The Graduate Award Competition (GAC) encompasses a broad range of awards funded by donors and the University of Calgary.
Successful students may normally hold one GAC scholarship per year across the Open Doctoral and Special Awards categories and will be awarded the highest-value scholarship for which they are eligible.
Timeline subject to change
You are encouraged to apply for awards when you have submitted your admissions application and received your University of Calgary student number (UCID). You are not required to meet the eligibility requirements in the terms of reference of an award when you apply, but if successful, you must meet the eligibility requirements at the time the award is paid.
Please ensure that you have completed the following two steps before submitting your application:
Awards are based on merit. It is important to read and understand the award terms of reference listed on this page and/or on the agency, or donor website.
Read our guide to discover the polices and regulations that determines a student's award eligibility at the University of Calgary.
You must meet the eligibility criteria for each award for which you are applying.
Awards
*The terms of reference for the Killam, Open Doctoral, Special, and CSM Awards can be found on the Graduate Awards Database.
To be eligible for the Killam and Open Doctoral categories students must have achieved a first-class average, as determined by the university issuing the transcripts, in the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent). At the University of Calgary, a student must have achieved a grade point average of 3.5 or higher in the last 2 years of study. Each institution has their own definition of first-class average. The University of Calgary does not convert scales.
The Graduate Award Competition opens November 1
Only one application is required regardless of the number of awards you are applying for.
References for admission may be used toward the scholarship competition as long as they have been written within the eleven months prior to the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ February 1 deadline.
Scholarship requirements may differ from admission requirements. Transcripts will be uploaded to the application by your program.
Set yourself up for success and attend one of our workshops.
UCalgary workshops are hosted by the the Graduate Leaders Circle (GLC). The Graduate Leaders Circle is comprised of Vanier, Killam, and Doctoral tri-agency recipients, the most prestigious awards available to graduate students in Canada. Members serve as mentors to help other graduate students improve their chances for various awards.
Hosted by the Graduate Leaders Circle, scholarship cafes and dedicated one-on-one mentoring sessions are available for students applying for scholarships. Drop-in and scheduled sessions are available.
If you have eligibility questions or you experience difficulties with the application, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies office (gsaward@ucalgary.ca).