The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship 2025 was established by the Canadian Government in 2008 to honor Georges Philias Vanier. Georges Vanier was a notable Canadian soldier and diplomat who served as Canada’s Governor-General from 1959 to 1967. The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, often referred to as the Rhodes Scholarship of Canada, aims to attract highly skilled, talented, and bright students, whether Canadian nationals or foreign students residing in Canada.
The Vanier Scholarship 2025 seeks individuals with leadership qualities and exceptional academic achievements in social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, engineering, and health-related fields. The selection process for this scholarship is based on three equally weighted criteria: academic excellence, research potential, and leadership qualities. Since there is no interview for the nominated scholars, these criteria are evaluated through the documents provided by the applicants.
This Canadian Government Scholarship has a unique application and selection process. Canadian institutes are granted quotas for Vanier CGS. Applicants must apply to a university and indicate their interest in the Vanier Canadian Government grant for a Ph.D. program. The institutions then nominate the selected candidates for the Vanier scholarship. Detailed information about the application process and related links are provided in the article for the readers and applicants.
The Vanier CGS scholarships are managed by Canadian Government agencies, including the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the National Science and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Vanier scholars receive a $50,000 grant each year for three years. The program supports up to 166 scholars annually, helping to create an innovative environment in Canadian universities and contributing to the overall advancement of Canada.
Scholarship Outline
- Host Country: Canada
- Funded By: Canadian Government
- Administered by: Canadian Institute of Health Research, National Science and Engineering Research Council & Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Scholarship Provision
- Scholars will receive $50,000 each year for three years.
- Applicants can choose to do their Ph.D. at a Canadian institution of their choice.
- The scholarship will cover all or part of the applicant’s study costs, depending on their academic achievements, research proposal, and leadership qualities.
Eligibility & Criteria for Qualification
- The applicant must be a Canadian or foreign student studying in Canada.
- The applicant must be pursuing a Ph.D. program and be a full-time student at a Canadian institution.
- The candidate must be nominated by a university that receives the Vanier CGS quota (updated list available on July 1).
- The applicant must be pursuing their first Ph.D. program.
- The applicant must not be receiving any other fellowship or scholarship from 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 their studies.
- Students in joint professional degree programs (MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) are eligible, but only the Ph.D. portion will be funded.
- The candidate’s research proposal must include a significant research component.
- The applicant must not be a faculty member at the institution with a Vanier quota or any other institution. Faculty must be granted leave for the Ph.D. program to be eligible.
- The applicant must be a full-time student. Part-time enrollment is allowed for students with disabilities or family responsibilities.
- For part-time students, two months of study will count as one month of full-time study.
- Canadian Federal Government employees can apply if they are on unpaid leave.
- Eligible candidates can apply for both Vanier and agency-specific Ph.D. scholarships but must choose one if selected for more than one.
How To Apply
- You cannot apply directly for the Vanier Scholarships 2024.
- First, you must apply to a university that has a Vanier CGS quota.
- The university must then nominate you for the scholarship.
- Make sure to submit your application before the university’s internal deadline, which varies for each institution.
- After that, the university will send the nominations to the Vanier CGS program before the final deadline.
Application Process
- Start by researching Canadian universities through their websites.
- Check if your chosen university has a Vanier CGS quota.
- Once you have this information, fill out the application on the ResearchNet website. Follow all the steps for the Vanier CGS application.
- You can submit the application in English or French.
- Follow the presentation guidelines for any documents you need to attach.
- Complete all the required tasks.
- Ensure all your application information is complete before submitting.
- After applying, the nominating university will process your application. You won’t be able to make changes after this.
- If your application is returned to you by the university, it will come with a revised date, allowing you to edit and re-submit it.
- If your application is selected for nomination, you will receive an email and a notification on ResearchNet.
- If you don’t receive any notification, you can contact the university to check the status of your application.
Documents Needed
- A ResearchNet application form
- Two reference letters
- A CV or resume
- A one-page summary of research contributions
- A personal statement showing leadership qualities
- Two leadership reference letters
- A two-page research proposal
- A five-page project preferences document
- Academic transcripts and certificates
- Proof of special circumstances for part-time students (not more than half a page)
Deadline
There are two deadline Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
- The Institution Internal deadline: The proposed institution’s deadline will appear on the ResearchNet.
- The Program deadline: The program deadline is October 30, 2024. This deadline must be followed by the nominating institutions.