CPS Parental Leave Fund
For Graduate Students
The Department of Chemical and Physical Sciences (CPS), in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and Graduate Units, provides financial support for UTM affiliated graduate students during their approved parental leave. The goal of this funding program is to offset the loss of funding as a result of taking an approved parental leave of absence so that there is no significant change to the take-home portion (i.e., base funding) of the graduate funding package amount. The graduate funding package during the parental leave period may include contributions from NSERC/CIHR fellowships, SGS Parental Grant, Graduate Units, and CPS.
If you are an expectant parent, please let Michelle Bae (cpsgrad.utm@utoronto.ca) know and also reach out to your discipline-specific Graduate Unit Office (usually the Graduate Administrator) and initiate the leave of absence process. Please refer to “Eligibility” and “Application Process” section of the School of Graduate Studies webpage - https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/awards/sgs-parental-grant/.
If you have any further questions regarding your fees and the policy on leave of absence, please reach out to your Graduate Administrator.
- Astronomy: Margaret Meaney – http://www.astro.utoronto.ca/people/staff/
- Biochemistry: Carrie Harber – http://biochemistry.utoronto.ca/contact/
- Cell and Systems Biology: Ian Buglass – https://csb.utoronto.ca/people/staff-directory/
- Chemistry: Anna Liza Villavelez – https://www.chemistry.utoronto.ca/directories/staff#staff-accordion-2
- Earth Sciences: Scott Moore – https://www.es.utoronto.ca/people/staff/
- Physics: Krystyna Biel – https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/members/?q=&m_type=administrative
For Postdoctoral Fellows
As stated under article 11 in the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement, postdoctoral fellows who have been employed for at least thirteen weeks will be eligible for pregnancy/parental leave. Including Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, you may be eligible for additional funding support from CPS and/or from other research granting agencies (e.g., NSERC, CIHR) if you are the holder of their scholarship/fellowship. Leave requests must be submitted to the hiring department at least two weeks in advance.
If you have questions or if you would like to take advantage of this program, please contact the Financial and Administrative Coordinator at cpsfinadmin.utm@utoronto.ca.
The CPS Parental Leave Fund was implemented in April 2022. Document Last Updated in April 2022.