AGE-WELL Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards in Technology and Aging (2023)

AGE-WELL Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards in Technology and Aging provide partial funding to highly qualified master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral candidates and provide them with access to training and mentorship opportunities through the AGE-WELL Network of Centres of Excellence. AGE-WELL aims to provide a unique training environment that exposes trainees to multi-disciplinary research environments and to its industry and community partners. AGE-WELL is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining outstanding Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) in Canada.

AGE-WELL is a pan-Canadian network of industry, non-profit organizations, government, care providers, caregivers, end-users, and academic partners working together to drive innovation and create technologies and services that benefit older adults and caregivers. Our vision is to harness and build upon the potential of emerging and advanced technologies in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), e-health, information communication technologies (ICTs), and mobile technologies to stimulate technological, social, and policy innovation.

Please consult the AGE-WELL Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards Package 2023 and the AGE-WELL Award FAQ for detailed information and instructions. Applicants should also refer to the AGE-WELL Challenge Area Booklet for additional information about Network priorities.

Important Dates

Applications Open: 3 April, 2023
Completed Applications Due: 12 May, 2023
Results Available: August, 2023
Funding Commences: 1 September 2023
Award Term: 1 September 2023-31 March 2024

AGE-WELL Awards

Awards are intended to enhance existing funding support awarded to promising new scholars. Trainees must demonstrate that they receive funding from a source other than AGE-WELL.

Funding for awards runs from September 1, 2023 –  March 31, 2024.

We expect to offer the following awards in this 2023 call:

  • Master’s level awards at $10,000
  • PhD level awards at $15,000
  • Postdoctoral level awards at $20,000

AGE-WELL is pleased to once again offer the Indigenous Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Awards to provide salary support to self-identified Indigenous trainees researching in AgeTech-related fields. Recipients will be matched with network mentors during their award term.

We are pleased to offer our Michael F. Harcourt Policy Fellowship to support one doctoral student (any year of enrolment) or postdoctoral fellow from any discipline and training program that wishes to explore the policy dimensions of their work.

The Karen Kobayashi Memorial Award in Technology and Aging is intended to pay tribute to Dr. Kobayashi’s belief that our research should make positive, real-world impact. Applications must have a knowledge mobilization or implementation focus.

AGE-WELL has partnered with a number of community, industry, and post-secondary groups to further expand our collective impact and to build capacity among Canada’s young researcher. Click here for this year’s Co-funded Awards.

Eligibility

In order to be considered for AGE-WELL Awards, funding applicants must:

  1. Receive at least some financial support from additional sources: home department, supervisor research grants, and/or through government and agency scholarships or awards.
  2. Participate full‐time in their respective program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.
  3. Be engaged in academic study/research aligned with the mission and vision of AGE-WELL.
  4. Applicants for doctoral awards are restricted to those entering the first, second, or third year of their program. Doctoral candidates in year 4+ may be eligible for co-funded awards. Please see individual co-funded award details here.

Applicants who will receive AGE-WELL project funds concurrently with this award period are ineligible to apply to this competition. For example, a trainee who will be funded through AGE-WELL Core Research Projects, Platform Projects, Cross-Cutting themes, or the Strategic Investment, AIR or Catalyst programs would be ineligible.

Program Requirements

Training

Funded trainees will be automatically enrolled in our EPIC training program (Early Professionals, Inspired Careers) and are expected to participate actively in AGE-WELL seminar series and professional development activities (e.g. workshops in commercialization or entrepreneurship). Trainees will be required to earn the Innovators of Tomorrow certificate by completing 4 online courses (estimated 25-30 hours total) by 31 August 2024.

Reporting

As per NCE rules, funds must flow from AGE-WELL to the trainee’s primary supervisor at their institution.  Academic institutions receiving AGE-WELL funds in trust are expected to:

  • Set up a new account for AGE-WELL funds disbursed during the current AGE-WELL funding cycle.
  • Report on expenditures of AGE-WELL funds by submitting a Form 300 to the Network Management Office no later than April 30 of each year for the duration of this funding award.

Acknowledging AGE-WELL

AGE-WELL funded trainees will acknowledge the AGE-WELL Award program in their presentations, publications, and other knowledge translation activities related to research conducted during their funding period.  Funded trainees are required to use the AGE-WELL logo on their posters and other materials related to research conducted during their funding period.

Evaluation

All applications will be reviewed by a team of field experts using the following criteria:

  1. Scholarly Merit & Quality of Proposed Research (40%)
  2. Fit with AGE-WELL Goals and Priorities (40%)
  3. Quality of training environment (20%)

If successful, trainee funding will be held and disbursed by the trainee’s supervisor in a new account that must be established at the supervisor’s home institution.

Required Documents

Completed applications consist of the following:

  1. Online Application Form (you may complete this in either English or French);
  2. Formal evidence of enrolment in a Master’s or Doctoral program or Post‐Doctoral position;
  3. Formal evidence of awarded funding for 2023-2024;
  4. Curriculum Vitae;
  5. Two Confidential Letters of Support (one must be from your proposed supervisor) must be uploaded by your referees into the Forum Research Portal.

How to apply online:

Once you are ready to submit an application online:

  1. If you have not already done so, you must register with the AGE-WELL Forum Research Portal at https://forum.agewell-nce.ca/index.php/Special:HQPRegister (the form will ask for your name and email).
  2. After you submit the registration form, the system will create an account and send your credentials to the email address you provided.
  3. Once you login, you will have to reset your temporary password.
  4. The “My Applications” link is in the top right of the page you will reach after resetting your password. Please select “Award 2023”, navigate to the “Documents” tab, and enter your referee names and email addresses. Letters of support must be uploaded to the Forum Research Portal by your referees by 5pm ET May 12, 2023.
  5. Make sure to read the instructions on the first page of the application process carefully.

If you encounter any technical difficulties, please contact support@forum.agewell-nce.ca.

For questions about the program, eligibility etc., please contact training@agewell-nce.ca.