Policies and Guidelines

Personal Time Off: During an academic year (September to August), graduate research students are permitted 15 days in personal time off under the SGS Policy on Personal Time Off. Personal time off is in addition to Statutory Holidays and days designated as University Closure Days or Holidays. Personal time off does not impact pay, student status, or access to university facilities. You can review the official policy here.

Note that taking time off is not required, but is encouraged to support your well-being and mental and physical health. You can take off anywhere between 1 to 15 business days. To use the policy more effectively, the SGS recommends that you take a minimum of 5 or more days at once, to truly have a break. 

If you need to take time off for medical reasons or because of a personal emergency, you should communicate this with the Graduate Administrator. If you need to take a longer leave, for medical or personal reasons, we encourage you to consider a Leave of Absence. 

Personal Time Off days should be scheduled in consultation with your Supervisor. Scheduling of personal time off can be flexible, as long as it does not interfere with coursework, internships, practicums, or grant/scholarship application deadlines.  

Your Supervisor is required to accommodate your request for personal time off. If there are disagreements regarding the details of the time off, or scheduling time off, please engage with the Graduate Coordinator, who will help you negotiate your time off with your Supervisor. You may also discuss your time off with members of your Supervisory cCommittee. 

Please note, the policy only pertains to your role as a student, not your role in any other employment you may have with the university. If you have any kind of employment relationship with the University, e.g., Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, Graduate Student Library Assistants, etc., you should speak with your employment supervisor and consult the applicable collective agreement(s), if any, on all matters and questions. 

Students may apply for parental leave by completing the Parental Leave Request Form. The terminal date of the degree program will be extended by the duration of the leave taken. Normally, the start and finish of the leave would coincide with the beginning and end of a session. Please find the formal policies and procedures here, and consult with the Graduate Program Team.

Either parent may request up to three sessions of leave, which must be completed within twelve months of the date of birth or custody. Where both parents are graduate students seeking parental leave, the total number of sessions may not exceed four.

While on parental leave, the student does not register or pay fees to the University. Should the student wish to make use of library facilities while on parental leave he/she is advised to consult the library regarding Research Reader privileges. The student should consult fully with his/her Supervisor to make any special arrangements that may be required to accommodate his/her leave.

The student will not be eligible to receive University of Toronto Fellowship support during his/her leave, but may defer his/her Fellowship until the return from leave. The student can apply for funding from the SGS Parental Grant. In the case of other fellowships, the regulations of the particular granting agency will apply. The student should also check with the granting agency that provides the operating grant to his/her supervisor that supports his/her research regarding the agency’s rules for payment of stipends during a parental leave.

See here for current guidelines for trainees paid from CIHR and NSERC operating grants

The student may apply for a one-session to three-session leave on the grounds of serious health or personal problems which temporarily make it impossible for him/her to continue in the program. Please find formal policies and additional information here, and/or consult with the Graduate Program Team about your particular situation.

The student applies for such leave by submitting a Leave Request Form to the Graduate Coordinator for approval.

Once on leave, the student will neither register nor pay fees. The student should not make demands upon the resources of the University, such as the use of library facilities, attend courses, or expect advice from his/her Supervisor. The student will not be eligible to receive or defer University of Toronto Fellowship support during the leave. The student can apply for a Leave of Absence Stipendiary Fund.

In the case of other graduate student awards, the regulations of the particular granting agency apply. If the student requests a leave on the basis of serious financial reasons he/she will be required to apply to the University for a bursary.

See here for current information on funding matters for students with CIHR/NSERC grants.

Graduate students registered in the School of Graduate Studies (SGS), may appeal substantive or procedural academic matters, including grades; evaluation of comprehensive examinations and other program requirements; decisions about the student’s continuation in any program; or concerning any other decision with respect to the application of academic regulations and requirements to a student. Students may not appeal admissions decisions, fees, or the voluntary withdrawal from a graduate program. 

Policies governing academic appeals and their escalation have been established by the SGS, and are available here. Please note the student must file an Appeal to the GDAAC (described below) within eight weeks after date of the decision being appealed.

The Appeals Process - General Overview

Please see formal policy wording and procedures here

1. For most matters, students must first attempt to resolve the matter with the instructor or other person whose ruling is in question. 

2. Should the matter not be resolved and should the student wish to pursue it, the student must discuss the matter with the Graduate Coordinator or Associate Chair of the Department. 

3. The Biochemistry Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee (GDAAC) This Departmental Committee constitutes part of the overall academic appeals procedures available to graduate students within the University of Toronto. Within the overall SGS academic appeals procedure, the GDAAC has a high level of discipline-specific academic expertise to judge the academic matters in an appeal. Therefore, this Committee plays a crucial role in the overall academic appeals procedure. If the student wishes to file an appeal to the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee, the student must file an appeal to the Committee within eight weeks after date of the decision being appealed. (See SGS Calendar for overview and timeline of overall graduate appeals process.)The student files an appeal by submitting a Notice of Appeal to the Chair of the Graduate Department Academic Appeals Committee or to the Chair of the Department. The Committee does not render decisions but rather makes recommendations to the Chair of the Department. 

4. The decision resulting from the GDAAC may be appealed to the Graduate Academic Appeals Board (GAAB) at the School of Graduate Studies. The decision of the GAAB may be appealed to the Academic Appeals Committee of the Governing Council. 

EXCEPTIONS: Appeals related to failure of a final PhD oral examination or related to termination of registration in a program should be made directly to the SGS Graduate Academic Appeals Board. Appeals related to courses taken outside the student’s home department shall be conducted in the department in which the course was offered. 

For more details on the appeals process, consult the Graduate Academic Appeals page on the SGS site. 

Supervision Guidelines for Students and Faculty
​​​​​​​SGS Supervision Support 
Centre for Graduate Mentorship and Supervision

Temerty Faculty of Medicine Research Integrity Workshop 
Research Integrity 
Policy on Ethical Conduct in Research 
Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
Ethics in Human Research 
School of Graduate Studies Guidelines on Research Involving Human Subjects 
Principles and Responsiblities Regarding Access to Professional Program Students and Residents as Research Subjects 
Guidance on the Appropriate Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Graduate Theses
SGS Academic Integrity Resources including Guidelines on Allegations on Research Misconduct 

Intellectual Property Guidelines for Graduate Students and Supervisors 
IP supports and Resources at UofT
Context of Commercialization of Inventions Based on Thesis-Related Research 
University of Toronto Copyright Policy 
University of Toronto Inventions Policy 
University of Toronto Publications Policy 

The University’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety provides Programs, Training and Resources relevant to laboratory and office safety.

Policies and Resources

Biosafety 
Biosafety Training Requirement
Environmental Protection (including biological, chemical and radioactive waste disposal)
Lab Hazardous Waste Disposal Manual
Laser Safety
Material Safety Data Sheets
Occupational Hygiene and Safety
Office Ergonomics
Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment 
Radiation Safety
WHMIS: What you need to know

Comprehensive list of Health and Safety Programs and Procedures
See also our Health, Wellness, and Support Page

Biosafety Training Requirement 

Any graduate student in the Faculty of Medicine, who fall into at least one of the two categories below, MUST complete the Laboratory Biosafety Training course (EHS601 https://q.utoronto.ca/enroll/PCYPCJ ) and co-requisite WHMIS course (EHS101 https://q.utoronto.ca/enroll/L88RA6 ) offered by the University of Toronto:

1) works in a wet lab on St. George Campus as part of your graduate program; and/or

2) is employed as a Teaching Assistant (in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto) and conduct their TA responsibilities in a wet lab on St. George campus.

Completion of these courses is in addition to any other biosafety training required and completed at your research training centre (e.g., affiliated hospital).

Such graduate students must complete these courses prior to commencing work in a wet lab on St. George Campus, as a graduate student or as a TA in which duties take place (partially or fully) in a wet lab.

Note:

1.  All FIRST TIME users (e.g. new students) MUST set up a 'MyEHS' profile as soon as you are registered in your graduate program.

2.  UofT Biosafety Refresher (EHS602 https://q.utoronto.ca/enroll/JPM6RX ) and WHMIS Refresher (EHS112 https://q.utoronto.ca/enroll/7HPNM6 ) courses must also be completed should work in a wet lab on St. George Campus continue beyond the expiry date of the initial EHS courses - Biosafety is refreshed annually, while WHMIS is done every three years.

For any inquires about these requirements, please email ehs.courses@utoronto.ca 

Before you leave, check the Learning and Safety Abroad site for important Policies and Procedures Related to Traveling Abroad.