What? : 166 PhD scholarships in Canada
For whom? : Students with a doctoral degree accepted at one of the universities in the
How Much? : CAD$50,000 (about R$183,000) per year for 3 years
Until when? : Registration until November 1st
The Government of Canada is accepting applications for the Vanier Graduate Scholarships programof study funding for doctoral students. Created in 2008, the objective of the initiative is to help Canadian universities attract students who excel in leadership skills and perform well in school.
Students from the social and human sciences, natural sciences, engineering and health areas can participate in Vanier, coming from anywhere in the world. To compete for one of the scholarships, candidates must go through the selection process of the institution where they wish to study. Then, the Canadian university will nominate the student to compete for the “quotas for hosting Vanier Scholars”. Each university has a maximum number of nominations that can be submitted to compete for one of the program’s scholarships.
How Vanier Graduate Scholarships Work
Annually, the program selects 166 new academics. In all, there are more than 500 scholarships in permanent progress. On the official website of the program, indication is that interested parties seek to win an appointment only at the institution where they wish to study.
Scholarships are distributed equally among three federal funding agencies: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Applicants cannot apply directly to the program. The program website directs candidates to read the Selection Committee Guide ( available here) before starting the registration. The document lists the three evaluation criteria for fellows, in addition to providing information on each criterion. It is also necessary to review the page on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion to prepare the application.
According to the program, “Vanier Canada Graduate Fellowship selection committees are multidisciplinary, and therefore, applications should be written with a non-specialist research audience in mind.” Candidates who achieve an average score of at least 3.1 in each of the three criteria will be considered eligible for the scholarships.
How to apply
Application must be made through the website of the university where the candidate wants to enter. In this link ( available here), you can find the list of institutions participating in Vanier. During the search, the program guides candidates to research “thoroughly” the program they want to attend, as well as the advisors of the proposed research. After this first step, interested parties should consult the Vanier CGS quotes page ( available here) to ensure that the university of interest has quota for the year.
Each student can be nominated only once per competition. Thus, if two universities approve, the candidate must choose one of them and apply. Documents for applying to the university can be submitted in English or French.
Students must submit at least the following documentation:
- Completed ResearchNet application form with two letters of reference
- Curriculum
- Research Contributions; (maximum one page)
- A “Personal Leadership Statement”
- Special Circumstances (0.5 page maximum, optional)
- Two leadership reference letters
- A Research Proposal
- Project References
- Transcripts
Detailed information on each documentation item can be found at the link ( available here ).
What Scholarships Include
Selected students receive CAD$50,000 (about R$183,000) per year for the three-year duration of the courses. According to the program’s website, the selection criteria consider three criteria with equal weight:
- Academic Excellence
- Potential
- Research and leadership
Those interested in participating in the Vanier program must prepare and submit the required documentation by the deadline of the institution they wish to attend – deadlines may vary. Once approved, the university must request the candidate’s participation in the Vanier program by November 1st . check here all eligibility criteria for each area. More information about the program at this link ( available here).