You are reading the 2024/25 Academic Calendar. The 2023/24 version remains in effect until August 31, 2024 and is available here.

Awards from External Funding Agencies

Vanier Scholarships

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships offered by NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR aim to attract and retain world-class doctoral students. Both domestic and international students are eligible. Candidates must be nominated by a Canadian university, and the Vanier Scholarships must be held by the student at the university that nominated them. For more information visit NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

NSERC administers Canada-wide scholarship competitions for graduate students in natural sciences and engineering disciplines. Most, but not all, competitions are open only to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence and research potential/ability.

Students should discuss eligibility and application procedures with their graduate program. The deadline for submission of NSERC scholarship applications by students to their graduate programs is mid- to late September. Graduate programs nominate their top applicants to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which convenes a University-wide committee that selects UBC's quota of ranked nominations. These nominations are forwarded to NSERC in time to meet the late November national deadline. Competition results are announced in March. For more information visit NSERC.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

SSHRC administers a national competition for doctoral and master's students in the social sciences and humanities. The competitions are open only to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence and research potential/ability.

The deadline for submission of SSHRC scholarship applications by students to their graduate programs is mid- to late September. Graduate programs nominate their top applicants to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, which convenes a University-wide adjudication committee. In accordance with quotas established by SSHRC, UBC sends lists of the highest-ranking candidates to the Council in January. For more information visit SSHRC.

Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

CIHR administers Canada-wide scholarship competitions for graduate students in health sciences research. The competitions are open only to Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence and research potential/ability.

The deadline for submission of CIHR Master's scholarship applications by students to their graduate programs is mid- to late September. Graduate programs nominate their top applicants to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which convenes a University-wide adjudication committee. In accordance with quotas established by CIHR, UBC sends lists of the highest-ranking candidates to CIHR in late January. CIHR competition results are announced in spring and early summer. For more information visit CIHR.

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

The Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research administers an annual competition for BC graduate students in health sciences research. Applications are accepted by the Michael Smith Foundation in mid-November. For more information visit MSFHR.

In addition to the funding agencies listed above, funding is offered by the British Columbia Innovation Council, the Trudeau Foundation, ACCELERATE BC, and many others. For information on these and other research awards administered by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, visit Graduate Awards.


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