Funding

The Department provides individual funding packages for full-time students (years 1 and 2) in the program, based on the student's academic standing and on the sources of money available each year. These packages are funded through a combination of external awards, internal university awards, and internal departmental awards. Students are expected to apply for internal and external awards for which they are eligible.

In general, minimum eligibility for awards is an 80% average over the past two years of study. Qualified candidates (over 80% average) are automatically nominated for internal Queen's Fellowships and Graduate Awards once they are accepted into the program. The Department coordinates these applications, as well as those for external awards and assists students in their preparation.

Students may also receive departmental funding from their supervisors in the form of graduate research assistant fellowships. Supervisors may request a reasonable contribution of work from students whom they are supporting. The department may also request a reasonable contribution of work from any student who is receiving more than half of their funding from central departmental awards. Research Assistantships not related to the student's thesis work are also available. These vary according to the availability of positions and are advertised to all current students. Announcements about these positions are sent to all students in the summer of first year and applications are reviewed based on academic standing and relevant experience.

For more information on Awards and Scholarships visit the School of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs website.

Fully Funded MSc Opportunity — Fall 2026

Public Health Sciences, Queen’s University

Research area: Clinical trials, health outcomes, patient-important outcomes, and AI-assisted evidence synthesis

Dr. Nora Fayed is recruiting a Master’s student in Public Health Sciences (MSc) at Queen’s University for Fall 2026 to join a newly funded research project examining what outcomes are actually measured in published clinical trials.

This is a time-sensitive opportunity for Fall 2026. If you are seriously interested, please contact Dr. Fayed before submitting a formal application to the program.

The research

Many clinical trials evaluate treatments using biomarkers, symptoms, or other familiar endpoints. Yet these outcomes do not necessarily capture the aspects of health and functioning that patients most need improved.

Our newly funded project will conduct a large-scale, human-led and AI-assisted review of all outcomes reported in published peer-reviewed clinical trials.

The project asks a deceptively simple question:

What outcomes are we actually measuring in clinical trials?

We will use rigorous human review alongside AI-assisted methods to examine outcomes across a very large body of published trials. Our goal is to identify gaps in the outcomes clinical research targets and measures, and to understand the implications of those choices for treatment development, patient-important outcomes, and health policy.

The project builds on our work proposing that progress in chronic disease requires greater attention to outcomes that are important to patients but remain insufficiently addressed by existing treatments.

Who would be a good fit?

I welcome applicants with undergraduate training in psychology, health sciences, kinesiology, biological sciences, or a related discipline. Prior expertise in patient-important outcomes is not required.

For this position, I am looking for applicants who have:

A GPA above 3.6
At least an A− in an undergraduate statistics course
A genuine interest in health outcomes, how we measure them, and how those measurement choices affect health policy
The academic background necessary for admission to the Queen’s University MSc program in Public Health Sciences
Two references

Previous experience with literature reviews, systematic or scoping reviews, clinical trials research, evidence synthesis, or outcome measurement is an asset, but is not required.

Funding and eligibility

This is a fully funded MSc position for an eligible domestic Canadian student.

The position is intended for a Fall 2026 start.

What I am looking for in a student

More than a perfectly tailored CV, I am looking for someone who is rigorous, willing to learn new methods, self-directed, and interested in the questions this project asks.

This MSc would particularly suit someone who wants to develop strong research skills in epidemiology, evidence synthesis, quantitative methods, clinical trials, outcome measurement, and the responsible application of AI to health research.

Just as importantly, I want to understand why the opportunity makes sense for you, at this point in your career.

If you contact me, please tell me why this MSc and research project fit into your career plans right now: what you hope to learn, where you think the degree might take you, and even what you are still figuring out.

Candor is an asset. I am much more interested in an honest account of your interests, motivations, and career goals than in hearing what you think a prospective supervisor wants to hear.

Interested?

You can learn more about graduate training in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Queen’s University through the program website.

However, because this is a time-sensitive recruitment for Fall 2026, serious prospective applicants should contact me, Nora Fayed, Queen’s University, first before submitting a formal application to the program.

In your initial contact, please include:

Your CV
Your undergraduate GPA
The undergraduate statistics course(s) you completed and your grade(s)
A brief description of any relevant research experience
A short and candid explanation of why this opportunity fits your career plans right now
Confirmation that you can provide two references

Fully Funded MSc Opportunity — Fall 2026

Program Contacts

Affiliated Research Groups