Financial Support for Chemistry Graduate Students
The Department of Chemistry provides generous funding for qualified students, which is provided in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, and a fellowship from the School of Graduate Studies. Tuition at Memorial is among the lowest in Canada. For students beginning their studies in 2019, the minimum funding levels and associated tuition and fees are:
| M.Sc | Ph.D. | |
| total funding | $20,000 | $22,000 |
| tuition and fees | $4,471 | $4,275 |
| net annual funding | $15,529 | $17,725 |
| M.Sc | Ph.D. | |
| total funding | $20,000 | $22,000 |
| tuition and fees | $5,328 | $5,073 |
| net annual funding | $14,672 | $16,927 |
| M.Sc | Ph.D. | |
| total funding | $20,000 | $22,000 |
| tuition and fees | $6,444 | $6,108 |
| net annual funding | $13,556 | $15,892 |
All qualified graduate students will receive a $3,000 Dr. Liqin Chen Entrance Scholarship at the start of their program. Doctoral students are eligible to receive an additional $5,000 scholarship during their programs.
The cost to rent an apartment in St. John's is much lower than other cities in Canada, like Halifax, Toronto, or Vancouver.
Medical Insurance
Students in other Canadian provinces can be required to spend more than $1,000 per year to purchase medical insurance, but all students at Memorial are provided free medical insurance through the provincial government. Additional insurance for prescription medicine and dental care is included in the standard graduate student fees.
Additional Scholarships
Eligible students are encouraged to apply for other appropriate awards, such as those listed below, which provide higher levels of funding:
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Awards
Many students in our department are funded through NSERC scholarships. NSERC is a research council funded by the federal government to support Canadian research. Students who are Canadian citizens or landed immigrants with one year residency may apply for NSERC scholarships while studying in the department. Students who receive an NSERC scholarship also receive a $5,000 Dean's Excellence Award.
| Scholarship | NSERC Funding | Dean's Excellence | Total |
| CGS-M | $17,500 | $5,000 | $22,500 |
| PGS-D | $21,000 | $5,000 | $26,000 |
| CGS-D | $35,000 | $5,000 | $40,000 |
| Vanier | $50,000 | $5,000 | $55,000 |
Chemistry NSERC Scholarship Recipients
- Ernest Awoonor-Williams, Vanier Scholarship
- Kori Andrea, Vanier Scholarship
- Brandon Furlong, NSERC PGS-D
Dr. Liqin Chen Scholarships in Chemistry
Dr. Liqin Chen completed his Ph.D. in chemistry at Memorial in 1993 under the supervision of Professor Laurie Thompson. Since that time, he has had an extraordinary career in chemical research and industry. In 2017, Dr. Chen committed to providing $100,000 per year in scholarships to graduate students in chemistry. Incoming full-time graduate students will receive a $3,000 entrance scholarships. Doctoral students can also receive an additional $5,000 scholarship during their program.
A.G. Hatcher Scholarships
Several graduate students in chemistry have received the prestigious A.G. Hatcher scholarship. This scholarship is available to both Canadian and international students. This $15,000 scholarship is awarded to graduate students each year on a competitive basis. Normally these scholarships can be held for one year only, and scholars are permitted to increase their total financial support by acting as teaching assistants (maximum of 16 hours/weeks). Eligible students are nominated by their supervisors.
Chemistry A.G. Hatcher Scholarship Recipients
- Jessica Besaw, 2014
- Ernest Awoonor-Williams, 2015
Funds for Conference Travel
Presenting research at scientific conferences is an essential part of graduate studies. The Faculty of Science, School of Graduate Studies, student association, and Department of Chemistry all contribute funds to support our graduate students to travel as part of their studies. Our graduate students have presented their research at conferences in Canada, the United States, and Europe.