Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's

masternoapply

 Application Opens: September 1

Application Closes: December 1

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master’s (CGSM) program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.

Successful applicants will win one of the following awards valued at $27,000 for 12 months (non-renewable):

  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships
  • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) – Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships
  • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) – Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Official Transcripts

There has been some confusion around what is acceptable. If official transcripts are available from a university, you must provide the official transcript. At Western official transcripts are available. This competition is very rigorous and you want to ensure your application is as compelling as possible. Unofficial transcripts take away from that as they are not trusted documents. Web printouts of grade reports from personal university accounts are not acceptable at all. 

Up-to-date official transcripts are defined as transcripts issued by the Registrar's Office and dated or issued in the fall term of application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).  If you use the eTranscript for your CGSM application, you have to share the eTranscript with yourself before you can access the PDF you need for uploading. The Office of the Registrar webpage has a very handy FAQ on this. Transcripts - Office of the Registrar - Western University (uwo.ca) Scroll down to Electronic Transcripts and select it. An FAQ will appear.

Eligibility

  • For full details about eligibility, review the ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA on the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program website.

Timeline

  • September 1: Online Application is available in the Research Portal.
  • December 1: Application deadline (before 8:00 p.m. EST).
  • December 2 - March 31: Western adjudicates awards.
  • April 1: SGPS posts results to the Research Portal.

How To Apply

Support

Western University Tri-Agency Contacts
  • Contact CIHR directly by EMAIL.
  • Contact NSERC directly by EMAIL.
  • Contact SSHRC directly by EMAIL.

Holding the Award at Western

Acceptance and Activation

  • Accept the offer of award from the agency following the instructions provided in the letter of offer, and then activate it for payment by completing the required agency forms.
  • Initiate the payment process at Western by following these steps:
    • Access the Student Center
    • Select ‘Self Service’ from the main menu, then 'Campus Finances'
    • Select ‘My External Scholarships’ and follow the activation steps for the Vanier CGS
    • Choose the start date that matches the date stipulated by the agency in the offer

Method of Payment

  • At Western University the annual value of an award is divided into three equal installments and each is pre-paid to the award holder’s Student Center account at the start of every term (September, January and May).

Terms and Conditions

  • The Tri-Agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) have harmonized their post-award policies, where possible, for research training programs and have incorporated these policies into a harmonized Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder's Guide. These policies became effective September 1, 2016 and the Guide is available on NSERC's website. The Guide applies to Tri-Agency research training awards such as Vanier CGS, NSERC PGSD/CGSD, SSHRC DF/CGSD, CIHR CGSD and all CGSM. It contains all the forms that training award holders and the University need to facilitate post-award activities allowed by the Tri-Agencies.
  • Access and review your Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder's Guide and comply with the regulations governing use of the award.