Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 2027

Overview

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships are the Government of Canada’s flagship PhD award. They fund doctoral students at Canadian universities CAD 50,000 per year for up to three years. Open to both Canadian and international students, with no nationality restriction. About 166 new scholarships per cycle, split across natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities, and health research. The 2027 cycle closes 1 November 2026.

Benefits

• CAD 50,000 per year for three years.
• Held during your doctoral programme at a Canadian university.
• Compatible with other awards at the discretion of your host institution (some additional awards are allowed, others not).
• Recognition as a Vanier Scholar in Canada’s research community.
• Network of more than 700 past and current Vanier alumni.

Eligibility

• Pursuing your first doctoral degree, or in the first 20 months of your doctoral programme by the application deadline.
• Nominated by a Canadian university (you cannot apply directly to the Vanier programme).
• Strong academic record at undergraduate and Masters level (first-class or equivalent).
• Demonstrated research potential and leadership.
• Doctoral research aligned with one of the three Canadian federal research agencies: NSERC (sciences and engineering), SSHRC (humanities and social sciences), or CIHR (health).
• Open to both Canadian and international students.

How to apply

1. Identify a Canadian university and PhD programme that interests you.
2. Contact your prospective department’s Vanier coordinator. The university nominates candidates; you cannot apply directly.
3. Your department helps you prepare the Vanier application: research proposal, leadership statement, references, and academic record.
4. Submit through the university’s internal nomination process by their internal deadline (varies by institution, but usually mid-September 2026).
5. Universities forward their nominations to the federal granting agencies by 1 November 2026.
6. Results are announced in spring 2027 for September 2027 doctoral entry.