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School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Case for Support

Graduate students working together in a lab at Ontario Tech University.

Education is the catalyst for transformation, an investment in ourselves that drives personal growth and societal change.

There is something exceptional about Ontario Tech University. Our Tech with a Conscience ethos perfectly aligns with the needs of our changing world. We also recognize the vital role of graduate students and postdoctoral fellowships in driving this mission forward.

Graduate Studies is not solely about finding definitive answers to our inquiries. Instead, it revolves around continually exploring questions, enabling us to delve into our identity, the essence of education and the social norms we adhere to. It's about discovering our passions and how our individual growth can initiate broader changes in the world around us.

The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) leads the charge in making graduate education accessible. Our unwavering commitment to excellence and equity in graduate education is evident with a rapidly growing student base who are seeking to enhance their skills and advance their careers.

SGPS holds immense growth potential for our university, Durham Region and beyond.

Simply put, we are transforming the world. Our students are transformed by a graduate education, and they, in turn, transform the world in diverse, constructive and positive ways.

With your support, we can attract the best and brightest graduate students who will go forward and change the world.

WAYS TO GIVE

Explore the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Case for Support

CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE

GLOBAL SOLUTIONS THROUGH CONNECTION

EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY

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Students and professor in FEAS Nuclear Simulation Lab

Champions of change

Champions of change

Ontario Tech graduate students are driving high-impact research that advances health, technology and environmental sustainability. Working alongside faculty and industry partners, they are tackling real-world challenges and strengthening our region and country through innovation.

How we’re supporting the architects of tomorrow’s breakthroughs

Graduate researchers are advancing breakthroughs in health, AI and environmental sustainability while strengthening undergraduate learning as teaching assistants and role models, showing what’s possible when every aspiring scholar has the support to thrive.

Project Arrow vehicle rendering

Our students lead transformative research that changes lives from AI-driven dementia care to sustainable energy and forensic psychology. Enhanced scholarships and mentorship networks ensure that these bright minds can focus on their research, not financial strain. By removing barriers and enriching the graduate experience, we create a pipeline of future innovators ready to shape a better world.

Sergio

How will your support transform access to graduate education?

Your contribution helps remove financial barriers so graduate students can focus on breakthrough research, thrive personally and graduate ready to lead.

Your support will allow us to:

  • Expand graduate scholarship funding so financial barriers do not limit academic excellence.
  • Reduce financial stress that can negatively affect student well-being and mental health.
  • Enable graduate students to focus on research and studies instead of balancing additional work.
  • Attract and retain top talent by strengthening comprehensive funding packages.
  • Increase retention and graduation rates, producing more highly qualified leaders and innovators.

Students in health science lab test respiratory function with exercise.

Creating a sticky campus

Fueling global solutions through scholar connectivity

PhD students and postdoctoral fellows are central to Ontario Tech’s research engine, connecting academia and industry to tackle pressing challenges in health, performance and equity. Their work advances Canada’s knowledge-based economy while training future researchers and delivering real-world impact. Donor support, stronger funding and global networking opportunities will help these scholars travel, collaborate internationally and accelerate breakthroughs that benefit communities here and around the world.

Chemistry student writing on a glass wall

How we’re supporting tomorrow’s breakthroughs by enhancing connection

From nursing education to parasport and healthy aging, these scholars are turning bold questions into practical solutions with impact well beyond campus.

Ontario Tech’s PhD students and postdoctoral fellows combine curiosity and resilience to tackle complex societal challenges while strengthening Canada’s knowledge-based economy. Their work spans fields like health care, sport science and disability and rehabilitation, and they also help train and inspire the next generation of researchers. Examples include a new nursing teaching framework that supports more empathetic care, a community parasport initiative that expands training and creates research practicums, and research advancing health services and equity for older adults living with musculoskeletal conditions. With more support to connect globally through conferences, workshops and international collaboration, this talent can accelerate discoveries and translate them into real-world change.

How will your support empower research excellence?

Your investment fuels ideas that tackle the world’s most urgent challenges.


Usman

Your support will allow us to:

  • Strengthen funding packages for research-based PhD students to reduce financial barriers.
  • Expand professional development and career-ready training for postdoctoral fellows.
  • Enable travel to conferences, workshops and research expeditions to build global networks.
  • Accelerate research impact through international collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
  • Improve research outcomes by letting scholars focus on discovery, not financial strain

 Partnerships

Harnessing the synergy of education and industry

Ontario Tech connects academic excellence with real-world impact through more than 500 partnerships spanning industry, community, government and academia. These collaborations help graduate students build practical, market-relevant skills, from launching ventures like VR surgical training to advancing research with partners such as GM. With donor support, the SGPS Industry Partnership Program will expand mentorship, experiential learning and professional development so every graduate student can access industry guidance, grow their network and graduate career-ready.

How we’re shaping the future of education and industry collaboration

Partnerships turn graduate research into practical solutions, giving students the experience and industry insight employers and communities need.

Across clean energy, AI, health sciences, entrepreneurship and advanced manufacturing, Ontario Tech’s graduate students and researchers collaborate with partners to tackle real problems and accelerate innovation. This work helps close the gap between theory and application by embedding hands-on learning, mentorship and real-world constraints into graduate training. Student-led breakthroughs show what’s possible, from scaling VR tools that improve surgical training to testing workplace technologies that can make automotive manufacturing safer and more effective. By deepening education and industry collaboration, Ontario Tech is shaping graduates who are ready to contribute on day one and help partners drive meaningful progress.
A car sits in the ACE climatic wind tunnel during tesitng.
A group of students in the audience as a presenter stands on a podium at the front of the room.

How will your support create a cycle of mentorship and collaboration?

Your contribution will help launch the SGPS Industry Partnership Program, connecting every graduate student with mentorship, real-world experience, and the networks needed to thrive in today’s job market.

Your support will allow us to:

  • Match graduate students with industry or market-level mentors, including engaged alumni.
  • Deliver tailored professional development that builds practical, employer-ready skills.
  • Expand experiential learning placements so students graduate confident and career-ready.
  • Strengthen partner engagement by showcasing student talent and fueling innovation for employers.
  • Create signature partner programs, like clean energy experiences with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, including mentorship, facility access and ideathon opportunities.
A student works in a nuclear simulation laboratory.
Two students in a science lab using an eye dropper and beaker.

Together, we can expand access, amplify innovation and empower every scholar to shape a future where research, equity and opportunity work hand in hand for people, planet and progress.

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