Canada Graduate Research Scholarship-Doctoral (CGRS D) Program
The CGRS D is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Scholarships are awarded through national competitions by these three granting agencies.
The CGRS D program supports and promotes research excellence in a wide variety of disciplines and broad fields of health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. This support allows scholars to focus more fully on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and to contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
Note: CGRS D replaced the former CGS doctoral, agency specific doctoral awards, and Vanier CGS
Canada Graduate Research Scholarships-Master’s (CGRS-M) Program
The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s (CGRS M) is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The CRTAS supports outstanding graduate students in developing their research skills and provides the funding and flexibility needed to support their contributions to building world-class research capacity and to Canada’s prosperity and competitiveness.
The tri-agency allocates CGRS M awards to universities specifying the number of awards that each may offer to their students annually. CGRS M awards can only be offered to students pursing graduate studies at eligible Canadian universities. A CGRS M award is intended to be held at the institution where the offer of award originates.
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) Program-discontinued
Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA)
On December 9, the Government of Canada announced the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative, which aims to support universities to attract new research chairs, hundreds of early-career researchers, doctoral students, and postdocs from abroad. Part of this broader initiative is the Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards.
These awards are a one-time initiative designed to recruit international or returning Canadian doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers to Canada in eight priority research areas, helping build capacity, strengthen the research ecosystem, and enhance Canada’s global competitiveness.
The priority research areas for this initiative are the following:
- Advanced digital technologies (AI, quantum, cybersecurity)
- Health, including biotechnology
- Clean technology and resource value chains
- Environment, climate resilience, and the Arctic
- Food and water security
- Democratic and community resilience
- Manufacturing and advanced materials
- Defence and dual-use technologies
Nationally, 600 doctoral awards and 400 postdoctoral awards have been distributed across Canadian institutions based on each institution’s share of Tri-agency funding. The University of Toronto, in turn, has allocated its share of these awards to its academic divisions and affiliated hospitals to administer.
Ontario Graduate Scholarship
The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) program encourages excellence in graduate studies at publicly-assisted universities in Ontario. Since 1975, the OGS program has been providing merit-based scholarships to Ontario’s best graduate students in all disciplines of academic study. The scholarship program at U of T is jointly funded by the Province of Ontario and the University of Toronto. The Province allocates OGS awards to universities specifying the number of awards that each may offer to their students annually.
Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science & Technology
The Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEII‐GSST) program is designed to encourage excellence in graduate studies in science and technology. The program is supported through funds provided by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and funds raised by the University of Toronto from the private sector.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Discontinued)
Sunsetting of the Vanier program
The fall 2024 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (results released in mid-April 2025) was the final competition for this program.
The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has launched the new harmonized Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral program, which replaced the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral, agency specific doctoral awards, and the Vanier CGS.
The Vanier CGS program aimed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health.