OVDRHSE Leave of Absence Stipendiary Fund

For research-stream graduate students in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine, the Leave of Absence Stipendiary Fund is available for an approved Leave of Absence (LOA) due to health issues (i.e. physical) and/or mental health challenges which temporarily impair a student’s functioning during his/her graduate studies. Funding is available up to $5,000 per student for one term on a one-time only basis.  Ideally, students must submit an application package (as described below) to the Office of the Vice Dean, Research and Health Science Education (OVDRHSE) in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine before the deadline below and prior to the start of their LOA.  Students who remain registered during the requested LOA will not receive LOA Stipendiary Funding. 

For students taking a LOA due to parental leave, the School of Graduate Studies provides funding through the SGS Parental Grant.  Please click here for more information. 

To apply for the LOA Stipendiary Fund, students will be asked to email the following package by the appropriate deadline to rachel.zulla@utoronto.ca

1. A completed LOA Stipendiary Fund Form signed by the student and Graduate Coordinator. Please note this is a fillable form and digital signatures can be inserted where applicable. If digital signatures are not possible, please leave blank and OVDRHSE will follow-up with your Graduate Coordinator.
2. One page letter explaining the reason(s) for the LOA and how it has impaired your ability to function in your graduate program. Please address the letter to the LOA Stipendiary Fund Committee
3. A physician’s note, specifically outlining the physical and mental health issues that impair your functioning in your graduate program. Alternatively, you can also ask your physician to complete the verification_of_student_illness_voi.pdf. This a standard University of Toronto form that has being adopted for the purpose of this fund; we will only accept forms signed by physicians.
4. A completed loa_fill_in_fields.pdf. Please note that only Sections 1 and 2 must be completed. Please note this is a fillable form and digital signatures can be inserted where applicable. If digital signatures are not possible, please leave blank and OVDRHSE will follow-up with your Graduate Coordinator/Chair. Alternatively, we will also accepted a scanned copy (with signatures) of this form.

Deadlines

As of March 2023, applications can be submit at anytime throughout the academic year.  Application received within a given month, will be reviewed by the end of the month.  For example, a complete application received on April 15, 2023 will be seen by the LOA Stipendiary Adjudication Committee in the last week of April 2023.  Decisions will be communicated to the student two weeks thereafter. Questions and complete applications should be sent to Rachel Zulla, Faculty Graduate Affairs Officer, at rachel.zulla@utoronto.ca. 

This funding is conditional upon confirmation of an approved Leave of Absence by your graduate unit and the School of Graduate Studies.

Last updated:  March 9, 2023