Highlights for this issue

•  NEW — Graduate Studies Continuing Student Internal Scholarship/Award Application: Please refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies website for a list of scholarships/awards and the eligibility criteria for each scholarship/award and the link to the Graduate Studies Continuing Student Internal Scholarship/Award Application. You will complete the application online, a hard copy is not required.
Application Deadline: Monday, January 4, 2016. After this date the application will not be available.

• eBulletin: The e-Bulletin’s regular distribution of every other week will continue for the Fall Term.

The e-Bulletin is also posted online.
Previous issues of e-Bulletin are posted online.

TAKE NOTE
Deadlines or events that will occur between this issue and the first week of the next issue are highlighted for your immediate attention.

Scholarships/Awards/Grants

• Mary-Claire Ward Geoscience Award: The award encourages and supports a graduate student in Canada whose thesis embodies the concept of increasing our knowledge of the geological history of Canada through mapping. The thesis must meet this requirement by incorporating mapping as a significant component. The award is offered through a coalition of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Canadian Geological Foundation, the Geological Association of Canada, the National Geological Surveys Committee and Watts, Griffis and McOuat Limited with financial administration provided by the Canadian Geological Foundation.
For more information and to access an application form, visit the PDAC Awards website.
Deadline: Tuesday, Dec. 15

• 2016-17 Canadian Northern Studies Trust Student (CNST) Awards: The call has been released for over $1 million worth of northern-focused research awards offered through the CNST and the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies. A significant portion of the support is for graduate student scholarships in northern science research, supported by the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Please refer to the ACUNS Website or ACUNS Awards and Scholarships for more information or contact the Chair of the Brock Northern Studies Committee Chair, Assistant Professor Kevin Turner, at kturner2@brocku.ca
Deadline: Friday, Jan. 29, 2016

• Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) Scholarships in Water Resources: The Canadian Water Resources Association annually offers five scholarships awarded to graduate students whose programs of study focus on applied, natural, or social science aspects of water resources. The value of the awards ranges from $1,500 to $5,000. The CWRA Scholarship Committee will accept only one application from any department in a Canadian university or college. Therefore applicants must provide a statement from the chairman/director of the department that verifies that the application is the one being submitted from that program for the graduate scholarship.
Go to the CWRA website for more information and application details.
Deadline: Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016

• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Scholarships: The GFOA encourages the pursuit of careers in government finance and management. In the interest of assisting students in advancing in these areas, the GFOA offers student opportunities through the following scholarships.
Visit the GFOA website for full details about applying for these awards:
The Daniel B. Goldberg Scholarship competition is for students who are enrolled full-time in a graduate program that prepares students for careers in state and local government finance. One scholarship of $13,000 is available for award in 2016.
The Frank L. Greathouse Government Accounting Scholarship competition is for undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled full-time in a university or college preparing for a career in state and local government finance in the United States or Canada.
Two scholarships of $8,000 each are available for award in 2016.
The Government Finance Professional Development Scholarship competition is for graduate students who have been admitted on a part-time basis to a graduate program in public administration, (governmental) accounting, finance, economics, business administration or a related field. Four scholarships of $8,000 each are available for award in 2016.
The Minorities in Government Finance Scholarship competition is for minority students of public administration, (governmental) accounting, finance, political science, economics or business administration (with a specific focus on government or nonprofit management) at the upper-division undergraduate or graduate level. One scholarship of $8,000 is available for award in 2016.
Deadline: Feb. 19, 2016

• External scholarship 2016/2017 competitions: Information about external funding competitions is posted on the FGS External Scholarships & Awards webpage

The list of awards and scholarships includes:

• Tri-Agency (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR)

• NSERC Master’s (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) – deadline Dec. 1

• SSHRC Master’s (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) – deadline Dec. 1

• CIHR Master’s (Canadian Institutes of Health Research) – deadline Dec. 1

• Autism Scholars Awards – deadline Dec. 1

• Ontario Women’s Health – deadline Dec. 1

• John Charles Polanyi Prize – deadline Dec. 1

• W.L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships – deadline Feb. 1, 2016

• Ontario Trillium Scholarship — deadline Feb. 15, 2016

• Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) - deadline to be announced.

• The Mitacs Accelerate Program: Funding is provided to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to apply his or her specialized expertise to business-related research challenges. Partners can be either for-profit businesses or not-for-profit organizations. Note that after August 31, 2015, this program will become the primary delivery agent for federally supported graduate-level industrial research and development internships and will replace the NSERC Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships program.
For more information contact Louisa Ho, Commercialization Research Officer, at lho@brocku.ca

• Ontario's TalentEdge Fellowship Program (TFP): The program provides support for Ontario-based PhD graduates and Postdoctoral Fellows (PDFs) to work on industry-driven research and development projects. This program is open to PDFs across all disciplines and areas of specialization. Fellowships may be academic (college or university), or company based.
Each 12-month TalentEdge fellowship is valued at $85,000.
Applications may be submitted at any time and will be reviewed throughout the year.
For more Information visit the Ontario Centres of Excellence website

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research IHSRP Travel Awards: IHSPR will provide travel awards in 2014-2015 for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and new investigators to attend and present their research at meetings, conferences (including international conferences) and/or symposia that align with the Institute's mandate and advance their professional development and/or knowledge translation initiatives in health services and policy research.
See more information visit the Canadian Institutes of Health Research website

• Student international funding opportunities: Visit Brock International for a listing of scholarship and awards programs

• Brock Library Open Access Publishing Fund: Open to Brock faculty, graduate students and postdocs. The purpose of this grant is to assist researchers in disseminating their research broadly via an Open Access (OA) journal. A minimum of four awards will be granted, to a maximum of $2,500 each [Total funds = $10,000]. This Grant is intended to support researchers with limited or no funding. If an alternate funding source is available that permits payment of submission fees (e.g. a research grant), that source must be used before applying to the OA Publishing Fund.
For more information contact: Barbara McDonald, Ext. 3949

VITAE: Essential Skills

Professional Development Programs for Graduate Students

• NEW - SSHRC Storytellers Challenge:
Brock Grad students! Calling all storytellers, data journalists, social media masters and aspiring filmmakers! SSHRC's annual storytellers contest challenges postsecondary students to show Canadians how social sciences and humanities research is affecting our lives, our world and our future for the better. Three minutes or 300 words; tell Canadians about a great SSHRC-funded project happening at your school. Your project can be yours or it can be a professor's (get their permission first!), but your story should be creative, compelling and clear. Watch 25 best Storyteller winners
Looking for support to improve your academic writing? Winter Term - Graduate Seminar: Wednesday evenings 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. In WH 207

• NEW - SSHRC Storytellers Info Session, Thursday Dec. 10, 12 noon to 1pm, MC D350L:
To register, please contact Karin Perry (kperry@brocku.ca) or Cathy Majtenyi (cmajtenyi@brocku.ca).

• NEW - Consider enrolling in EDUC 5P94: Advanced Writing Seminar. This graduate course provides an interdisciplinary approach to scholarly writing and publishing. We explore stages of the writing and publishing cycle in relation to personal interests, and a sense of self as a writer. The course is open to students from all disciplines.
NOTE: Full-time graduate students may register as an Extra Course with permission from your Graduate Program Director. Additional tuition charges apply only if you pay tuition per credit; otherwise, the course can be included in your per term tuition rate. See course calendar and the non-degree registration form here >> For details email Michelle McGinn (mmcginn@brocku.ca) or Snezana Ratkovic (snezana.ratkovic@brocku.ca).

• NEW — VITAE Essential Research Communication Skills WINTER Series begins (Mid January) , Please visit the website, as dates and times will be confirmed in the upcoming week. Communication skills are the constellation of skill sets most valued by employers. We've designed a series of workshops for you to develop and rehearse specific communication skills that extend and complement your rich academic skills and enhance a deeper level of learning.

About VITAE Partners
The Faculty of Graduate Studies is a coordinating partner of the VITAE Essential Skills Partners; a constellation of graduate student service professionals providing programs, resources and services to support academic, personal, social and professional success.

Please continue to visit our website for professional development programs and workshops.

Conferences and Events

GSA

Visit the GSA website for news and events.

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• NEW — Free mental health first aid training: Please join us to become certified in Mental Health First Aid Youth. This is an amazing opportunity to add to your CV, increase your knowledge of mental health vs. mental illness, and be part of the solution regarding the stigma surrounding mental health and mental illness. This two day course, a program of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, builds on participants' existing skills to increase comfort and confidence in working with students and youth (ages 12 to 24) experiencing mental health problems, such as, depression, anxiety, deliberate self-harm and/or psychosis.
Course dates: Friday, Dec. 11 and Monday, Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., WH204. Register today

• NEW — Free flu shot: Get your free flu shot at Student Health Services, Harrison Hall. You can make an appointment for any time Monday to Friday, x 3741 or come in to book it.

Also, you can go to the walk-in clinic at Niagara Region Public Health, 1815 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Monday afternoons, 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

• REMINDER — GSA bursary and conference funding deadline: The deadline for applications for the Fall 2015 GSA Bursary and Conference Funding Assistance Awards, is Monday, December 7 at 4 p.m. Go online to find out more about requirements and to access application forms.

• GSA Housing Resource: Check out a GSA Student Housing Resource Manual to assist graduate students in locating housing at Brock University.

• GSA Facebook group: Students are invited to join

Upcoming Thesis Defences

Check Faculty websites for notices of upcoming thesis defences.

• NEW — Zemane W’Giorgis, MSc student Chemistry, will defend her thesis on Friday, Nov. 27, 2 p.m., WH147.
Title: “Approach to the synthesis of aza-analogues of narciclasine through an intramolecular heck reaction”

• NEW — Kassandra Emberson, MSc student Chemistry, will defend her thesis on Wednesday, Dec. 2, 10 a.m., WH147.
Title: “The (1R,7aS)−1−((Triethylsilyl)oxy)tetrahydro−1H−pyrrolo[1,2−c]imidazol−3(2H)−one auxiliary as a ligand precursor for rhodium, and a stereo−determining group for N−Benzyl substitution”

• NEW — Matthew Nikitczuk, MSc student Earth Sciences, his video conference thesis defence scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, 9 a.m., in WH147.
Title: “Investigating microbial trace-fossils and abiotic alteration in hydrovolcanic tuffs of the Fort Rock Volcanic Field, OR.”

• Jory Korobanik, PhD student in Physics, will present his thesis defence on Monday Dec. 7, 1 p.m., MC H313.
Title: "The effects of magnetic dilution and applied pressure on several frustrated spinels"

• NEW — Diwitrios Alexandropoulos, PhD student Chemistry, will present his thesis defence on Tuesday Dec. 8, 10:30 a.m., Cairns 207.
Title: “Single-molecule magnets and multifunctional molecular magnetic materials based on polynuclear metal complexes”

• Monique Mallet-Boucher, PhD student in Education, will present her thesis defence on Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 10 a.m., Welsh Hall 147.
Title: "The Lived Experience of Nursing Students With Formative Assessment Formally Embedded in Clinical Courses: A transcendental phenomenological study"

• Zipparah Stephenson, MA student in Social Justice and Equity Studies, will defend her thesis on Thursday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m., WH147.
Title: " 'Designer Vaginas': The representation of female genitals on Canadian cosmetic surgeons' websites"

• NEW — Shahab Movahedi, MSc student Chemistry, will present his thesis via video conference on Monday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m., WH147.
Title: “DFT studies of the organocatalytic aldol reaction and a frustrated Lewis Pair System”

• NEW — Geoffrey Hartley, PhD student Health Biosciences, will defend his thesis on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Walker Complex 203. 
Title: “The influence of cerebral blood flow and carbon dioxide on neuromuscular function during environmental stress” 

• NEW — Seyedeh Maryamdokht Taimoory, PhD student in Chemistry, will present her thesis defence on Tuesday Jan. 12, 1 to 4 p.m., Welch Hall 147.
Title: “Mirroring Enzymes: The role of H-Bonding In HQuin-BAM Catalyzed Asymmetric Aza-Henry Reactions: DFT study into the reactivity, mechanism, and origins of selectivity”

Thesis publications postings for October 2015 – See the list of the most recent thesis publications uploaded to Brock's Library database on the FGS website.

• Search Brock theses on Theses Canada Portal: Brock's graduate student theses are now fully integrated into the Library and Archives Canada's AMICUS system. This means that approximately 2,000 Brock graduate student dissertations have been added to the definitive digital collection of Canadian theses, and are thus available to scholars across the country and the world. Visit the Theses Canada Portal for full details.

News

• REMINDER - Brock graduate to speak at Geography speaker series, Nov. 27:
Katie Hemsworth, a graduate of the MA Geography program at Brock University, will speak on Friday, Nov. 27, noon to 2 p.m. in MC C405, as part of the Geography speaker series. Hemsworth recently completed her PhD in Geography at Queen's University. Her topic focuses on the role of sound in prison and the discussion will centre on questions such as what do prisons sound like, and what is the role of sound in the way prisons are managed, conceptualised, and embodied?
See more details at Brock News — "Looking at the role of sound in prison"

• NEW — Inspiring Brock University Historical Society career roundtable panel (Brock News, Nov. 19)

 •NEW — Looking at impact of perfectionism on health and well-being (Brock News, Nov. 18)

• NEW — Brock chemistry team produces glowing molecule ‘superbase’ (Brock News, Nov. 17)

The Faculty of Graduate Studies e-Bulletin is distributed every two to four weeks. Past issues are posted online.