How to Apply

Application Process and Instructions

Steps for all Vanier CGS nominees
Step 1: The candidate contacts the university by which he/she wishes to be nominated; or, the university recruits the candidates it wishes to nominate and invites them to apply.
Step 2: The nominee, with their nominating university’s assistance, completes the electronic application package. The university submits this package, including the university’s nomination letter regarding the student, to the appropriate federal granting agency through the ResearchNet online application and nomination e-approval system.
Step 3: Each agency’s interdisciplinary Vanier peer-review committee evaluates the nomination packages it has received and forwards 70 nominations to the inter-agency Vanier Selection Board.
Step 4: The inter-agency Vanier Selection Board recommends the most meritorious Vanier CGS awardees put forward by the federal granting agencies, for a total selection of 166-167 awardees.
Step 5: Nominees and their university are notified by the federal granting agency, by mail, as to whether the nominee will be offered a Vanier CGS.

Nomination Process Details

Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and international students wishing to apply for a Vanier CGS should check that the university to which they are applying for doctoral studies has a Vanier CGS allocation.

Students whose university does have a Vanier CGS allocation should then inform their university that they wish to be considered for a Vanier CGS.

Candidates—with their nominating university’s assistance as required—must complete the Vanier CGS electronic application and submit it to the Canadian university that will be putting forward their nomination.

The university must provide a nomination letter for each student it wishes to nominate for a Vanier CGS. The letter must provide a high-level rationale for the nomination, explaining why the university is nominating the student for the award, and how the institution will support the nominee in the development of his/her potential.

Based on its allocation, the university will then forward a limited number of nominations (including the electronic application and the university’s nomination letter) for review to the appropriate federal research granting agency.

The university is responsible for notifying candidates if their application is not forwarded to one of the agencies.

Notes:

Applications submitted by candidates directly to one of the federal research granting agencies, instead of being submitted to a Canadian university, will not be considered.

Only one university can submit a candidate’s nomination to an agency. If more than one university is interested in nominating a particular candidate for an award, the candidate must choose the university that will submit his/her nomination.

Multiple nominations will not be accepted and will be withdrawn from the competition.

Additionally, nominations that are withdrawn will count towards the university’s Vanier CGS allocation.

Highlighting Leadership in a Vanier CGS Nomination

There are three opportunities in the nomination package to highlight the leadership potential of the Vanier CGS candidate:

1. The student is asked to list his/her activities/achievements in any of the appropriate categories listed in the program description. The student is also asked to write a self-assessment detailing the impact of his/her activities and accomplishments, and how they judge themselves to be a potential Vanier CGS recipient and a leader in their research community.
   
   
2. The referees for each application are asked to comment on the Vanier candidate’s leadership potential and to elaborate on the impact of the activities and accomplishments mentioned in the candidate’s report.
   
   
3. The Vanier nomination letter submitted by the university should also highlight the leadership qualities of the candidate being put forward by the university—especially for international students, where some context may be required. The institution must also address how it will support this candidate to help him or her fully develop their leadership potential.

 

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Help Desk

For additional assistance with your application, please contact the appropriate funding agency:

Health Sciences
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Tel.: 1-888-603-4178 (General Inquiries)
Email: Vanier@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

Natural Sciences and Engineering
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
Tel.: 613-996-6104
Email: vanier@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

Social Sciences and Humanities
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Tel.: 613- 943-7777
Email: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca