University of Toronto Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award 2027

The award is genuine, and the University of Toronto has published its 2027–28 competition details. It recognises doctoral students with outstanding academic achievement, leadership and community engagement.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineNovember 20, 2026
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorUniversity of Toronto
• City to studyToronto
• School to studyUniversity of Toronto
• Course to studyHumanities , Science , Social Science
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

Two Sedra Awards: Up to $15,000 for 1 year; Up to Two finalists: $1,000 each

Requirements

Candidates across all divisions, including humanities, social sciences, and sciences, are warmly encouraged to apply.

At the time of application, applicants must be registered and in good standing in the second or third year of a doctoral program (third or fourth year of a direct-entry or fast-track doctoral) at the University of Toronto. The scholarship is not open to students who are pursuing master’s degrees.

Note: If a student transfers from a master’s program to a doctoral program without completing the master’s degree, the commencement of their doctoral program will be from the date of first registration in the master’s program and applicants are given the same eligibility window as direct-entry doctoral students (third or fourth year). For example, if the student transferred after their first year of registration into a PhD program, they would now be in year two of a “fast-track” PhD program.

Eligible candidates:

• Have an outstanding academic record and be making exceptional progress in their doctoral program, as demonstrated by transcripts, letters of recommendation, and other measures of scholarship according to their discipline;
• Should be involved in work that reflects a concerted effort to understand and respond to the changing intellectual landscape in their field of study; and
• Should have demonstrated a commitment during their doctoral program to enhancing the student experience of their peers through extracurricular leadership within the University and involvement in the life of the University. Of equal importance will be the candidates’ commitment to community outreach and involvement, as demonstrated by extracurricular activities outside of the University and their discipline. Community outreach often relates to disciplinary background. Therefore, outreach not specifically related to one’s research or academic field is highly valued and should be emphasized in the application.

Note: Only achievements/contributions during the doctoral program will be considered.

Application Documents

A complete application package will include all of the following items:

1. Completed online application form.
2. Curriculum vitae (please ensure your full name is clear on the first page) – Outlining only current doctoral program’s academic achievements, scholarships and awards received, plus publications, work experience, and extracurricular involvement both inside and outside the University in the following three categories:
   • Academic Performance – scholarships & awards, contributions to research and development (e.g., publications, articles, book chapters, patents, presentations, creative outputs). Applicants should indicate their role in their most notable research contributions explaining the rationale or practice for any unusual ordering of authors. For multi-authored publications, use a percentage to approximate the portion of the contribution.
   • Leadership and Engagement within the University (Departmental, Faculty, or University-wide)
   • Leadership and Engagement Outside of the University (e.g., including volunteering or community work within and beyond the limits of the field of study)

Note: Applicants are encouraged to provide details for two to three of their extracurricular activities on their CV to demonstrate commitment to enhancing the student experiences through extracurricular leadership within the University, involvement in the life of the University, and community outreach/involvement outside the University during their doctoral program

1. Statement of no more than 500 words about each applicant’s future academic and career goals
2. Scans of original or certified/validated copies of up-to-date official transcripts from master’s and doctoral level studies.  Direct-entry or “fast track” doctoral students must also supply scans of original or certified/validated copies of their official undergraduate transcripts.

For U of T transcripts:

• Although official transcripts are preferred, ACORN academic histories (web “Print to PDF”) are accepted for U of T transcripts only.

For transcripts external to U of T:

• Certification/validation of unofficial transcripts or web print-outs may be performed by the graduate unit. If the graduate unit is not able to certify/validate a transcript, it is each applicant’s responsibility to obtain and provide within their application package a scan of an original official transcript that was issued by the appropriate institution.
• Official?e-transcripts are?acceptable,?but?any?encryption?will need to be removed before uploading or combining with other transcript files. Students may use freely available PDF software?such as Adobe Acrobat Reader?or their internet browser (e.g., Chrome) to “print to PDF” in order to?create an unencrypted “copy” of the file, which remain acceptable.
• Grading legends must be provided with every transcript
• Transcripts should not be mailed to the Graduate Awards Office

1. 1. Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation will be automatically requested via email from [email protected] after the applicant submits their online Sedra Award application.  Letters must be submitted by reply email from each referee as a PDF attachment by the student application deadline.

Three or four supporting letters of recommendation from the following list of people:

• One (1) letter of recommendation from the thesis supervisor or supervisory committee member who can comment on the applicant’s academic progress.
• One (1) letter of recommendation from a member of the teaching staff of the University who can comment on the student’s involvement in university life.
• One (1) letter of recommendation from a referee outside of the University who can attest to the student’s external extracurricular activities.
• Up to one (1) additional letter of recommendation that attest to the student’s academic and extracurricular leadership.

Letters of Recommendation Notes:

• • • • Referee must directly reply to the email request from “[email protected]” without changing the Subject line.
      • Letters of recommendations should use strong positive language and measure the candidate in comparison to others in the same discipline and stage in their academic program. In addition, describe the applicant while providing information relevant to the field of study, degree or culture of the department (e.g., publishing norms, degree requirements, grading practises, unusual accomplishments, or special outreach activities) that would otherwise not be known outside the discipline. Referees are encouraged to speak about opportunities for service that is normal for the discipline, highlighting how the student has gone above and beyond the expected norms.
      • Each letter should be on institutional letterhead, signed, and the name and contact information of each referee must be clearly stated.
      • There is no particular formatting standard or page limit but each letter must be written specifically for the Sedra competition and should be addressed to the “SGS Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award Committee”.
      • A letter of support signed by multiple individuals will count as one letter towards the total.
      • Referee letters must remain confidential and not be reviewed by applicants.

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

November 20, 2026

How To Apply

Applicants must complete an online Adel S. Sedra Distinguished Graduate Award application by the application deadline.

• A Curriculum vitae, statement and transcripts are to be uploaded as a single PDF file to the online application.
• Letters of recommendation are submitted via email invitation. The request for letter of recommendation to referees will be sent by auto-email from [email protected] after the applicant submits their Sedra application Form.  Each referee will need to respond to the email request with a PDF attachment of the letter of recommendation by the application deadline. Note: Students must contact their referees in advance to confirm referee participation before entering their names into the application form. Applications and referee names cannot be modified after submission to SGS.  It is recommended that students inform their referees that the reference request will be sent only after the students submit their application and encourage their referees to prepare the reference letter before they receive the email request from SGS is sent so that there is minimal delay in completing the application.

Applications that are incomplete, ineligible or are submitted after the respective deadlines will not be considered.

Hardcopy application materials will not be accepted.

For more information, visit University of Toronto scholarship webpage.