Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to establish Canada as a global center of excellence in research and higher learning. The scholarships are towards a doctoral degree (or combined MA/ Ph.D. or MD/ Ph.D.).

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Program 2023 is a fully funded scholarship for international students. This scholarship is offered for Ph.D. studies. The scholarship is valued at $50,000 annually for three years during doctoral studies. Vanier CGS also considers three equally weighted selection criteria; Academic excellence, Research potential, and Leadership. However, continue reading to learn more about this exciting scholarship program.

Meanwhile, in this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. From the eligibility requirements to the scholarship benefits, how to apply, and any other important information you need to know about the scholarship program.

About the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

Named after Major-General Georges P. Vanier, the first francophone Governor General of Canada, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) program helps Canadian institutions attract highly qualified doctoral students.

The Government of Canada launched the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program in 2008. The program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award to assist them during their studies at Canadian universities.

Moreover, Vanier scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, or health-related fields. Scholarship recipients receive $50,000 each year for three years. However, once fully implemented, the program will support up to 166 scholars annually.

Furthermore, the Vanier CGS program helps Canada’s universities attract excellent doctoral students from across Canada and worldwide. These promising scholars help create a dynamic and innovative environment on Canadian university campuses. Moreover, the Vanier scholarship is referred to as the Rhodes scholarship of Canada.

Scholarship Summary

Here's an overview of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Scholarship sponsor(s):

Canadian government

Host Institution(s):

Canadian Universities with Vanier CGS allocation. Without exception, the Vanier CGS is tenable only at the eligible Canadian institution that submitted the nomination.

Scholarship Type:

Full funding

Study Level:

Postgraduate (doctoral)

Field(s) of Study:

Ph.D. programs (or combined MA/ Ph.D. or MD/ Ph.D.) in health research; natural sciences and/or engineering research; and social sciences and/or humanities research

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/ Ph.D., DVM/ Ph.D., JD/ Ph.D.) as well as clinically-oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are also eligible programs if they have significant autonomous research component, as described above.

Scholarship Value:

See the scholarship benefits section below for details

Number of Awards:

Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually

Eligible Nationalities:

Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and foreign citizens are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS.

Duration:

Three years

Deadline:

1st November 2022 (annual)

Scholarship Benefits

The Canadian government will provide the Vanier CGS recipients with the following inclusions.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year for three years during doctoral studies.

Eligibility Requirements for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

Moreover, applicants must meet the following criteria below to be eligible to apply for the scholarship program.

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 undergraduate/graduate research program such as MD/ Ph.D., DVM/ Ph.D., JD/ Ph.D. – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component). Note that only the Ph.D. portion of a combined 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 program such as MD/ Ph.D., DVM/ Ph.D., JD/ Ph.D.) studies and research at the nominating institution; Note that only the Ph.D. portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding;
• have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of 1 May 2023
• have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in their doctoral program, by 1 May 2023 if:
• enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/ Ph.D., MA/ Ph.D., DVM/ Ph.D. Applicants that fall into this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a Master’s program,
• accelerated directly from a Bachelor’s to a Ph.D. (no time spent in a Master’s program), or
• accelerated from a Master’s degree into a Doctoral program without obtaining the Master’s degree.
•  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 degree.

How to Apply

Interested applicants can follow the step-by-step guide below to apply for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.

To begin with, it is important to visit the official website (link found below) to access the application form and to know the complete details on how to apply for this scholarship.

Step 1: Begin your application by researching Canadian institutions through the Universities Canada website. We recommend browsing each university’s respective website and thoroughly researching the program of interest in which you would like to complete your doctorate, as well as supervisors for your proposed research.

Step 2: Consult the Vanier CGS quota page to ensure that your institution of interest has a quota for the year in which you are applying.

Complete Application Steps:

• 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.
• The nominating institution performs the internal candidate selection process.
• The nominating institution forwards recommended nominations to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat (the Secretariat) by November 1, 2022 (20:00 Eastern Time).
• The Secretariat coordinates the review process.
• The Secretariat presents the recommendations to the Tri-Agency Programs (TAP) Steering Committee.
• The TAP Steering Committee endorses and approves final decisions for the Vanier CGS program.
• Nominated candidates are notified of the competition results in April 2023.

Candidates must be nominated by the institution at which they want to study. Candidates cannot apply directly to the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program. Candidates should verify institutional internal deadlines with the administrator at the nominating institution.

Candidates should read the Selection Committee Guide before commencing their application. This guide lists the three evaluation criteria and has useful information on how the criteria are evaluated. The Secretariat has curated a list of resources to help applicants, institutions, referees, and evaluators consider equity, diversity, and inclusion in their applications. Applicants are encouraged to review the resources before they begin writing their applications.

Important Documents Required

• A ResearchNet application form (includes two letters of reference, each with three sections)
• A CCV (limited entries; please see Completing the Common CV (CCV) for complete information)
• Research Contributions (maximum one page)
• A Personal Leadership Statement (maximum 2 pages)
• Special Circumstances (max 0.5 pages, optional)
• Two Leadership letters of reference (maximum 2 pages)
• A Research Proposal (maximum 2 pages)
• Project References (maximum 5 pages)
• Transcripts

Important notes regarding Vanier Application

• A student who has completed the Vanier CGS electronic application through ResearchNet must apply online to the Canadian institution that will be putting forward their nomination.
• Applications cannot be submitted directly to the Vanier CGS program.
• Students wishing to apply for a Vanier CGS should verify that the institution to which they are applying for doctoral studies has a Vanier CGS quota. They must then inform the institution that they wish to be considered for a Vanier CGS.
• The institution is responsible for notifying candidates if their application is not selected for nomination to the Secretariat. The timing for this notification may vary by institution.
• Based on its quota, the institution will forward its nominations to the Secretariat.
• Each student can only be nominated once. If more than one institution is interested in nominating an individual student for a Vanier CGS, the student must choose one institution to submit their nomination. Multiple nominations will not be accepted.
• Students are responsible for contacting the institution for more information about selecting the appropriate federal granting agency, finding the appropriate contact person within a department/faculty, and for advice or questions related to content and how best to present the information in their application.

Application Timelines:

• July – November 2022: Applicants seek a nominating institution, and prepare and submit the application package.
• Internal Deadline (varies): Deadline to apply to the nominating institution. Contact the nominating institution for a specific date.
• November 2, 2022 (20:00 EST): Deadline for institutions to submit nominations to the Vanier CGS program.
• November 2022 – March 2023: Review and evaluation of nominations.
• Early April 2023: Anticipated notification of results. Nominees will be notified by email when the results are available on ResearchNet.
• May 1, 2023, September 1, 2023, or January 1, 2024: Payments begin.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, please refer to the official website of the scholarship provider using the link below for more detailed information on the eligibility requirements and application instructions for the Vanier CGS.