Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
NSERC funds research in the natural sciences and engineering and is open to current and prospective students.
The Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral (CGS D) program is a federal program of scholarships awarded by the CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC granting agencies that supports high-calibre doctoral students in all academic disciplines.
At a glance
Preparing your application
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:
Read the terms of reference
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.
Know your eligibility
Read our guide to discover the polices and regulations that determines a student's award eligibility at the University of Calgary.
Eligibility
See the CGS D website for details on doctoral eligibility
To be eligible at the University of Calgary, you must have achieved a first-class average of 3.5 or higher in the last two years of study.
If you are a licensed health/allied health professional pursuing a PhD and are eligible to apply for a tri-agency Fellowship (ie CIHR Fellowship), you will not be considered for a tri-agency doctoral scholarship through the University of Calgary competition.
CGS D application eligibility requirements
Tri-agency Recipient Eligibility
The Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide governs eligibility for Master's and Doctoral research training programs offered through CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC.
If you are a recipient of tri-agency funding, you must review this guide prior to making any changes to your registration, employment etc. Contact gsaward@ucalgary.ca to inform the Faculty of Graduate Studies of any potential changes that may impact your funding.
Deadline
University of Calgary internal deadline to submit through the appropriate tri-agency portal is October 1.
When a deadline falls on a weekend, applications will be accepted until midnight local time on the first business day following the deadline date.
As the application deadline approaches, delays may occur due to a high volume of users on the application portal, which may prevent the timely submission of your application. Requests to submit late applications will not be accepted.
If you are not currently a registered student, please refer to the CGS D website to submit directly to the funding agency.
Application
Applications are submitted electronically through the NSERC Online Services portal. Applicants to the PGS D/CGS D competition complete Form 201.
Based on your registration status at the time of application, your application will be processed by either the Canadian institution in which you are registered or by NSERC. Refer to the CGS D website for additional information.
Applications received by the University of Calgary are reviewed by the Graduate Scholarship Committee and are forwarded to NSERC based on a quota provided by NSERC. All students will be notified whether their application been forwarded to NSERC for review by late November.
Meritorious CGS D applicants may also be eligible for agency-specific doctoral awards (PGS D etc). Applicants complete and submit one application to be considered for both a CGS D scholarship and an agency doctoral award. CGS D scholarships are offered to top-ranked eligible applicants.
Note: The application process itself remains the same regardless of whether your application is submitted through the University of Calgary or to NSERC directly. All applicants are required to complete Form 201.
You must ensure that the application is complete and accurate. It is your responsibility to strictly follow the instructions for completing an application and Frequently Asked Questions. All mandatory sections of the application must be completed, including all transcripts, attachments, and the two reference assessments.
Incomplete applications will be considered ineligible and removed from the competition.
Transcripts
You are required to include up-to-date official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions that you have attended, including University of Calgary transcripts for the fall semester of the year of application, even if no grades were assigned or you did not complete the degree.
Transcript Criteria
All Official transcripts must be uploaded to the application (printed by issuing institution in either electronic or hard copy format). If printed as a hard copy, you must attach a high-quality scan of the document. Watermark security features are expected and allowed.
- If transfer credits are issued, they must either
- Have their own transcript uploaded to the application
or - Be clearly indicated on the degree granting transcript.
- Have their own transcript uploaded to the application
- Copies of transcripts provided by the UCalgary program in which you are registered or the UCalgary Record of Grades (as provided by the program or Grad Award Office) are accepted.
- Screenshots, Printouts from the Student Centre, and/or missing transcripts are not accepted and the application is automatically Ineligible.
Student responsibility
It is your responsibility to ensure the transcripts uploaded are correct, complete, legible once uploaded and in the correct format.
Review the final version of your online application before it is submitted.
Attend a workshop
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.
One-on-one mentoring
Hosted by the Graduate Leaders Circle, scholarship cafes and dedicated one-on-one mentoring sessions are available for students applying for tri-agency Doctoral scholarships. Drop-in and scheduled sessions are available.
If you have eligibility questions or you experience difficulties with the portal, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies office (gsaward@ucalgary.ca) or contact the research portal directly.