Vanier Scholarship to Study in Canada

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is a program promoted by the Canadian government for students who wish to pursue doctoral studies in that nation its main purpose is to train highly qualified human talent to consolidate a high performance team in the areas of research and higher education.

What is the objective of the Vanier Scholarships 2022-2023?

The objective established by Vanier is to promote the development of skills and leadership in professionals to achieve high academic standards in graduate studies, doctoral studies, and research in the areas of humanities, exact sciences, engineering and computer science, social sciences, construction, and health sciences.

What are the benefits of the Vanier scholarship for the period 2022-2023?

The financial grant awarded by the scholarship program is stipulated at $50,000 for the period of study, which means a non-renewable three-year duration. Unless funds are available, the program may award additional scholarships. 

In this regard, the number of fellowships is distributed equally among the federal awarding agencies, consisting of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.

Who can apply for the scholarship? 

Eligible applicants are primarily Canadian citizens, as well as permanent residents of Canada and other foreign nationals, whose initial condition is represented by a desire to excel through continued professional training and high academic standards obtained during undergraduate studies. 

Finally, applicants from abroad who will be considered primarily must be of Latin or Spanish-speaking origin and demonstrate a high level of academic achievement, as it is of utmost importance for the program to select the most outstanding professionals. 

What are the conditions of the Vanier 2022-2023 scholarship?

Profile: Canadian citizens, permanent residents of the country, and other foreign citizens.

Have a nomination in only one of the Canadian institutions, which must have previously received a Vanier CGS award.

Must be the first Ph.D. degree completed, which also includes in parallel a postgraduate research program such as MD – Ph.D., DVM – Ph.D., DJ – Ph.D., to possess a research component duly demonstrated and of significant importance. Only a doctoral portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding. 

Be willing to carry out studies in the summer or the academic year immediately after the announcement of results is published, as well as full-time doctoral studies, or through a joint research program, either: MD Ph.D., DVM – Ph.D., DJ – Ph.D., and their respective research.  

For individuals enrolled in a joint graduate research program, MD, Ph.D., MA – Ph.D., DVM – Ph.D. That is, applicants entering this type of category have access to the 32-month window, fully valid for persons enrolled or not in a master’s program.

Have completed less than 32 months of full-time study in your doctoral program in the time frame stated in the call for applications if you accelerated directly from a bachelor’s to a doctoral degree or did not spend time in a master’s program.

Have a first-class average, as determined by your institution, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent. Each applicant should contact the institution for its definition of a first-class average.

Not counting or having held a Cihr, NSERC, OR SSHRC doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship to undertake or complete a doctoral program previously.

Apply in person to the faculty of graduate studies informing them of your intention to apply to the program.

The application must be prepared and sent to the nominating institution before the deadline. The institution then recommends the nomination to the Vanier Banting Secretariat before the dates scheduled in the call for applications. For more information visit the official website.

What are the requirements for a Vanier Scholarship nomination?

To properly execute a nomination, it must be characterized by the following elements: details of the application, i.e., the aspects related to the form, common Canadian C.V., letter of nomination: maximum of two pages, signed by the relevant department head of the nominating institution, a timeline of doctoral studies, scanned and attached by the administrative staff of the institution.

Include a personal leadership statement: a maximum of two pages, written by the student, and two leadership reference letters: maximum of two pages each, written by someone who knows the candidate in a non-academic capacity; this letter is attached to the candidate’s nomination.

Attach a research proposal – maximum of two pages, project references – maximum of five pages, research contributions – maximum of one page, special circumstances (optional) – maximum of one page, all written by the student. Include two referee evaluations: three sections each.

It should be noted that these are evaluated and selected based on the following three criteria, which are weighted equally:

• Academic excellence
• research potential
• leadership with demonstrative potential and ability

Both the prestige of Vanier CGS and the stage and nature of the applicant’s academic career are considered.

Academic Excellence

In the first instance, the candidate’s research record and the impact of their activities to date in the areas of expertise and the communities associated with their research are indicators of their potential as tomorrow’s research leaders.

The level of influence is considered concerning others: research program, Canadian university, the research community, international research community, and society at large. For non-traditional academic trajectories, research productivity standards, among other aspects, are considered.

Research Potential

In this section, everything demonstrable by the candidate’s research history, interest in the discovery, the proposed research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field, and any anticipated results are verified.

Leadership Potential and Demonstrated Ability

This criterion is evaluated indirectly because the selection committee does not have the opportunity to interview candidates; it considers how the nominee has gone beyond expected norms to overcome obstacles, encourage others, lead change, or otherwise demonstrate leadership.

All evaluations are based on the nomination letter, referee evaluation, and leadership reference letters: looking for well-rounded individuals who have gone above and beyond the expected norms.

Other Aspects to Consider 

• The student will have the opportunity to describe all interruptions, delays, and 

part-time study in the special circumstances attachment.

• Each institution will establish the deadline for submitting applications. The application deadline for applicants varies by institution and is before the date established for the institutions.

• Remember, my student friend, that the Canadian universities affiliated with the Vanier CGS agreement comply with a rigorous selection procedure, which makes them world-renowned.

• Verify that the institution you select for your graduate studies complies with the Vanier CGS agreement. Candidates only need to search for a nomination of the institution they wish to study at through the web portal: https://bit.ly/3U9VI9I

Eligibility to hold a Vanier CGS 

Without exception, the Vanier Scholarship program can only be held at the eligible Canadian institution where the nomination was submitted. 

To hold a Vanier CGS, the candidate must:

• Be registered in a full-time doctoral program (or joint MA/Ph.D., MSc/Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D. graduate research program) at the nominating Canadian institution; and
• Not hold a teaching appointment at the same time as a Vanier Fellowship, unless they arrange a leave of absence from the appointment.
• Remain enrolled and demonstrate continued satisfactory progress in their doctoral program.
• Not hold, or have held, a doctoral level grant from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.
• Not hold at the same time any other SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR training award (note: Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement is excepted).
• Begin your award within 12 months of the earliest possible start date and begin May 1, September 1, or January 1 after the award offer.

Note: since eligibility, evaluation criteria, and competition deadlines are different, applications submitted to Vanier CGS are not considered in agency-specific doctoral award competitions. You must apply to each program individually.

Part-Time Studies

A Vanier CGS may be undertaken by students who are enrolled part-time due to a disability, medical or parental reasons, or family-related responsibilities. For eligible part-time students, Vanier CGS will be equivalent to full-time funding spread over a longer period.

Canadian Federal Government Employees 

It is important to note that Canadian federal government employees are eligible for a scholarship only if an unpaid leave of absence is taken (no salary or special allowances are allowed).

Multiple Applications 

Successful candidates may apply to both the Vanier Canada Graduate Fellowship program and other agency-specific PhD-level fellowship programs (either to the same federal grant agency or to a different one) in the same academic year, provided that the research proposed in each application falls within the mandate of the federal grant agency to which the application is submitted.

Number of months of doctoral study 

Regardless of disciplines, all previous doctoral level study that began in Canada or abroad is considered in the eligibility assessment and is considered continuous, full-time, and uninterrupted unless otherwise confirmed by the institution (including summer months, unless on official leave). The Vanier-Banting Secretariat (the Secretariat) will count two months of part-time study as one month of full-time study.

Required Language

Advanced English 

What do I get with a Vanier Scholarship?

The expenses involved in the study (tuition and materials) are covered by a Vanier scholarship.

The advantage of enjoying and getting to know a cosmopolitan culture. 

Generate strategic alliances with recognized figures and companies around the world.

Application Process

You can apply for one of our Vanier scholarships in two ways; one is from the university where you received your undergraduate degree or contact the faculty of graduate studies you wish to enter. 

Prepare your application and send it via email to the institution within the dates established by the call for applications.

You must wait until the selected institution executes the internal process of selection of candidates.

The nominating institution will send the results to the Vanier secretariat after November 3.

Subsequently, the coordinating secretariat will conduct a second review of the applications and issue recommendations to the Tri-Agency Program Steering Committee. 

Finally, the Steering Committee approves and endorses the decisions of the Vanier CGS program, and the nominated candidates are notified of the results and acceptance for the scholarship. 

Tips for new applicants for a Vanier Scholarship 2022-2023

It is important to start the application process by inquiring about the Canadian institutions of higher education that provide official information to avoid misrepresenting the information at the time of completing graduate studies.

In this order of ideas, it is also important to know the number of places available for the scholarship. In this way we will know the number of places offered for the year of interest of the applicant. To achieve the objectives.