Tri-Agency Scholarships
In spring of 2025, the Tri-Agency scholarship and fellowship programs administered by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC were streamlined into a new harmonized program called the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS).
The following scholarships were sunsetted and re-branded as CRTAS: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS); Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master’s (CGSM); CIHR: Frederick Banting & Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Awards (CGSD); CIHR: Doctoral Foreign Study Awards (DFSA); NSERC: Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (CGSD); NSERC: Postgraduate Scholarships-Doctoral (PGSD); SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral Program (CGSD); and SSHRC: Doctoral Fellowships.
The new harmonized programs within CRTAS are:
- Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s (CGRS M)
- Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS D)
The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS) is committed to supporting ongoing research, scholarship, and creative activity at Western University by encouraging more graduate students to apply for Canada’s leading government scholarships.
“Tri-Agency” is the umbrella term used to describe the three Canadian government scholarship funding agencies:
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Master’s and doctoral students in research-based programs can apply for the appropriate Tri-Agency scholarship before and during their graduate program.
Students apply for a scholarship with one of the Tri-Agencies based on their area of research; if successful, they receive significant financial support to pursue their studies, enhance their credentials, and act as leaders in the pursuit of scholarly excellence.
For information on sunsetted Tri-Agency Scholarship Programs, please see the following links:
- Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's (Sunsetted)
- CIHR Doctoral Research Awards (Sunsetted)
- NSERC Doctoral Research Awards (Sunsetted)
- SSHRC Doctoral Research Awards (Sunsetted)
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Sunsetted)
- CGS - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (Sunsetted)
