Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) are prestigious awards designed to attract and retain top-tier doctoral students from around the world.

These scholarships aim to establish Canada as a global center of excellence in research and higher learning. Vanier CGS is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international students who wish to pursue doctoral degrees or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD programs in various fields of study, including health research, natural sciences, engineering, social sciences, and humanities research.

Host Institutions:

The Vanier CGS is exclusively available at Canadian universities that have been allocated a Vanier CGS quota. Applicants must be nominated by the institution where they wish to study.

Eligible Fields of Study:

The scholarships support doctoral programs that have a significant research component, leading to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital, or exhibit. Joint graduate research programs with a professional degree (e.g., MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) and clinically-oriented programs with a research component, like clinical psychology, are also eligible.

Number of Scholarships:

Each year, up to 166 Vanier CGS scholarships are awarded to outstanding candidates.

Scholarship Value and Duration: The Vanier CGS offers a generous scholarship worth $50,000 per year for three years to cover living expenses and support research endeavors.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the Vanier CGS, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Be nominated by a Canadian institution with a Vanier CGS quota.
2. Be pursuing their first doctoral degree (only the PhD portion of combined degrees is eligible for funding).
3. Intend to engage in full-time doctoral studies and research at the nominating institution.
4. Have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of May 1, 2023.
5. Have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by May 1, 2023, under specific conditions.
6. Maintain a first-class academic average in the last two years of full-time study or equivalent, as determined by their institution.
7. Must not have received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC for their doctoral degree.

Application Process:

Applications for the Vanier CGS are initiated in two ways:

1. Students inform the faculty of graduate studies at their chosen institution about their intent to apply.
2. The nominating institution initiates the nomination process by reaching out to potential candidates. Applicants cannot apply directly to the Vanier CGS program. Applications are prepared by the students and submitted to the nominating institution, which forwards recommended nominations to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat by November 1, 2022. For detailed application information, candidates can visit the official scholarship website provided below.

Conclusion:

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships offer an excellent opportunity for exceptional doctoral students to pursue their research aspirations in Canada. With its generous financial support and focus on attracting top talents, the program aims to foster academic excellence and establish Canada as a global hub for cutting-edge research and innovation.

For more information and to access the application form, please visit the official scholarship website: http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html.