University of Ottawa Doctoral Admission Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Admission to a doctoral program at University of Ottawa with an admission average of 8.0/10 or higher (the award's official page lists no separate application; ask your faculty)

About this award

If you are awarded it, the package has a minimum value of $72,000 over four (4) years. The scholarship part is not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back; the second part can come as paid assistantship work. The funding has two parts: first, an admission scholarship valued at $9,000 per year, which is paid in instalments of $3,000 per term for the first 12 consecutive terms. Second, you get financial support from your academic unit—through assistantship employment contracts or other internal scholarship sources—with a minimum value of $9,000 per year for four years. This is for you if you are an exceptional student beginning a PhD journey and have a very strong academic record. No deadline is posted publicly — before you start the application, check University of Ottawa's program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close this year. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — email, portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published — ask University of Ottawa how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. The scholarship part is paid in instalments of $3,000 per term for 12 consecutive terms; ask your faculty how the second part is paid. To keep this scholarship, you must commit to full-time enrolment without interruption for the duration of the scholarship, covering 12 consecutive terms. If you receive a scholarship from an external source like CIHR (the Canadian Institutes of Health Research — the agency that funds health science), NSERC (the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council — the agency that funds science and engineering research), SSHRC (the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council — the agency that funds social science research), OGS (the Ontario Graduate Scholarship — a provincial award for high-achieving students), FRQ (the Fonds de recherche du Québec — the Quebec research fund), or CSC, you still get the first $9,000 per year component, but the second component from your academic unit may become optional based on your faculty's decision. Similarly, if you are in an online program, the second component is optional.

Who qualifies

You are eligible if you are admitted into a doctoral program at University of Ottawa and you are a Canadian student, permanent resident, protected person (someone with refugee or protected-person status in Canada), member of a diplomatic corps, or an international student. You must have an admission average of 8.0/10 or higher.

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.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person or international student
• ✓ Open to graduate students

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

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

2. 2

   Check this year's deadline

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

Tips for applying

• Academic RecordAvoid focusing only on your final grade. Instead, ensure your overall admission average is clearly calculated and presented as 8.0/10 or higher to meet the hard requirement. Double-check your transcript calculations before submitting.
• Faculty SupportAvoid applying in isolation. Instead, connect with your specific academic unit to discuss the second component of the funding, such as assistantship contracts. Email your prospective supervisor to ask about internal scholarship sources.
• StrategyAvoid ignoring the impact of external funding. Instead, if you have applied for awards from agencies like NSERC or CIHR, clarify with your faculty how this affects your second component of support. Get this confirmation in writing so your budget is accurate.
• RealismAvoid assuming the minimum amount applies on every path. Instead, remember that if you choose an online program, the second half of the funding is optional. Check with your department to see if online students typically receive that extra support.

Questions students ask

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