Government of Canada — Tri-Agency (NSERC, CIHR, SSHRC)
$40,000 a year for three years, $120,000 in total, for doctoral research. Apply through NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC. This replaced the Vanier in 2024.
Published by G Paul · last checked September 26, 2026
Applications are closed for this cycle
Applications are not open right now (they last closed Oct 19, 2026). Many awards like this one run again each year, so we re-check this page and update it when the next cycle opens. Last verified Sep 26, 2026.
Still open
The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Doctoral (CGRS-D) is the federal Tri-Agency's flagship doctoral funding program — the consolidated programme that, under Budget 2024, replaced the separate Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and the prior Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral (CGS-D). The award provides $40,000 per year for 36 months (3 years), totalling $120,000 — a substantial increase over the pre-2024 levels. Administration is split across the three federal granting councils: CIHR funds doctoral research in health, NSERC funds research in natural sciences and engineering, and SSHRC funds research in humanities, social sciences, arts, and letters. Your application goes to the agency aligned with your research area; if your work is interdisciplinary, the agency selectors review fit and may redirect to a sister council. Quebec students are fully eligible — research scholarships are explicitly excluded from the Quebec opt-out of federal student financial assistance, so Canadian citizens and permanent residents domiciled in Quebec apply on the same terms as students in any other province. Holding-rule note: a CGRS-D recipient cannot simultaneously hold the parallel FRQ doctoral award (B2) — Quebec students who win both must select one.
You qualify for CGRS-D if you (1) are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, (2) are enrolled in or about to begin a doctoral program at a Canadian degree-granting institution recognized by your Tri-Agency council, (3) are within the eligibility window for your stage of doctoral study (typically the first 36 months of doctoral enrolment, with some exceptions for direct-entry programs), and (4) have a research project that fits the mandate of CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC. Each agency publishes specific subject-area eligibility lists — health-related social science research can be ambiguous between CIHR and SSHRC, so consult your supervisor and your university's Faculty of Graduate Studies on which council to target before drafting the application.
This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Check the award's official page for the next round before you prepare anything.
This round is closed. Check the award's official page for when the next round opens.
This round closed on October 19, 2026. Many awards like this run again each year, so check the award's official page for the next round.
No. You need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
FundMyCourse.ca · checked Sep 26, 2026
$120,000 ($40,000/year × 3 years)
fundmycourse.ca/scholarships/cgrs-d-canada-graduate-research-scholarship-doctoral-nserc-cihr-sshrc