Tri-Agency Scholarship Support
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 Scholarships – Master’s Program (CGS-M)
- $17,500 for 12 months
- Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- 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 already hold the award you are applying for
- Can’t apply to multiple agencies in the same year
- First-Class GPA recommended*
MORE INFORMATION
Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements
- $17,500 for Indigenous Scholars Award
- $5,000 for Indigenous Scholars Supplement
- Must self-identify as Indigenous
- Must be eligible to apply for the CGS-M
- SSHRC and NSERC applicants only, CIHR applicants are not eligible
- Applicants apply through the CGS-M application
- See here for more information
Doctoral
Canada Graduate Scholarships – doctoral Program (CGS-D)
- $35,000 per year, for up to 36 months
- Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
- 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 24 months into doctoral degree)*
- 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
Killam Doctoral Scholarships
- $30,000 per year for up to 2 years and a $2,000 allowance for research-related travel during the 2 years of the scholarship
- Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, and International students are eligible to apply
- CGS-D applicants applying through UBC Okanagan do not need to submit a separate Affiliated Fellowships-Doctoral (Killam) application. For students who would like to be considered for the Killam Doctoral Scholarships but have not submitted a CGS-D application, they must submit the Affiliated Fellowships-Doctoral (Killam) application to the College of Graduate Studies
* Please refer to more specific information on months of study available below, as months of study may be extended depending on certain circumstances. Additionally, some agencies provide lesser value scholarships as part of the CGS-D competition that have extended months of study eligibility, such as the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship.
MORE INFORMATION
Vanier Canada graduate scholarships
- $50,000 per year for up to 36 months
- Much more competitive than the CGS-D
- Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, and International students are eligible to apply
- Exclusively for PhD students
- First-Class GPA required
MORE INFORMATION
* Though first-class GPA is recommended for the CGS-M and the CGS-D, it is only required for the Vanier. If your GPA is lower than first-class, but your 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 CGS-M canvas workshop module
August
- Begin communicating with your supervisor, or potential supervisor, regarding your intent to apply to the CGS-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 CGS-M award page and Tri-Agency CGS-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 CGS-M Q&A session
- Receive communications from CoGS that the CGS-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 CGS-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 CGS-M competition
January
- Programs nominate successful applicants to the campus-wide competition
- UBC-O begins their campus-wide competition
May
- Results of the CGS-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 instalments are released according to award start date
June
- Begin communicating with your supervisor, or potential supervisor, regarding your intent to apply to the CGS-D
- 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 CGS-D page and tri-agency websites, specifically citizenship and months of study requirements
July
- Access CGS-D canvas workshop module
- Familiarize yourself with the application requirements, especially the transcript requirements
- General Tri-Agency Information Session
- 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
- CGS-D/Vanier 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 CGS-D has opened for applications
- Begin filling out the CGS-D application
- Begin filling out the CCV
- Finish lay summary
- 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: If current UBC-O student, request transcripts and academic history from CoGS (requests beyond the first week of September are unlikely to be fulfilled in time for the deadline)
- 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 CGS-D 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 CGS-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 instalments are released according to award start date
- CGS-D/Vanier Canvas Module*
- CGS-D/Vanier Q&A Sessions*
- CGS-D Website
- CGS-D for UBC-O Students
- CGS-D Application Instructions
- Vanier Website
- Vanier for UBC-O Students
- Vanier Application Instructions
- Vanier Instructions for the CCV
- Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency
- Where should I submit my application?
June
- Begin communicating with your supervisor, or potential supervisor, regarding your intent to apply to the Vanier, and discuss feasibility
- Carefully consider your demonstrated leadership experience and academic achievement to determine if they are strong enough to apply to the Vanier
- Confirm eligibility requirements via the CoGS Vanier page and Tri-Agency websites, especially the high GPA requirements
- Refine your research question and research methods
July
- Access CGS-D/Vanier canvas workshop module
- Begin writing research proposal
- General Tri-Agency Information Sessions
- Familiarize yourself with the application requirements, especially the transcript requirements
- Request references, and communicate reference submission deadline as mid-August to allow for delays
- 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
- Notify CoGS (graduateawards.ok@ubc.ca) of your intent to apply to the Vanier
August
- CGS-D/Vanier Q&A Sessions with CoGS and CSC
- If current UBC-O student, request transcripts and academic history from CoGS (last minute requests are unlikely to be fulfilled)
- Meet with the CSC for feedback on your rough draft
- Polish proposal
- Start writing the lay summary
- Meet with the CSC for feedback on your lay summary, if required
- Receive communications from CoGS that the Vanier has opened for applications
- Begin filling out the Vanier application
- Begin filling out the CCV
- Polish lay summary
- Contact CoGS with any lingering questions regarding application requirements
- Mid-August: Confirm references have been submitted, follow up on 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
September
- Application Deadline
- Programs begin their internal Vanier competition
October
- Programs nominate successful applicants to the campus-wide competition
- UBC-O begins their campus-wide competition
November
- UBC-O nominates successful applicants to the national competition
May
- Results of the national Vanier 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 instalments are released according to award start date
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 only provide transcripts to CGS-D and Vanier applicants, and only if we have them on file already. CGS-M applicants must order all of their transcripts, including UBC-O transcripts, well in advance of the application deadline, but are advised to ensure they are registered in the appropriate terms (Fall) before ordering. UBC-O transcripts can be ordered from Student Services. CGS-D/Vanier applicants may contact graduateawards.ok@ubc.ca for copies of their transcripts, and are advised to check-in well in advance of the deadline incase transcripts are missing/cannot be shared, and must be ordered instead.
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. However, if you are applying to the Vanier, you must have a first-class GPA or your application will not be reviewed.
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.