The 2024-2025 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) are now opened for applications. The program has been created by the Government of Canada 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.
The Vanier program is fully funded and available for doctoral degree studies in the social sciences and Arts and Humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health. The Scholarship will be awarded to candidates who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of academic achievements in their graduate studies.
Vanier 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).
Program Details
- Host Institutions: Eligible Canadian institutions in Canada.
- Field of Study: Social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.
- Duration: 3 years (non-renewable).
- Number of Scholarships: Many.
- Target group: Open to all nationalities.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Benefits
The Vanier Canada Graduate scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year. The scholarship will be provided to successful applicants for three years, during doctoral studies.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 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 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 joint 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 research program such as: MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution; For joint graduate research program, only the PhD portion of a joint graduate research program is eligible for funding.
- have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in their doctoral program as of May 1, 2024. The doctoral program would begin after the completion of a master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrollment date.
- have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in their doctoral program (i.e. joint graduate research program, fast-track, accelerated), by May 1, 2024 if:
- enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/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 program (including the Master’s portion of the program).
- accelerated directly from a Bachelor’s to a PhD (not previously enrolled in a Master’s program). The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrollment date.
- accelerated (Fast-track) from a Master’s degree into a doctoral program without obtaining the Master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the original Master’s enrollment 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
- must not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.
Program of Study Eligibility
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 a requirement for 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.
Similar opportunities
- Canadian Government Banting Fellowships;
- Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University;
- University of Windsor Entrance Scholarships to Study in Canada.
How to Apply for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
Interested applicants in this government scholarship must follow instructions below to know how to apply. 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 (set in ResearchNet by the nominating institution) using the ResearchNet application system.
Students should verify that the institution to which they are applying for doctoral studies have a Vanier CGS quota and inform them that they wish to be considered for a Vanier CGS.
A student who has completed the Vanier CGS electronic application through ResearchNet must submit the application online to the Canadian institution that will be putting forward their nomination. Applications cannot be submitted directly to the Vanier CGS program.
Prospective candidates should consult their nominating institution for their internal submission deadline, while nominating institutions should send their nominees’ applications no later than November 1, 2023. For more detail on the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
