The endMS Doctoral Studentship Award provides opportunities for research training and broadening the scientific understanding of MS for students currently enrolled in a Doctoral level program. MS Canada will support studentships aligned with our new strategic plan. The strategic plan outlines four key impact goal areas:
- Advance Treatment and Care: Research that aims to advance treatment and care for people affected by MS (e.g. symptom management; diagnosis; developing new treatments and understanding their mechanisms, understanding and evaluating interventions to address mental health, wellness/self-care, and rehabilitation in people living with MS; innovations in the provision of health services, clinical care practices and models of care; and advances in healthcare delivery/policy).
- Enhance Well-being: Research that aims to understand how to enhance the well-being of people affected by MS within communities (e.g. understanding the social determinants of health; assessing the health economics/cost benefit analysis on MS interventions and support structures and systems; evaluation of community-based programs; and advances in health systems research/policy).
- Understand and Halt Disease Progression: Research that aims to understand the etiology and mechanisms of MS, disease progression, progressive MS, and repair (e.g., myelin biology, neurobiology, neurophysiology, immunology, neuropathology, and imaging).
- Prevent MS: Research that aims to prevent MS (e.g. identifying risk factors for disease, effective interventions for prevention, health economic/cost benefit analysis on prevention, and defining highest risk populations).
Based on the nature of the research, the applicants can apply to one of the following two streams:
- endMS Doctoral Studentships: Biomedical research
- endMS Doctoral Studentships: Clinical and Population Health research
Biomedical Research Stream
The Biomedical Research stream supports research which uncovers the biological, pathological, and mechanistic aspects of MS, and provides fundamental knowledge about the development, progression, prevention and treatment of MS disease. Studies can involve in vitro, animal, and/or human models.
Clinical and Population Health Research Stream
The Clinical and Population Health Research stream supports clinical research with the goal of improving diagnosis, treatment, or the health and quality of life of individuals with MS; health services research; encompasses research on, or for the treatment of, people affected by MS; supports population health research that aims to understand the complex, biological, social, cultural and environmental interactions that determine the health of individuals and populations.
Term and Amount
- Maximum term: 4 years (initial award and three renewals)
- Awarded amount per year: $22,000
- Awarded amount per year (for M.D. holder): $50,500
The MSC awards funding annually for endMS Personnel Awards. Subsequent funding allowable within the maximum term limits of the award will be renewed upon demonstration of research progress as determined by the MSC and the MSC endMS Personnel review committee through an assessment of a Progress Report completed each year.
Eligibility
- Working towards a PhD or related degree pertaining to research in MS. Please note that a Doctoral Studentship Award will not be activated until MS Canada has received written notification from a university or professional school and/or supervisor that an appropriate transfer of degree or Master's degree has been granted.
- Enrolled in graduate training at a Canadian institution; or those interested in studying abroad must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
- Studentships must be held in a recognized institution; and responsible to an appropriate supervisor who is in a field relevant to MS.
- M.D. applicants must hold degrees that are recognized by the medical regulatory authority in the Canadian province or territory where they practice.
Important Dates
- Competition Opens: July 21, 2023
- Application Deadline: October 3, 2023 at 16:00 ET
- Progress Report Deadline: November 1, 2023 at 16:00 ET
- Anticipated Notice of Decision: March 2024
- Funding Start Date: July 1, 2024
What’s new this year?
- MS Canada has a new partnership with Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) to co-fund trainees based in Saskatchewan and holding a position at an eligible research institution in Saskatchewan. Co-funded applications may be eligible to receive a $10,000 top-up from SHRF.
ADDITIONAL NOTES TO APPLICANTS:
- All applications must be submitted via ProposalCentral which can be accessed through the following website: https://proposalcentral.com. Applicants must create a profile on ProposalCentral through which they can complete the application process. Applicants are also required to connect their ORCiD identifier, a persistent and unique digital identifier, to the ProposalCentral profile. ORCiD will connect your iD with your professional information (e.g. grants, publications, funding, etc.). If you don’t have an ORCiD, you can easily create one in a few minutes.
- Applicants who are eligible for an annual renewal of their current endMS Personnel Awards will be contacted by MSC to complete and submit a Progress Report in ProposalCentral. The submission deadline for new awards is October 3, 2023 at 16:00 ET and for renewals is November 1, 2023 at 16:00 ET. Please carefully review the Program Guide before submitting an application as requirements change. For any questions on the application, do not hesitate to contact ms.grants@mscanada.ca.
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete the updated Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Questionnaire to help us better monitor equity in our programs. Your information will only be seen by authorized MSC staff and the data collected will only be used in an aggregated form in order to protect the identity of individuals.
- Applicants to new endMS Doctoral Studentship and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards will require Letters of Recommendation from their supervisor(s), including co-supervisor(s), plus two (2) additional academic referees. Progress Reports for renewal of current Doctoral Studentships and Postdoctoral Fellowship Awards require one (1) Letter of Recommendation from their supervisor stating the progress made by the applicant during the last funding year (or period). Applications without the required number of letters of recommendation will be ineligible.
- Doctoral level applicants must provide official transcripts from their undergraduate degree and graduate studies, indicating courses taken with grades. Postdoctoral level applicants must provide official transcripts from their graduate degree. Applications submitted without the appropriate transcript(s) will be ineligible.
Research Funding Partnerships
MSC Partnership with Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS)
Partnership Objectives
To support a greater number of Doctoral students by providing training awards to outstanding individuals in Quebec who wish to commence or pursue their research training in the field of multiple sclerosis. This support will be delivered through the co-funding fellowship awards submitted to the regular competitions of both FRQS and MSC.
Mechanisms of Support
The co-funded support for studentship awards are one (1) year in length with an opportunity to be renewed, which is dependent upon the submission and approval of a renewal application by both FRQS and MSC.
A successfully executed letter of agreement is required to receive this funding.
Value of Awards
| Awards and Fellowships | Total Funding Amount |
| Doctoral award | $25,000 |
| Doctoral award (for MD pursuing PhD training) | $50,500 |
*Awards will be co-funded by FRQS and MSC.
Program Eligibility
In order to be eligible for funding through this partnership applicants must:
- Apply to both FRQS and MSC regular competitions.
- FRQS candidates must indicate in their application that they wish to be considered for a MSC partnership award and MSC candidates must indicate that they wish to be considered for the FRQS partnership award.
- The FRQS application must be approved for relevance by the MSC.
- The application must be approved for funding based on the peer review of both FRQS and MSC research competitions.
Important Dates
- MSC Competition Opens: July 21, 2023
- MSC Application Deadline: October 3, 2023 at 16:00 ET
- MSC Anticipated Notice of Decision: March 2024
- Funding Start Date: July 1, 2024
MSC Partnership with Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF)
Partnership Objectives
MSC and SHRF aim to support a greater number of doctoral students by providing awards to outstanding individuals in Saskatchewan who wish to commence, pursue or sustain their research program in the field of MS. This support will be delivered through the co-funding of excellent endMS Personnel Awards applications submitted to the annual competition of MSC. Awards will be co-funded by MSC and SHRF. Co-funded applications may be eligible to receive a $10,000 top-up from SHRF.
Mechanisms of Support
The co-funded support for doctoral studentships is one (1) year in length with an opportunity to be renewed, which is dependent upon the submission and approval of a renewal application to the MS Canada.
Program Eligibility
In order to be eligible for this partnership funding:
- An applicant must submit an application for MSC’s endMS Personnel Awards competition.
- The applicant needs to be based in Saskatchewan and conduct their research at an eligible institution in Saskatchewan.
- The application must be approved for funding based on the peer review from MSC annual research competition.
Applications that are to be conducted at institutions located in Saskatchewan will be automatically considered for funding for an MSC-SHRF partnership award. If successful in the competition, each partner’s contribution will be outlined in the letter of agreement with the Institution for the amount they contribute to the total award.