SSHRC Graduate Scholarships

Overview

Eligibility

To qualify to apply to this program, a student must:

• be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
• (if a Master's student) be applying for support to pursue your first graduate degree (i.e., Master's or equivalent) and not have completed more than 12 months of full-time graduate study at the proposed start date of the award (all previous studies at the graduate level, regardless of discipline, will be included in determining eligibility);
• (if a Doctoral student) be applying for support to pursue your first PhD (or equivalent);
• have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your university (McGill – Doctoral 3.3 / Master's 3.7 Humanities incl. History, Fine Arts, Literature, Education; 3.6 Social Sciences; 3.4 Law), in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent;
• not have already received an award for the same level of study from SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR;
• not be applying for graduate funding in the 2012-13 academic year to NSERC or CIHR*;
• not be pursuing a degree program that combines undergraduate and graduate degrees and
• if indicating interest in a Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s award for business-related research, be pursuing research with a broad focus on business.

* If you are unsure if your research falls under SSHRC guidelines please email the agency directly with a summary of your research to confirm. If you apply to the inappropriate agency, or to multiple agencies, your application will be disqualified.

If you completed your Bachelor's degree before January 1, 2005 (the date that you completed all degree requirements, not the date of your graduation) and have not been registered at a university since that date, you are not eligible to apply to this program.

Interdisciplinary research

Students seeking support for interdisciplinary research in areas covered by more than one of NSERC, CIHR and SSHRC (for example, research in Biomedical Engineering) should consult with one of the granting agencies well before any applicable deadlines.

Required documents

1. Online application form (must register first)
2. McGill transcript ordering information
3. Appraisal forms and guidelines for Master’s and Doctoral referees

How to apply

Competition process

Note: “Department” roles: usually refers to work led by appointed departmental fellowships coordinator

1. Student requests transcripts and referee letters to go to department: hardcopy referee letters must be submitted and added to application (in sealed envelopes)
2. Student fills out online application
3. Student saves application
4. Student prints and submits finalized application to department
5. Student brings printed completed application copies in-person to department (# of copies required determined by department)
6.  Department accepts entire application including supporting documents from students in person
7. Department file review committee reviews files and decides to “recommend” or “not recommend” to GPS Graduate Funding (submit via GPS-FAD*)
8. Department completes departmental appraisal form and adds it to student application (hardcopy)
9. Department communicates file review outcomes to applicants
10. Department forwards the original and 4 hardcopies of the “recommended” files and 1 copy of “non-recommended” files to GPS Graduate Funding – James Building Room 325 or through internal mail. Documents/packages clearly labeled "GPS Graduate Funding".
11. GPS Graduate Funding's file review committee reviews the recommended files and decides to “recommend” or “not recommend” to granting agency
12. GPS Graduate Funding notifies every applicant (whose application was recommended to GPS by department) of the outcome of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies’ file review
13. Agency announces winners in Spring

Click image below to enlarge view of SSHRC application process flow chart

Additional resources

• SSHRC online Resource Centre
• SSHRC Student Information Session (webinar presentation 2012)
• How to be successful in your SSHRC Fellowship application (2010)
• SKILLSETS SSHRC Presentation (2010)

Post-Award Information

If you have been awarded the above fellowship, please refer to Accepting, activating, and maintaining your award. Among other items, this page contains the SSHRC Award Holder's Guide and Progress Report Form. The deadlines for these items are as follows: