All Bridge fellows must complete an Annual Progress Report.

The next Annual Progress Report is due May 15, 2016.

Download the Annual Progress Report Form in Word format.

Graduate student fellows must complete the report in every year of the degree program up to and including the graduating year. It should be done in conjunction with the thesis supervisor. Continued Bridge funding for those eligible is not automatic and is subject to demonstration of progress on the Annual Progress Report. Students should complete this form as they would for any major scholarship application. Funding renewal or top-up awards are based solely on evidence from the Annual Progress Report. Students who are concerned about completion of the report are encouraged to meet with the Program Director or the Chair of the Admissions and Progress Committee before the submission deadline.

Purpose: The Bridge Program uses this report not only as a gauge of a student’s progress, but also as an indicator of the Program’s performance. The purposes include the following:

• To help Bridge students and their faculty advisors keep track of the Bridge requirements and demonstrate progress to the Admissions and Progress Committee
• To help Bridge students and faculty advisors keep track of the student's progress in their graduate program
• To allow students who have not received alternate funding for their graduate studies to apply for post-year-one funding from the Bridge Program
• To allow students who have received alternate funding to apply for top-up funding from the Bridge Program
• To help us evaluate the Bridge Program
• To provide data for the Bridge Program's annual reports to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Submission of Reports

It is the responsibility of the fellow to ensure that all elements of his/her report arrives at the Bridge office by the May 15 deadline. Confirmation of receipt will be emailed.

• Late or incomplete Progress Reports will not be considered for top-up or funding renewal in the upcoming academic year. (Incomplete applies to any part of the report that is under the control of the student, e.g., report text, transcripts, confirmation of review by committee members)
• Fellows who are not requesting continued funding for the following academic year, must still submit an Annual Progress Report. If their report is late, a request for submission of the report within 30 days will be issued. If the report is not received within the 30 days, all current funding (stipend and travel and research funding) will be terminated.

Requirements for Renewal of Bridge Funding

The Admissions and Progress Committee convenes shortly after the Annual Progress Report deadline to review all elements of the report. The members use an integrated approach to adjudicate decisions about continued funding. They look for the following:

• Academic excellence, normally a first class average in coursework, based on the transcripts for the year. Satisfactory progress in Bridge courses alone is not a guarantee of future funding.
• Evidence that there has been an application for or receipt of other sources of funding (i.e., the student, with help from their thesis supervisor, should apply for UGF, MSFHR, NSERC, CIHR or other external scholarships for which they are eligible).
• Evidence of consultation with their thesis supervisor and the thesis committee members, via signatures on the report. Emails before the report deadline from the thesis supervisor and committee members to the Program Manager will be accepted as confirmation of review of the Annual Progress Report.
• Demonstration of satisfactory progress in the graduate program.
  • In the first year of graduate studies – normal progress is establishment of a thesis committee, a clear elucidation of the thesis topic and some progress in thesis development.
  • In subsequent years of graduate studies – normal progress is significant progress in the thesis (e.g. field work, data analysis, writing of the thesis, presentations and publications,).
• PhD students – the normal expectation is completion of comprehensive examination and acceptance of the thesis proposal within 2 years of the start of the program.
• The thesis topic must cover the Bridge Program themes – public health, engineering, policy research. If the topic is a significant departure from the original proposal and does not encompass health and at least one of engineering or policy, a student may be denied funding.
• Committee members should be appropriately constituted from the Program themes – public health, engineering, policy research. Note that the minimum number of committee members (including supervisor) is 3. The thesis supervisor must be a Bridge mentor.
• Bridge courses
  • For masters students:
    • BRDG 500 and 501 – must be taken during the first year of studies
    • BRDG 590 – must complete a 3-4 month internship anytime during the graduate program
  • For doctoral students:
    • BRDG 600 and 601 – must be taken during the first 2 years of studies
    • BRDG 690 – must complete a 4-8 month internship anytime during the graduate program

Decisions of the Admissions and Progress Committee

All fellows and their supervisors will be notified of Admissions and Progress Committee decisions initially by email, followed by a formal letter with an agreement for signature. The student must return the signed agreement to confirm their continuation in the Program in the following academic year.

All funding decisions are final, however, the Admissions and Progress Committee Chair will be available to discuss the details of decisions with fellows and their supervisors.

Funding in Subsequent Years

All students, including those who are denied funding for the upcoming academic year, are eligible for continued funding in subsequent years up to the maximum allowed period (Masters – up to their first 2 years of masters study; PhD up to their first 3 years of doctoral study) provided that they:

• Remain an “active” Bridge fellow
• Submit an Annual Progress Report at the end of every academic year

Transferring from a Masters to a Doctoral program

Students transferring from a masters to a doctoral program have the option of transferring from a Masters Fellowship in the Bridge Program to a Doctoral Fellowship. Students must submit a letter requesting this change with their Annual Progress Report to the Admissions and Progress Committee.

The maximum number of years that doctoral students are eligible for Bridge funding is 3 years, and years of Bridge masters funding is included in this total.

Withdrawal from the Bridge Program

If a student decides to withdraw from the Bridge Program, they must submit a letter notifying the Bridge Office before the start of the academic year.

• The student will be given credit for BRDG 500/501 if s/he has completed and passed one full year of courses.
• The student will be given credit for BRDG 600/601 if s/e has completed and passed 2 full year of courses.
• All funding (stipend and travel and research funding) will be terminated.
• The student will not be eligible for future funding from the Bridge Program.
• The student will be given the title of “Bridge Alumnus/Alumna” and will no longer be considered an Active Bridge Fellow.