Government of Canada Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for International Students in 2023

Application is now open for the Government of Canada Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships. Interested applicants are encouraged to send their applications in before the deadline date.

About the Organization and Scholarship

The organization in charge of overseeing Canada’s federal government is known as the Government of Canada (French: gouvernement du Canada). As the administrative, judicial, and legislative branches of a constitutional monarchy, the Crown plays several functions. It serves as the Crown-in-Council, the Crown in Parliament, and the Crown on the Bench. The Privy Council, sometimes known as the Cabinet, the Parliament, and the judiciary are each responsible for exercising the Crown’s authority.

The Canadian government launched the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program in 2008 to improve Canada’s ability to attract and retain top-tier Ph.D. students and to position the nation as a global center of excellence in research and higher education. While pursuing graduate degrees in the social and humanities, sciences, engineering, or medicine, Vanier Scholars demonstrate intellectual prowess and leadership abilities.

The Major-General Georges P. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program assists Canadian institutions in enticing outstanding doctoral applicants. Major-General Vanier was the nation’s first francophone governor-general.

Details about Government of Canada Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships:

Scholarship Sponsor: Government of Canada

Scholarship Value: $50,000 per year

Number of awards: Several

Study level: Postgraduate, PhD

Host Institution(s): Government of Canada

Eligibility Criteria for Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships applicants must meet the following requirements:

• Be put out by just one Canadian university, and that institution must have earned a Vanier CGS quota.
• having your first doctoral degree in progress (including dual programs such as MD/Ph.D., DVM/Ph.D., or JD/Ph.D., MBA/Ph.D. – assuming it has a proven and strong research component);
• intend to undertake full-time doctorate study and research at the school that nominated you during the summer semester or the academic year that follows the release of your findings; For collaborative graduate research programs, funding is only available for the Ph.D. component of the program.
• have, as of May 1, 2024, finished no more than 20 months of full-time Ph.D. studies;
  • After a master’s degree was earned, the doctorate program would start. The date of doctorate enrollment is used to compute the number of study months completed.
• By May 1, 2024, you must have finished no more than 32 months of full-time coursework in your doctorate program (i.e., combined graduate research program, directly from bachelor’s, previously enrolled without earning a master’s degree), if:
• joined graduate research programs, such as MD/Ph.D., MA/Ph.D., MS/Ph.D., and DVM/PhD. Whether or whether they have previously been enrolled in a master’s program, candidates in this group are eligible for the 32-month window:
  • The number of months of study is determined beginning on the day that a candidate is formally accepted into the joint graduate program. This will be the master’s registration date (for MA/PhD or MS/PhD).
• enrolled immediately in a Ph.D. program after receiving their bachelor’s degree (without first enrolling in another graduate school);
  • The date of doctorate enrollment is used to compute the number of study months completed.
• transferred to a doctorate program after having previously enrolled in a master’s program without earning the degree.
  • The number of completed months of study is computed starting with the initial master’s enrollment date.
• have completed the previous two years of full-time study with a first-class average—or the equivalent—as decided by your school. Candidates are urged to get in touch with the school to inquire about what constitutes a first-class average; and
  • Note: Contact your preferred host institutions to find out if they employ this qualifying criterion. Institutions may, at their discretion, accept Vanier CGS applications from those who did not earn a first-class average.
• Cannot already be enrolled in or have completed a Ph.D. program with a scholarship or fellowship at the doctoral level from the CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC.

Interview Date, Process, and Venue for Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Selection Standards:

• Academic excellence
• Research potential, and leadership (possibility and track record)

Required Documents for Application

A full application bundle for Vanier CGS includes:

• Application for ResearchNet (includes two letters of recommendation, each with three parts)
• CCV (limited entries; for details, please visit Finishing the Common CV (CCV))
• Contributions to research, no more than one page
• Personal leadership statement (no more than 2 pages in English; no more than 2.5 pages in French)
• Special conditions, optional, maximum 1 page
• Two leadership reference letters, each no longer than two pages
• Research proposal (maximum 2 pages for submissions in English; maximum 2.5 pages for applications in French)
• references to the project (limit 5 pages)
• Transcripts

Application Process for Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

The Selection Committee Guide should be reviewed by candidates before beginning their application. This guide includes a list of the three assessment criteria as well as helpful details on the evaluation process. Applications should be prepared with a non-specialist research readership in mind because the Vanier CGS selection committees are interdisciplinary.

Before starting the application preparation process, you must also read the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion page. You can also visit the official website for further details

The Application Deadline is: November 1, 2023

Not interested in this particular scholarship? See other Canada scholarships here.