Bridging Divides at TMU: Scholarships for Master's and PhD Students
Canadian and international students alike are eligible for generous funding from TMU to support research in key areas.
The Bridging Divides research program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), in the heart of Canada's biggest, most bustling city, offers generous scholarships for incoming graduate students at the Master's and PhD levels, in an effort to support Bridging Divides' four research themes.
These scholarships are open to Canadian and international students! No matter where you're from, if you're interested in full-time studies at TMU, and you're pursuing research into one of the research themes below, be sure to apply for a Bridging Divides scholarship.
Best of all, these scholarships are renewable, meaning you'll receive funding each year of your studies, pending an annual review of your progress and funding availability. Incoming graduate students can receive funds for up to two years if starting a Master's program, and up to four years if starting a PhD program.
Recipients of these scholarships should prepare to take part in research and workshops with other Bridging Divides participants and TMU scholars. (Your faculty supervisor, or co-supervisor, must also be involved with Bridging Divides, so do your homework before applying.).
Scholarships for Master's students
Master's scholarships are open to incoming first-year students, as well as those entering second year of a Master's program at TMU. You could receive funding for up to two years of study.
Value for Canadian students: $20,000 per year
Value for international students: $30,000 per year
Application form: available here until April 1, 2025.
Scholarships for PhD students
PhD scholarships are open to incoming first-year students, as well as those already enrolled in a PhD program at TMU. You could receive funding for up to four years of study.
Value for Canadian students: $30,000 per year
Value for international students: $40,000 per year
Application form: available here until February 1, 2025.
Bridging Divides research themes
Let's take a look at the four research themes of the Bridging Divides program. If your grad-level research falls into one of the following areas, you should consider applying for a Bridging Divides scholarship.
1. Immigrant Health and Well-being
Explore social and technological strategies to help ensure that newcomers to Canada are engaged in co-creating solutions to community needs, and health outcomes are positive, no matter how long a person has been in the country.
If you're interested in equity and social justice policy, and want to close health gaps for immigrants to Canada, consider the Immigrant Health and Well-being stream of the Bridging Divides program.
Read more about the Immigrant Health and Well-being stream on the TMU website.
2. Employment and Lifelong Learning
Help newcomers to Canada avoid systematic discrimination and build meaningful careers in their new country. New immigrants often face barriers to fully participating in the economy, but things don't have to be this way.
If you're interested in entrepreneurship, economic development, and the use of advanced digital technologies in improving newcomers' economic integration in Canada, consider the Employment and Lifelong Learning stream of the Bridging Divides program.
Read more about the Employment and Lifelong Learning stream on the TMU website.
3. Place and Infrastructure
Infrastructure has a big impact on how newcomers to Canada integrate. A city's infrastructure is both physical and social; immigrants have unique needs that public services must work to meet.
If you're interested in transit, housing accessibility, or urban planning, the Place and Infrastructure stream of the Bridging Divides program may be for you.
Read more about the Place and Infrastructure stream on the TMU website.
4. Citizenship and Participation
Explore how newcomers to Canada, of all kinds — immigrants, refugees, temporary workers, and more — engage in civic and political participation, and investigate how advanced digital technologies may open doors to new forms of belonging.
If you're interested in what it means for a person to "belong," and how legal status intersects with lived experiences for newcomers, consider the Citizenship and Participation stream of the Bridging Divides program.
Read more about the Citizenship and Participation stream on the TMU website.
How do I apply for a Bridging Divides scholarship?
To get started, read up on the Bridging Divides program themes and think carefully about how your own research interests connect to these themes. You can learn more about each theme's co-leads and members at TMU who are working in these areas, and may be able to supervise your research.
Consider this article a primer on the Bridging Divides program at Toronto Metropolitan University. There are many affiliated programs to consider if you're interested in graduate-level studies. Connect your passions to a Bridging Divides research theme, and you could receive a generous scholarship from TMU to help you pursue your work.
To receive a scholarship, you'll need to apply to TMU as a graduate student, and submit the appropriate form:
Master's scholarships:
The deadline for Master's applications is April 1, 2025.
PhD scholarships:
The deadline for PhD applications is February 1, 2025.
Explore TMU's Bridging Divides scholarships