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Graduate Studies

Harry Lyman Hooker Sr. Fellowship

The Harry Lyman Hooker Sr. Fellowships are made possible through a bequest from the estate of Harry Lyman Hooker. These awards are given to Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents who are ENTERING their first year of a master’s or doctoral program, at McMaster University in those disciplines that receive funding primarily from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

These fellowships will be distributed between four Faculties – Business, Humanities, Social Sciences, and from the Faculty of Science the following departments: Kinesiology, Psychology and Neuroscience & Behaviour and the School of Earth, Environment & Society.

Please contact your proposed department regarding the nomination process for this award.

Eligibility requirements

Recommended nominees must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or, permanent resident;
  • nominee’s research must fall under the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) mandate;
  • at the time of nomination, nominees must have an average of an A minus in each of the last two completed years of full-time study (10.0/12.0; 80%/100);
  • be entering the first year of a master’s or doctoral program effective May 2023 or September 2023 at McMaster University in those disciplines that receive funding primarily from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
  • Students in a Master’s program being offered admission to a PhD program are eligible ONLY if they have gone through the same application and selection process as all other candidates for admission.

Value and holding other awards

Doctoral awards are valued at $24,000 in each of the first four years that the student continues to remain registered in good standing in the doctoral program she/he originally entered at this University.

Master’s awards are valued at $18,000. The award is for one year only for students in a one-year master’s program. A student in a two-year master’s program may receive $6,000 per term for each of the first two terms of his/her second year, provided that she/he remains registered in good standing in the master’s program she/he originally entered at McMaster University.

In the case of both doctoral and master’s awards, funding beyond the first year is conditional upon the Hooker Fellowship holder applying for all scholarships for which she/he is eligible, including but not limited to Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s and Doctoral, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowships, Ontario Graduate Scholarships and Ontario Graduate Fellowships.

In cases where a Hooker Fellowship holder also receives another fellowship or monetary award from any source, the Hooker Fellowship will be reduced in accordance with the schedule below. Winners may hold a full or half teaching assistantship in each year that they hold the Hooker Award.

Hooker Fellowship – Master’s (Year 1):

  • OGS at $15,000 + Hooker at $7,500. = $22,500
  • OGF at $12,000 + Hooker at $10,500 = $22,500
  • CGS SSHRC MASTER’S at $17,500 + Hooker at $5,000. = $22,500

Hooker Fellowship – Doctoral:

  • OGS at $15,000 + Hooker at $15,000 = $30,000
  • OGF at $12,000 + Hooker at $18,000 = $30,000
  • SSHRC Doctoral at $20,000 + Hooker at $10,000 = $30,000

Any other awards received by a Hooker Fellowship recipient not listed above will be assessed by the SGS Associate Deans when necessary.

Hooker Fellowship holders who win a Canada Graduate Scholarship Doctoral or Vanier Doctoral will forfeit the Hooker Fellowship.