The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. The scholarships are towards a doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD).Canadian Universities with Vanier CGS allocation. Without exception, the Vanier CGS is tenable only at the eligible Canadian institution that submitted the nomination.

PhD programmes (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) in health research; natural sciences and/or engineering research; and social sciences and/or humanities research

An eligible doctoral program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as requirement for a completion of the program.

Joint graduate research programs with a professional degree (e.g., MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) as well as clinically-oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are also eligible programs if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.

Number of Scholarships:

Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually

Target group:

Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS.

Scholarship value/duration:

The scholarships is worth $50,000 per year for three years.

Eligibility:

To be considered for a Vanier CGS, you must:

• be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier CGS quota;

• be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint undergraduate/graduate research program such as: MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component). Note that only the PhD portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding;

• intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or a joint graduate program such as: MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution; Note that only the PhD portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding;

• have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of 1 May 2024

• have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in their doctoral program, by 1 May 2024 if:

• • enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants that fall into this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a Master’s program; or
  • accelerated directly from a Bachelor’s to a PhD (no time spent in a Master’s program); or
  • accelerated from a Master’s degree into a Doctoral program without obtaining the Master’s degree.

• have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your institution, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent. Candidates are encouraged to contact the institution for its definition of a first-class average; and

• must not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral degree.

Application instructions:

Candidates must be nominated by a Canadian Institution with a quota at which they want to study. Candidates cannot apply directly to the Vanier CGS program.   

Applications are initiated in one of two ways. Either the student informs the faculty of graduate studies at the selected institution of their intent to apply to the Vanier CGS program OR the institution initiates the nomination process by contacting the desired candidate.

Applications are prepared by the student and submitted to the nominating institution by their internal deadline using the ResearchNet application system.  The nominating institution then forwards recommended nominations to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat (the Secretariat) by 1 November 2023.

It is important to visit the official website (link found below) to access the application form and to know the complete details on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website:  http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html