Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral Program

Deadline:

TBD: Likely September 12, 2025


Eligibility of Citizenship: Canadian and Permanent Residence
Degree Level: PhD
Award Status: Closed
Applicant Status: Incoming Students and Continuing Students

Description

Quick Facts

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS-D) Program is to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS-D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.

Note: In addition to the CGS-D, each agency has its own doctoral awards. Refer to the appropriate literature for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC for further details.  Meritorious CGS-D applicants may also be eligible for agency-specific doctoral awards. Applicants complete and submit one application to be considered for both a CGS-D scholarship and an agency doctoral award (exception: CIHR DFSA). CGS-D scholarships are offered to top-ranked eligible applicants.  Some eligibility requirements for CGS-D differ from those of the agency-specific doctoral awards.

Annual Value: $40,000*

Duration: up to 3 years

*As of September 1 2024, the value of all Tri-Agency doctoral fellowships has increased to $40,000 per annum, though it might not yet be reflected on all Tri-Agency websites

Eligibility

To be eligible to hold this award an applicant must:

  • be enrolled in a program of study (by the time the award is administered) that includes 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 and is a requirement for completion of the program
  • be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, as of the application deadline date
  • have completed no more than 24 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if previously enrolled in a master’s program
  • have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if enrolled in a joint program; for example, MD/PhD, MA/PhD
    • applicants who fall into this category have access to the 36-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a master’s program
  • have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the calendar year of application if enrolled directly from a bachelor’s to a PhD program (with no time spent in a master’s program)
    • direct-entry applicants must be enrolled in their doctoral program at the time of application
  • submit only one doctoral award application in a given academic year. Nominations to the Vanier CGS program do not count towards this limit
  • not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC

Number of months

Eligibility for CGS-D is based on the number of months of full-time study in the degree for which you are requesting funding by December 31 of the calendar year of application. Two terms of part-time study count as one term of full-time study.

Note: In general, the agencies count all studies toward the doctoral degree for which funding is requested, whether or not they were completed at the degree-granting institution.

Fast-track and joint programs

For those registered in a master’s program and subsequently transferred to a doctoral program (fast-track), the months of study completed are calculated starting from the date on which an applicant transfers into the doctoral program.

For those registered in a doctoral program, if a master’s degree is obtained as part of the program (for example, MA/PhD), the months of study are still calculated starting from the date on which an applicant is officially registered in the joint program (including the master’s portion of the program).

Selecting the appropriate funding agency

Potential applicants should be sure that they are submitting their application to the most appropriate of the three federal funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC). If applicants are unsure whether they should submit their application to CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC, they should consult their Research Supervisor and/or Graduate Advisor. In cases where clarification is still needed, applicants should send a half-page summary of their intended research proposal to the appropriate agency for an assessment, rather than guess or assume incorrectly.

Important Note: Some eligibility requirements for CGS-D differ from those of the agency-specific doctoral awards. Refer to the appropriate literature for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC for further details.

Complete eligibility criteria are available on the CGS-D program page.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Research ability and potential: 50%
  • Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia: 50%

Complete details (including description and indicators) are available on the CGS-D program page.

Application Procedures

Students registered in a UBC degree program (or on an approved leave of absence from UBC) between January 1st and December 31st of the competition year must complete their application by the application deadline indicated above.

  1. Confirm eligibility.
  2. Confirm subject matter: Select the appropriate funding agency. Applicants should complete the agency application that is best aligned with their research subject matter.
    • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).
    • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC).
    • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
  3. Determine where to submit an application (through a Canadian institution such as UBC or directly to the appropriate agency). See the CGS-D program page for guidance. If applying via UBC, complete the application by the UBC application deadline indicated above.
  4. Read the instructions and apply online.

General guidance on preparing transcripts for submission (see individual agencies application instructions below for further details):

  • All transcripts must be official
  • UBC transcripts:
    • Must be official, include the 2024W1 (Fall 2024) registration, and ordered after September 1st.
    • Students can order official transcripts from student services here: https://students.ok.ubc.ca/courses-money-enrolment/transcripts/. Note that we no longer provide academic histories, and students must order official transcripts from student services.
  • Other transcripts:
    • Must be official and up to date (include degree conferral, if applicable) as of August 31, 2024.
    • Required even from institutions in cases of transfer credit or exchange terms.
    • Foreign transcripts: if the transcripts are not presented in one of Canada’s two official languages (English or French), a certified translation must be provided, in addition to the official transcripts in its original language.
    • The transcript key/legend for each institution must be included.
    • Note that UBCO no longer provides transcripts that are on file to students. Students must ensure that they have copies of all of their official transcripts well before the deadline so they can be uploaded to the application by the deadline.

CIHR: ResearchNet | application instructions

  • Online submission of transcripts: Applicants are required to upload their up-to-date transcripts of their complete academic record as 1 single PDF file under “Transcripts” in the “Attach Other Application Materials” task. For more details about the transcript requirement, refer to the CIHR application instructions.
    • The required “Doctoral Studies Timelines” form is located here.  This form must be included with your transcript package.
  • Online submission of sponsor’s assessment (references): Applicants invite their two sponsors (referees) via ResearchNet. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their referees complete and submit their assessments in advance of the application deadline.
  • Special Circumstances (optional): In the Canadian Common CV (CCV), in the section entitled “Employment”, sub-section entitled “Leaves of Absence and Impact on Research”, applicants can outline any special circumstances that have affected their performance or productivity.  As part of this section, applicants may want to consider including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, if applicable.
  • Signatures are required by UBC’s application deadline (13 September 2024):
    • Supervisor’s signature on the “Signature Page” document 
      • Applicants must upload a signed copy of the Signature Page (or Routing Slip) to complete the “Print/Upload Signature Page” task on ResearchNet.
      • The signature page/routing slip document should be 3 pages.  If your document is 2 pages, it is because you have not added your primary supervisor to your ResearchNet application in the “Identify Participants” task in the online application.  Note: The supervisor’s CIHR PIN is required to complete the “primary supervisor” participant details.
      • Not required: Signature of institution paid and signature of research institution on the “Signature Page”.
    • Supervisor’s signature for the Confirmation of Scientific Area Form.
      • Applicants must upload a signed copy of the Confirmation of Scientific Area Form to complete the “Other” document type of the “Attach Other Application Materials” task on ResearchNet.
  • Indigenous applicants:   Applicants who would like to self-identify as Indigenous (optional) to be considered beyond their institutions quota (ie. the instution’s cap on total nominees that can be selected) must complete the Voluntary Self-Identification Form for Indigenous Applicants. Once completed, the form must then be uploaded as a single PDF document under “Other” in the “Attach Other Application Materials” task.

NSERC: Online application system | application instructions

  • NOTE: If you are applying through your institution, the College of Graduate Studies is no longer responsible for uploading your transcripts. It is your responsibility to scan and upload all transcripts required for your application, according to the instructions below.
  • Applicants are required to upload their up-to-date official transcripts of their complete academic record as 1 single PDF. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they submit their complete, official, up-to-date transcript package in their online application. For more details about the transcript requirement, see this NSERC link.
  • Online submission of reports on the applicant: Applicants invite their referees via the NSERC online application. Reports are to be submitted by referees using the online system. Applicants are responsible for inviting two referees: one referee should be very familiar with their research and abilities (i.e., current or previous research supervisor) and the other should be sufficiently familiar with their research and abilities to provide a meaningful commentary. Applicants will not be able to verify their application until each referee form has been successfully verified and completed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their referees complete and submit their assessments in advance of the application deadline.
  • Note: ‘Form 201’ (the NSERC PGS-D application form) only lists the NSERC PGS-D in its materials; however, ‘Form 201’ is also for applying to the CGS-D. The highest-ranked PGS-D applicants will automatically be considered by NSERC for a CGS-D.

SSHRC: Online application system | application instructions

  • Online submission of transcripts: Applicants are required to upload their up-to-date official transcripts of their complete academic record as 1 single PDF file. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they submit their complete, official, up-to-date transcript package in their online application.  The transcript requirements are outlined in the application instructions.
  • Online submission of letters of appraisal: Applicants invite their referees via the SSHRC online application. Letters of appraisal are to be submitted by referees using the online system. Applicants are responsible for inviting two referees: one referee should be very familiar with their research and abilities (i.e., current or previous research supervisor) and the other should be sufficiently familiar with their research and abilities to provide a meaningful commentary. Applicants will not be able to verify their application until each referee form has been successfully verified and completed. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure their referees complete and submit their assessments in advance of the application deadline.

Complete application procedures are available on the CGS-D program page.

Killam Doctoral Scholarships application: CGS-D applicants applying through UBC Okanagan do not need to submit a separate Killam Doctoral Scholarship. For students who are not eligible for the CGS-D and would like to be considered for the Killam, they must submit a Killam Doctoral Scholarship application.

Nomination Procedures for Graduate Programs

  • The College of Graduate Studies will provide electronic copies of applications/transcripts submitted by their current and prospective students to UBCO graduate programs shortly after the applicant deadline. Graduate programs review their applications for eligibility and completeness, rank their applications, and select their nominees.

Adjudication Procedures

  • The College of Graduate Studies Scholarship and Awards Committee will convene an adjudication committee composed of UBC faculty members to review nominations submitted by graduate programs and select UBC’s nominees to the national competition.
  • Canadian universities each have a limit to the number of nominations they may submit to the CGS-D competition.
  • Results of the national competition are released to applicants in Spring 2025.

Additional Resources

Questions about this award? Email graduateawards.ok@ubc.ca