Graduate scholarship and award regulation

The purpose of this regulation is to provide for fair distribution of university-wide competitive academic awards among eligible graduate students, while maintaining graduate programs’ autonomy in the allocation of Program Recommended awards.


Students are expected to:

Apply for all awards from external funding agencies for which they are eligible, especially the awards available through the Tri-Council, which includes the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).


Fair distribution

Maximum award amount

To provide for fair distribution of University of Calgary academic competitive awards, the maximum amount a student can hold in ‘other awards’ and/or ‘university-wide awards’, as defined below, at any given time is:

  • Master’s: $20,500
  • Doctoral: $26,000

Students may hold one single award that exceeds the limit.

Program recommended award

Students holding the maximum amount or less may also receive one additional Program Recommended award, unless otherwise specified by the award terms of reference.

External award

Students holding a University of Calgary competitive academic award and who are subsequently awarded an external award must take up the external award at the earliest possible date and notify the Graduate Scholarship Office. Holding an external award does not necessarily prevent holding another award. In cases where the regulation is not clear, contact the Graduate Scholarship Office for advice.

Program with a tuition differential

A program with an approved tuition differential may combine Program Recommended awards for an individual student up to the value stated above plus the difference between the tuition charged and the regular base tuition.

This regulation does not apply to:

  • Izaak Walton Killam Doctoral Scholarship - Honorary
  • Funds awarded by graduate programs through their Graduate Support Allocation
  • Supervisor funding
  • Graduate Assistantships (Teaching and Non-Teaching)
  • Differential tuition awards
  • Indigenous government funding
  • Non-academic awards, eg Travel awards, Graduate Student Association (GSA) awards

Definitions

Award refers to scholarships, awards, fellowships, internships, research and training grants.

Competitive awards are awarded for academic merit and research potential through peer reviewed competition.

Indigenous government funding refers to funding such as band funding and funding secured by Indigenous students from the political organizations encompassing Indigenous (First Nations, Metis or Inuit) peoples.

Other awards refers to external funding agency awards; major research and training grants; and department, program or institute level awards not administered by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Program Recommended awards are nominated by individual graduate programs and administered through the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

University-wide awards are administered through the Faculty of Graduate Studies

Master's $20,500: this cap is set as Tri-Council master’s scholarship value, currently $17,500, plus $3,000.

Doctoral $26,000: this cap is set as Tri-Council doctoral scholarship value, currently $20,000 plus $6,000.