The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (CGS M) 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.
The NSERC graduate scholarship Canada program provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in an eligible master’s or, in some cases, doctoral program in Canada (refer to Eligibility for more information). This support allows these scholars to fully concentrate on their studies in their chosen fields.
The nserc graduate scholarship canada program supports up to 3,000 students annually in all disciplines and is administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The selection process and post-award administration are carried out at the institutional level, under the guidance of the three agencies. Students submit their application to the institution at which they intend to hold their award using the Research Portal.
Eligibility NSERC Graduate Scholarship Canada
To be eligible to apply, you must
- be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date
- be enrolled in, have applied for or will apply for full-time admission* to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation
- respect the internal deadline to apply for admission for your intended program of study—contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the selected Canadian institution(s) for more detailed information
- have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application
- either between 0 and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in the program for which you are requesting funding,** which may be one of the following:
- a master’s program
- a doctoral program that you are entering directly from a bachelor’s program without having ever been enrolled in any graduate programs (direct-entry)
- a combined master’s-doctoral program
- a master’s program that will transition to an eligible doctoral program, either before or after award activation, with no master’s degree conferred (fast-track)
- a master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before the end of the award, allowing the award to continue into an eligible doctoral program
- or between 4 and 12 months of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in an eligible master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before activation of the award, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding
- either between 0 and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in the program for which you are requesting funding,** which may be one of the following:
- not have held or be currently holding a CGS M scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
- have achieved a first-class average**, as determined by the host institution, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)
- Note: Institutions may, at their discretion, accept canada graduate scholarship applications from individuals who have not obtained a first-class average; contact your proposed host institutions to determine their use of this eligibility criterion
- submit a maximum of one scholarship (master’s or doctoral) or fellowship application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC(nserc scholarship for international students) or SSHRC
- Note: Should more than one application be submitted, the eligible application submitted first chronologically will be retained
- Note: Nominations to the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship program and applications to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program do not count toward this limit (other exceptions may apply to CIHR internships)
Deadline of Canada Graduate Scholarship- Master’s Program
The deadline for Canada Graduate Scholarship applications is December 1, before 8:00 p.m. (ET). Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline using the This link will take you to another Web site Research Portal. If the deadline falls on a weekend, applications must be submitted by the following business day before 8:00 p.m. (ET).
Note: As the application deadline approaches, delays may occur due to a high volume of users on the Research Portal, which may prevent the timely submission of your application. Requests to submit late applications will not be accepted.
Redistribution of Unused Allocations
To maximize the number of Canada Graduate Scholarship Masters awards funded, unused allocations will be redistributed to selected institutions based on the approved allocation formula. Institutions can then use the redistributed allocations to make new offers of award to eligible alternate applicants before January 31.
It is for all Scholarship Progeams NSERC scholarship for international students, CIHR Scholarship for International Students , SSHRC Scholarships for international Students.
| Institutions (in alphabetical order) | CIHR | NSERC | SSHRC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia University | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Athabasca University | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Bishop’s University | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Brandon University | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| British Columbia Institute of Technology | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Brock University | 2 | 4 | 12 | 18 |
| Canadian Mennonite University | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Cape Breton University | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Carleton University | 3 | 15 | 36 | 54 |
| Concordia University | 4 | 14 | 42 | 60 |
| Concordia University of Edmonton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Dalhousie University | 16 | 20 | 19 | 55 |
| Dominican University College | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| École de technologie supérieure | 1 | 10 | 1 | 12 |
| École nationale d’administration publique | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| École Polytechnique de Montréal | 0 | 20 | 2 | 22 |
| Emily Carr University of Art and Design | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| HEC Montréal | 0 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
| Institut national de la recherche scientifique | 3 | 13 | 6 | 22 |
| Institute for Christian Studies | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lakehead University | 2 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| Laurentian University | 2 | 4 | 4 | 10 |
| McGill University | 87 | 49 | 85 | 221 |
| McMaster University | 37 | 30 | 33 | 100 |
| Memorial University of Newfoundland | 5 | 11 | 16 | 32 |
| Mount Allison University | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Mount Saint Vincent University | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Nipissing University | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Ontario College of Art and Design University | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Queen’s University | 13 | 22 | 38 | 73 |
| Royal Military College of Canada | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Royal Roads University | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
| Ryerson University | 3 | 10 | 21 | 34 |
| Saint Mary’s University | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 |
| Saint Paul University (Ottawa) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Simon Fraser University | 11 | 19 | 40 | 70 |
| St. Francis Xavier University | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 |
| TÉLUQ | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| The University of British Columbia | 81 | 63 | 96 | 240 |
| The University of Western Ontario | 28 | 29 | 41 | 98 |
| The University of Winnipeg | 1 | 3 | 9 | 13 |
| Thompson Rivers University | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Trent University | 1 | 4 | 7 | 12 |
| Trinity Western University | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Université de Moncton | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Université de Montréal | 56 | 23 | 75 | 154 |
| Université de Saint-Boniface | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Université de Sherbrooke | 13 | 21 | 15 | 49 |
| Université du Québec à Chicoutimi | 1 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| Université du Québec à Montréal | 7 | 9 | 55 | 71 |
| Université du Québec à Rimouski | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières | 1 | 4 | 11 | 16 |
| Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Université du Québec en Outaouais | 1 | 2 | 9 | 12 |
| Université Laval | 33 | 33 | 50 | 116 |
| Université Sainte-Anne | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| University of Alberta | 35 | 55 | 47 | 137 |
| University of Calgary | 40 | 33 | 32 | 105 |
| University of Guelph | 5 | 22 | 21 | 48 |
| University of Lethbridge | 2 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| University of Manitoba | 19 | 18 | 25 | 62 |
| University of New Brunswick | 2 | 7 | 10 | 19 |
| University of Northern British Columbia | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| University of Ontario Institute of Technology | 1 | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| University of Ottawa | 42 | 25 | 59 | 126 |
| University of Prince Edward Island | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| University of Regina | 3 | 4 | 7 | 14 |
| University of Saskatchewan | 7 | 18 | 20 | 45 |
| University of St. Michael’s College (Toronto) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| University of the Fraser Valley | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| University of Toronto | 185 | 77 | 141 | 403 |
| University of Victoria | 6 | 16 | 32 | 54 |
| University of Waterloo | 7 | 50 | 36 | 93 |
| University of Windsor | 2 | 9 | 10 | 21 |
| Vancouver Island University | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Wilfrid Laurier University | 1 | 4 | 21 | 26 |
| York University | 6 | 13 | 63 | 82 |
| TOTAL | 795 | 840 | 1,365 | 3,000 |
FAQ’s of Canada Graduate Scholarship- Masters Program
- What GPA do you need for NSERC?
NSERC requires a minimum average GPA of 2.67. - NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) Is the most prestigious undergraduate research award in Canada, and provides the awardee with financial support to conduct research in a host lab in the summer prior to joining a graduate program.The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC; French: Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada, CRSNG) is the major federal agency responsible for funding natural sciences and engineering research in Canada.
Official Contacts for Canada Graduate Scholarships- Masters Program
The first point of contact for the Canada Graduate Scholarships Masters program is the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the institution(s) where you intend to hold the award. You can also contact any of Canada’s three granting agencies for information about this program. You should communicate with the agency whose mandate corresponds to your field of research. The agencies aim to respond to inquiries within 48 hours. During peak periods (November to January), response time may be delayed.
For questions about submitting an application
- to CIHR, contact cgsma-bescbm@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
- to NSERC, contact schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
- to SSHRC, contact fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
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