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Description
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program is administered by Canada's three research granting councils (the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council).
The Vanier CGS program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health; as well as leadership skills. Both Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
A Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is valued at $50,000 per year, for up to three years.
For more details, please visit the Vanier CGS website.(Updated: 2009-02-10)
This funding opportunity will be administered through the CIHR Doctoral Research Award competition, with the top candidates being put forward to the Vanier Selection Board for consideration.
Candidates not recommended by the Board will be considered for a Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship - Doctoral Award or a CIHR Doctoral Research Award, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for these programs.
The three federal funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) are committed to working together over the next year to bring a harmonized perspective to this program.
Funds Available
CIHR's contribution to the amount available for this initiative is subject to availability of funds voted annually to CIHR by parliamentary appropriations, and the conditions that may be attached to them.
The maximum amount awarded for a single award is $50,000 per annum for up to three years:
- Trainee stipend: $45,000 per annum.
- Research allowance: $5,000 per annum.
- This award is non-renewable.
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Objectives
The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are:
- To provide recognition and funding to students early in their academic research career, providing them with an opportunity to gain research experience;
- To provide a reliable supply of highly skilled and qualified researchers.
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Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for all CIHR research funding programs apply. The business office of the institution of an eligible Nominated Principal Applicant generally administers CIHR funds. Please refer to the Eligibility Requirements for CIHR Grants and Awards regarding the eligibility requirements for individuals and institutions.
Specific to CIHR training awards, please refer to the General Guidelines for Training Programs as well as to the Doctoral Research Award: 2008-2009 funding opportunity. Guidelines for the Doctoral Research Awards (DRA) Program apply, except as noted below.
Specific Eligibility Requirements
Eligibility requirements specific to Funding Opportunity include the following:
The program is open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and International students. Only those students engaged in full-time PhD research training program in a Canadian graduate school are eligible for support.
International students applying to the VCGS program are required to submit their application to the Canadian institution where they plan to pursue full-time doctoral studies. The institution will then forward their nominations to CIHR for the competition.
The award for which support is being sought should be under the supervision of a researcher who holds research funds obtained through a recognized competitive peer review process. Awards must be held at a Canadian institution.
Candidates who already hold, or have held, doctoral-level funding from a federal source are not eligible for a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, unless the term of the award already held was less than the maximum allowed and they continue to meet the eligibility requirements as described in the Doctoral Research Award: 2008-2009 funding opportunity.
Awards will take effect only after the recipient has registered in a full-time PhD program.
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Guidelines
This funding opportunity will follow the General Guidelines for Training Programs. Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate the use of Gender and Sex-Based Analysis in applications.
Allowable Costs
The awards consist of a stipend and a research allowance.
For the research allowance, awardees should review the Use of Grant Funds section of the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Financial Administration Guide for a complete listing and description of allowable costs and activities.
Vanier Scholarship recipients who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada may be eligible for a Canada Graduate Scholarship - Foreign Study Supplement (CGS-FSS). Consult the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Foreign Study Supplement (2008-2009) funding opportunity for further details.
Conditions of Funding
All conditions specified in CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies shall apply to applications funded through this Funding opportunity. Conditions cover areas such as Applicant and Institutional Responsibilities, Ethics, Official languages policy, Access to Information and Privacy Acts, and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support. Successful applicants will be informed of any special financial conditions prior to the release of funds or when they receive CIHR's Authorization for Funding (AFF) document.
Access to Information Act and Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
All personal information collected by CIHR about applicants is used to review applications, to recruit reviewers, to administer and monitor grants and awards, to compile statistics, and to promote and support health research in Canada. Consistent with these purposes, applicants should also expect that information collected by CIHR may be shared as described in Use and Disclosure of Personal Information Provided to CIHR for Peer Review.
CIHR as a federal entity is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, therefore the requirements of these two statutes will apply to all information located in CIHR's premises including, without limitation, cost-sharing agreements related to this funding opportunity and all matters pertaining thereto.
While respecting the application of the Privacy Act to federal entities, all signing parties involved in a collaborative agreement will also be bound by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). All personal information (as identified by the PIPEDA) collected, used or disclosed in the course of any commercial activity under collaborative agreements related to the Funding opportunity will be collected, used and disclosed in compliance with the PIPEDA.
Communication Requirements
Grant recipients are required to acknowledge CIHR, its institutes and partners in any communication or publication related to the project. See CIHR General Grants and Awards Policies, Public Communication and Acknowledgement of CIHR's Support for details on CIHR's communication requirements. The contributing institutes / partners will be identified on the Authorization for Funding and decision letter.
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Performance Measurement
CIHR is committed to demonstrating results to Canadians for the money invested in health research. Therefore, processes for monitoring progress and appropriate use of funds, as well as for performance measurement and program evaluation are in place. As a result, funding recipients must:
- contribute to the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes by participating in evaluation studies, surveys, workshops, audits and providing data or reports as required for the purpose of collecting information to assess progress and results;
- encourage their associates, trainees and administration to participate in the monitoring, review and evaluation of CIHR's programs, policies and processes as required.
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Review Process and Evaluation
A CIHR peer review committee will evaluate the full applications. The committee may be drawn from one of CIHR's pre-existing committees or may be created specifically for this funding opportunity. Committee members are selected based on suggestions from many sources including the institute(s) / portfolio(s) and partner(s), following CIHR's Policy on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest and Privacy Issues in Peer and Relevance Review (CCIP).
Evaluation Criteria
Vanier Scholarships are reviewed in accordance with the Guide for Reviewers - CIHR Doctoral Research Awards.
The following criteria for evaluating Doctoral Research Award applications will be used:
- Achievements and Activities of the Candidate (Publication Activity, Other Research Activity, Academic Performance)
- Characteristics and Abilities of the Candidate (Critical thinking, Independence, Perseverance, Originality, Organizational skills, Interest in discovery, Research ability, Leadership ability)
- Research Training Environment (Training program for the candidate, Scientific activity, Research resources, Training record)
Vanier Selection Board Review
The Vanier Selection Board will be established to make final recommendations for Vanier Scholarships and will oversee the program process and results to ensure it achieves its objectives. A total of 210 nominated candidates will be submitted to the Board from the three federal funding agencies, for up to 166 awards to be offered each year.
CIHR will put forward to the Vanier Selection Board, for their consideration, the top 70 Canadian or International student candidates that meet the Vanier Scholarships eligibility criteria once they have been assessed through the national CIHR Doctoral Research Award competition.
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How to Apply
Note: This funding opportunity requires the use of ResearchNet AND CIHR WebForms to apply for funding.
- A step-by-step overview of CIHR's application processes can be found under How to Apply for Funding.
- The application process for this funding opportunity is comprised of one step: Application.
- To complete your Application, follow the appropriate process identified below according to your residential status.
- Reminder to applicants: Please ensure that your application is complete (including all required signatures) and submitted on time to CIHR. Effective September 1, 2008, CIHR will assume no responsibility in following-up with applicants who submit an incomplete application. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted into the competition.
For Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada
- This funding program will be administered through the CIHR Doctoral Research Award competition.
- To complete your application, review the Doctoral Research Award: 2008-2009 funding opportunity and then follow the specific application guidelines and instructions which are fully described in its "How to Apply" section.
For International students
- International Student must consult the information below as they required to submit their application to the Canadian institution where they plan to pursue full-time doctoral studies using the CIHR Web Forms. Be advised that Canadian institutions will set their own application deadlines for this program as a pre-selection process may be held at the institutional level; it is recommended that candidates check with their faculty of graduate studies for further details.
- To complete an Application, follow the instructions identified in the "Doctoral Research Award: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships - Web Forms "Application" Phase Instructions". (Updated: 2008-09-29)
- Canadian institutions will receive from CIHR a nomination quota for the maximum number of international students they can nominate for this program. For each application that is put forward as a nomination, institutions must also complete an "Institutional Nomination Letter" and enclose it with the full application. (Updated: 2008-09-29) Be advised that nominating an international student does not guarantee an award. All applications will be reviewed as part of the national CIHR Doctoral Research Award competition, and the top 70 candidates, whether Canadian or International students, will be referred to the Vanier Selection Board.
- Only the original application and attachments are required.
- Full nomination packages must be sent from the nominating institutions by courier no later than November 14 to:
RE: "Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships"
Research Capacity Development
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
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Contact Information
For questions on CIHR funding guidelines, how to apply, and the peer review process contact:
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program Delivery Coordinator
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Telephone: 613-954-1963
Fax: 613-954-1800
Email: Vanier@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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