic merit and who identify as Black or Indigenous. The Graduate Distinction Scholarship is part of our department’s collective effort to attract and support BIPOC students and to increase the diversity of our M.A. and Ph.D. program.

The Canadian Sociology Association provides an award for the top graduating students in Canadian University and College Sociology Departments. In selecting the recipients, the Department prioritizes excellence in research.

Previous recipients of the MA award include: Alex Wilson (2024), Michelle Nadon Belanger (2023), Ada Parnia (2022), Franklynn Bartol (2021), Soli Dubash (2020), Maria Finsdottir (2019), Laila Omar (2018), Tyler Bateman (2017), Patricia Louie (2016)

Recipients of the Ph.D. award include: Milos Brocic (2024), Phil Badawy (2023), Jean-Francois Nault (2022), Patricia Louie (2021), Laura Upenieks (2020), Jonathan Koltai (2019), Marianne Quirouette (2018), Jennifer Elrick (2017), Paulina Garcia del Moral (2016)

Daniel G. Hill was a Canadian sociologist, civil servant, human rights specialist, and Black Canadian historian. He received his Ph.D. in our department in 1960. Dr Hill applied his insight and expertise in several important roles including his role as a researcher for the Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto, serving as the Executive Secretary of the North York Social Planning Council, his position as assistant director of the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Research Foundation, and teaching in the department of sociology at the University of Toronto. In addition, he was the first full-time director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission, later becoming the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner. From 1984 to 1989, he served as the Ontario Ombudsman. Dr. Hill also founded the Ontario Black History Society and authored a book titled The Freedom Seekers: Blacks in Early Canada. In 1993, he was awarded the Order of Ontario. A few years later, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Students with an article published in a refereed journal between July 1 and June 30, annually, who are current residents of Ontario and resided in Ontario for at least 12 months prior to the start of their current degree program may apply for the Daniel G. Hill Prize for Best Graduate Paper in Sociology. Students with an article for a refereed journal that received a DOI within this timeframe and meets the residency requirement are eligible as well. The Prize is given for the best-published paper among those who are eligible to apply. The winner (s) are required to complete the OSOTF form to verify resident status. The award is competitive.

Deadline varies each year, usually within the first week of October. To be eligible, students must:

• be registered full-time in the Department of Sociology or a recent Ph.D. graduate (convocated between July 1 and June 30 of the award year) in the Department of Sociology
• be a resident of Ontario - verified by completing an OSOTF form
• submit an electronic version of a paper on any topic in Sociology (may be theoretical or empirical in approach and may use any analytical method)
• be the sole author of the paper; co-authored articles are eligible, but, all co-authors must be graduate students of the Department of Sociology (Papers co-authored with other people - students or faculty- outside of the department or faculty within our department are not eligible)

The value of the award varies from year to year, depending on the performance of the fellowship fund and financial need.

Students apply by submitting an electronic copy of the paper to the Graduate Program Assistant (socgrad.assist@utoronto.ca) by the established deadline along with the completed OSOTF Form. Late applications will not be accepted. Faculty members may also submit a paper for consideration with the student's permission.

This award is presented annually to an Ontario resident graduate student and is chosen on the basis of the quality of a paper published between July and June of the award year.

Recent recipients include: Sagi Ramaj, Umaimi Miraj and Laila Omar (2022), Taylor Price (2020), Ioana Sendroiu (2019), Atsushi Narisada (2018), Lawrence Williams (2017), Gabe Menard (2016)

Dennis Magill was a longstanding faculty member of the Department of Sociology who was passionate about community-based research and Canadian sociology. During his time at the university, Professor Magill directed the sociology undergraduate program as well as University College’s health studies program. Professor Magill was an active public sociologist, serving on the boards of many Toronto organizations, including the Toronto Historical Board, Sherbourne Health Centre, Rekai Centre for Long-Term Care, Centre for Urban Health Initiatives, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, and Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network. He was also a founding member of the Wellesley Institute.

This award is presented for the best dissertation or published paper on Canadian society by a Ph.D. student in the Department of Sociology. To be eligible, students must:

• be registered full-time in the Department of Sociology or a recent Ph.D. graduate (convocated between July 1 and June 30 of the award year) in the Department of Sociology
• have published an article in a peer-reviewed journal or submitted their dissertation
• be the sole author of the paper; co-authored articles are eligible, but, all co-authors must be graduate students of the Department of Sociology (Papers co-authored with other people - students or faculty- outside of the department or faculty within our department are not eligible)
• students may self-nominate or be nominated for the award by a faculty member (usually their supervisor)

Requests for nominations occur usually in February. The award is presented in the spring.

Previous recipients include: Noga Keidar and Youngrong Lee (2022); Dana Wray (2021); Andrew Nevin (2020); Meghan Dawe (2019); Atsushi Narisada (2018); Salina Abji (2016); Holly Campeau (2015); Iona Sendoiu (2013)

The Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Arts and Science offers an award to one or more graduate student(s) who are conducting research in the area of Canadian ethnoracial-religious communities. This can include research on ethnoracial-religious communities' structure, patterns of cultural maintenance, as well as socioeconomic inequality within or between communities. Requests for applications will occur annually in the fall term. 

The Department of Sociology created the award in honour of Jeannette Wright who was a long-serving Graduate Administrator in the Department of Sociology, spanning the late 1970s to late-2000s, and was much loved and admired for her dedication and service to the graduate program. The award is presented to faculty members who show exceptional commitment to graduate student mentorship. The award is presented based on nominations from students and colleagues. Faculty serving in Graduate Office Administrative roles are not eligible.

Requests for nominations occur usually in February. The award is presented in the spring.

Previous Recipients include: Ito Peng, Cynthia Cranford, Josee Johnston, Blair Wheaton, Dan Silver, Monica Boyd, Anna Korteweg

The OGS is available to both Master's and Ph.D. applicants and provides $5,000 per session for 2 or 3 consecutive sessions. Each award can be one or two years, with the maximum number of awards per individual set at 2 years for Masters' students and 6 for Ph.D. students. Both domestic and international students are eligible for OGS awards but submit according to the different deadlines.

We encourage applicants to our program to apply to OGS. Those applying to multiple Ontario institutions need to submit an OGS application to each institution for which they are seeking admission since the first stage of the competition occurs through a departmental competition.  Students already enrolled in 1 through 4 of the Ph.D. program must apply to OGS as per the terms of their funding package.  The Sociology committee adjudicates the domestic awards and selects a shortlist of international student applications for adjudication by a committee of the School of Graduate Studies. A top OGS recipient in Sociology is also presented the Edie Yolles/OGS in the Department of Sociology. Applications are due in early March. Exact dates are sent out in an Award Announcement to all students. Applicants must apply online through the SGS website. All supporting documents are to be submitted online. For more, please visit the OGS page on the SGS website.

SSHRC's Talent portfolio includes separate competitions for a Master's Scholarship and for a Doctoral Fellowship.  Most students apply for funding through SSHRC's programs but those students interested in health or medical sociology may consider the CIHR program if they plan to study with a health researcher and expect health outcomes from their research program. Note, however, that SSHRC also supports health-related research as long as "the intended outcome of the research must primarily be to add to our understanding and knowledge of individuals, groups and societies—what we think, how we live, and how we interact with each other and the world around us".

MA students should apply to the Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's Program in the fall before they are admitted to the program. The Canadian Graduate Scholarship’s Program – Master’s Program is available for students who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants applying to or registering in an M.A. program in the social sciences and humanities at Canadian universities. The scholarship is worth $17,500 for a 12-month period and is not renewable.  Applications are due December 1.  Please see more information on the NSERC website. Apply online through the Tri-Agency's Research Portal.

Ph.D. students studying at the University of Toronto who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants are eligible to apply for both the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship and the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship through a single SSHRC application. The Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship provides $35,000 per year for 36 months, and the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship provides $20,000 per year for up to 48 months. Some students may also be eligible for the Aileen D. Ross supplement and should be aware of this option when applying. The Sociology Department requires that all non-visa students who are already enrolled in a graduate program at the University of Toronto apply for an SSHRC Fellowship (provided they are eligible to do so), as per the conditions of their funding package.

Incoming students who are enrolled in a Canadian university in the fall prior to the beginning of their doctoral program will normally apply through their current university (even if this is not the University of Toronto) and should check with their institutions for internal deadlines. Students not enrolled in a program, apply directly to SSHRC. Students enrolled at the University of Toronto need to submit their applications and all supporting documents online through the SSHRC online portal by mid-September. Exact dates are sent out in an Award Announcement to all students. More information is available on the SSHRC website.

Ph.D. students who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants and whose research falls within CIHR's mandate may consider applying for the Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral Award. This award provides $30,000 as a trainee stipend and $5,000 as a research allowance per year for up to four years. Students may not submit to both SSHRC and CIHR doctoral programs in the same year.  Students applying to this program should complete the ResearchNet application and provide the graduate office with a hard copy of the final application. Applications are due at the beginning of October.

Both domestic and international students may apply to the Vanier program for doctoral funding.  The Vanier scholarship provides $50,000 per year for three years. Students are eligible if they are pursuing their first doctoral degree, have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of May 1st of the year they are applying, have achieved at least A- in each of the last two years of study and have not already received a doctoral fellowship from SSHRC or CIHR. 

The Vanier CGS program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health. The Vanier CGS program strongly encourages candidates to pursue their studies beyond the university that granted their previous degree(s). 

The Sociology Department can nominate only ONE candidate for advancement to SGS. For that reason, it is important that interested students notify the Associate Graduate Chair via email (and CC Sociology Graduate) as soon as possible. Typically, SGS sends the Vanier call around the end of August.  

Please plan ahead. If you wish to be considered for the Vanier award, provide a preliminary draft of your application to the Sociology Graduate Administrator and Associate Grad Chair by August 15. The full and finalized application must be submitted by September 3 to the Sociology Graduate Administrator and Associate Grad Chair. The Awards committee will adjudicate the award. 

Applicants should refer to the Vanier website for step by step application/nomination instructions. For important application updates and reminders please refer to the University of Toronto Vanier webpage. Questions regarding the Vanier Awards competition can be directed to Vanier at info@vanier.gc.ca, or the Graduate Awards Office at the School of Graduate Studies. 

The Muriel D. Bissell Award provides funding for graduate students who are strongly committed to research on the problems of development in low and middle-income countries. The recipient will ordinarily, but not necessarily, be from a developing country. Funds will be used to pay the costs of research such as travel and subsistence for data collection, special training (off-campus), and/or the costs of professional development, such as travel to conferences where the recipient is presenting a paper. Awardees must be compliant with all departmental and U of T Safety Abroad procedures prior to travel. In all cases, awards must be spent within 12 months of the award and original receipts and travel documents must be provided within 30 days after the travel has occurred. If you are interested in applying for this award, please complete the Bissel Award Application (PDF) and provide all necessary documents to sociology.graduate@utoronto.ca by May 31.

Registered students should fill out and submit their DeptTravelGrantApp2023.pdf with the required documentation to the department’s graduate office within 6 weeks of the conference. All registered students are guaranteed funding (at a maximum of $750 CAD per conference and subject to change each year) If they are presenting at the Canadian Sociological Association (CSA) OR the American Sociological Association (ASA). For all other conferences, we require a short (1-2 paragraph) explanation of how attending the conference will benefit your academic and research goals, and written approval from your supervisor confirming that they have recommended you to present your research at said conference along with a short (1-2 paragraph) justification. An email notification sent to sociology.graduate@utoronto.ca of this recommendation will suffice. Please note that reimbursements are restricted only to travel costs (transportation, accommodation, meals, registration fees and membership fees).

• Graduate students who are not in good academic standing are not eligible to apply for the departmental travel grant.
• Policy for students sharing costs such as accommodation, meals, or ground travel: The person paying for the full amount will submit the itemized payment receipt which will show how many people shared the expense. The total amount will then be divided by the number of people sharing the accommodation/meal/ground travel. The ones reimbursing the payee for the cost and requesting reimbursement from the department will need to show either a copy of the cheque or e-transfer showing the amount paid for their portion of the accommodation/meal/ground travel. If this is not presented, then you will not get reimbursed for that item.
• MA students are only eligible to apply for CSA and ASA conference grant funding contingent on them continuing in Ph.D. program in Sociology at U of T.
• All requests must be made in CAD dollars.
• Travel funding amounts are subject to change per fiscal year.
• Conference funding is intended for non-local conferences. Only registration fees are reimbursable for approved conferences within the GTA.

Students may also wish to apply to the SGS Research Travel Grant, the SGS Conference Grant, the Michael Smith Foreign Study supplement for students holding particular Tri-Council awards, or the MTACS Globalink Research Award for students seeking a training period with a professor at an institution in Brazil, China, France, India, Korea, Mexico or Tunisia.

For a more complete list of research travel grants and awards, please visit the School of Graduate Studies’ funding opportunities database.

Students outside of the funded cohort, but within the time limit for their degree may apply for a Sociology Doctoral Completion Award. The Doctoral Completion Award (DCA) seeks to help ensure that meritorious Ph.D. students who are no longer receiving the U of T funding package from their graduate unit can complete their degree program within the time limit. The award is competitive. Criteria include academic merit and quality of research, the availability of alternative funding, and, if appropriate, special features of the research program that require more time than usual. To be eligible, students must:

• be registered full-time in the Department of Sociology
• be entering year 5 or 6 of the program (6 or 7 for direct-entry students)
• be no longer receiving the U of T funding package
• have achieved candidacy and have satisfactory progress reports
• not hold a paid, continuing professional position

The value of the award depends upon the number of applicants and financial need.  Students apply by submitting a hard copy of the DCA Application Form, ROSI transcript printout, and OSOTF Form to the Sociology Graduate Office by July 31st. Late applications will not be accepted. Students who receive the award need to be registered and will not receive further payments once the degree requirements are completed. Recipients will find the payments applied directly to their student account in September or January, directed first to any outstanding balance in the account.

The School of Graduate Studies has established a Bursary Fund to help students meet financial emergencies. More information is available on the SGS website.

The School of Graduate Studies offers various awards for international students. For more information, visit their International Awards page.

The School of Graduate Studies offers award opportunities specifically for international students. For more information, visit their Awards and Funding page.