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Alice Girard Award

Get up to $10,000 for your PhD in nursing — apply online between December and late January.

Reviewed by G Paul · verified August 14, 2026

$10,000

Total value

Dec 1, 2026

Next deadline

Canadian Nurses Foundation

Administered by

What you will need

Online application submitted via cnf-fiic.ca/scholarships/
Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency
Proof of enrollment in a Canadian nursing program (RN, IEN, NP, LPN, or RPN)
Verification of PhD-level study in nursing

About this award

You can receive up to $10,000 for your studies. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a dedicated nursing student pursuing your doctoral degree. Applications open each December and close in late January for the following academic year. No specific time zone is posted, so check the Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF — the national organization supporting nursing education) program page at cnf-fiic.ca/scholarships/ to confirm the exact closing time this year. You will hear back from the provider after the committee review, though the exact notification date isn't listed. Winners are chosen based on merit by the CNF awards committee. They award over 135 scholarships per year across all their different funding tiers, so you are competing with a large pool of nursing students nationwide. Ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with the Canadian Nurses Foundation whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. You must be currently enrolled in a Canadian nursing program (such as RN, IEN, NP, LPN, or RPN) and specifically be a nursing student at the PhD level.

This is what the award's own page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm with the provider before you apply.

Canadian citizen or permanent resident
Open to graduate students
Studying nursing

How to apply

Read the award's own page
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Submit your application
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

More details

Academic Record

Avoid providing a basic transcript without context.

Instead, highlight your research contributions and academic milestones that prove your merit.

List your specific PhD research goals clearly in your application.

Support

Avoid using a generic reference letter.

Instead, provide letters from faculty supervisors who can speak to your clinical or research impact.

Ensure your referee explicitly mentions your potential as a doctoral candidate.

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