Over the Winter 2025 term, GSEFÌýworked actively to increase student engagement, support student-led projects and initiatives, and direct funding to continue supporting graduate students across campus. Continue reading to check out what we were up to over the last few months!
Student Engagement
Grad Ready - Preparing for Winter Webinar and Services Fair
To start off the Winter 2025 term, the team at the Student Success Office organized a virtual orientation program - Grad Ready, open to all graduate students, to provide then an opportunity to know more the campus services, including the Graduate Studies Endowment Fund along with the structure of our organization and the process of applying for project funding. It was an excellent platform to shine a light on how their $20 contribution every term is transformed into various events and activities across campus to enhance the graduate student experience.
GSEF set up a booth at the À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Centre to speak to new and returning graduate students and provide information on opportunities to get involved with GSEF and apply for student project funding. It was great getting to know students and welcoming students to campus!
Student Project Funding
University-wide Projects
Graduate Student Research Dissemination Award
Through a commitment of financial support from theÌý,ÌýGraduate Studies Endowment Fund (GSEF)Ìýand Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA), awards are available to encourage full-time or part-time graduate students to present their own research (oral, poster, paper) at an academic conference and engage in academic dialogue within their field of study and research.
Professional Skills Foundation
In collaboration with the GSPA, Foundations is designed to offer master's and doctoral students broad exposure to and experience in career preparation, communication, leadership and personal effectiveness.
GRADFlix
One of GSEF's key priorities is ensuring that students have opportunities to communicate their research effectively to diverse audiences. Through our partnership with the GSPA, we are proud of annually supporting research communication events like GRADflix by helping to cover event logistics, promotions, prizes, and ensuring that graduate students have access to high-quality platforms to showcase their work.
As graduate students ourselves, we at GSEF recognize the importance of providing students with outlets where they can clearly and concisely share their research. GRADflix provides a platform for students to refine their storytelling skills, engage audiences beyond their field, and make their research accessible to a wider community. Such opportunities allow students to have strong communication skills and open doors in many other professional fields.
Student Project Funding Available
We encourage all graduate students to apply for funding for any initiatives or projects that relate to enhancing the overall experience of graduate students across the University! Your projects could be related to an academic, social, or professional initiative - all applications are welcome.
Deadlines for Spring 2025 term:
| Project Application Type | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Small Project FundingÌý | May 1, 2025 |
| Ìý | June 1, 2025 |
| Ìý | July 1, 2025 |
| Ìý | August 1, 2025 |
| Large Project Funding | June 13, 2025 |
| Environmental Sustainability Award | June 13, 2025 |
Upcoming Position Openings
GSEF will be recruiting for new student representatives and officers in the upcoming Winter 2025 term!ÌýIf you are interested in serving the graduate student community at UÀ¶Ý®ÊÓƵÌýthrough reviewing student project applications or supporting the overall direction of GSEF, check out upcoming openings in the Get Involved page of the GSEF website.
Recruiting Environment Representative for the Board of Directors!
GSEF is recruiting a committed volunteer to join our Board of Directors! We are looking for graduate students from the Faculty of EnvironmentÌý to step forward and offer their unique perspectives and experiences. In this role, you will review and approve recommendations of funding from the Project Review Committee.
If interested, please send a cover letter and resume/CV to gsef@uwaterloo.ca. Please use the subject line: "Board Environment Representative Application."
Welcoming a New Coordinator!
A bit about me - I am aÌýmaster's student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. My research focuses on constructing a machine learning model used to predict the adsorption behavior of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with activated carbon. Outside of school, I enjoy participating in sports and resistance training.
Please reach out for any questions related to GSEF or any other inquiries you may have. I’m eager to put your donations to work for you, so we can make our time as graduate students most memorable! Go Warriors!
GSEF plays an important role in enhancing the graduate student experience all across campus and that is exactly what prompted me to get involved. I started with GSEF at the Project Review Committee as a Faculty of Health Representative. I completed my first year on that, and then later served as Coordinator in my final year of graduate studies. Over this time we cultivated and enhanced an excellent working relationship with the GSA and GSPA, awarding funds to promote student-led initiatives and activities that benefit students. It's been wonderful getting to know the larger graduate student community in some way or another.