As compared to universities in other countries such as USA, UK etc Canadian Universities offer limited scholarships which are available for international students. Here are a list of scholarships available in Canada for PhD courses.

• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
• University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships
• Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships
• University of Waterloo International Master’s and Doctoral Student Awards
• University of Calgary Graduate Awards

Description of each of the scholarships mentioned above

1. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships:

About the Scholarship

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) program helps Canadian universities to attract doctoral students by offering them a notable financial award to assist them during their studies at Canadian universities. The scholarship was launched by the government of Canada in the year 2018.

The Vanier CGS is accepted by Canadian universities with Vanier CGS allocation. There are up to 167 scholarships which are awarded every year. The worth of the scholarship is $50,000 per year for three years. The Vanier CGS is given for students who wish to do PhD or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD in subjects such as health research, natural sciences, engineering research, social sciences and humanities research.

Eligibility Criteria for Vanier CGS Scholarship

The eligibility criteria for the Vanier CGS are as follows:

• Interested candidate must be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier CGS quota.
• Must be pursuing his/her first doctoral degree which includes a joint undergraduate/graduate research program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD.  (Only PhD portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding).
• Candidate must pursue the PhD program, during the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral or a joint graduate program at the nominating institution.
• Must not have completed more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of the date of commencement of the course.
• Interested student must have achieved a first-class average as per the institution, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent.
• Must not have any other doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC for completion of the doctoral degree.

Application procedure for Vanier CGS Scholarship

The following points are to be considered at the time of application of the Vanier CGS Scholarship.

• Candidates cannot apply directly for the scholarship. They must be nominated by the Canadian university in which they wish to study.
• There are 2 ways to apply for the Vanier CGS program. The student can inform the faculty at the institution in which they intend to study OR the institution can initiate the application process by contacting the interested student.
• Students have to prepare the application and submit the same to the nominating institution through the Research Net application system.
• The nominating institution can also forward a recommended nomination to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat.
• The candidates will be notified of the results within the specific time.

1. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships

About the Scholarship

The University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships (UMGF) is a merit based scholarship which is offered to full time graduate students who are pursuing their Master’s and PhD at the University of Manitoba.

The scholarship is open to students of all nationality who are pursuing any graduate degree program offered at the University. The value of the scholarship is $18,000 for PhD and $14,000 for Master’s degree for a period of 12 months.

Eligibility Criteria for UMGF

The eligibility criteria for the UMGF scholarship are as follows.

• Students should have a minimum GPA of 3.75 in each of the last two years of study at a recognized university.
• Students must have been admitted as a full-time student without provision or have cleared provisional admission as a Master’s or PhD student in a graduate program at the University of Manitoba.
• The scholarship is for all students who are pursuing graduate study in any field except for Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Students will receive the UMGF for the first 24 months of their Master’s program and the first 48 months of their PhD program.

Application Procedure for UMGF

The application procedure for the UMGF scholarship is as follows.

• Each department at the university has its own UMGF application. Hence students must use the correct application as per his/her faculty / department.
• Old or UMGF application from incorrect or different department will not be accepted.
• Incomplete and late applications will not be accepted.
• Students should not leave any blank boxes in the application.  If any question is not applicable then insert “N/A”.
• The application must not have any grammar and spelling errors.

1. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships

About the Scholarship

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships is awarded to Canadian and foreign students who wish to pursue their doctoral research in subjects related to humanities and social sciences.

The scholarship is given by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation which was founded in 2001. The value of the scholarship is $40,000 per year for three years plus $20,000 per year for three years as research and travel allowance. There are up to 15 scholarships which are awarded each year.

Eligibility Criteria for the scholarship

The eligibility criteria for the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship are as follows.

• The student must be registered in a full time first or second year doctoral program in humanities and social sciences.
• Canadian citizens must be registered full-time in a doctoral program in or outside Canada.
• Up to one scholar per given year may be a foreign national registered full-time in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

Application Procedure for the scholarship

The application procedure for the above mentioned scholarship is as follows.

• Students must be nominated by the institution where they wish to study or are currently studying.
• Students must apply through the online Foundation Portal.
• Candidates must submit 3 reference letters. One must be from an academic referee, other from a non-academic referee and the third letter can be from an academic or non-academic referee.
• Official details of all post-secondary institutions which the student has attended.

1. University of Waterloo International Master’s (IMSA) and Doctoral Student Awards (IDSA)

About the scholarship

This scholarship is given by the University of Waterloo for students who are registered for full time in research-based master’s program or PhD programs at the University of Waterloo.

The value of the IMSA scholarship is $2,045 per term for 2 years (Master’s). Whereas the IDSA scholarship value is $4,090 per term for 3 years (PhD). The IMSA program will be discontinued from May 1, 2019. Students offered admission for spring 2019 and beyond will no longer receive the IMSA award.

Eligibility Criteria for IDSA scholarship

The eligibility criteria for the IDSA scholarship are listed below.

• The International graduate students must have a valid Canadian study permit.
• The student must be registered full time in a doctoral program at the University of Waterloo.
• Interested student must meet the academic progress requirements of their program.

Application procedure for IDSA scholarship

The application procedure for IDSA scholarship is as follows.

• A GRE and GMAT test is required for some programs at the Waterloo University.
• Students should submit a reference from a valid institution or organization.
• The full set of documents must be submitted electronically for each program.
• Documents such as professional certificates, covering letters and bank statements are not required.
• The uploaded documents are considered final and once submitted cannot be replaced or updated.

1. University of Calgary Graduate Awards

About the Scholarship

The Calgary Graduate Awards is offered by the University of Calgary. The university offers a range of full and partial scholarships for the international students enrolled at the university. The value of the University of Calgary Graduate Awards ranges from $1,000 to $40,000 and covers different fields of study.

Eligibility Criteria for Calgary Graduate Awards

The eligibility criteria for the above mentioned scholarship are as follow.

• For admission to a master’s course the requirement is 4-Year Bachelor’s Degree with First Class Division (or 7.5/10 for IIT’s only). Students with 3 Year Bachelor’s Degree must also hold a Master’s degree.
• For admission to a doctoral program the requirement is Master’s Degree with First Class Division (or 7.5/10 for IIT’s only).
• A minimum GPA of 3.50 on a four-point scale in a master’s degree program.
• Students must give a written statement indicating the applicant’s reasons for wishing to pursue a graduate program.
• Students are also requested to submit 2 reference letters.

Application procedure for Calgary Graduate Awards

While applying for the Calgary Graduate Award the following points must be kept in mind.

• The students have to apply online.
• The references must include of the supervisor or someone who is familiar with academic work.
• All post secondary schools in which the candidate has studied must be listed.
• Some master’s and doctoral programs require the student’s curriculum vitae.
• Interested students must provide a clear description of the research or study area that he would like to pursue.