The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global center of excellence in research and higher learning. It is worth $50,000 per year for three years and is available to both Canadian and international PhD students studying at Canadian universities.
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and/or humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.
In an effort to support students in broadening their research horizons and seeking new challenges, the Vanier CGS program strongly encourages candidates to pursue their studies beyond the university that granted their undergraduate and/or graduate degrees.
Study Subject:
Scholarships are provided to study any one of the courses offered by the Canadian universities.
Eligibility:
To be considered for a Vanier CGS, you must:
- be nominated by only one Canadian university, which must have received a Vanier CGS allocation;
- be seeking financial support to pursue your first doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD). 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 combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating university; 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 May 1, 2014 (see calculating months of doctoral studies below);
- have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your university, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent. Candidates are encouraged to contact the university for its definition of a first-class average; and
- not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral degree.
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS.
Selection Criteria:
Academic excellence, as demonstrated by past academic results and by transcripts, awards and distinctions.
Research potential, as demonstrated by the candidates research history, his/her interest in discovery, the proposed research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field, the potential benefit to Canadians, and any anticipated outcomes.
Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability), as defined by the following qualities:
Personal achievement:
- professional involvement in dance, arts, music etc.;
- significant artistic achievement;
- recognized athletic achievement, especially in a leadership role;
- entrepreneurial achievement (start up company); and/or
- foreign travel and study.
Involvement in academic life:
- mentoring/teaching;
- supervisory experience;
- involvement in student government and in the university community, including committees, teams, senate, boards, ethics committees, etc.;
- project management;
- roles in professional societies; and/or
- organization of conferences and meetings.
Volunteerism/community outreach:
- community involvement in charity or not-for-profit organizations.
Civic engagement:
- parliamentary page positions and internships;
- political activity; and/or
- elected positions.
Scholarship Value:
Each Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year.
How to Apply:
Applications are prepared by the student and submitted to the university by the nominating university’s internal deadline (set in ResearchNet by the nominating university) using the ResearchNet application system.
Applications Deadline: The deadline date is November 6, 2013 (8:00 p.m. Eastern Time).
Note: Each Canadian university has an internal deadline date for students to submit their applications. The Canadian university should be contacted for this information.
For further information: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
