You are strongly encouraged to apply for any external awards for which you are eligible. Some examples of external awards are federal awards, such as those offered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). If you have external scholarships, you may have the opportunity to enhance your funding package with a top-up from your department, in recognition of your achievement. If you are an international student, be sure to investigate the possibility of awards specifically for students wishing to study in Canada. There are also funds available to facilitate graduate student research and travel.