Tri-Agency Scholarship Support

The College of Graduate Studies offers workshops and support for students interested in applying for a Tri-Agency scholarship (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC).

What are the tri-agency scholarships?

Canada has three major research grant agencies (the Tri-Agencies) that promote research and training through graduate scholarship support for masters and doctoral students: the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council (NSERC); the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council (SSHRC); and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Master’s

Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Master’s Program (CGRS-M)

  • $27,000 for 12 months
  • Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
    • International students are not eligible for the CGRS-M
  • Must be either registered in, or planning on applying to, a thesis-based graduate program (in Canada)
  • Can’t be too far into your degree (generally up to 12 months into masters degree)
  • Can’t currently hold, or have held, the award you are applying for, or an Indigenous Scholars Award or Supplement
  • Can’t apply to multiple agencies in the same year
  • First-Class GPA recommended**
MORE INFORMATION
Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements
  • $27,000 for Indigenous Scholars Award
  • $5,000 for Indigenous Scholars Supplement
  • Must self-identify as Indigenous
  • Must be eligible to apply for the CGRS-M
  • SSHRC and NSERC applicants only, CIHR applicants are not eligible
  • Applicants apply through the CGRS-M application
  • See here for more information
Black Student Researchers
  • CGRS-M applicants who self-identify as Black and provide consent in their application to be considered for funds designated for specific groups may be able to receive this funding through a scholarship as part of this initiative
  • Each agency has a limited number of additional CGRS-M awards reserved for this initiative
  • See here for more information

Doctoral

Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – doctoral Program (CGRS-D)

  • $40,000 per year, for up to 36 months
  • Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, competitive international students
    •  Note that only 15% of awards will be allotted to international applicants, so only competitive international applicants are encouraged to apply
  • Must be either registered in, or planning on applying to, a thesis-based graduate program
    • International students must be enrolled in an eligible doctoral program of study at the time of application
  • Can’t be too far into your degree (you must have completed no more than 36 months of full-time equivalent study as of December 31 of the calendar year of application)*
  • Can’t already hold the award you are applying for
  • Can’t apply to multiple agencies in the same year
  • First-Class GPA recommended**
  • There are agency-specific doctoral awards that have different award values and eligibility criteria. Refer to the appropriate literature for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC for further details
  • Results are announced April 30th
MORE INFORMATION
Black Student Researchers
  • CGRS-D applicants who self-identify as Black and provide consent in their application to be considered for funds designated for specific groups may be able to receive this funding through a scholarship as part of this initiative
  • Each agency has 10 additional CGRS-D awards reserved for this initiative
  • See here for more information

Killam Doctoral Scholarships

  • $40,000 per year for up to 2 years
  • Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, and International students are eligible to apply
  • CGRS-D applicants applying through UBC Okanagan do not need to submit a separate Killam application. For students who would like to be considered for the Killam Doctoral Scholarships are not eligible for the CGRS-D, they must submit the Killam Doctoral Scholarship Application to the College of Graduate Studies
    • Note that students who are eligible for the CGRS-D must apply to the CGRS-D, and will not be considered for the Killam alone.
MORE INFORMATION

*Please refer to the specific months of study eligibility considerations for additional information.

** Though first-class GPA is recommended for the CGRS-M and the CGRS-D, it is not required. If your GPA is lower than first-class, but your CGRS-D or CGRS-M application is strong otherwise, we strongly recommend applying as many students have achieved success without a first-class GPA.

Should I apply?

If you are eligible, YES!

By submitting an application, you will:

  • Get a chance at receiving a scholarship to support your degree
  • Build valuable experience writing large grant applications, which is a crucial graduate experience
  • Become familiar with the leading research agencies in Canada
  • Create a research proposal than you can build on next year, or use for other award or admission applications
  • Refine your research objectives, making it easier to start your research and begin writing your thesis or dissertation
  • Hone your writing skills
  • Build a stronger relationship with your supervisor
  • Increase your chances of getting the award if you apply every year that you are eligible

timelines & REsources

July 

  • General Tri-Agency Information Session 
  • Confirm eligibility requirements, especially citizenship, months of study, and thesis requirements 
  • Access CGRS-M canvas workshop module 

August 

  • Begin communicating with your supervisor, or potential supervisor, regarding your intent to apply to the CGRS-M 
  • Request supervisor support and discuss expectations (supervisors are expected to support their students’ application process) 
  • Refine your research question and research methods 
  • With the help of your supervisor and the Tri-Agency websites, determine which agency you will be applying to: NSERC, SSHRC or CIHR
  • Familiarize yourself with the agency-specific research requirements 

September 

  • Work through the canvas modules 
  • Begin writing research proposal 
  • Access and review CoGS CGRS-M award page and Tri-Agency CGRS-M award page 
  • Familiarize yourself with the application requirements, especially the transcript requirements 

October 

  • Submit rough draft of proposal to your supervisor 
  • Meet with the CSC for feedback on your rough draft 
  • Order copies of official transcripts, including UBC-O transcripts (double check transcript requirements will be fulfilled, especially that they are official and up-to-date) 
  • First CGRS-M Q&A session 
  • Receive communications from CoGS that the CGRS-M has opened for applications 
  • Request references and communicate a mid-November deadline to compensate for delays 

November 

  • Polish proposal 
  • Start writing the lay summary  
  • Begin filling out the CGRS-M application 
  • Begin filling out the CCV 
  • Finish lay summary 
  • Contact CoGS with any lingering questions regarding application requirements 
  • Mid-November: Confirm references have been submitted, follow up with any delays and contact back-up references if required 
  • Confirm transcripts are uploaded and meet transcript requirements (double check transcript requirements will be fulfilled, especially that they are official and up to date) 
  • Confirm application is complete 
  • A few days before the deadline: Confirm any outstanding references have submitted 
  • Before the deadline: Submit complete application to avoid last-minute uploading glitches when the system is overloaded 

December 

  • Application deadline, extensions are not permitted 
  • Programs begin their internal CGRS-M competition 

January 

  • Programs nominate successful applicants to the campus-wide competition 
  • UBC-O begins their campus-wide competition 

May 

  • Results of the CGRS-M competition are released 
  • Successful students submit required documentation and confirm award start date 
  • Successful students familiarize themselves with the Tri-Agency Holder’s Guide 

May-January 

  • First award installments are released according to award start date 

June 

  • Begin communicating with your supervisor, or potential supervisor, regarding your intent to apply to the CGRS-D or Killam Doctoral Scholarship
  • Request supervisor support and discuss expectations (supervisors are expected to support their students’ application process) 
  • Refine your research question and research methods 
  • Confirm eligibility requirements via the CoGS CGRS-D or Killam Doctoral Scholarship page and Tri-Agency websites, specifically citizenship and months of study requirements 

July 

  • Access CGRS-D/Killam canvas workshop module 
  • Familiarize yourself with the application requirements, especially the transcript requirements 
  • General Tri-Agency Information Session (for CGRS-D Applicants)
  • With the help of your supervisor and the Tri-Agency websites, determine which agency you will be applying to 
  • Familiarize yourself with the agency-specific research requirements 
  • Begin writing research proposal 

August 

  • Ensure you are registered in your current degree for the Fall term, if relevant 
  • Order copies of official transcripts, if required (double check transcript requirements will be fulfilled, especially that they are official and up to date) 
  • Submit rough draft of proposal to supervisor for review 
  • CGRS-D/Killam Q&A Sessions with CoGS and CSC 
  • Meet with the CSC for feedback on your rough draft 
  • Polish proposal 
  • Start writing the lay summary 
  • Receive communications from CoGS that the CGRS-D and Killam has opened for applications 
  • Begin filling out the CGRS-D or Killam application 
  • Begin filling out the CCV (where relevant)
  • Finish Lay Summary/Abstract
  • Mid-August: Request references, and communicate reference submission deadline as September 1st to allow for delays 
  • Contact CoGS with any lingering questions regarding application requirements 

September 

  • September 1st: Confirm references have been submitted, follow up with any delays and contact back-up references if required 
  • Confirm transcripts are uploaded and meet transcript requirements (double check transcript requirements will be fulfilled, especially that they are official and up to date) 
  • Confirm application is complete 
  • A few days before the deadline: Confirm any outstanding references have submitted 
  • Before the deadline: Submit complete application to avoid last-minute uploading glitches when the system is overloaded 
  • Application Deadline 
  • Programs begin their internal CGRS-D and Killam competition review 

October 

  • Programs nominate successful applicants to the campus-wide competition 
  • UBC-O begins their campus-wide competition review 

November 

  • UBC-O nominates successful applicants to the national competition 

May 

  • Results of the national CGRS-D competition are released 
  • Successful students submit required documentation and confirm award start date 
  • Successful students familiarize themselves with the Tri-Agency Holder’s Guide 

May-January 

  • First award installments are released according to award start date 

July

  • Results of the Killam competition are released

I did not submit my application by the deadline, can I receive an extension? What about if my referee submitted late, or my transcripts did not arrive on time?

No, extensions are only permitted for uncontrollable or emergency circumstances. The Tri-Agency awards are competitive awards, and competitive applicants are expected to manage their time appropriately so that references and transcripts are submitted on time.

Can you provide me with transcripts?

We are no longer providing transcript documents or academic history documents to students applying for Tri-Agency awards. Please ensure that you order official transcripts for your complete academic history, including up-to-date UBC Okanagan transcripts. In order to ensure you have everything required by the application deadline, it is vital that you order your transcripts early to account for delays.

Why can’t I access the application?

Applications for Tri-Agency awards only open several weeks prior to the application deadline. However, applicants are strongly advised to begin working on their freeform documents well before the awards open for applications.

What is the deadline to apply?

Applicants who are eligible to apply through UBC-O, must apply by the internal deadline. Applicants who are eligible to apply through UBC-O and apply directly to the agencies will not be considered for an award. Please see the individual award pages for additional information, and the most up-to-date information on deadlines.

Will I be considered for an award at both UBC-O and UBC-V?

No, applicants will only be reviewed at one campus, and applicants applying to both campuses are advised to select the campus they are most likely, or would most like, to attend.

I don’t have a high GPA, should I still apply?

Yes, GPA is only one factor of the application that is considered, and reviewers take a balanced approached to assessing other indicators of academic merit. If you feel you have a strong application outside of GPA, you are strongly encourage to apply.

What application mistakes are the most common?

The most common reasons that applications are deemed ineligible is for missing, out-of-date, or unofficial transcripts; missing references; or missing portions of the application. The most common mistakes that weaken an application are failure to adhere to presentation guidelines (margins, font size, etc.), poorly written/underdeveloped research proposals, or weak references. See our workshop modules for more information.

Where is the application located?

All Tri-Agency applicants apply through the agencies, even if they are applying through UBC Okanagan. The difference is that applicants applying through UBC Okanagan must apply by UBC Okanagan’s internal deadline, which is different than the agency deadline. Please see the individual award pages to determine the appropriate link to the online application system. Also note that applicants who are eligible to apply via an institution must do so, as they are not eligible to apply directly to the agencies.

*To access these resources you must have a CWL. If you are a prospective student please contact your prospective supervisor for support.