CGRS-M — Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's (NSERC / CIHR / SSHRC)

What you will need

• ✓ Departmental nomination via your host institution's Faculty of Graduate Studies
• ✓ Research proposal (typically 1-2 pages for the master's level)
• ✓ Academic transcripts (undergraduate, all institutions)
• ✓ Two academic references
• ✓ Supervisor endorsement (if applying with a supervisor secured)
• ✓ CV outlining academic record + relevant research experience

About this award

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship - Master's (CGRS-M) is the federal Tri-Agency's master's-level research funding programme — the new name (post-2024 Budget) for what was previously the Canada Graduate Scholarship - Master's (CGS-M). The award provides $27,000 for 12 months of full-time master's research, a substantial increase from the pre-2024 amount of $17,500. Administration runs across the three federal granting councils: CIHR funds master's 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 council aligned with your research area. The CGRS-M is highly competitive and is typically a stepping-stone to the CGRS-D doctoral funding for students continuing past the master's. Quebec students are fully eligible — research scholarships are excluded from the Quebec opt-out of federal student financial assistance — and many Quebec master's applicants apply to BOTH the CGRS-M and the parallel FRQ master's award (B1) in the same cycle, with holding rules forbidding both at once if successful.

Who qualifies

You qualify for CGRS-M if you (1) are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, (2) are enrolled in or about to begin a master's program at a Canadian degree-granting institution recognized by your Tri-Agency council, (3) have a strong undergraduate academic record (typically a first-class average in your final two years), and (4) have a research project that fits within CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC's mandate. Direct-entry doctoral students who haven't completed a master's may also be eligible at the master's level if they're early in their doctoral program — check the specific eligibility table for the active cycle.

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

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's own page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

3. 3

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

4. 4

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's own page will have it.

More details