News and events

Every Winter term, FGS hosts the 3MT^® competition for thesis-based graduate students. Participants present the key findings and broader impact of their scholarly and creative activities in 3 minutes or less. The challenge is to present complex research in an accessible and compelling way using only 1 static slide. First-, second-, and third-place winners receive a cash prize, and the first-place winner has travel expenses paid to attend the Western Regional Competition.

Read about previous winners’ experiences

FGS partners with Dr. Eliana El Khoury, Associate Professor of Distance Education, to present AI literacy fundamentals to faculty and students.

FGS and the Write Site are pleased to bring you “Writing to Win Scholarships and Awards,” a webinar to help you confidently pursue funding opportunities that match research goals, understand how to identify funding opportunities and learn how to apply for them.

Watch a previous recording of “Writing to Win Scholarships and Awards.”

The Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) and the Athabasca University Graduate Students’ Association (AUGSA) are pleased to collaborate on a series of events in February celebrating and featuring the work of Black students, faculty, and staff at AU and beyond. The series showcases different community members and amplifies their vision and accomplishments through keynote presentations and panel discussions, and discusses action-oriented recommendations to support Black scholarship and professional development.

If you would like to get involved, please email AUGSA.

The Canadian Career Symposium is an annual virtual symposium hosted by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network. Presentations by GPDN members and invited experts cover topics including inspirational keynotes, career self-assessments, resumes, informational interviews, and networking. Registration is open to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from sponsoring institutions, including AU.

FGS, the Library, and the Write Site team up multiple times each year to bring you webinars on search strategies, citation management, research organization, research data management, and literature reviews. Watch previous recordings of Developing Your Research, or visit the Library’s Upcoming Webinars page to register.

The FGS Open Forum is an annual one-day virtual event that brings together graduate students, faculty members, and other relevant stakeholders to stimulate discussions on key developments affecting graduate education at AU. Previous themes included critical engagement with AI, assessing research outcomes in the age of GenAI, and decolonizing academic practices.

The Graduate Student Research Conference is a multi-disciplinary academic research forum that brings together graduate students and alumni from all faculties at Athabasca University. Students present their research, network with peers, practice knowledge dissemination, and compete for prizes. The GSRC takes place every fall and is hosted by AUGSA and FGS. Students can attend virtually or in person in Athabasca. Funding and travel bursaries are available.

Celebrating Indigenous Knowledge and Community at AU and Beyond is a National Indigenous History Month event series taking place in June. The series is led by AUGSA, with support from the Wicihitowin Indigenous Student Alliance (WISA), Nukskahtowin, FGS, and other AU partners. The series has included an Opening Circle, conversations on Indigenous knowledge systems, Indigenous research in online spaces, student and alumni research, and a Closing Circle with AU community members and leaders.

If you would like to get involved, please email AUGSA.

Athabasca University has partnered with Memorial University to share online professional development opportunities. Visit Memorial University’s “Workshops & Events” page for offerings about career and CV development, professional networking and job searching, and Mitacs training on leadership, communication, and project management.

Join academic writing expert Emily Cargan from the Write Site and a supportive writing group of graduate students to help you tackle a lengthy writing project. All graduate students are welcome, and we especially encourage you to participate while working on a thesis, dissertation, or capstone project. Each writing retreat session will consist of brief activities and stretches of uninterrupted writing time. You can choose to work on your project or write in response to a prompt to help you build motivation and move forward in your writing process.

Email the Write Site with questions about writing retreats