ITG StaffCanada is an excellent study destination, boasting world-renowned universities and an accessible cultural experience. Furthermore, Canada provides a safe and cost-effective study option.
However, living and course fees costs can make studying in Canada unfeasible for some international students. Fully funded scholarships may help offset some of these expenses to make the experience of studying in Canada more achievable for ambitious learners.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program strives to attract and retain top doctoral students at Canadian universities by supporting their outstanding research talent. Up to 166 scholarships will be granted each year.
The Vanier Scholarship honours Major General Georges-Philippe Vanier, an esteemed Canadian soldier and first Governor-General. This program is open to Canadian and international PhD candidates pursuing their degrees at Canadian universities, providing funds for tuition fees, living allowances and expenses related to pursuing such studies.
The scholarship is administered by the institution where students are nominated and has its internal application deadline; students should check this date when applying to be nominated by a Vanier CGS quota institution and apply ResearchNet before this internal deadline. Applications will then be assessed according to academic excellence, research potential and leadership qualities.
Canada Graduate Scholarships
Studying in Canada is one of the great dreams for many students. Canada boasts world-class universities and an inclusive community, and scholarships for international students make this dream come true; merit-based awards often cover full tuition fee waivers, monthly stipends, housing allowances and health insurance coverage.
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is a key program promoting international student excellence at Canadian universities, intended to attract and retain world-class doctoral students while projecting Canada as an international hub of research and higher learning. Furthermore, its master’s program gives high-calibre scholars an outstanding opportunity to pursue master’s degrees in Canada’s social sciences, humanities, engineering, and health fields.
Eligible candidates for this scholarship must possess a national identification card or passport, official academic transcripts, an updated CV and recommendation letters outlining academic achievements and character. Students should also include a motivation letter explaining why they want to apply and how the scholarship aligns with their goals and aspirations.
Trudeau Foundation Scholarships
The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship is a three-year leadership program for Canadian or non-Canadian doctoral students looking to impact society. It seeks scholars who possess courage and originality and are ready to play an instrumental role in shaping it.
Scholars work closely with their mentors throughout their scholarships on research projects they jointly produce with experts from their fields, sharing and building knowledge across disciplines and sectors. Scholars are encouraged to learn one of Canada’s official languages while strengthening their dialogue skills among people from diverse communities.
Academic excellence and research relevance to one or more of the foundation’s four central themes (Responsible Citizenship, Human Rights & Dignity, Canada in the World or People and Their Natural Environment) are evaluated when applying. Furthermore, applicants are judged based on their civic mindset & commitment to making a difference, communication skills, ability to interact with people outside the academy, and leadership experience.
International Leader of Tomorrow
Canada has long been an attractive option for international students due to its world-class infrastructure, outstanding professors, and research excellence. Canada also provides international students with various fully funded scholarships that enable them to study at its acclaimed universities – making their dreams of studying come true!
The Pierre Elliot Trudeau Scholarship, named in honour of Canada’s former Prime Minister, provides financial support for 16 students specialising in one of four topics offered by the foundation. Selection criteria consider academic achievement, dedication, leadership & involvement, agility & resilience and financial need.
The University of British Columbia International Leader of Tomorrow Award recognizes international undergraduate students with outstanding field achievements. The scholarship covers up to three years of tuition fees and provides a monthly stipend of around $2500; renewal can occur each year, provided academic success continues to be demonstrated. Applicants must first be recommended by their high school counsellor and possess a B average in their degree program to be considered for the award.
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships recognize Canada’s top postdoctoral researchers with a commitment to economic, social and research-based growth and to attracting and cultivating future leaders through scientific discovery. The program strives to attract top scholars who will one day lead our nation.
Applying institutions must nominate applicants. Eligible institutions for Banting Fellows include Canadian and foreign universities, research hospitals/colleges/not-for-profit organizations with strong research mandates, and organizations not for profit with strong research mandates; government institutions or for-profit companies do not qualify.
Application procedures for this scholarship can be quite competitive and require close cooperation between applicants and their host institution when an institution approves them to begin preparing and submitting their applications (some institutes may impose deadlines).
The selection committee examines applications in four areas.
These are:
The quality of the research program proposed.
Impact potential through a research-intensive career.
The host institution’s commitment to supporting any successful candidate’s research activities.
IDRC Research Awards
IDRC Research Awards provide graduate students an unparalleled opportunity to enhance their expertise in applying research to global development challenges. By helping hone emerging leaders in this area, IDRC awards provide graduate students with skills necessary for applying research effectively and creating sustainable pathways forward for global development.
The IDRC International Doctoral Research Award seeks to strengthen emerging researchers at Canadian universities, increasing the pool of those capable of conducting high-quality research that contributes to Sustainable Development Goals or specific development outcome areas that interest IDRC. Candidates for this award may conduct fieldwork in developing countries under faculty supervision.
The IDRC Research Award is open to Canadians, permanent residents of Canada, and citizens from low- and middle-income countries who are either currently studying towards a master’s or doctoral degree at a university or who have completed it already. Successful candidates will be considered full-time non-union employees for payroll purposes and will be offered salaries between CA$ 42,033 and CA$ 48,659. They will work from IDRC’s headquarters in Ottawa.
Ontario Trillium Scholarships
The Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS) is a fully-funded PhD programme provided by the Government of Ontario and selected universities across Canada that admit highly qualified international students into Ontario universities’ PhD programmes. Students applying for this award must demonstrate strong research interests, academic achievements and excellence in their field of study while not receiving other scholarships or fellowships from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council or Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Every Ontario Trillium Scholarship (OTS) offers up to four years of funding of CAD 40,000 each, renewable every year if recipients meet scholarship eligibility requirements and maintain excellent academic standing. OTS grants are open to Canadian and international PhD students enrolled full-time at universities in Ontario.
OTS scholarships are funded jointly by the Ontario government and participating universities, with two-thirds of each award’s value provided by Ontario and one-third contributed by each participating university. Approximately 15 scholarships are granted through OTS to study at Canadian top-tier universities each year.
Canada-ASEAN Scholarships
The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program provides opportunities for members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to undertake short-term study or research at postsecondary institutions across Canada at all three levels: college, undergraduate and graduate. Graduate candidates receive up to CAD 10,200 per semester towards tuition fees set by their host institution. At the same time, college/undergraduate applicants can access up to CAD 15,900 to cover expenses such as living costs, books and supplies, excluding computers/other equipment.
SEED scholarships are made possible by institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between Canadian-based colleges and universities and their counterparts in ASEAN nations. Applicants must be citizens of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam to be eligible.
Nominees from their home institutions should apply for consideration by DFATD. Once chosen, recipients must apply for a visa to enter Canada; DFATD then provides funding contribution funding directly to the Canadian institution that hosts them, dispersing it as scholarships according to internal processes. A supplementary grant of up to CAD 500 may also be given to assist with administrative costs once they arrive in Canada.
ITG Staff
