​Canada Graduate Scholarship Masters (CGS M) - CIHR, NSERC & SSHRC

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**Reminder -  Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative **

The Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative will provide financial support to meritorious Indigenous students who have applied to the Canada Graduate Scholars—Master’s program (CGS M).

Meritorious applications include all applications that have received the status “Offered” or “Alternate” in the Research Portal (see selection process for the CGS M program for more information):

• Offered: CGS M applicants who are offered and accept a CGS M award and who are eligible for the Indigenous Scholars Award will keep the CGS M award and will be offered the Indigenous Scholars Supplement, to the limit of available funding.
• Alternate: CGS M applicants who are not offered a CGS M award but whose application is deemed meritorious by being deemed an alternate candidate and who are eligible for the Indigenous Scholars Award will be offered, to the limit of available funding, both the Indigenous Scholars Award and the Indigenous Scholars Supplement.

Value & Duration

• Indigenous Scholars Awards : $17,500 (one year non-renewable)
• Supplements : $5,000 (one year non-renewable)

Deadline

Student - December 1 (8:00 p.m. ET) - Submission of online application to Research Portal. (via the CGS Master program)

Eligibility

Applicants must: 

• be eligible to apply to the CGS M program;
• self-identify as Indigenous for the purposes of this initiative;
• provide a one-page (3,000 characters maximum) personal statement; and
• have had their application deemed meritorious in the CGS M review process.

How to Apply (special added instructions)

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for this funding stream must apply through the CGS M program. (See "How to Apply" in the CGSM section below)

• Applicants select “Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement Pilot Initiative” in the drop-down menu in the “Supplements/Joint Initiatives” section of the application form, under the “social sciences and/or humanities” or “natural sciences and engineering” field of research.
• Applicants must also submit a personal statement. one-page (3,000 characters maximum) In their personal statement, applicants must describe how their proposed research project, career and/or education goals have been informed by their experience as a First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis person. If appropriate, applicants can discuss their existing connection, or efforts to develop or re-establish a link, with their Indigenous community.
• Applicants will be asked to self-identify as Indigenous. They will also be asked to consent to SSHRC and NSERC using this information as part of their application to the Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative. SSHRC and NSERC will not share self-identification information with institutional selection committees.

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**Reminder -  Black student researchers Initiative **

The Government of Canada has deployed additional funds to increase direct support for Black student researchers. CGS M applicants who self-identify as Black and provide consent in their application to be considered for funds designated for specific groups may be able to receive this funding through a scholarship as part of this initiative. Each agency has a limited number of additional CGS M awards reserved for this initiative.  For more information, consult the Frequently asked questions about the new Black scholars funding web page.

Meritorious applications include all applications that have received the status  “Alternate” in the Research Portal (see selection process for the CGS M program for more information):

• Alternate: CGS M applicants who are not offered a CGS M award but whose application is deemed meritorious by being deemed an alternate candidate and who are eligible for the Black student researcher initiative maybe offered, to the limit of available funding, a CGS M award.

Value & Duration

• Black student researchers Initiative -CGS M: $17,500 (one year non-renewable)

Deadline

Student - December 1 (8:00 p.m. ET) - Submission of online application to Research Portal. (via the CGS Master program)

Eligibility

Applicants must: 

• be eligible to apply to the CGS M program;
• self-identify as a Black scholar for the purposes of this initiative;
•  and have had their application deemed meritorious in the CGS M review process.

How to Apply (special added instructions)

Applicants who meet the eligibility requirements for this funding stream must apply through the CGS M program. (See "How to Apply" in the CGSM section below)

• After the fall deadline of the regular application process (01 December 2023), all applicants will be asked to provide self-identification information via a questionnaire. Applicants who self-identify as Black and provide their consent to be considered for funds targeted towards specific groups will be eligible.

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CGS Master's

The federal granting agencies (Canadian Institute of Health Research CIHR, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council NSERC, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council SSHRC) have harmonized the Masters Canada Graduate Scholarship program.

All eligible students applying for a Canada Graduate Scholarship Masters (CGS M) use the Research Portal (hosted by NSERC) and the Canadian Common CV via the institution where they are registered or intend to register.

For more information about the CGS Master’s competition, including a summary of eligibility criteria, see the CGS Master's program website.

Deadlines

Please be sure to communicate your Academic Unit's admissions deadline to your applicants!

​NOTE: GPS does not require hardcopies of applications or other supporting documents for this competition.

NO EXCEPTIONS: Incomplete, incorrect, and late recommendations are not acceptable and will not be forwarded to the GPS Central Selection Committee.

Should an awardee’s student status change in any way during the course of the award, it is the responsibility of the awardee to notify the Academic Unit, GPS-Graduate Funding, and the Agency.