Graduate Student Life News & Events

1. Graduate Professional Skills Program Announcement/Orientation Sessions - GPS is a non-academic program presented by the School of Graduate Studies consisting of a variety of offerings that provide doctoral stream graduate students a range of opportunities for professional skills development. GPS aims to ensure that our graduates can communicate effectively, plan and manage their own time, be entrepreneurial, understand and apply ethical practices and work effectively in teams and as leaders. Students successfully completing the GPS will receive a notation on their transcripts.

For more information on the Graduate Professional Skills program, please visit:
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/campus/gpsp.htm

Or register for one of the following GPS orientation sessions:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Thursday, May 21, 2009, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

To register for a session, send an e-mail to jeff.richardson@utoronto.ca, and indicate which session you would like to attend.

2. 2009-10 HART HOUSE PROGRAMME INTERNS - If you are passionate about campus life, co-curricular activities and education, and want to contribute to the University of Toronto student experience, then this is the position for you! For more information, visit: http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/stuhome.aspx?tr=

3. Toronto Debate Toastmasters Club
~ Next Meeting ~ Monday 25 May ~ 5:45-8pm

The Faculty Club ~ U of T
41 Willcocks St., at Spadina

Agenda:
. Debate: "Michelle Obama's style influences perception of the U.S."
(All-audience, rapid-fire debate)
. Speech Programme, incl award-clenching speech
(Prepared Speech)
. Table Topics
(Impromptu Speech Exercise)
. Speech & Meeting Evaluation

FREE to all and guests are always welcome, but please RSVP to contact below to respect U of T's max seating caps.

Thank you,

Laura Mitchell ~ DTM
Assistant Area 4 Governor
Home Club:
Toronto Debate Toastmasters Club ~ VP ED
Presidents Distinguished Club:
2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2008-09
www.torontodebate.org
l.mitchell.0001@gmail.com
905.336.4020

Maximize your Innovation Potential: Developing Creative Solutions

Dear Grads,

Would you like to enhance your creativity and develop more innovative solutions? If so, please email lotg.uoft@gmail.com by Wednesday, May 27, 2009 to reserve a spot in this upcoming workshop! Spaces are limited.

Here are the details:

Maximizing Your Innovation Potential
Speaker: Professor Brenda McCabe
When: Thursday, June 4th, from 9.00-1.00pm
Where: BA3008
Cost (after LoTGrad subsidy): $25

This workshop will help you uncover your creativity style and help you:
-Create better solutions
-Effectively evaluate solutions
-Enhance your decision-making skills
-Expand your creativity tool-box

Refreshments will be served!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Best Regards,
The 2008-9 LoTGrad Committee

California Fellowship Program

The California Council on Science and Technology has established a new program of Science and Technology Policy Fellowships for PhD scientists and engineers to serve as Fellows to provide the California State Legislature with scientific and technical advice; an announcement of the program is attached. The fellowships will provide those looking for a professional development opportunity to incorporate science and technology into public policy while assisting the California State legislature to receive critical, unbiased scientific and technological input on issues it is dealing with.

The deadline for applications for the 2009-2010 program is noon PDT May 29. Additional information and application materials are available at fellows.ccst.us.

Graduate Professional Skills Program

I am pleased to announce the launch of GPS, the Graduate Professional Skills program. GPS is a non-academic program presented by the School of Graduate Studies consisting of a variety of offerings that provide doctoral stream graduate students a range of opportunities for professional skills development.

GPS recognises the need to help graduate students acquire skills in addition to those conventionally learned within their disciplinary program. PhD programs prepare students exceedingly well for a future in their chosen area of research, but may not be as effective in developing other skills critical to success in the wide range of careers they may enter. GPS aims to ensure that our graduates can communicate effectively, plan and manage their own time, be entrepreneurial, understand and apply ethical practices and work effectively in teams and as leaders. Students successfully completing the GPS will receive a notation on their transcripts.

Beginning Monday, May 11, University of Toronto graduate students will be able to register for GPS via the GPS Portal Community. The Summer GPS schedule has been posted, and students may begin enrolling in GPS offerings immediately. To access GPS on the Portal:

1. Log into the UofT Portal - https://portal.utoronto.ca/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp
2. Click on the “Community” tab
3. Under “Organization Search”, type “graduate professional skills”
4. When the GPS group appears at the bottom of the page, click on the “Enrol” box in the right column
5. Click “Submit” at the bottom of the next page.

For more information on the Graduate Professional Skills program, please visit:
http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/campus/gpsp.htm

Or register for one of the following GPS orientation sessions:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Wednesday, May 20, 2009, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Thursday, May 21, 2009, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM

To register for a session, send an e-mail to jeff.richardson@utoronto.ca, and indicate which session you would like to attend.

MITACS Skills Enhancement Program

MITACS would like to let you know about a one-day Time Management and Business Etiquette workshop we are offering to students on Thursday May 28th, 2009 from 8:30AM-4:30PM.
This full-day workshop offers of two separate opportunities to take advantage of:

8:30AM – 12:00PM: Get Organized: Time Management Workshop
Register Here.

If you ever wished the day was 36 hours long, this workshop is for you. Paradoxically, poor organizational habits are often created by the same technology that was designed to make us more effective – swamped with emails, meeting requests, and piles of paper makes getting ‘real’ work done even harder and increases stress levels and occurrences of burnout. This morning workshop will help tune your skills to help manage your time and priorities not only for work but your personal life to!

1:00PM – 4:30PM: Business Conduct Excellence: Enhance Your Career Success!
Register Here!!


We all want to make a good first impression and there’s nothing like a first day on the job to test your ability to affect how others interact with you! The good news is that we’re naturally wired to connect to others.
The benefit? Engaged workplaces are more innovative, have higher retention rates and get better results. This business etiquette workshop will show you all about evolved business conduct and will help you maximize your work relationships and send the right message about yourself (and your organization).

***Registration is open to all graduate students and postdoctoral fellows including prospective MITACS ACCELERATE Interns, current interns and interns pending internship approval, past interns, and MITACS research students who would benefit from this presentation.

***Please note that there is a $50.00 registration deposit to attend each workshop to a total of a $100 deposit*** This will be reimbursed to you pending confirmation of your attendance***

What: Time Management and Business Etiquette
When: Thursday May 28th
Where: University of Guelph, Guelph, ON
Time: Thursday: 8:30AM-4:30PM (Registration 8:00AM Sharp!)
8:30AM – 12:00PM: Get Organized: Time Management Workshop
1:00PM – 4:30PM: Evolved Business Conduct: The Skills for Professional Engagement
Cancellation Policy: there is a 7 calendar day cancelation policy. We require a 7 calendar day notice of cancellation to ensure reimbursement of your deposit and to allow for sufficient notice to those on the waiting list.
For more information regarding MITACS Skills Enhancement Program, and funding eligibility, please contact Lena Hussain at lhussain@mitacs.ca, or by phone 416-650-8416.

Grad Life News and Events

1. Toronto Debate Toastmasters Club
Next Meeting: Monday 11 May 5:45-8pm

The Faculty Club ~ U of T
41 Willcocks St., at Spadina

Agenda:
Debate: "Sex is a debatable topic."
(Team debate)
-Debate Evaluation
-Speech Programme
(Prepared Speech)
-Table Topics
(Impromptu Speech Exercise)
-Speech & Meeting Evaluation

FREE to all and guests are always welcome But please RSVP to contact below to respect U of T's max seating cap's

Please join us downstairs in the Pub For some R&R!

Thank you,

Laura Mitchell ~ DTM
Assistant Area 4 Governor
Home Club:
Toronto Debate Toastmasters Club ~ VP ED Presidents Distinguished Club:

www.torontodebate.org
l.mitchell.0001@gmail.com 905.336.4020


2. CAREER CENTRE - UPCOMING EVENTS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

C.V. and Cover Letter workshop: Monday May 11, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
You and Your Career Options: Tuesday May 26, 2009 @ 11:00 am
The Academic Interview: Wednesday May 27, 2009 @ 1:30 pm

To sign-up for a session or for more information on other programs and services for graduate students, please visit http://www.careers.utoronto.ca/MAPhD/MAPhD.aspx?tr=.

If you have any further questions, please call 416-978-8001.

Have a Great Week!

SGS Internal Awards

SGS has just announced a slate of awards for graduate students. Please apply to SGS directly for these awards. See the following website for more information on each.

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/awards/internal.htm

Some of these awards require you to demonstrate financial need. To do so, please fill out the form available here and include it with your application:

http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/Assets/current/Awards/OSOTF+Assessment.pdf

Good luck!

Safety Scholarship Opportunity

Please come to GB105 for an application package or email Colin Anderson at colin@civ.utoronto.ca.

TSSA Safety Education Research Graduate Scholarships
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) invites applications for the 2009 Safety Education Research Graduate Scholarship(s). The maximum amount of each award will be $5,000 per annum, and renewable for an additional year for a Master’s student and up to an additional two years for a PhD student subject to satisfactory progress. Funds will be awarded directly to the successful student(s).
Program Objectives
The primary objective of the scholarship program is to advance the knowledge and state of public safety in Ontario, and in particular the industry sectors regulated by TSSA (amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, ski lifts, and upholstered and stuffed articles). Secondly, TSSA encourage the development of highly qualified personnel in the public safety field.
This is a scholarship program, and not a research grant, but graduate students must include in their program of study a research project pertinent to at least one of the sectors for which TSSA has regulatory responsibility. The student’s ability to articulate a relevant research project will be an important part of the adjudication criteria. Establishment of knowledge transfer and exchange channels is also an aim. TSSA data or access to site visits may be arranged under appropriate conditions, and TSSA will facilitate dissemination of research results.
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants are graduate students either already admitted or recommended for admission to a graduate program at the Masters or PhD level at an Ontario university, along with a faculty supervisor who has agreed to the supervisory arrangement. The academic supervisor must be supervising or co-supervising the student in his/her thesis work, although the proposed project does not need to be the thesis topic. The academic supervisor must hold a tenured or tenure track appointment at an Ontario university, although not necessarily the same university as the student. There is no restriction on the applicant’s field of study or on the academic discipline of the faculty supervisor, other than relevance to the proposed research project.
Applicants who are not currently Ontario residents are also eligible, but they must hold an appropriate study permit, permanent residence or citizenship at the time of holding the award, in order to qualify for admission to the Ontario university before the scholarship funds will be awarded.
Eligible Projects
While the proposed research may benefit other sectors as well, the proposal must make clear how the research will benefit one or more of the sectors for which TSSA has regulatory responsibility. Both basic and applied research proposals are eligible.

Basic research to discover underlying principles may be conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. The proposal must make clear how the results of the research will benefit TSSA’s regulated sectors.
Applied research may focus on one sector specifically, or multiple sectors, and may involve use of data, fieldwork or other applied methods.
TSSA encourages researchers interested in using TSSA data or observations, but to ensure compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and TSSA policies, projects proposing to use TSSA data or which may require access to TSSA or industry personnel must be arranged prior to making the proposal. To discuss tentative projects of this nature, please contact Neena Jyoti, at njyoti@tssa.org or 416-734-3413, at least one month before the proposal is due.
Eligible proposals must demonstrate an empirical component. The following types of research will not be eligible for consideration:
• purely technical research (e.g., engineering mechanics, structures, materials);
• purely theoretical or rhetorical projects; and
• design, delivery or training and program evaluation of social marketing.

Funding
Applicants who are candidates for a Master’s degree may receive $5,000 per annum up to a maximum of two years, and candidates for a PhD may receive $5,000 per annum up to a maximum of three years, provided that:
• the award recipient is still enrolled in his or her graduate program at the time of renewal;
• the award recipient is still working on the proposed project at the time of renewal;
• the academic supervisor agrees at the time of renewal that satisfactory progress is being made on the project; and
• the award recipient has submitted an annual report on the project by May 15th, 2010.
The Scholarship Application
Adjudicating each application requires submission of the following elements. Attachments to the application form are to be formatted with 1-inch margins all around, single sided, single spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font. (As a scholarship program, many sections require more brevity than is typical in a grant application for research.)
1. Application form. Each field in Parts 1 and 2 of the application form must be completed.
2. Student’s statement of research interests. This personal statement by the student will briefly relate the proposed project to past experiences and future professional interests. This must not exceed the space provided in Part 1 of the application form.
3. Student’s academic record. The student’s academic record as demonstrated by the inclusion of a copy of his/her most recent grade report from undergraduate degree(s) and graduate studies completed to the end of 2008. Transcripts may be submitted as an attachment to the application, in envelopes sealed by the university.
4. Faculty supervisor’s appraisal of student’s abilities and undertaking to supervise. In one page, the faculty supervisor will: (i) appraise the student’s abilities, including his or her likelihood of completing the degree; (ii) agree to supervise the project if funded; (iii) ensure that upon completion of the project or conclusion of funding, a report will be submitted to TSSA; and (iv) agree to promote the dissemination of results from the research project.
5. Faculty supervisor’s statement of relevance to research program. A short statement (maximum 2 pages) by the faculty supervisor relating the student’s proposed work to the faculty member’s research program.
6. Faculty supervisor’s curriculum vitae. The faculty supervisor may submit a CV updated within the past four months meeting the format requirements of NSERC or SSHRC contributions document. Alternatively, the faculty member may prepare a two-page summary of his or her relevant publications (journals, conferences) and grants held that are pertinent to the student’s proposed work. Alternatively, a five page curriculum vitae (OCGS format) may be appended in lieu of recapping relevant publications within the two page limit.
7. Research project proposal. The research proposal must articulate the research question and research design, describe the work plan, situate the project in the literature and explain its value as a contribution to knowledge and practice in TSSA’s regulated areas, and must not exceed 2 pages excluding bibliography. A maximum of one page is allowed for the bibliography.
8. Student’s undertaking. The student applicant must undertake to submit all interim and final reports required and to make one or more research presentations to a TSSA audience subject to mutually convenient scheduling.
Application Deadline
Applications must be received by TSSA by May 15th, 2009 at 4:00 p.m. EST. The entire application must be submitted in one envelope and shall not be bound. No attachments or supplements will be accepted.
The postal mailing address is (same address for couriers):
Safety Education Research Graduate Scholarship
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Corporate Secretariat Department
300 Bloor St. West, 14th floor, Centre Tower
Toronto, ON
M8X 2X4
416-734-3413 attn: Neena Jyoti
Adjudication of Proposals
TSSA’s Consumer Advisory Council will convene a Research Advisory Committee and may also recruit external peer reviewers to evaluate proposals. The evaluation criteria will rate the degree to which:
λ the proposed project is achievable within the normal duration of the student’s academic program with the resources the student can access;
λ the proposed work contributes to the research evidence and knowledge relevant to public safety;
λ the student can situate the proposed work within a reasonable framework in the literature, recognizing that he or she will elaborate and expand on this literature over the course of his or her studies;
λ the student can communicate what he or she plans to do and, as a result, is likely to be able to communicate the results of his or her work;
λ the student has or will have a suitable faculty advisor who has the background to supervise the proposed project; and
λ the student has the capacity to complete the program of study, based on his/her academic record, based on GPA and scholarships awarded.
Additional Timelines and Deadlines
The TSSA’s Research Advisory Committee and external peer reviewers will review each complete application package. It is expected that TSSA will announce the successful recipients by July 31, 2009.

Annual reports for continuing scholarship holders and renewing in their second or third year of the project are due on May 15, 2010. The supervisor also has to state that the student is making satisfactory progress.
Dissemination of Results
Each award recipient will be expected to participate in an annual research symposium hosted by TSSA to update TSSA representatives and/or industry advisory council members on advances in public safety research. Presentations may be by oral presentation or research poster. Details will be provided to award recipients during the course of the year.

Upcoming Seminar: Smart Ways to Spend Infrastructure Dollars

You are cordially invited to join us for the presentation: Smart Ways to Spend Infrastructure Dollars, presented by the Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy, in partnership with the Martin Prosperity Institute. Lunch will be served and there is no charge for this event.

Presented by: Dr. Chris Kennedy, Dr. Bryan Karney, Dr. Eric Miller
and Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Toronto


When: Thursday, May 14, 2009, noon to 2 p.m.

Where: Stop 33, Sutton Place Hotel, 955 Bay Street, Toronto

To register, please reply to info@ocepp.ca by May 11 and include your title and organization’s name.

Upcoming Writing Course for Non-Native Speakers of English

UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ARTICLE GENRE: READING TOWARDS WRITING


UPCOMING 5-WEEK COURSE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH
School of Graduate Studies / ELWS course offering (non-credit):

Understanding the Research Article Genre: Reading Towards Writing (for Non - Native Speakers of English)
Graduate students spend a great deal of time reading research articles; however, when it comes to writing them, they often have difficulty following the example of what they have read. This course is designed to help graduate students engaged in experimental work write research articles by increasing their familiarity with the established forms of such articles. To do so, we will analyze the discourse strategies of articles that follow the basic pattern for reporting empirical research: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion (IMRAD). The course will involve close readings of articles drawn from representative fields of study. The course will also consider writing issues relevant for non-native speakers of English, such as grammatical patterns, syntactic forms, lexical choices and rhetorical structure. Students will also receive feedback on the research papers that they themselves are writing. Course Duration: 5 weeks.

This course is suitable for students whose work involves experimental research, that is, students from the physical, life, or social sciences who need to write articles that more or less follow the IMRAD format. If you have any questions about whether this course is appropriate for you, please contact Dr. Peter Grav for clarification: pgrav@sgs.utoronto.ca. It is recommended that students complete ELWS’ other three Academic Writing courses before taking this one.
Instructor: Dr. Peter Grav
This free non-credit course runs May 12 to June 9 on Tuesdays from 10:00 – 12:00

Course registration procedures can be found on the ELWS website at http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/students/english/courses/registration.htm#regist.

Please note that enrolment is limited in order to maintain a desirable teacher-student ratio.