Ontario Women’s Health Scholars

The Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards Program was established with the support of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars studying women’s health.

Value of Awards

For the 2026-27 academic year the COU will offer up to:

  • two one-year awards at the master’s level ($25,000 plus $1,000 research allowance ($8,333/term beginning September 1, 2026)
  • three renewable one-year awards at the doctoral level ($35,000 plus $2,000 research allowance($11,666/term beginning September 1, 2026)
  • two one-year awards at the postdoctoral level $50,000 plus $5,000 research allowance ($4,166/month beginning September 1, 2026)

Submission Quota

McMaster can submit two applications per award level (master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral) for a total of six applications.

Program Goals

The Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards Program aims to establish a research community that meets or exceeds internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence in its creation of new knowledge about women’s health and its translation into improved health for women, more effective health services and products for women, and a strengthened health care system.

This community will:

  • promote, assist and undertake interdisciplinary, integrative women’s health research relating to such areas as bio-medical research, clinical research and research respecting health systems, women’s health services, the health of populations, societal and cultural dimensions of women’s health, and environmental influences on women’s health;
  • create a robust women’s health research environment in Ontario, based on internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence and a rigorous peer review process, that will attract, develop, and keep excellent scholars and provide
    them with the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of women’s health in Ontario and the world;
  • address emerging women’s health opportunities, threats and challenges, and accelerate the discovery of cures and treatments and improvements to women’s health care, prevention, and wellness strategies;
  • promote the dissemination of knowledge about women’s health and the application of women’s health research to improve the health of women in Ontario;
  • build the capacity of the Ontario women’s health research community through the development of scholars and the provision of sustained support for scientific careers in women’s health research; and
  • exercise leadership within the Ontario research community and foster collaboration with individuals and organizations in Ontario that have an interest in women’s health or women’s health research.

Award Eligibility and Conditions

  • All applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as of the application deadline date (January 30, 2026).
  • To be eligible for a master’s award, an applicant must be registered as a full-time student in a master’s program at an Ontario university at the beginning of the award period (i.e., fall 2026), and must remain registered as a full-time student throughout the term of the award; a master’s student remains eligible until the end of the sixth term of full-time study.
  • To be eligible for a doctoral award, an applicant must be registered as a full-time student in a doctoral program at an Ontario university at the beginning of the award period (i.e., fall 2026) and must remain registered as a full-time student throughout the term of the award; a doctoral student remains eligible until the end of the 15th term of full-time study.
  • To be eligible for a postdoctoral award, an applicant must be engaged in full-time research at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award (i.e., September 1, 2026), and must have completed all requirements for the doctoral degree by May 31, 2026 and normally no earlier than January 31, 2023). In cases where an applicant completed all requirements for the doctoral degree before this date, an explanation (e.g., childrearing responsibilities) must accompany the application.
  • During the year an Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award is held, the recipient is precluded from holding any other award that offers financial support of more than $30,000 for that same year (subject to the university’s own policies).
  • Any publication of any kind, written or oral, related to the research undertaken by a recipient during the term of an Ontario Women’s Scholars Award shall acknowledge the support of the work from the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s with the following notation:
    • The Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Award is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

This acknowledgement shall precede all similar acknowledgements of financial support for the work for equal or lesser amounts, and shall also indicate that the views expressed in the publication are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Application Instructions for Students

School of Graduate Studies deadline is Monday, December 1, 2025.

Each applicant must upload to MacDrive the following documents as one PDF (using file name: Last Name _OWHSA 2026-27_MsC, PhD, or PDF):

Note: Applicants can only apply through one sponsoring university.

1. The completed application form. Note: The Dean’s signature is NOT required at this stage. Should your application moved forward to the provincial competition the Dean will sign the application at that time.
2. A curriculum vitae, which should include information regarding the eligibility criteria.
3. A statement of no more than 1,000 words describing the research to be undertaken during the period of graduate or postdoctoral study, and a non-technical summary of no more than 500    words, both written by the applicant (one additional page is allowed for diagrams, bibliography, etc.)

An application for a master’s or a doctoral award must also include:

1. All official undergraduate and graduate transcripts (sent directly by the Registrar’s office of the issuing university).

Note: Transcripts are NOT part of the electronic application. They are sent separately to the McMaster University’s School of Graduate Studies in one of two ways:

  • If the issuing university sends electronic transcripts, have them emailed to graduatescholarships@mcmaster.ca
  • If the university sends official transcripts by mail the must be sent in sealed envelopes by the issuing university to:
    • Scholarships – School of Graduate Studies
      McMaster University
      1280 Main Street West, GH 212
      Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4L8

2. Confidential letters of appraisal of the applicant from two assessors, signed and on letterhead.

Note: The applicant must ask each assessor to upload their appraisal electronically (using file name: Applicant’s Last Name_OWHSA Letter_Assessor’s Last Name) directly to MacDrive by Monday, December 1, 2025.

An application for a postdoctoral award must also include:

1. A brief summary of the doctoral thesis of no more than 300 words;
2. Confidential letters of appraisal of the applicant from four assessors, signed and on letterhead, of whom two

  • must not have been associated with the applicant as a supervisor, a member of the applicant’s supervisory committee, or a co-author; and
  • are, if at all possible, not at the university at which the applicant was a doctoral student.

Note: The applicant must ask each assessor to upload their appraisal electronically (using file name: Applicant’s Last Name_OWHSA Letter_Assessor’s Last Name) directly to MacDrive by Monday, December 1, 2025.

The letters of appraisal of an applicant for any award (master’s, doctoral or postdoctoral) should focus on an evaluation of the applicant’s research to date, and on the research the applicant proposes to undertake during the period of the award, paying particular attention to the criteria for selection that can be found on pages 4 and 5 of the 026-27 Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards Announcement link listed below. Assessors should also provide a short description of the relationship, if any, with the applicant.

Useful links

COU website
2026-27 Ontario Women’s Health Scholars Awards Announcement (including Selection Criteria)
Application Package Upload
Assessor Letter upload

Contacts

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact:
McMaster School of Graduate Studies – Scholarships
Council of Ontario Universities Inquiries