Study in Canada: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Requirements, Eligibility & How to Apply

Vanier Scholarship

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship was established by the Canadian government in 2008 to honor George Philias Vanier. Georges P. Vanier was a prominent Canadian soldier and diplomat. From 1959 until 1967, he served as Canada’s Governor General.

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, often known as the Rhodes Scholarship, is aimed at recruiting highly competent, talented, and bright students, including Canadian nationals and foreign students residing in Canada.

Vanier Scholarships are awarded to individuals who possess leadership skills and have demonstrated exceptional educational achievements in the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, engineering, and health-related subjects.

So, this Canadian post-graduate fellowship program selects PhD students based on three factors with equal weightage. Academic excellence, research potential, and leadership characteristics were used as selection criteria.

Because there is no interview for the nominated scholars for Vanier CGS, all three selection criteria are evaluated using the materials given by the candidates.

The Canadian Government Scholarship offers a unique application and selection process. This scholarship provides Canadian institutes with Vanier’s CGS quota.

The applicants must apply to the university and express their desire to get a Vanier Canadian Government grant for the Ph.D. program. All of the selected candidates for the Vanier fellowship in Canada are nominated by institutions.

The next paragraphs go into detail about the entire application process and procedure. Furthermore, all relevant links are provided in the post for the convenience of readers and applicants.

Canadian government entities administer the Vanier CGS scholarships in Canada, including the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the National Science and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The Vanier applicants are awarded a $50,000 grant per year for three years. The program can accommodate and support up to 166 scholars every year. In exchange, these researchers and world-class bright minds contribute to the creation of an effective and innovative environment in Canadian institutions and, more broadly, throughout Canada.

In this article, We share everything you need to know about Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, Requirements, Eligibility, Criteria, Vanier Scholarship Amount, Benefits, Deadline, Application Process. and How to Apply. 

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship in Canada:

Host Country:

• Canada

Funded By:

• Canadian Government

Administered by:

• Canadain Institute of Health Research
• National Science and Engineering Research Council
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Benefits:

• A $ 50,000 grant will annually be given to the scholars for three years.
• Applicants may have a chance to pursue their Ph.D. in his/her own desired Canadian institutions.
• The studies of the applicant will be fully or partially funded based on his/her academic achievements, research proposal, and leadership qualities.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Eligibility Criteria:

• The applicant must be a Canadian or foreign student studying in Canada.
• The applicant must be pursuing for PhD program and must be a full-time Canadian institution student.
• The candidate must be nominated by the university which must be receiving the Vainer CGS universities quota. (The list will be updated on July 1)
• The applicant must be pursuing the first PhD program.
• The applicant must not be receiving any fellowship or scholarship from any of the three Canadian agencies  CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC for any other doctoral program.
• The candidate must have a first-class average in the last two years of studies.
• Students pursuing joint professional degree programs (MD/Ph.D., DVM/Ph.D., JD/Ph.D.) are eligible, however, only Ph.D. tenure will be funded.
• The candidates must have a significant research component in the research proposal.
• The applicant must not be a faculty of the institution which has a Vanier quota or any other institution as well. To be eligible, the applicant must be granted leave for the Ph.D. program from the institution.
• The applicant must be a full-time student. If the student has some disability or has to support their family, he/she can be enrolled as a part-time student.
• For part-time students, the two-month study will be considered a one-month study as compared to a full-time student.
• Canadian Federal Government employees can only be eligible if they will be having an unpaid leave from the government.
• Eligible candidates can apply for both Vanier and agency-specific Ph.D. scholarships. However, after selection, if they are selected for more than one scholarship, they will have to choose one grant.

Vanier Scholarship Amount

The Vanier Scholarship, which has a value of $50,000 a year for 3 years of doctoral studies, is open to a total of 166 applicants.

Eligible applicants should be planning on researching in the fields of Health, Natural Science and/or Engineering, and Social Science and/or Humanities.

Regardless of the field, the applicant’s research should seek to follow/promote the tenets of:

• Equality, diversity, & inclusion
• Limitation of unconscious bias
• Respectful research for studies involving/engaging indigenous communities.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship Application Process:

• The candidates must begin the process by first researching Canadian institutions through the universities’ Canada websites.
• Ensure the Vanier CGS quota for the selected institution.
• Once the above-mentioned tasks are accomplished, complete the application given on the ResearcNet application form. Complete all the required steps for the Vanier CGS application in the ResearchNet form.
• The language of the application can be English or French.
• Follow the presentation standards given for the documents which are to be attached.
• Complete all the mandatory tasks.
• Before submitting your application stats must be complete.
• After submitting the application to the nominating institute, the activity log will move to complete the activity. This application will not be modified in the future.
• If your application is returned to you on ResearchNet by the institution it will return with a revised date. You can edit your application and re-submit it.
• If the application is selected for nomination you will receive an automated email and ResearchNet about acknowledgment.
• If you do not receive any mail you can contact the institution for the status of your application.

Vanier Scholarship Requirements:

The candidates must possess all the following documents to apply for the Vanier scholarships in Canada.

• A ResearchNet application form.
• Two reference letters.
• A CV/Resume.
• The research contributions are not more than one page.
• A personal statement that depicts the leadership qualities of the candidate.
• Two leadership reference letters.
• A research proposal of a maximum of two pages.
• Project preferences of a maximum of five pages.
• Academic proofs, transcripts, and certificates.
• Proof of special circumstances in case of a part-time student. The proof may not exceed 0.5 pages.

Selection Process

The Vanier Scholarship aims to attract and retain academically excellent doctoral students. Members of the selection committee are appointed from the Canadian academic community.

Awards and selection are conducted by the members of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship selection committees, constituting the main three federal granting agencies:

1. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
2. Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and
3. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The selection for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is done mainly on three parameters:

• Academic Excellence
• Research Potential
• Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability)

Other significant factors include

• Nomination letter (signed by the department head )
• Canadian Common CV (CCV)
• Institution transcripts
• Leadership Reference Letters
• Personal Leadership Statement
• Two Leadership reference Letters
• Project References
• Research proposal
• Research contributions
• Referee Assessments

The selection committee will announce the recipients of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 2024 in early April. The distribution of the scholarship reward will take place on May 1.

Grant Details

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship and covers nearly all the requirements of the student. The table given below provides all the significant details regarding the Vanier CGS Scholarship 2024, a program for higher education in Canada.

Applicants must ensure that they are nominated by their chosen ranking university in Canada, between April and November. Then, it is the responsibility of the applicant to complete the Vanier Graduate Scholarship application in time.

How to Apply for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship?

According to the Vanier CGS application page, the process can start in 2 ways:

• The student informs the faculty regarding his/her intent to apply
• The university informs the student regarding his/her nomination

Once any of these 2 is accomplished, the student may prepare his/her application packet. It should be either in English or French.

Students need to be mindful of the application period, which starts in July and ends in November.

The first task for the student is to create a Canadian Common CV that follows the Vanier-Banting Academic template. The research contributions stated here should be limited to only one page.

After this, the student can proceed to create a ResearchNet account where he/she will complete the rest of the application requirements.

Vanier Scholarship Application Deadline:

There are two deadlines for the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 2024.

1. Institution Internal Deadline: The proposed institution’s deadline will appear on the ResearchNet. Each institution has a different internal deadline. The candidates have to follow the deadline.
2. Program Deadline: The program deadline is November 1, 2024. This deadline must be followed by the nominating institutions.

APPLY HERE

Vanier Scholarship Official Website