Many students have no idea what the Sanford Fleming Foundation, or SFF, provides for Engineering students. There’s a $6 fee on your tuition statement every term, but where does it go? Who does it help? How does it affect you? How can students take advantage of the services they provide?
Perhaps one of the most visible contributions of the SFF is the Waterloo Engineering Competition (WEC). Many of your classmates may have participated in this competition, which is used to select teams for the Ontario Engineering Competition (OEC). Along with Junior Team Design, Senior Team Design, and Consulting Engineering, the Innovative Design Competition is held in approximately Week 8 of the Spring and Fall terms. SFF also runs Debates and Technical Speaking competitions around the same time as WEC. All UW undergrads in Engineering are eligible to participate.
SFF is also very well known for their contributions to student awards. Here’s a quick primer on a sample of the scholarships and awards they offer:
| Award Name | Available For | Award Amount |
| Karen Mark Scholarship | 3rd year undergraduate female engineering student, for academic achievement and involvement in student life | $1000 |
| SFF Memorial Leadership Award | Intermediate-level undergrad in engineering, for outstanding contribution to engineering extra-curricular activities | $1000 |
| Undergrad Research Assistanceship Award | Supports research assistants co-supervised by profs in Engineering and other faculties | Max $300 |
| Undergrad Co-op Award | Supports academic co-op placements supervised by profs in Engineering and other faculties | Max $1000 |
| Work Term Report Awards | Awarded to Engineering students in each class with the best Work Term report | $200 – $300 |
| John Fisher Leadership Award | For graduating students who have shown outstanding leadership throughout their academic career | Certificate, citation, and $1500 |
| Award for Academic Excellence | For graduating students, one per stream |
In addition to awards for students, the SFF also provides awards for Teaching Excellence and for outstanding TAs. They provide travel grants for students presenting papers at academic conferences, and scholarships for students going on exchange through one of Engineering’s exchange programs. Finally, the SFF also provides emergency short-term loans for undergraduate students.
As you can see from a quick glance through the awards they provide and initiatives they support, the SFF is incredibly involved in Engineering student life here at UW. For more information on what they do, award deadlines, and how to apply, visit www.engineering.uwaterloo.ca/~sff/. Watch for award deadlines on the EngSoc calendar so that you don’t miss out on the scholarships available to you, and be sure to keep an eye out for their posters on bulletin boards throughout the Engineering buildings!
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