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Connected Minds PhD Scholarships

INTRODUCTION:

New technologies are revolutionizing society, creating a 'techno-social collective' where humans and intelligent technologies are deeply interconnected. While such advances present exciting opportunities, they also present significant risks, especially for vulnerable and/or marginalized populations. The Connected Minds Program –supported by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, York and Queens’ Universities, and our many partners from multiple sectors—envisions a world where breakthroughs in technology promote social health and justice for all, with special focus on Indigenous Peoples in Canada. For further details, see: https://www.yorku.ca/research/connected-minds/general-information/.

Connected Minds Long-Term Goals:

  1. To understand how the interplay of humans and intelligent technologies produces unexpected, emergent properties at the community/whole society levels
  2. To predict how new technologies will disrupt the techno-social collective
  3. To use these predictions to drive new research and technology development

As such, we expect all funded initiatives and awards to contribute towards the long-term goals of our program.

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Research Themes: Connected Minds research aligns with three core themes: Theme I (Co- creating Research for Societal Needs and Predicted Impact) projects will mobilize transdisciplinary academics expertise and non-academic partnerships (including Indigenous Communities) to co- create research topics, priorities, and approaches. Theme II (Fundamentals of Social Interaction: Neural, Algorithmic, and Social Networks) projects will study different levels and scales, from the local (e.g., cortical microcircuits, network modules, system components) to global (e.g., whole- brain functional connectivity, control systems), to the social networks composed of both humans and machines. Theme III (Designing and Developing Socially Responsible Technologies) projects will engage current and new partners in industry, healthcare, government, and not-for-profit sectors to develop these intelligent technologies, and promulgate policies that promote a healthy, just society, and bench to world validation.

BASIC INFORMATION:

The Connected Minds PhD Scholarship will provide financial support to high-calibre trainees doing scholarly work that is aligned with the Connected Minds program under the supervision of a Connected Minds member.

Connected Minds will support interdisciplinary training programs across its three pillars and will support training opportunities with partners in industry, government and non-profit sectors that will enhance the trainee's graduate experience. Scholarships will be awarded competitively based on the strength of the candidate, the strength of the research proposal, and fit with the goals of the Connected Minds program in addition to the Affirmative Action policies noted below.

Specifically, successful Applicants are expected to make meaningful contributions towards fulfilling a subset of Connected Minds' strategic objectives and pivotal performance benchmarks, encompassing:

  • Collaborations with industry, academic, government, & community partners (including Indigenous Peoples & Communities)
  • Increased interdisciplinary scholarship, research, & art creation
  • Increased international recognition, collaboration, & leadership
  • Contributions to one or more of the following three National Science and Innovation Priority Areas (NSIPA): 1) Healthy Canadians, 2) Innovative Resilient Communities 3) Technologically Advanced Canada

In recognition of the underrepresentation of Black and Indigenous Peoples within these fields, at least 10% of available scholarships will be designated for qualified applicants identifying as African, Caribbean, and Black, and at least 10% for Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Metis, and Inuit), totaling at least 20% of scholarships. To qualify for these designated awards, applicants must complete the voluntary self-identification form and meet the minimum requirements set for the award.

Additionally, if you belong to one of the other underrepresented groups (racialized individuals; persons with disabilities; women and 2SLGBTQIA+), self identification will be used as a tiebreaker for candidates who are deemed equal. The tie breaker situation is directly linked to thresholds the Connected Minds program seeks to achieve based on our Affirmative Action targets.

Award Details:

*Up to $10K/yr up to 4 years

As per CFREF rules, these funds cannot be used to replace any existing university funding mechanism, they must be used as top-up.

* $3,333.33/term (FA/WI/SR) that the student is actively registered in.

New Application Deadline:

January 10, 2025

Apply Here

Click here to complete the Self-Identification survey

Letter of Recommendation form

To be eligible to apply:

  • We are only accepting applicants who plan to start their program within 12 months of the application deadline or who have started their PhD program at either York or Queen's within 14 months* of the application deadline.
  • All applications must be supported by a Connected Minds Member who will serve as the applicant’s primary supervisor.
  • All applications must be supported by another Connected Minds Member who will serve as a co-supervisor from a different area of study (i.e., different Connected Minds pillar) to enhance interdisciplinary expertise for the proposed project. (This does not have to be an official co-supervisor in the student’s graduate program, but could be).
  • Has a project proposal that is aligned with the Connected Minds mandate (see intro).
  • Total funding cannot exceed 4 years.
  • Students cannot hold multiple CFREF funded graduate scholarships at the same time.

*Not including career interruptions. An opportunity to describe any career interruptions will be provided in the application portal.

All Connected Minds funded doctoral scholars are:

  • Required to complete the program’s on-line progress report at the end of each fiscal year (starting with the fiscal year that funding was received).
  • Expected to present their progress / results at Connected Minds annual retreats.
  • Expected to participate in Connected Minds biennial academic conferences, alternating with our Technology and Innovation symposia, as well as Connected Minds hosted workshops on technical, academic, and applied themes.
  • Encouraged to work with Innovation York or Queen's Office of Partnership and Innovation to consider any commercialization or entrepreneurial opportunities.
  • Required to participate in a 3 month research/scholarly exchange in a partner organization or internship in a different sector or with a community partner. (Connected Minds will fund up to $10,000 for travel related expenses for the exchange).
  • Strongly encouraged to apply for external scholarships.
  • Required to submit yearly progress reports.
  • Required to acknowledge Connected Minds/CFREF funding in publications, presentations, conference materials, and professional communications as follows: “This work was undertaken thanks in part to funding from the Connected Minds program, supported by Canada First Research Excellence Fund, grant #CFREF-2022-00010.”
  • Encouraged to join the Connected Minds alumni group upon departure from the program, and stay connected to the program for career development, networking opportunities, knowledge mobilization, and community engagement.

Accountability of Supervisory Team:

  • All Connected Minds members involved in the supervisory team for funded trainees are required complete the program’s on-line progress report at the end of each fiscal year (starting with the fiscal year that funding was received) as well as provide baseline data for the 5 years leading up to joining Connected Minds.
  • The supervisory team must provide the resources and support required to enable their trainee to complete the proposed project successfully.
  • The Primary Supervisor must ensure that their funded trainee meets all requirements for holding a Connected Minds scholarship and remains accountable during the tenure of their award.

The application deadline posted on the Connected Minds website will be strictly enforced.

The full application must be submitted through the MachForm link posted on the Connected Minds website.

Application Questions:

  1. Lay Summary: summarize the project’s main objectives and goals in simple terms. What are the project aims, why are they important, and how will your supervisors and collaborators(s) contribute. (150 words max)
  2. Project Details: Detail the proposed project’s objectives, approach, relationship to the goals of Connected Minds, community engagement, and expected outcomes/impact. (1,000 words max)
  3. Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Considerations: Explain how EDI principles and best practices will be applied in the development of the proposal’s design, implementation, and impact by answering the following:
    • Please describe how individuals from underrepresented groups (women; racialized; Black; Indigenous Peoples; Persons with disabilities; 2SLGBTQIA+) and/or their perspectives and experiences (e.g., from literature, consultations), have been meaningfully integrated in the creation of the project’s question(s), design, methodology, and knowledge translation plan. If this has not yet occurred, please explain how underrepresented perspective will be integrated in your program. (max 150 words)
    • To help you engage and build knowledge of EDI and co-creation practices during your time in the program, what learning and developmental resources and programs would you be interested in participating in to develop your EDI knowledge and skillset. For example, information about conferences, seminars, and/or working groups. (max 150 words)
    • In recognition of barriers to participation and data sovereignty, what measures are in place to avoid or mitigate harm to underrepresented groups participating in research? What measures are in place to ensure knowledge generation and translation process have positive impact on underrepresented communities? (max 150 words)
    • What steps are in place to ensure the research is open to diverse viewpoints and ensure design and methodology are non-extractive? (max 150 words)

Uploads to the Application Form:

  1. Appendices: Tables, Figures, Project Timeline, References (optional, 3 pages max) – Please note that any additional pages beyond three may be deleted prior to review.
  2. Letter of Support: provide a letter of support, signed by both the proposed supervisor and the co-supervisor, detailing:
    • the scholarly ability of the student and the reasons you chose to accept them as a trainee;
    • their commitments to the student and how they plan to guide discussions on career options and pathways aligning with the student's interest and skills;
    • explicit description of the different pillars each supervisor's & co-supervisor's research profile represent, ensuring a transdisciplinary training experience;
    • demonstrating sufficient expertise and resources to support the project.
  3. Transcript: provide a copy of your transcript.
  4. Curriculum Vitae: provide a copy of your most recent CV.

Additional Requirements:

  1. One letter of reference: Note that the letter of recommendation should come from a referee who is NOT the proposed supervisor or co-supervisor, and should be emailed directly from the referee to applyconnectedminds@yorku.ca.
  2. Self-identification survey: All applicants are required to complete the self-identification survey. If you do not feel comfortable self-identifying, selecting the option “I prefer not to self-identify” under question #5, will end the survey. This option is also available throughout the survey, providing you with autonomy on what is shared. For more information on how data from the self-identification survey will be used, please click here.

Apply Here

Click here to complete the Self-Identification survey

Letter of Recommendation form

Evaluation:

  • Connected Minds staff will pre-screen applications to ensure that they meet the basic criteria described above.
  • Conflicts of interest within the training committee will be flagged.
  • Any project addressing Indigeneity will be further reviewed by the Indigenous Advisory Circle. In keeping with principles of self-determination, the Circle has the right to veto projects related to Indigenous research.
  • Members of the Training Committee will independently evaluate each application and provide a score out of 100. Scores will be weighted based on the criteria below.
  • Once all applications are scored, the average for each application will be calculated and assigned an initial rank by the Connected Minds admin team.
  • The Training Committee will meet to discuss the scores and strengths/weaknesses of the applications (including incorporating the comments of the Indigenous Advisory Circle).
  • Reviewers may revise their initial ratings as they see fit.
  • The Training Committee Lead will then seek a consensus on the average score of each individual application (deemed the “consensus rating”).
  • All reviewers must then cast individual confidential votes within +/- 10 of the consensus rating. The final rating assigned to the application will be the average of these confidential votes.
  • All conflicts of interest will be declared at the beginning of each evaluation meeting. Committee members will not evaluate or discuss applications in which they appear as a supervisor, co-supervisor, or collaborator. If necessary, guest evaluators will be recruited to replace their expertise.
  • Applications rated 90% and above will be deemed exceptional and will be automatically recommended to the Connected Minds Leadership Committee for funding.
  • Applications rated between 70-89% will be deemed fundable and will go through the below Affirmative Action Selection Process (AASP).
  • Applications rated below 70% will be deemed non-fundable.

Affirmative Action Selection Process (AASP): 

  • The Program Director, Operations Manager, and EDI and Community Outreach Specialist (hereafter referred to as CM Staff) will take the list of fundable applicants and identify those who fall under one or more of the federally designated groups (Women; Racialized Individuals; Indigenous Peoples; People with disabilities/Disabled Persons) and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ institutional priority group, and/or African, Black, Caribbean CFREF priority groups.
  • The diversity composition of the applicant pool for each institution (York & Queen’s) will be assessed using self-identification data collected via Survey Monkey.
  • CM Staff will determine the funding priority of each candidate based on current program targets.
  • Candidates who do not identify as individuals from underrepresented groups or who have opted out of the AASP will have their funding priority exchanged with the next highest-ranking applicant that aligns with the AA priority order.
  • The number of candidates recommended for funding will be based on the remaining fellowships available at each institution.
  • If an African, Black, Caribbean and/or Indigenous candidate has indicated on their application that they wish to be considered under the African, Black, Caribbean /Indigenous funding allocation and they did not rank high enough on the funding priority list to secure an available spot, they will be recommended for funding under this allocation (subject to availability).

Leadership Review and Approval: 

  • Recommendations on which applicants to fund based on the above processes will be presented to the Connected Minds Leadership Committee for review and final approval.
  • Results will be communicated approximately 8-10 weeks after the submission deadline.

Triage Stage:

The following will be discussed for each application at the evaluation meeting:

  • Basic Requirements: The application must meet the basic requirements described above.
  • Scholarly Focus: Does the proposal fall within the Connected Minds themes and mandate?
  • EDI Statement: Have the principles of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion described above been satisfied in the EDI section?

If these criteria are not met, the proposal will be rejected outright. If they are met, the following criteria will be judged:

Weighted Criteria for Full Evaluation:

  1. Scholarly Ability or Potential of the Candidate (based on all submitted materials 30%)
    • Quality of any contributions to scholarly activities.
    • Relevance of academic training and/or work/lived experience to the program and project.
    • Scholarships and awards held.
    • Ability to think critically.
    • Initiative and autonomy.
    • Determination and ability to complete projects within an appropriate period of time.
  1. Excellence of Proposal (30%)
    • Is sufficient background provided to understand the project?
    • Is the idea and/or approach novel and innovative?
    • Is the general methodological approach appropriate.
    • Are the expected outcomes clearly defined and realistic?
  1. Commitment of Supervisory Team (based on letter of support from supervisors 20%)
    • Indication of the supervisors' commitment to providing support and mentorship aligning with the student's interests and skills.
    • Clear indication and description of the different pillars each of the supervisor's & co-supervisor's research profile represent, ensuring a transdisciplinary training experience.
    • Appropriate resources are explicitly identified to support both the trainee and the proposed project.
  1. Overall Program Evaluation (based on all submitted materials, 20%)
    • Interdisciplinarity: The degree to which the proposed project incorporates methods and/or outputs across the three CM expertise pillars (neuroscience, AI/technology, society).
    • Co-creation focus: Are external partners necessary and involved in planning the project? In the case of community-based or applied projects, were end-users/communities consulted (or a plan for how such engagement and consultation will take place)?
    • Potential impact on knowledge mobilization and translation; for new research approaches, technologies, health, policy, or commercial application.
    • Overall contribution to the Connected Minds mandate and training goals.

Last updated: 03/06/2024