Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS-D)
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship was wound down by the Tri-Agency in April 2025 and replaced with the harmonised Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS-D), worth CAD 40,000 per year for up to three years. The program is funded jointly by CIHR (health), NSERC (natural sciences and engineering) and SSHRC (social sciences and humanities). Sri Lankan students enrolled — or about to enrol — in a PhD at a Canadian university can be nominated for CGS-D through their host institution. The URL has been preserved so applicants searching for "Vanier" still land on the correct successor program.
Government of Canada (Tri-Agency)
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Value
CAD 40,000 / yr
Duration
Up to 3 Years (PhD)
Awards Available
~1,000+ across CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Academic Excellence
A first-class average (typically A or A-equivalent) in each of the last two years of full-time study at the undergraduate or graduate level.
Nationality & Residency
Open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international students enrolled in a PhD at a Canadian institution. Sri Lankan nationals qualify under the international stream.
Research Stream
Your doctoral research must fall within one Tri-Agency mandate: CIHR (health), NSERC (natural sciences/engineering), or SSHRC (social sciences/humanities).
Year of Study
Apply before completing 24 months of doctoral study (or 36 months if entering via a fast-track Master's-to-PhD pathway). Late-stage PhDs are not eligible.
account_tree Application Process
Secure a PhD admission offer first
You must first be accepted to (or already enrolled in) a Canadian PhD program. CGS-D is awarded by university nomination, not direct application to the federal government.
Apply through ResearchNet
- Research proposal (1 page) aligned to CIHR / NSERC / SSHRC
- Academic transcripts (Sri Lankan + any Canadian)
- Two academic references
- CV with publications, conference papers, leadership
Internal university deadline
Each Canadian graduate school sets its own internal CGS-D deadline (usually September/October) — earlier than the national submission window. Check with your host department immediately after acceptance.
Results in spring
Tri-Agency releases results around April of the application year; successful awardees start receiving payments from the following September.
Why CGS-D?
Canada's flagship federal doctoral scholarship, accepted at every U15 research university. The award is tenured by your host institution, so funding is portable across CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC mandates.
CAD 120k
Total Award (3 yrs)
3 Agencies
CIHR / NSERC / SSHRC
All Fields
Eligible Disciplines
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