Tri-Agency (CIHR • NSERC • SSHRC)
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (VCGS): Submit Here
Canada’s flagship doctoral award supporting researchers with leadership, research potential, and academic excellence. Below you’ll find exactly what it covers, who can apply, how the nomination works, deadlines, and the files you need to prepare.
Program change (fall 2025 cycle)
Update: Canadian universities announce that the current Vanier competition (results released mid-April 2025) was the final cycle under the Vanier banner, with the program being folded into the harmonized Canada Graduate Research Scholarship–Doctoral (CGRS-D) framework going forward. Always confirm the latest status on your graduate school’s page and the official Vanier/CGRS sites.
Implication: if your institution is now directing applicants to the harmonized CGRS-D, follow those instructions while using this guide for quality and eligibility cues that still map to leadership, research potential, and academic excellence.
What the award covers (snapshot)
- Value: $50,000 per year
- Duration: 3 years (non-renewable)
- Fields: Health (CIHR), Natural Sciences/Engineering (NSERC), Social Sciences/Humanities (SSHRC)
Fit: World-class doctoral researchers with measurable leadership and a strong, feasible research plan.
Eligibility & routes (who can be nominated)
- Citizenship: Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and foreign citizens are eligible to be nominated.
- Doctoral (or combined MA/PhD, MD/PhD — funding applies to PhD portion).
- Meets the agency’s first-class average & program-progress windows as defined by the institution/agency.
- You must be nominated by a Canadian institution that holds a Vanier quota (one university only).
- The award is tenable only at the nominating institution.
- Universities set internal deadlines weeks ahead of the national deadline.
Pro tip: Email your graduate unit early about their internal Vanier/CGRS-D process and GPA calculation rules (e.g., what counts as “first-class”).
Selection criteria (weighted equally)
| Criterion | What panels look for | How you show it fast |
|---|---|---|
| Leadership (potential & demonstrated) | Initiative, influence, service, integrity, community impact | 2–3 concise leadership stories with outcomes, roles, testimonials |
| Research Potential | Methodological rigor, originality, feasibility, benefits to Canada | Proposal with clear hypotheses, methods, risks, mitigation, milestones |
| Academic Excellence | First-class standing, awards, distinctions, upward trend | Transcript summary + brief note on rigor (e.g., cohort rank, scale) |
How to apply (ResearchNet + CCV)
- Confirm your nominating institution. Make sure it has a Vanier quota and that you will study there.
- Create your Vanier-Banting Academic CCV. Validate and capture the confirmation number.
- Complete the application in ResearchNet. Link your CCV via the confirmation number and upload all required attachments.
- Request assessments. Referees receive ResearchNet emails and submit their assessments/forms directly.
- Meet your internal deadline. Submit to your graduate unit/faculty for institutional review and nomination.
Essentials: Keep filenames clean, PDFs selectable (no scans), and page limits exact. Build a 12-month milestone plan that reviewers can trust at a glance.
Timeline (work backwards from your internal deadline)
- 8–10 weeks out: confirm route (CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC), supervisor, and institutional quota; draft proposal outline.
- 6–8 weeks: generate CCV; request referee assessments (leadership & academic); start ResearchNet form.
- 4–5 weeks: finalize proposal, leadership statement, and transcripts; gather proofs/links to outputs.
- 2–3 weeks: internal review with your unit; revise according to rubric; proof for page limits.
- ≤1 week: lock PDFs; verify CCV link; submit to unit before the internal cut-off.
Documents checklist
- ResearchNet application (all sections complete)
- Vanier-Banting Academic CCV (validated + linked)
- Transcripts (with grading scale)
- Research proposal + references (within page limits)
- Leadership/personal statement (as required by current guide)
- Referee assessments submitted via ResearchNet (watch spam folders)
- Institutional nomination forms/approvals as directed by your grad school
- Proof of eligibility (months in program, first-class average, etc., as your unit defines)
Common pitfalls: missing CCV link, over-length pages, and submitting to the national deadline instead of your internal deadline.
FAQs (Short & Straight)
Is Vanier open to international students?
Yes — Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and foreign citizens can be nominated. You must be nominated by a Canadian institution with a quota.
How are applications evaluated?
Three criteria are equally weighted: Leadership, Research Potential, and Academic Excellence.
Do I apply directly or through my university?
Through your university. You complete ResearchNet + CCV, but your institution must nominate you (with a limited quota) to the national competition.
What’s changing for 2025/26?
Universities indicate that the Vanier program is being folded into the harmonized CGRS-D competition from fall 2025. Follow your grad school’s directions and the official tri-agency pages for the current route.
Final word: Start with your institution (quota + internal deadline), build a crisp ResearchNet file linked to a validated CCV, and prove leadership, research feasibility, and academic excellence with outcomes and milestones. That’s the blueprint reviewers trust.
© 2025 riflum.shop • Guidance only; always verify up-to-date rules, deadlines, and program status on official tri-agency/university pages.