Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master's
The (CGS M) is administered jointly by Canada’s three federal granting agencies. The selection and post-award administration are carried out at the university level, under the guidance of the three agencies.
Learn more in these recorded presentations (play the audio recording for each slide or watch in Slide Show format for a continuous recording:
- CGSM Part 1: Learn about the scholarship (13 min.) and transcript
- CGSM Part 2: Application advice and support (15 min.) and transcript
Successful applicants will win one of the following awards depending on the focus of the research proposed:
- Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS M) in health research (CIHR)
- Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS M) in natural sciences and engineering research (NSERC)
- Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS M) in social sciences and humanities research (SSHRC)
Amount
$27,000 *Effective September 01, 2024
Application deadline
December 2, 2024 Before 5pm PT
Application workshops
Application workshop were held September 25 (in person) and September 26 (online). The workshops were not recorded but material is available in the presentations posted above.
Next application workshops will be held fall 2025.
Applying for the CGS M
To determine your eligiblity for a CGS M visit .
Note: Information and dates may be updated depending on information provided by the tri-council agencies each year.
- Early September – Application opens in the Federal Council Research Portal
- December 1 by 8:00pm Eastern Time each year (or next business day if December 1st falls on a weekend) - Application Deadline (date by which the complete application must be submitted by the applicant including referee letters). No changes or updates can be made once the application has been submitted. No extensions can be provided.
- Date TBD – Competition results available to students in Research Portal. Students have 21 days from the date of offer of award to accept or decline their offer. If an offer is not accepted or declined within the 21 days it will automatically be set to 'declined'.
- Before starting your application read the instructions carefully and keep them handy for quick reference –
Transcripts: UVic requires official, up-to-date transcripts for all post-secondary studies, including any studies that did not lead to a degree (i.e., transfer course grades, study exchange courses, etc.) Consult the instructions for the appropriate agency.
*NOTE: If applying to multiple institutions, student's must adhere to transcript instructions for each institution they are applying to - i.e., other institutions may not accept unofficial transcripts.
UVic Transcripts
- Official UVic transcripts are preferred.
- The UVic transcript must be up-to-date - transcripts dated or issued in the fall session of the year of application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).
- A UVic transcript legend must be included.
Other institution transcripts:
- Applicants must submit official transcripts, including a transcript legend; unofficial transcripts will not be accepted
- If the transcript is not presented in one of Canada's two official languages (English or French), a certified translation must be provided, in addition to the transcripts in their original language.
- Up-to-date official transcripts are defined as transcripts issued by the Registrar's Office and dated or issued in the fall session of the year of the application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered). Opening the envelope to scan the transcript to upload will not render it unofficial.
General transcript information:
- All programs of study listed in the application, even if not completed, must be accompanied by up-to-date transcripts. This includes any program in which your are currently registered, even if you do not have any marks for the course yet (i.e., fall term courses you are currently enrolled in must be included on your transcript), as these are proof of your enrolment.
- Where transcripts include transfer credits from another institution, the grades for these credits must be shown. If the grades are not shown, the original transcript from the other institution must be included in the application. This includes international exchange programs.
- All transcripts and proof of registration should be uploaded as a single PDF document. Retain all original transcripts as they may be requested at a later date.
- Official transcripts are defined as transcripts issued by the institution’s registrar’s office. Transcripts from other sources, such as those printed from the student’s account on the institution’s website, are not official.
- Opening the transcript envelope and scanning the transcript will not render the transcript unofficial.
- You must include one copy of the legend (for each transcript). Do not scan the legend multiple times.
- It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that they are submitting a complete transcript package in their CGSM application. Transcript submissions cannot be revised after the application deadline.
- “All undergraduate and graduate transcripts” includes transcripts from transfer credit courses and exchange or study abroad terms. The official transcripts from those institutions must be provided.
Contact information: Students should contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies for assistantance or guidance well in advance of the stated deadline. Students can also contact any of the three federal council agencies for information about the program. Students should contact the council whose mandate corresponds with the applicants field of research.
Tri-Agency:
- Contact CIHR at cgsma@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
- Contact NSERC at schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
- Contact SSHRC (including CGS M) at fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
- Donja Roberts, Scholarship Administrative Officer: scholoff@uvic.ca
- Kathy McCarthy, Scholarship Officer: fgsaward@uvic.ca
- Lisa Pender, Scholarship Officer: fgsaward2@uvic.ca
Tri-Council Faculty Coaches:
- CIHR Coach: Dr. Ryan Rhodes, rhodes@uvic.ca
- NSERC Coach: Dr. George Tzanetakis, gtzan@cs.uvic.ca
- SSHRC Coaches: Dr. James Rowe, jkrowe@uvic.ca and Dr. Mary-Elizabeth Leighton,
Additional Resources:
- & determining your eligibility
- Tips for reference letters
- Tips for writing a strong research proposal
CGS M Workshops:
A workshop is being planned for September 2024. Please check this site and watch your email for details.
Indigenous Scholars Supplement: $5000
Indigenous Scholars Award : $27,000
Duration for both Award and Supplement: over 12 months
The Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative will provide financial support to meritorious Indigenous students who have applied to the (CGS M).
Eligibility
CGSM applicants who self-identify as Indigenous within the application may be eligible for this program.
The Tri-Agencies are establishing new processes for Indigenous students to self-identify based on consultation with Indigenous advisory groups. These changes will be incorporated into the CGSM application process beginning October 1, 2024, and include multiple options for students to affirm their Indigenous citizenship or membership. Learn more about processes for .
Application process
- Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for this funding stream must apply through the .
- Applicants select “Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement Pilot Initiative” in the drop-down menu in the “Supplements/Joint Initiatives” section of the application form, under the “social sciences and/or humanities” or “natural sciences and engineering” field of research.
- Follow the application instructions for Indigenous citizenship or membership affirmation. Please see note above regarding new processes as of October 1, 2024.
- *Applicants will be asked to self-identify as Indigenous in order to be considered for the ISAS program. They will also be asked to consent to SSHRC and NSERC using this information as part of their application to the Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement.
Please note, adjudication for this award and supplement is through SSHRC/NSERC; UVic is not part of the adjudication process.