Scholarships and Fellowships for Graduate Students
Canadian graduate students have access to some of the world's most generous research fellowships. The federal government — through SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR — funds thousands of master's and doctoral students each year. The flagship Vanier CGS provides $50,000 per year for three years to world-class doctoral students. University funding packages for PhD students typically include a stipend plus tuition coverage.
The three federal research granting councils — SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR — each fund graduate students in their respective fields:
- SSHRC: Social sciences, humanities, and arts — Doctoral Fellowship $20K/year, CGS-M $27.5K
- NSERC: Natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics — PGS-D $21K/year, CGS-M $27.5K
- CIHR: Health sciences and biomedical research — Doctoral Award $27.5K/year
- Vanier CGS: $50K/year × 3 years — open to all three councils; world-class doctoral students
- Banting Postdoctoral: $70K/year × 2 years — for postdocs at Canadian institutions
Several provinces offer graduate scholarships in addition to federal awards:
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS): $15,000/year — any discipline, at Ontario universities
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation: $60,000/year for exceptional doctoral students in social sciences
- Many provincial programs match or supplement federal awards
Most PhD programs in Canada include a guaranteed minimum funding package for full-time doctoral students.
- Typical PhD package: $18,000–$30,000/year from combined sources
- Sources: Teaching assistantship + research assistantship + institutional scholarship
- Some universities guarantee tuition waiver for PhD students
- Ask about funding guarantees when applying — they vary significantly by program and supervisor
Frequently asked questions
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