Canada Graduate Scholarships – Masters (CGS-M) NSERC

Award Overview 

MSE Deadline:

December 1, 2016 (online application closes)

Value/Duration:

$17,500 for one year

Level of study:

To support Master’s or, in some cases, doctoral programs in Canada

Required Legal Status:

Domestic Students (Canadian citizen or permanent resident)

Results:

Week of April 1, 2017 via Research Portal

Purpose

The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. The Tri-council allocates CGS M awards to universities specifying the number of awards that each may offer to their students annually. CGS M awards can only be offered to students pursing graduate studies at eligible Canadian Universities and the award must be held at the university that has made the offer.

Eligibility to Apply

To be eligible to apply, you must:

  • be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
  • be enrolled in, have applied for, or will apply for full-time admission* to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian institution with a CGS M allocation. *Note: Applicants who are not currently enrolled in their intended graduate program must submit an application for admission by the deadline for their intended graduate program or by March 15, whichever comes first;
  • have completed, as of December 31, 2016, between zero and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in:

a)     the master’s program for which you are requesting funding; or

b)    the direct-entry doctoral program for which you are requesting funding;

c)     the combined master’s-doctoral program for which you are requesting funding; or

d)    a master’s program that was or will be fast-tracked to a doctoral program, and you are requesting funding for the first 12 months of this doctoral program;

Note: Award holders who complete their Master’s degree prior to the end of the award end date may carry the balance of their CGS M award (1 or 2 sessions) to fund an eligible doctoral program which commences immediately after completing all the requirements of their Master’s degree at the same institution.

  • not have previously held a CGS M award;
  • have achieved a first-class average (3.7 GPA or A- average at U of T), in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent); and
  • submit a maximum of one scholarship application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC (Research Portal will allow the application to be submitted to up to five institutions).

For full eligibility criteria, visit the Tri-agency Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program website.

Application Process

Applicants must complete and submit an online application using the Research Portal. Students should refer to the CGS M application instructions (for all applicants) housed on NSERC’s website to locate details on how to complete their application. Additionally a Canadian Common CV (CCV) must be completed and the confirmation number uploaded into the CGS M application on Research Portal.

When completing a CGS M application, students may select up to 5 separate universities (one graduate department per university) where they intend to pursue graduate studies and hold the award. Once completed and submitted online, the application will be accessible by all proposed universities the student has identified. Students applying for an award at U of T are not required to submit a paper application.

A completed CGS M application will include the following:

  1. Completed 3 part online application:

–        Identification

–        Summary of Proposal (written in lay language)

–        Activity Details

  1. Outline of proposed research (as PDF attachment)
  2. Canadian Common CV (uploaded as a confirmation number)
  3. All officialacademic transcripts, undergraduate and graduate (as one PDF attachment)**
  4. Completed Reference Assessments (x2) – invitation initiated and form completed electronically

** registered students must provide official transcripts showing Fall 2016 registration. (UofT students – ORDER an OFFICIAL transcript.  You must scan and upload this official transcript to the NSERC CGS-M application website.  Your application will be disqualified if you use an unofficial (i.e. ACORN printout) transcript.

**Deadline for ALL documents for this award is December 1, 2016.  On December 1, the online application will be closed and no additional documentation, including references, can be added and no revisions can be made to your application.