Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship Program

From: Joshua Barker, Dean, School of Graduate Studies and Vice-Provost, Graduate Research and Education 
Date: February 4, 2022 
Re: Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship Program 


The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Connaught PhDs for Public Impact Fellowship Program as part of the core offerings of the Centre for Graduate Professional Development. Under the leadership of Professor Vina Goghari, Vice-Dean, Research and Program Innovation at SGS, this program aims to support graduate students as they work across academic disciplines, institutions, organizations, and communities to further research, scholarship, and creative practice for the public good. It’s an excellent opportunity for graduate students to take their research beyond the academy and learn to engage the public through a scholarly agenda.  

Fellows from PhDs for Public Impact will focus on engaging the public through a scholarly agenda. This could involve a range of activities, from describing their work in a public forum (e.g., in a tweet, a personal blog post, a podcast interview, or an op-ed) to partnering with a school, community organization, or cultural institution (e.g., museum, theatre, archive) in an ongoing two-way exchange of knowledge and practices. 

Applicants must be registered doctoral students in a research-stream program and in good academic standing.  The deadline for application is April 1, 2022. The program will begin on September 1, 2022. Interested students are encouraged to attend one of the following SGS virtual information sessions: 

  • Thursday, February 24, 12 noon to 1 pm  
  • Wednesday, March 2, 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm 

Students should register in advance so SGS can send them the Zoom links closer to the dates.  I appreciate your support in sharing this exciting opportunity with your research-stream doctoral students.   

For more information on the program and application requirements, please visit the Centre for Graduate Professional Development website