NSERC Funding opportunities
Funding Prizes About Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada

Funding opportunity

Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program

Overview

Open
Value and duration

$27,000 for 12 months

Application deadline

The deadline for CGRS M applications is December 1 before 8:00 pm (ET). Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline using the Research Portal. If the deadline falls on a weekend or on a federal holiday, applications must be submitted by the following business day before 8:00 pm (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. It is your responsibility to strictly follow all 11 steps in the instructions for completing an application before the portal closes. Late applications will not be accepted.

Who can apply
  • Student > Master's
Eligible institution
  • University
Program type
Postgraduate
On this page
  • Description
  • Eligibility
  • Funding
  • Application
  • Review
  • Award
  • Post-award requirements
  • Regulations, policies and guidelines
  • Resources
Description

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Master’s (CGRS M) is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The CRTAS includes the following programs: the CGRS M, the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS D) and the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA). The CRTAS recognizes and empowers the next generation of highly qualified innovators, knowledge workers and creative thinkers. It supports outstanding graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in developing their research skills and provides the funding and flexibility needed to support their contributions to building world-class research capacity and to Canada’s prosperity and competitiveness.

The CGRS M program supports up to 3,298 students annually in all disciplines and is administered jointly by Canada’s three granting agencies. 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(s) at which they intend to hold their award using the Research Portal.

Eligibility

Applications must be complete and meet all the eligibility criteria to be considered.

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 registered in, have applied for or will apply for admission to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level that can be started within the eligible dates of the competition year at a Canadian institution with a CGRS 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 study (or equivalent), including summer months, 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 registered 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 equivalent), including summer months, in an eligible master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before activation of the award at that same institution, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding

      Note:

    • The agencies count all studies toward the program for which funding is requested, whether or not they were completed at the same institution.
    • Part-time studies are calculated proportionally according to the percentage of the full‑time course load. For example, two terms of part-time study where the course load is 50% of a full course load count as one term of full-time study.
  • not have held or be currently holding a Master’s-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
  • not have held or be currently holding an Indigenous Scholars Award and/or Supplement
  • not have held or be currently holding designated funding for Indigenous researchers at the Master’s level at CIHR
  • have achieved a first-class average as determined by the host institution(s), in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)
    • Note: Institutions may, at their discretion, accept CGRS M applications from individuals who have not obtained a first-class average; contact your proposed host institution(s) to determine their use of this eligibility criterion
  • apply to only one CRTAS program per academic year through CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC. If you apply to more than one program, only the first eligible application submitted to the agencies will be retained
Program of study

An eligible graduate program must be predominantly research oriented, leading to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit-reviewed by a panel of experts at the institution as a requirement for completing the program. If the program requires additional admission into the major research component stream, this acceptance must be confirmed before you can hold the award.

Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/MA, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD, MA/MBA) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.

Master’s programs that are based only on course work are typically not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.

Given the specific requirements of certain disciplines, institutions are invited to contact the appropriate agency for guidance on the eligibility of programs of study.

Locations of tenure

Without exception, CGRS M awards are tenable only at eligible Canadian institutions.

Field of research and subject matter eligibility

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC support and promote high-quality research in a wide variety of disciplines and areas, which are divided into broad fields of research (health, natural sciences and engineering and social sciences and humanities). This includes research that bridges two or more disciplines or that requires the skills of several disciplines.

You must ensure that you are submitting your application to an institution that has an allocation for the field of research you intend to pursue. Applications deemed by a host institution to have been labelled incorrectly will be re-labelled according to the agency’s research subject matter guidelines (refer to Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency). You should contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the institution(s) where you intend to hold the award for further guidance on subject matter eligibility.

Funding Value and duration

$27,000 for 12 months

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Application How to apply

To apply to the CGRS M program, you must complete and submit an application to up to three institutions using the Research Portal. For more information on how to apply, consult the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program: Instructions for completing an application web page.

Indigenous student researchers and Indigenous research 

The Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative provides financial support to meritorious Indigenous students (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) whose nations or communities are located in Canada and who have applied to the CGRS M program through NSERC or SSHRC. To the limit of available funding, Indigenous students who are successful in the CGRS M competition may be offered the Indigenous Scholars Supplement, valued at $5,000. To the limit of available funding, Indigenous students on the alternate list may be offered an Indigenous Scholars Award valued at $27,000 and an Indigenous Scholars Supplement valued at $5,000.

The Tri-agency Policy on Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Affirmation and the associated directive apply to these awards and supplements; successful applicants must provide documentation as outlined in the Policy and Directive.

For more information refer to the Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative web page.

CIHR will also provide designated funding for Indigenous scholars applying to the CGRS M program via an agency specific funding mechanism. See CIHR’s CGRS M funding opportunity for more information.

Black student researchers

The Government of Canada has provided additional funds to increase direct support for Black student researchers. Meritorious CGRS M applicants who self-identify as Black and provide consent in their application to be considered for funds designated for specific groups may be selected to receive this funding. Each agency has up to 20 additional CGRS M awards reserved for Black student researchers.

Allocations

Eligible Canadian institutions are assigned a separate allocation of awards to offer from each agency. Institutions must respect the agency-specific allocation. For a list of allocations by institution and by agency, refer to the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s award allocations web page.

Application deadline

The deadline for CGRS M applications is December 1 before 8:00 pm (ET). Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline using the Research Portal. If the deadline falls on a weekend or on a federal holiday, applications must be submitted by the following business day before 8:00 pm (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. It is your responsibility to strictly follow all 11 steps in the instructions for completing an application before the portal closes. Late applications will not be accepted.

Review

The faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at each institution is responsible for coordinating the selection process for the CGRS M applications. For more information on the selection process, refer to the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program information and instructions for scholarships liaison officers web page.

Selection criteria

The merit review of CGRS M applications will be carried out by institutions with an allocation and will be based on the following criteria:

CriteriaDescriptionWeight
Academic excellence

As demonstrated by past academic results, transcripts, awards and distinctions

Indicators of academic excellence:

  • academic record
  • scholarships and awards held
  • duration of previous studies
  • type of program and courses pursued
  • relative standing (if available)
50%
Research potential

As demonstrated by your research history, your interest in discovery, the proposed research, its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field and any anticipated outcomes

Indicators of research potential:

  • quality and originality of contributions to research and development
  • relevance of work experience and academic training to field of proposed research
  • significance, feasibility and merit of proposed research
  • sound judgment and ability to think critically
  • ability to apply skills and knowledge
  • initiative and autonomy
  • research experience and achievements relative to expectations of someone with your academic experience
30%
Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills

As demonstrated by your past professional and relevant extracurricular interactions and collaborations

Indicators of personal characteristics and interpersonal skills:

  • work experience
  • leadership experience
  • project management, including organizing conferences and meetings
  • ability or potential to communicate theoretical, technical or scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats
  • involvement in academic life
  • volunteerism/community outreach
20%
Award Notification of results

Offers of awards will be available in the Research Portal as of April 1. Alternate offers may be made up until January 31 of the next calendar year. It is your responsibility to regularly check the Research Portal between April 1 and January 31 for the results of the competition. For more information on the notification of results, refer to the instructions for completing an application web page.

Post-award requirements

Awards are intended to be held at the institution where the offer of award originates. Changes may be made to the location of tenure in certain circumstances (for example, parental reasons, medical reasons, family-related responsibilities or exceptional supervision circumstances) following host institution and agency approval.

You must comply with the policies and guidelines set out in the Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide and in any other documents related to scholarship applications and awards. In addition, the award is subject to final approval by the relevant agency before funds can be released.

For details regarding part-time support, refer to the Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide.

You cannot concurrently hold another CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC award, with the exception of the Canada Graduate Research Training Awards Suite – Research Travel Supplements (CRTAS-RTS).

The agencies reserve the right to interpret and enforce the policies and guidelines for their funding opportunities set out in their published materials.

Regulations, policies and guidelines

Active career planning has been shown to improve success in degree progression and success in securing awards.

The agencies encourage applicants and award holders to make use of available resources to develop a career plan that reflects their values, strengths and goals, and helps identify any skill gaps. There are tools, such as individual development plans (IDPs), available to support you throughout your training.

For more information, including IDP training modules and an IDP form, see the resources available at CIHR’s Individual Development Plans website. 

IDPs are not a CGRS M selection or evaluation criterion.

NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR support excellent, innovative, and impactful research that advances knowledge and understanding and responds to local, national and global challenges. NSERC, SSHRC and CIHR recognize that equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) principles are foundational to research quality and impact. It is essential to recognize and remove systemic barriers that limit the full participation of all individuals and communities, and to integrate EDI considerations in all aspects of research. These principles are integral to the Tri-agency statement on EDI and the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan. For more information, consult the NSERC EDI web page, SSHRC EDI web page and CIHR EDI web page.

CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, along with other Canadian research funding agencies, are signatories of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). The agencies are committed to meaningful assessment of excellence in research funding and to ensuring that a wide range of research results and outcomes are considered and valued as part of the review process. The agencies will continue to work to ensure that their strategies, policies and guidance align with DORA.

All personal information collected as part of this program is used by the agencies and by the relevant officials in the eligible research institutions to review applications and to administer and monitor awards. It may also be used to determine the most appropriate funding jurisdiction or to monitor overlap in federal support. Details on the use and disclosure of this information by the agencies are described by CIHR on the Info source – Sources of federal government and employee information web page, by NSERC on the Use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC web page, by SSHRC on the Collection, use and disclosure of personal information web page and in the relevant program literature.

Each agency may publish the names and other limited award information of award holders on their websites in accordance with the agencies’ policies on disclosure under the Access to Information Act and their Privacy Act policies and guidelines related to the collection, use, retention and disposal of personal information. For more information, consult the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. In addition, for SSHRC-funded scholarships, SSHRC will provide to the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) the same information as above in advance of the public announcement of awards for its administrative purposes and in accordance with the memorandum of understanding between SSHRC and FRQSC.

For more details regarding CIHR’s use of personal information, refer to CIHR’s Master’s Award: Canada Graduate Research Scholarship details on CIHR’s Funding Opportunity web page.

You may submit your application in either of Canada’s official languages, English or French. If you have supporting documents written in a language other than English or French, you must submit a certified translation of these documents.

Institutions must have mechanisms in place to review applications in the official language in which they were submitted. For more information about the review of applications in Canada’s two official languages, applicants and institutions may contact the funding agencies.
Resources Contact

The first point of contact for the CGRS M 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. Contact 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 cgrsm-besrcm@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
  • to NSERC, contact nsercscholarships-boursescrsng@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
  • to SSHRC, contact fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

    Jointly administered by:
     

    Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
    Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
    The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)