Navi Mental Health Wayfinder

2025 Inlight Research Fellowship Program

The Inlight Research Fellowship program will support graduate students to develop skills essential to conduct research projects that have a primary focus relevant to post-secondary student mental health and wellness at the University of Toronto.  

Applications will be open starting July 11th!

Timelines: 

Call for Fellowships Opens  July 11th 
Webinar (Program Overview)  September 9th (12 pm EST)
Deadline for Fellowship application Submission  October 1st (5 pm EST) 
Anticipated Notice of Decision  November 1st  

Award value: $5000 

 

 

Background

Inlight is an Institutional Strategic Initiative of the University of Toronto committed to improving post-secondary student mental health and wellness outcomes. By investing in high-quality, impactful research and driving research innovations into practice, Inlight is re-imagining how we support mental health research on our campuses to enhance post-secondary student mental health and wellness. We are working with students, faculty, researchers, staff, and administrators across our community to drive meaningful change in campus mental health. Inlight’s work is shaped by our vision and guiding principles. 

The Inlight Research Fellowship program will support graduate students to develop the skills to conduct research projects that have the potential to advance post-secondary student mental health and wellness outcomes through research at the University of Toronto.  Post-secondary student mental health is inclusive of mental wellness, mental illness and substance misuse. It encompasses the full length of a student’s journey—from transitions into post-secondary education to graduation; and the full range of student mental health experience—from community and individual well-being to clinical intervention, inside the classroom and out.   

Fellows will participate in the Inlight Research Fellowships training program, a one-year, non-credit certificate program that will support them to develop knowledge and research skills related to post-secondary student mental health and well-being.  

A webinar will be held on September 9th, 2025 at 12pm EST, to share an overview of the program and provide applicants with the opportunity to ask questions. Attendance at the webinar is not compulsory, but is strongly encouraged.  

What you’ll learn during the Fellowship: 

  • Knowledge of key considerations in the conduct of research related to post-secondary mental health and well-being, including student engagement, incorporation of EDIAI approaches, development of collaborative partnerships, public engagement, and strategies for the dissemination of research outcomes. 
  • Skills to generate and mobilize research to achieve health & equity impacts in post-secondary mental health and well-being  
  • An appreciation for the diversity of evidence and research needs in this emerging field, and increased knowledge of relevant research/data collection methods  

Inclusion of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Indigeneity Statement: Inlight strives to be an equitable and inclusive community and proactively seeks to increase diversity and representation among our members. We strongly encourage applications from Black, Indigenous and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and other equity deserving groups.  

Eligibility

The Inlight Research Fellowship program is open to domestic and international masters and doctoral students enrolled in the University of Toronto in a program of study that includes a research project requirement (this can be a primary or compulsory component, or an optional component). Normally, at least one will be awarded at each of the UofT campuses (based on applications received).   

Student applicants must be leading or planning a project relevant to post-secondary student mental health research as part of their thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication and/or comparative exhibit that is expert reviewed and required for the completion of their graduate program. Although student applicants can be in any year of their graduate study, they must be enrolled in their program of study for the full 2025-26 academic year. 

The applicant’s primary supervisor must normally be a full member of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, be eligible to supervise graduate students and be eligible to hold research funding at the University of Toronto or at their primary institution. (We recognise that there are other faculty roles that are able to supervise students and fall outside of this definition. Please contact Inlight if this is the case for your supervisor, and we will determine eligibility.) 

Co-supervisors can also be included, and do not need to meet the same eligibility requirements as the primary supervisor. Their role in the project should be described in the application template.  

Please note – we will normally only award one Fellowship to an individual during their combined academic graduate programs at the University of Toronto

Submission process

Please review the eligibility and conditions of funding prior to preparing your application.  

The application to the Inlight Fellowship Program requires submission of the application documents through a REDCap survey (‘Application survey’)Please convert all files to pdf format prior to uploading.  

Please note your submission includes both a supervisor recommendation and a signature by the graduate coordinator for your program – we strongly recommend that you request these early in the application process and at least 2 weeks before the application deadline, to facilitate timely submission. You may either use the Supervisor Information Survey to send an automatic request to your supervisor to complete the recommendation, or share this form with your supervisor and submit it at the same time as the rest of your application documents.  

At the end of the Application survey you will have the opportunity to complete a self-identification survey. Completing the self-identification survey is not compulsory and will not impact the adjudication of your fellowship application. 

This checklist has been provided to support you to successfully prepare and submit a complete application to the program. 

Full Application Submission (due October 1)

Applicants should prepare and submit the documents listed below by October 1st, 2025. Once the applicant has prepared these documents and converted them to pdf format, the applicant should complete the Application Survey, and upload all of the documents through this survey.  

    • Applicant and supervisor(s) information 
    • Signature from an individual who can confirm that the applicant is in good academic standing and that their funding policy allows for an award to be made on top of their package – this is typically the graduate coordinator from the Applicant’s program of study 
    • Statement summarizing training and experiences relevant to post-secondary mental health and well-being, and commitment to student engagement and EDIAI  
  • Overview of research project that is part of your program of study (planned or underway): 
  • Title and Lay Summary for the project 
  • Outline of research project including background/rationale, objectives, design and methodology, and impact on student mental health 
  • Appendices of references and figures (maximum one page) 
  • Supervisor recommendation – please either submit a supervisor recommendation form along with your application, or send an automatic request to your supervisor to complete and submit a recommendation through this link (please ensure you give your supervisor plenty of notice to complete this form – it is your responsibility to follow up and ensure it is completed) 
  • A recent CV (maximum 3 pages) or the abbreviated CV template – if you are submitting your own CV, it is recommended that they highlight relevant experience and significant contributions 
  • A copy of your academic transcript for graduate studies (official or unofficial will be accepted) 

Self-identification Survey: Please note that a self-identification survey is linked to at the end of the Application survey; however, completing the self-identification survey is not compulsory and will not impact the adjudication of your fellowship application. 

Data is being collected through this survey to monitor the degree to which Inlight is meeting its objective of proactively seeking to increase inclusion of Black, Indigenous and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, and other equity deserving groups. 

Your data may be used for the purposes of program operations, planning, performance measurement and monitoring, evaluation, and audits. Only the Inlight Leadership team will have access to the survey responses. Individual data will not be shared as part of the adjudication process nor will it be accessed by anyone external to the Inlight Leadership Team. Aggregated data will be shared internally with the Inlight team and advisory committee members to support review and redesign of programs. Aggregated data will only be shared publicly where data volume is sufficient to prevent the identification of any individual. 

Application Documents
  1. Application Survey (where all documents are submitted by October 1st, 2025 (5:00pm EST), link will be sent via email upon submission of the NOI application form) 
  2. Application template 
  3. Supervisor recommendation form OR Supervisor recommendation request 
  4. A recent CV (maximum 3 pages) or the abbreviated CV template 
  5. Copy of applicant’s academic transcript for graduate studies  
            Webinar (September 9)

            A one-hour Zoom webinar will be hosted on September 9th (12pm EST) to support those applying for an Inlight Research Fellowship. This webinar is an opportunity to learn more about the application and adjudication process.  

            [Register for the webinar here.] 

            Adjudication

            Prior to the adjudication, the Inlight leadership team members will perform a relevance review to determine that the research project is relevant to post-secondary student mental health. Applications deemed not relevant will be withdrawn from the competition.  

            Adjudication of the applications will be led by the Inlight Associate Director, Education & Training. Applications will then be considered with respect to the excellence and achievements of the candidate (relative to stage of their training), and consideration will be given to ensure that successful applicants are representative of the diversity of the University of Toronto community, as well as breadth of division and tri-campus involvement.  

            Where an Inlight leadership team member supervises a student applicant, that member will recuse themselves from involvement in the process around that application. Inlight follows the CIHR guidelines of conflict of interest: “a conflict of interest means a conflict between a participant’s (e.g., reviewers and observers) duties and responsibilities with regard to the review process, and a participant’s private, professional, business or public interests.” 

            Conditions of Application and Funding
            • Once funded, we expect all Fellows to actively engage with this award’s training and networking components. Expectations for participation are outlined as part of the training program overview, and these requirements must be met. Normally, the release of the second round of funding is dependent on successful participation in the components of the certificate. 

              • All applicants and their supervisors will automatically be enrolled into the  Inlight Network and will receive communication on future Inlight opportunities and knowledge events.  
              • Students selected for Fellowships and their supervisors may be asked to join Inlight grant program adjudication panels in subsequent years.  
              • Students must respond within four weeks to requests for updates on project progress (no more than a quarterly basis) during the year of funding, to support Inlight’s reporting activities, as well as to ensure continued timely payment of stipend installments.  
              • A final summary and impact report must be submitted to Inlight one month after the end of the program period (October 1st, 2026) or the graduate program conclusion (whichever occurs first) – the Inlight team will provide a template.  
            Frequently Asked Questions

            Can supervisors support more than one fellowship application?

            Yes, we welcome students that may have the same supervisor to submit separate applications for the Inlight Research Fellowship Program.  

            Can I be a fellowship student applicant as an outside (non-UofT) student, so long as a U of T faculty member is the principal applicant?

            No, the Inlight Research Fellowships are being provided to individuals who are students currently enrolled in graduate studies at the University of Toronto.  

            Can the fellowship application have more than one supervisor? 

            Yes, but a primary supervisor should be identified, and they would be the primary supervisor of the graduate student, as well as being the one to complete the supervisor form. Please note that the stipulation regarding membership of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies only applies to the primary supervisor, and co-supervisors can come from other organisations. Their role in the project should be indicated on the application form.  

            Are graduate students from any University of Toronto Faculty/Division able to apply? 

            Yes, graduate students from any University of Toronto Faculty/Division are able to apply.  

            Can I have existing fellowship or grant funding? 

            Yes, the individual holding other fellowship or grant funds does not exclude them from being selected for an Inlight Research Fellowship. 

            What does it mean to be part of the Inlight network? 

            Joining the Inlight network provides the opportunity to connect with other researchers, students, providers and others involved in student mental health research as well as be invited to future Inlight research funding opportunities and knowledge events.  

            How do I know if my research project is related to post-secondary student mental health? 

            We encourage applicants to refer to the description of relevance to Inlight included in the Background section, as well as review Inlight’s vision, mission, strategic plan and guiding principles to determine if there is alignment with your research project.  

            Does the proposed project need to develop an innovation, intervention or technology? 

            No, research projects do not need to develop or link to an existing or future innovation, intervention or technology.  

            How is Inlight supporting Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Indigeneity? 

            Inlight strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity and representation among its members and we encourage applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous /Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.  

            How does Inlight approach sex and gender differences in mental health research? 

            Sex and gender differences exist within post-secondary student mental health, making sex and/or gender issues an important component of this research initiative. Applicants should consider sex as a biological variable and gender as a socio-cultural factor in their research wherever possible.  

            Can I apply for an Inlight Research Fellowship if my supervisor does not have a budgetary appointment at the University of Toronto? 

            Yes, you may apply. Your supervisor must be a Full Member of the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies and be eligible to supervise graduate students – but they can be eligible to hold research funding at the University of Toronto or at their primary institution.  

            I am working on a research thesis with another student with the same supervisor, can we both apply for the fellowship? 

            Yes, but each student must submit separate applications for the Inlight Research Fellowship program and indicate their unique contribution to the project.  

            Do we need to publish a journal article as part of the reporting requirements of the Inlight Research Fellowship? 

            No, a published journal article is not a reporting requirement of the Inlight Research Fellowship. 

            I have co-supervisors on my research, do I need a letter of support from each supervisor? 

            No, only one letter of support from the primary supervisor is required. 

            My current research project does not include student engagement beyond research participants, would you consider this aligned with Inlight’s vision and mission? 

            Where applicants are submitting a project that is already underway, we do not expect applicants to modify what they have already committed to in their research project. We do encourage applicants to explore how they can drive meaningful student engagement in upcoming research activities such as knowledge mobilization and outline these future goals and activities in their application. 

            My current research investigates mental health in individuals aged 12 to 25, including post-secondary students, would this qualify? 

            While we welcome applications linked to research projects that include individuals aged 12 to 25 years of age, the application must indicate how post-secondary students are a focus of the research project. 

            I held an Inlight Fellowship during my Master’s program, and have now transitioned to a PhD program – can I apply for a Fellowship during my new program? 

            No, individuals are normally only eligible to hold one Fellowship award during the duration of their combined academic graduate programs at the University of Toronto.

            Can I still submit if I don’t yet have the signature of my graduate coordinator?

            This signature is an essential requirement of the submission, and we strongly recommend that you reach out to this individual early in the process. However, we do not want this signature to delay or prevent submission – if you are having challenges obtaining this signature please submit and reach out to us to finalize this requirement.

            If you have any questions about Inlight and the Fellowship Research Program, please contact our engagement team at studentmh.research@utoronto.ca.

            To learn more about research at the University of Toronto, including policies related to Principal Investigator eligibility and holding research funds, please visit the Division of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation (VPRI) website.