The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) programme is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting those who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. The Vanier CGS is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years.
Eligibility
Nominations that do not meet all of the eligibility criteria will be deemed ineligible. Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS.
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 first doctoral degree (including joint programmes such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, or JD/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component);
intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or a joint graduate research programme such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution;
have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in your doctoral programme as of May 1, 2023;
have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in your doctoral programme (i.e., joint graduate research programme, accelerated, previously enrolled without obtaining a Master’s degree), by May 1, 2023, if you:
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
do not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral programme.
Please note that only the PhD portion of a joint programme is eligible for funding.
Eligibility of programme of study
An eligible doctoral programme 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 the completion of the programme.
Joint graduate research programmes with a professional degree (e.g., MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) as well as clinically-oriented programmes of study, including clinical psychology, are also eligible programmes if they have significant autonomous research component, as described above.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Nominees will be evaluated and selected based on the following three criteria, which will be weighted equally by the selection committees:
Academic Excellence
Research Potential
Leadership (Potential and Demonstrated Ability)
Please see the Vanier CGS website for complete selection criteria.
How to Apply
Request letters of support from four referees:
two letters from referees assessing the applicant’s academic excellence, research potential and demonstrated and potential leadership ability are submitted electronically through ResearchNet by the referee
two leadership reference letters; two PDFs are provided to the applicant, who uploads the letters to his or her electronic application file
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Referees are encouraged to review Vanier’s EDI resources to incorporate EDI considerations in their reference letters.
See further information regarding referee assessments.
Create a “Vanier-Banting Academic” CV
Prepare the other required documents (Research Contributions, Personal Leadership Statement, Special Circumstances, Research Proposal, Project References, and Voluntary Self-Identification Form for Indigenous Applicants). The presentation standards and page limits set by Vanier must be followed.
Submit a completed Vanier CGS application via ResearchNet.
For further information, click here.
