Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Funded By The Government Of Canada

At a glance

Named after Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the first francophone Governor General of Canada, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program helps Canadian institutions attract highly qualified doctoral students.

• Valued at $50,000 per year for three years during doctoral studies

Vanier CGS overview

The Government of Canada launched the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program in 2008 to strengthen Canada’s ability to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.

Scope

Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually;
A total of up to 500 scholarships are active at any time.

Value

$50,000 per year.

Duration

3 years (non-renewable)

Scholarships are distributed equally between the three federal granting agencies:

• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Candidate eligibility

Citizenship

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

Eligibility to apply for a Vanier CGS

To be considered for a Vanier CGS, you must:

• be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier CGS quota^Footnote1;
• be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, or JD/PhD, MBA/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component);
• intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or a joint graduate research program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution; For joint graduate research programs, only the PhD portion of the program is eligible for funding.
• have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in your doctoral program as of May 1, 2025;
  • The doctoral program would begin after the completion of a master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
• have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in your doctoral program (i.e., joint graduate research program, directly from bachelor’s, previously enrolled without obtaining master’s degree, transferring or withdrew from program), by May 1, 2025 if:
  • enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, MS/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants in this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a master’s program:
    • The months of study are calculated starting from the date on which an applicant is officially registered in the joint graduate program. (For MA/PhD or MS/PhD, this will be the master’s registration date).
  • enrolled directly from a bachelor’s to a PhD program (without having been previously enrolled in another graduate program);
    • The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
  • previously enrolled in a master’s program without obtaining the degree, transferring or withdrawing from the program and subsequently starting a doctoral program.
    • The months of study completed are calculated from the original master’s enrolment date.
• 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
  • Note: Institutions may, at their discretion, accept Vanier CGS applications from individuals who have not obtained a first-class average; contact your proposed host institutions to determine their use of this eligibility criterion.
• cannot have already received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.

Please note that only the PhD portion of a joint program is eligible for funding.

Deadlines

There are two deadlines pertaining to the 2024–2025 competition:

1. Institution internal deadline: Following the student’s identification in ResearchNet of the institution proposed for doctoral study (see Task 10), an additional deadline date and time will appear at the top of each page. This is the deadline by which your application must be submitted to the institution through ResearchNet. This deadline is set and controlled by each institution. You will not be able to submit your application past this precise date and time.
2. Program deadline: Institutions must forward their selected nominations to the Vanier CGS program by October 30, 2024 (20:00 Eastern Time).

Background

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program helps Canada’s universities attract sought-after doctoral students from across Canada and around the world. These promising scholars help to create a dynamic and innovative environment within our institution campuses. Many will stay to pursue academic and professional careers in Canada, helping to foster innovation and creating future leaders.

The Vanier CGS was announced in the 2008 federal budget as part of a broader strategy to increase the supply of highly-qualified research personnel in Canada and brand Canada worldwide as a nation known for quality research and research training. These concepts are central to the Government of Canada’s science and technology (S&T) strategy, announced in May 2007, which set out a multiyear framework for improving Canada’s long-term competitiveness. Attracting and retaining the best minds to innovate within Canada is a government priority. Canada’s prosperity as a nation is increasingly based on science and technology and the highly skilled and creative individuals whose talents bring innovations to life. Their ideas spark the creation of new products, services and policies that support Canada’s economic competitiveness, strengthen social foundations, sustain the environment and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.

The Vanier CGS program is one of a suite of elite federal research capacity development programs. The suite begins with early graduate student support through Vanier CGS, progresses to postdoctoral training through the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program and continues through the academic career progression (Tier 1 and 2 Canada Research Chairs) to a career pinnacle (Canada Excellence Research Chairs).

Together, these programs are intended to increase the supply of highly-qualified research personnel in Canada and brand Canada worldwide as a nation known for quality research and research training. They complement other training vehicles, including doctoral scholarship programs supported by the three federal granting agencies (Canadian Institutes for Health Research – CIHR, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada – NSERC, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada – SSHRC).

The Vanier CGS program allows highly motivated and competitive students to realize their full potential and develop their careers. Upon completion of their award, Vanier Scholars will be well positioned to contribute to the continued growth of Canada’s research capacity and the country’s economic and social prosperity.