Graduate programs are the primary source of internal funding for many of our graduate students through the Western Graduate Research Scholarships (WGRS) program, and teaching and research assistantships.

• Western Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS)
• Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA)
• Research Funding Support

Generous donations from our alumni and from corporations, foundations and other friends of Western University have helped to create many graduate student award and support programs. Recipients are selected by nomination or by an internal competition. Please contact your graduate program for more details about awards that may be available to you. For a comprehensive listing of all current donor-funded graduate awards at Western, please access the Donor-Funded Award Search:

• Donor Funded Awards Search
• Alzheimer Society London and Middlesex
• Joint Fund Support of Graduate Student Research and Scholarship

Graduate students who find themselves in financial need have access to a full range of bursary programs, loans and financial aid counselling at Western.

• Graduate Bursary Assistance
• Work-Study Program
• OSAP/Government Student Loans

The Province of Ontario is a very generous supporter and promoter of graduate student excellence and runs a suite of lucrative scholarship programs annually through its universities such as the Ontario Trillium Scholarships for doctoral study, the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology, and the Ontario Graduate Scholarships.

• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and QEII Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEIIGSST)
• Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS)
• Women's Health Scholars Awards
• The John Charles Polanyi Prizes
• The Autism Scholars Awards

The Federal Granting Agencies, mandated by the Government of Canada to support and promote high-quality research in a wide variety of disciplines and areas, are the most lucrative and prestigious sources of competitive funding for Western scholars through such programs as the Canada Graduate Scholarships, the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships, the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships and Master’s Scholarships, and a vast suite of CIHR training scholarship programs.

• Canadian Institutes and Health Research (CIHR)
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
• Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships
• The Richard J. Schmeelk Fellowship
• W.L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships
• Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements

The Governor General's Gold Medals are awarded to students graduating with the highest academic standing in a Master's or Doctoral degree program.

• Governor General's Gold Medals

Our scholars go where the research takes them and Western has partnered with international institutions and agencies to support that experience via international exchange agreements and programs.

Incoming and Outgoing Competitions

• China Scholarship Council (CSC)
• MITACS Brazil - Visiting Graduate Students (Research Only)
• Organization of American States (OAS) Program
• CONACYT Program

Outgoing Competitions

• Rhodes Scholars
• Fullbright Scholarships

These graduate program staff coordinate external scholarship operations in each of Western’s graduate programs and together are the front-line service team dedicated to assisting students and faculty throughout the competition season.

• ESC Contact List

Access Western's award-winning support series for external scholarship applicants.

• Consult the Experts Series
• Scholarship Library
• General Information Sessions