Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for international students 2024-2025
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) is one of the most prestigious scholarships in Canada, aimed at attracting and retaining world-class doctoral students. The scholarship is named after former Canadian Governor General Georges Vanier and is awarded annually to 166 highly qualified international and Canadian doctoral students who demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, or health-related fields.
The scholarship provides successful candidates with a significant financial award of $50,000 annually for up to three years of doctoral study. The scholarship also provides recipients with opportunities for networking, mentorship, and professional development.
Benefits of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 2024-2025
There are several benefits of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, including:
- Funding: The scholarship provides up to $50,000 annually for three years of doctoral studies, making it one of Canada’s most prestigious and generous scholarships.
- Prestige: The Vanier CGS is highly competitive and is awarded to Canada’s most outstanding doctoral students. Receiving the scholarship is a significant achievement and a mark of academic excellence.
- Flexibility: The scholarship allows recipients to pursue their research interests without financial constraints, allowing them to focus on their studies and research.
- Networking: Recipients of the Vanier CGS become part of a prestigious community of scholars and have the opportunity to network with other Vanier scholars and leaders in their fields.
- Professional development: The scholarship provides recipients with opportunities for professional development, including leadership training and mentorship.
- International experience: The scholarship is open to Canadian and international students, allowing recipients to study in Canada and experience its rich cultural diversity.
Eligibility Criteria of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 2024-2025
Here are the eligibility criteria for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship:
- Citizenship: Candidates must be Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, or international students.
- Academic achievement: Candidates must have achieved a high level of academic excellence, with a minimum of an A- average in each of the last two years of full-time study, or equivalent.
- Field of study: Candidates must pursue their first doctoral degree in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, or health-related fields. It should be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint programs such as MD/Ph.D., DVM/Ph.D., or JD/Ph.D. – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component).
- Nomination: Candidates must be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier allocation.
- Intention to pursue full-time doctoral studies: Candidates must intend to pursue full-time doctoral studies at the nominating institution.
- Leadership potential: Candidates must have demonstrated leadership skills and/or potential in their field of study, as evidenced through involvement in academic or extra-curricular activities.
- Research potential: Candidates must have demonstrated a high standard of scholarly achievement, as evidenced by publication records and conference presentations.
- Personal achievements: Candidates must have a strong record of personal achievements and contributions to their community.
- Be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier CGS quota.
- Have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in your doctoral program as of May 1, 2024.
- The doctoral program would begin after the completion of a Master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
- Have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in your doctoral program (i.e., joint graduate research program, accelerated, previously enrolled without obtaining Master’s degree), by May 1, 2024 if:
- Enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants in this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a Master’s program.
- Beginning on the day an applicant is formally registered in the joint program (including the Master’s component of the program), the number of months of study is determined.
- enrolled directly from a Bachelor’s to a PhD (not previously enrolled in a Master’s program);
- The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
- Enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants in this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a Master’s program.
- Have completed the last two years of full-time study with a first-class average—or the equivalent—as determined by your institution. Candidates are urged to get in touch with the school to inquire about what constitutes a first-class average.
- Must not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.
*For Part-time studies, Students enrolled part-time due to a disability, parental or medical obligations, or familial responsibilities may hold a Vanier CGS. The Vanier CGS will be the equivalent of full-time funding dispersed over a longer period for eligible part-time students.
*Employees of the Canadian federal government are only eligible to hold a scholarship if they take an unpaid leave of absence (no salary or special allowances permitted).
Timeline of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 2024-2025
| November | Nomination deadline – nominations are received. |
| November/ December | Nominations are reviewed for eligibility and assigned to reviewers. |
| December | Evaluation of nominations by reviewers. |
| January | Selection committees meet to discuss nominations and finalize their recommendations. |
| March/April | The Tri-Agency Programs Steering Committee meets to approves the ranked list of nominations recommended by the selection committees. The Vanier CGS candidates are notified of their result in the competition |
| May to January | Tenure of the Vanier CGS may begin. |
Application Process of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 2023-2024
Here are the steps in the application process for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship:
- Identify and contact potential nominating institutions: Identify the Canadian institution(s) where you wish to pursue your doctoral studies and contact the faculty of graduate studies to inquire about their internal selection process and deadlines.
- Prepare your application: Prepare your application materials, including your research proposal, academic transcripts, and letters of reference.
- Submit your application to the nominating institution: Submit your completed application package to the Canadian institution that has agreed to nominate you for the Vanier CGS. Each institution has its own internal deadline for submission of Vanier applications.
- Internal review and selection: The nominating institution will review all applications and select the most competitive candidates to nominate for the Vanier CGS. Each institution has its own internal selection process.
- Nomination: The nominating institution will submit its nominations to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat by the annual deadline.
- National review: The Vanier-Banting Secretariat will review all nominations received and select the most outstanding candidates for the scholarship.
- Announcement of results: Successful candidates will be notified of their selection as Vanier CGS recipients following the application deadline in the spring.
Website of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
The application process for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is managed by the Canadian institution that is nominating you for the scholarship. You will need to contact the faculty of graduate studies or the equivalent office at the Canadian institution where you wish to pursue your doctoral studies to inquire about their internal selection process and application procedures. Once you have been selected as a nominee by your Canadian institution, they will provide you with instructions on how to submit your application to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat.
The official website of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is https://vanier.gc.ca, where you can find more information about the scholarship, including eligibility criteria, application instructions, and deadlines.
Deadline for Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
- Internal deadline: The deadline for submitting your application to the Canadian institution nominating you for the Vanier CGS varies from institution to institution and typically falls several months before the national deadline.
- National deadline: The national deadline for the Vanier CGS is typically in November of each year. The exact deadline date can vary yearly, so it’s important to check the Vanier website for the most up-to-date information.
- Announcement of results: Successful candidates will be notified of their selection as Vanier CGS recipients following the application deadline in the spring.
Contact of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, contact the Vanier-Banting Secretariat. Here is their contact information:
Email: vanier@cihr-irsc.gc.ca Telephone: 613-948-5626 Toll-Free: 1-888-603-4178 Fax: 613-954-1800
The Vanier-Banting Secretariat is available to answer questions about the scholarship program, eligibility criteria, application process, and other related matters. You can also visit the official website of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship at https://vanier.gc.ca for more information and resources.
Frequently Asked Questions: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is a prestigious program the Canadian government offers to support high-performing doctoral students who demonstrate leadership skills and a strong commitment to research excellence.
To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must be nominated by a Canadian institution and meet several eligibility criteria, including academic excellence, research potential, and leadership skills. They must also pursue a doctoral degree in a field of study under the Vanier CGS program.
The application process involves several steps, including submitting an application package to the institution that will nominate the candidate and providing a research proposal, letters of recommendation, and other supporting documentation.
The scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year for three years and is intended to support the recipient’s living expenses while they complete their doctoral studies.
Yes, international students who meet the eligibility criteria can apply for the scholarship. However, they must be nominated by a Canadian institution.
The application deadline for the scholarship typically falls in November of each year. However, applicants should confirm the specific deadline with the institution nominating them.
Recipients are selected based on their academic excellence, research potential, leadership skills, and the quality and relevance of their research proposal.
Yes, recipients can work up to 10 hours per week on campus while receiving the scholarship. They may also be eligible for other funding sources, such as teaching assistantships or research grants.
In addition to financial support, the scholarship provides recipients with valuable networking opportunities, access to mentorship and professional development programs, and recognition of their research excellence.
You can visit the official website of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship at https://vanier.gc.ca or contact the Vanier-Banting Secretariat for more information.
Vanier scholarship recipients are generally not allowed to defer their scholarship, except under certain circumstances such as medical or parental leave. Recipients should check with the Vanier-Banting Secretariat to determine their eligibility for a deferral.
The scholarship is awarded for a maximum of three years, and recipients cannot hold it for more than three years, even if they are enrolled in a longer doctoral program.
No, recipients of the Vanier scholarship must be enrolled full-time in their doctoral program for the duration of the scholarship.
In general, recipients cannot transfer institutions during their scholarship term. However, in certain circumstances, such as when an institution is no longer able to support the recipient’s research, a transfer may be approved by the Vanier-Banting Secretariat.
If a recipient drops out of their doctoral program, their scholarship will be terminated, and they will no longer receive funding. However, recipients may be allowed to return to their program in the future if they can re-enroll and meet the eligibility criteria for the scholarship.
Yes, recipients may be eligible for other funding sources, such as teaching assistantships or research grants. However, recipients must disclose all funding sources to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat and must not exceed a certain level of funding from all sources combined.
The number of scholarships each year varies, but typically around 166 are awarded annually.
The Vanier-Banting Secretariat is the organization responsible for administering the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program. They are responsible for reviewing applications, selecting recipients, and managing the scholarship funds.
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