What categories of scholarships are available?
There are two types of scholarships: CGS D and PGS D.
Note: If you entered your doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s degree and have completed between four and 12 months of studies in the doctoral program, you may be eligible to apply for a Canada Graduate Scholarship-Master’s (CGS M) or for a PGS D. Applying for a CGS M, if you are eligible, will maximize your potential period of funding. You are responsible for choosing the type of award for which you apply.
To be eligible to apply:
- you must have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application, between zero and 24 months (between four and 36 months if admitted to the doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program) of studies (full-time equivalent) in the doctoral program for which you are requesting funding; and
you must not hold, or have held, a scholarship or fellowship from SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR to undertake or complete a doctoral program. - In the evaluation of your eligibility, NSERC will consider all studies counted toward the graduate degree for which funding is requested, whether completed at the degree-granting institution or not. NSERC will count two sessions of part-time study as one session of full-time study.
If you registered in a master’s degree and subsequently transferred to a doctoral degree, the months in the doctoral degree will be calculated starting from the date on which you were officially registered in your PhD program.
If you are registered in a doctoral program, the months in the doctoral program will be calculated starting from the date on which you were officially registered even if a master’s degree is completed as part of your program.
You will be eligible for only a two-year CGS D/PGS D, if:
- you previously held a two-year M level award; or
- you have completed more than the full-time equivalent of 12 months of your doctoral program (24 months if you were admitted to the doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program) as of December 31 of the year that you apply for the CGS D/PGS D.
To hold these awards, you must:
- be unconditionally registered full-time in a doctoral program at an eligible university;
- take up the award in May following the announcement of the results if, as of December 31 of the year of application, you completed 24 months of studies in the program for which support was requested (36 months if you were admitted to the doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program).
You are not eligible to receive scholarship support while you are in a qualifying year of study.
Note: CGS D/PGS D support will not extend beyond the 52nd month of your doctoral program (64th month if you were admitted to the doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program).
Maximum total duration of scholarship support
Scholarship support for graduate studies through NSERC is limited to a lifetime maximum of four years (48 months) of full-time equivalency. NSERC will include any graduate-level scholarship funding provided by SSHRC and CIHR in the calculation of previous funding support.
If you have had up to 12 months of support at the M level, you are eligible for a maximum of 36 months of support at the D level providing you meet the program’s other eligibility criteria.
If you have had between 12 and 24 months of support at the M level, you are eligible for a maximum of 24 months of support at the D level providing you meet the program’s other eligibility criteria.
Note the following exceptions to this rule:
If you have held a 24-month IPS 1,* you may still be eligible to hold a PGS D or CGS D for a period of 36 months providing you meet the other program’s eligibility criteria.
If you are applying for a Vanier CGS, consult the This link will take you to another Web site Vanier CGS website for information on duration of scholarship support specific to that program.
* IPS includes all NSERC industrial postgraduate scholarship programs.
How do you apply for a scholarship?
To apply for these scholarships, you must complete and submit Form 201 online. Read the instructions on how to complete Form 201. You can apply online by clicking to "Further official information" below and then go to the "How to apply" section in the left corner of the text.
There is a single application and selection process for the CGS D and the PGS D. The top-ranked applicants will be offered a CGS D, and the next tier of meritorious applicants will be offered a PGS D.
If you are offered a CGS D, but decide to take your award to an eligible foreign university and are eligible to do so, you must decline the CGS D and accept a PGS D award in its place.
How you apply depends on your status at the application deadline date and/or your registration status in the year of application. You must apply either through a Canadian university or directly to NSERC.
The table below presents various possibilities and explains where to submit your application. The table does not display all the possibilities. If you are unsure about how you should apply, send an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Note: If you applied directly to NSERC when you were required to apply through a Canadian university, your application will be deemed ineligible and rejected.
Application Deadlines
There are different application deadlines to keep in mind.
University Deadlines
If you are applying through your university, there is an internal deadline that your department sets for receiving applications. It would be the earliest of the deadlines, since the department will review applications before passing them along.
If you are applying through your university, the next deadline is the date when the university Faculty of Graduate Studies (or its equivalent) must receive your application through the NSERC On-line System. The university will review all applications received from the departments, rank them and then send recommended applications to NSERC. The university is responsible for notifying you if your application is not forwarded to NSERC. For more information about departmental and university application deadlines, contact your current or former department, or the Faculty of Graduate Studies (or its equivalent).
How do you apply for a scholarship?
To apply for these scholarships, you must complete and submit Form 201 online. Read the instructions on how to complete Form 201.
There is a single application and selection process for the CGS D and the PGS D. The top-ranked applicants will be offered a CGS D, and the next tier of meritorious applicants will be offered a PGS D.
If you are offered a CGS D, but decide to take your award to an eligible foreign university and are eligible to do so, you must decline the CGS D and accept a PGS D award in its place.
How you apply depends on your status at the application deadline date and/or your registration status in the year of application. You must apply either through a Canadian university or directly to NSERC.
The table below presents various possibilities and explains where to submit your application. The table does not display all the possibilities. If you are unsure about how you should apply, send an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Note: If you applied directly to NSERC when you were required to apply through a Canadian university, your application will be deemed ineligible and rejected.
Maximum total duration of scholarship support
Scholarship support for graduate studies through NSERC is limited to a lifetime maximum of four years (48 months) of full-time equivalency. NSERC will include any graduate-level scholarship funding provided by SSHRC and CIHR in the calculation of previous funding support.
If you have had up to 12 months of support at the M level, you are eligible for a maximum of 36 months of support at the D level providing you meet the program’s other eligibility criteria.
If you have had between 12 and 24 months of support at the M level, you are eligible for a maximum of 24 months of support at the D level providing you meet the program’s other eligibility criteria.
Note the following exceptions to this rule:
If you have held a 24-month IPS 1,* you may still be eligible to hold a PGS D or CGS D for a period of 36 months providing you meet the other program’s eligibility criteria.
If you are applying for a Vanier CGS, consult the This link will take you to another Web site Vanier CGS website for information on duration of scholarship support specific to that program.
* IPS includes all NSERC industrial postgraduate scholarship programs.
NSERC Deadlines
NSERC must receive all applications from Canadian universities by November 25 of each year.
- If you are applying directly to NSERC, your application must be submitted electronically to NSERC before 8:00 p.m. (ET) on October 15.
- Incomplete applications will be rejected.
With the exception of personal contact information, NSERC will not accept any changes or updates to your application after it has been submitted. Personal contact information may be updated by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Notification of Decision
NSERC notifies applicants whose applications were submitted to NSERC of the results by mail by March 31. NSERC will not provide results by telephone or email. If you move after submitting your application, inform NSERC by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca no later than March 1. You can also get the results from the Faculty of Graduate Studies (or its equivalent) at your university.
NSERC will publish the names (and other basic award information) of scholarship recipients on its website. For more information, refer to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
For more information click "Further official information" below.