1.0  Preamble:

The Public Health Sciences (PHS) PhD student funding policy is grounded in the University of Toronto Policy on Student Financial Support and the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) guidance on how funding works for research stream programs. Please explore the SGS website as it provides information about funding policies across the University of Toronto.

The PhD program is considered a full-time occupation by SGS and government regulations. This policy, described in more detail below, is in effect for all PhD students who are registered and enrolled in the Four-Year full-time PhD program, in the Graduate Department of Public Health Sciences (PHS) for the 2026-2027 academic year. This policy is reviewed, and may be revised, on an annual basis.

2.0  Am I covered under this policy?

Students are eligible to be included in this policy if they are:

  • Registered and enrolled Full-time in the Four-Year PhD program as defined in the SGS Regulations; flex-time students are not eligible;
  • In academic years 1-4 of the PhD program; N.B. approved Leaves of Absence (e.g., parental or medical leaves) do not count towards the academic program year.
  • Maintaining good academic standing as described in the PHS Statement on Good Academic Standing and Satisfactory Progress, completing the degree requirements and achieving the milestones as defined by the program;
  • Applying for competitive external awards for which they are eligible (See below);
  • Applying for Research Assistant positions and/or Teaching Assistant positions to contribute towards the funding package;
  • Completing the annual Funding Declaration and PhD Activity Report;
  • As the PhD program is considered full-time employment, students should not be employed full-time outside the funding package. Working full-time on outside employment is considered a conflict of commitment. Students with a conflict of commitment are not eligible for the funding package.

3.0  Components of the Student Funding Package:

The PhD Student Funding Package comprises different sources of funding including, but not limited to:

  • Scholarships/Awards;
  • Teaching Assistantships (TAships; including course instructor);
  • Research Assistantships (RAships; including research coordinator);
  • Research Stipend from the supervisor; and
  • PHS funding through the University of Toronto Fellowship (UTF).

Note: Student funding packages are individualized and therefore will look different between students.

Domestic student funding package breakdown:

  • For 2025-26, the Funding Package is $40,000: $31,551.52 living + $6,210 tuition + $2,238.48 fees. (Note: For 2026-27, the $40,000 funding package minimum will be revised to reflect tuition and fee increases).

Sample Funding Package Breakdown (2025-26)

Example 1: Supervisor pays a portion of the package as a stipend, the student holds a scholarship and a TA position

Source/Description Amount
Scholarship/Award: OGS $15,000.00
Teaching Assistantship $3,800.00
Research Assistantship $0.00
Supervisor Stipend $12,751.52
DLSPH/UTF – Tuition $ 6,210.00
DLSPH/UTF – Fees $ 2,238.48
Total Package $40,000.00

 International student funding package breakdown:

  • For 2025-26, the Funding Package is $40,792: $31,551.52 living + $6,210 tuition + $2,238.48 fees + $792 UHIP. (Note: For 2026-27, the $40,792 minimum funding package will be revised to reflect tuition and fee increases)

 Example 2: Supervisor pays the full portion of the package through Stipend and RA

Source/Description Amount
Scholarship/Award $0.00
Teaching Assistantship $0.00
Research Assistantship $20,000.00
Supervisor Stipend $11,551.52
DLSPH/UTF – Tuition $6,210.00
DLSPH/UTF – Fees $2,238.48
DLSPH/UTF – UHIP (for international students) $792.00
Total Package $40,792.00

3.1  How does it work?

  • Students are expected to seek and obtain support for their funding package through scholarships, bursaries, awards, research stipends, research assistantships (or research coordinator positions), and teaching assistantships (or course instructor positions). Students should discuss their funding package with their supervisor;
  • Supervisor(s) are expected to contribute the remaining balance of the living expense through research stipend and/or RAship;
  • Students who secure Tri-Council or other Scholarship(s)/Award(s) funding equivalent to at least $40,000 will receive a bonus of $2,500 from the UTF funds. The bonus will not be applied if students hold Scholarship(s)/Award(s) totaling over $60,000 in the year;
  • All other students who meet the eligibility criteria, in Section 2.0 above, will receive a tuition supplement, up to the total amount of tuition + fees and UHIP (as applicable) for domestic and international students, from UTF funds to reach the minimum funding level;
  • Funding packages will be reassessed when the funding situation changes during the academic year (e.g., due to new awards, TAships, etc.).

3.2  Sources of Funding

3.2.1  Student obtained Awards and Scholarships:

Doctoral students are expected to apply annually for all major external awards (e.g. CIHR, SSHRC, OGS, NSERC) for which they are eligible. Applying for external awards helps develop essential scholarly skills and shows commitment to the scholarly enterprise. Winning external awards demonstrates research excellence, builds the resume, and enhances students’ competitiveness for future awards.

When a student wins an external award, it is applied to the funding package. This is one of the ways that the University of Toronto is able to make access to graduate study more equitable, as the offsets can be used to grow the overall pool of funded students and better meet our students’ financial needs.

Students are required to report award applications in their annual PhD Activity Report, as this is an important skill/experience for emerging researchers. Both the student and their supervisor will make every reasonable effort to obtain funding from competitive award sources. Funding awarded should be reported on the annual Funding Declaration. 

Student awards and funding opportunities are posted on the:

3.2.2  Teaching Assistantship and Course Instruction:

Teaching assistantships (TA) and course instruction (CI) are considered essential components of graduate student training and development.

  • TA/CI positions fall under the CUPE 3902, Unit 1 Bargaining Unit. Conditions of work and remuneration rates are governed by a collective agreement between U of T and CUPE 3902, Unit 1.;
  • Under the terms of the current contract, up to $6,900 from a TA or CI position can be applied towards the student funding package for the 2026-27 academic year;
  • PHS TA opportunities are posted on our website here. With the undergraduate program in PH through the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, TA opportunities there are also available to DLSPH doctoral students. Students may also find TA positions in other departments where they are qualified. All TA positions are posted here.
  • PhD students who obtain new TA/CI positions during the year may have their Funding Packages revised to reflect these additional earnings.

3.2.3  Research Assistantship:

Research assistantships (RA), including research coordination (RC), offer an opportunity for breadth of training and experience while completing the doctorate. RA/RCs work on faculty-led research. Note, this type of work may be with the supervisor or other faculty and is intended to be independent of the dissertation/thesis work.

  • RA/RC work is not part of the student’s dissertation research (research related to the dissertation should be funded as a stipend);
  • RA/RC work is employment, therefore, hiring policies of the university, or another organization through which the student is to be employed, will apply when securing an RA/RC position (e.g. with respect to unionized positions, tendering, etc.);
  • RA/RC position earnings will count towards the funding package.

3.2.4  Supervisor Stipend:

Research stipend funds are usually provided from grants or other funds from the supervisor. Research stipends are funds provided to a student for work related to their field of study during a period of training. Students can also be expected to contribute meaningfully to a broader funded research project from which a stipend can be provided.

 3.2.5  University of Toronto Fellowship (UTF):

The University of Toronto Fellowship (UTF) is provided from Public Health Sciences to contribute, as needed, to the annual Tuition + Fees of $8,448.48 for 2025-26 and UHIP for International Students ($792).

At the start of the academic year, the Graduate Department will provide students with a Funding Letter outlining their annual Student Funding Package for the upcoming academic year.

Students whose funding sources change during the year are required to notify the Graduate Department immediately at: e.sokoloff@utoronto.ca and provide scholarship/award/employment documentation.

4.0  Beyond the Funded Cohort

The doctoral program is a 4-year program. After the 4th year, the student is no longer part of the funded cohort. Any further supervisor contribution will be at the discretion of the student’s research supervisor. Students may continue to hold Research and/or Teaching Assistant positions, may be eligible to apply for external scholarships, and may also be eligible for the Doctoral Completion Award  (https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards/doctoral-completion-award-dca/).

Posted April 10, 2026