In this post, I’ll talk about PhD scholarships that are open right now. I’ll cover specifically scholarships for PhD studies, and I’ll let you know which is which. There are PhD scholarships in Canada for international students open at the moment. I will also mention a postdoctoral scholarship that you can apply for. Their deadlines haven’t passed yet, though for some, the deadline is coming up quickly, depending on when you see this article.
So, we’ll get into the scholarships without delay.
PhD Scholarships in Canada for International Students
1. Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship
I also want to talk about the Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship at the University of Alberta. This is a fairly new scholarship set up to honor the good academic work of students who are diving into graduate studies in Alberta. It offers 12,000 dollars, to be exact. The requirements to apply for this one are pretty much in line with the one I mentioned before. You need to be a Canadian citizen, have permanent residency, or be an international student with a study permit. It’s available for different types of graduate programs, including PhD, as long as you are studying in Alberta.
Now, unlike the scholarship I talked about earlier, this one requires a nomination. You can’t just apply on your own; you need to be nominated. The deadline for the nominations needs to be in by November 15, 2024, through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research.
2. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
The first scholarship I’m discussing today is the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. The Vanier CGS program helps Canadian institutions attract highly qualified doctoral students. This scholarship is specifically for PhD students, offering 50,000 dollars per year for 3 years of PhD study. The selection is based on academic excellence, research potential, and leadership. The deadline for this scholarship is November 1st, 2024, so it’s still open if you read this post before this date.
So, this scholarship is unique. Here, the school has to pick you, and they do this through a system that’s all about numbers, which I’ll explain in just a bit.
A Canadian school with the right to pick Vanier Scholars needs to nominate you. You should only look for a nomination from the school where you plan to study. In simpler terms, if you eye a specific university, that’s where you need to get your nomination from, provided they have the slots to nominate students for the Vanier CGS.
Talking about slots, what I mean is that every university that’s teamed up with the Vanier scholarship gets to nominate a certain number of students each year. If you take a look at what I’m showing you here, it’ll make more sense. For instance, if Carlton University is your dream school, they can only nominate one PhD student for the Vanier CGS scholarship because that’s their limit. Dalhousie University can nominate 13 students, and if we check out the University of Montreal, they have 48 slots available, meaning they can nominate 48 students from any department for a PhD program to get the scholarship. The University of Toronto tops the list with 137 spots. So, if the University of Toronto is where you’re aiming for the Vanier CGS scholarship, you’ll be up against a lot of competition, but they can nominate up to 137 students.
The whole nomination process relies on this system of slots, where each partnering school nominates a set number of students annually. You need to have a Ph.D., have good grades, present research work, and apply to the school you wish to attend.
Make sure the school is on the list of those who can nominate students for the Vanier CGS scholarship. So, you know the university is actually in a position to nominate students for this opportunity.
3. Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship
Another opportunity is the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, a 3-year leadership program for developing leaders by providing exceptional doctoral candidates with the tools to turn their ideas into action for the benefit of their communities, Canada, and the world. Each year, scholars are chosen to receive leadership training in Brave spaces and substantial funding for their studies.
This scholarship totals 60,000 dollars, divided into 40,000 dollars for tuition and living expenses to help you concentrate on your doctoral studies and the leadership program, and twenty thousand dollars for language learning, travel, and accommodation during the program.
This is one of the PhD scholarships in Canada for international students. Winning this scholarship means more than just receiving funds, though. You have to participate in a 3-year leadership program that includes travel, research, and other activities alongside your PhD studies.
Some benefits include joining a dynamic community of scholars, mentors, and fellows who are leaders in their fields; receiving leadership training; opportunities to improve proficiency in Canada’s official languages, French and English; lifelong membership in the Alumni network; and, course, the financial support provided.
4. Ontario Graduate Scholarship (University of Waterloo)
The next scholarship I’m talking about is the Ontario Graduate Scholarship at the University of Waterloo. This is one of the PhD scholarships in Canada for international students part of a two-scholarship program at the University of Waterloo, which includes the Ontario Graduate Scholarship and the Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship. The Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship is specifically for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. On the other hand, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, or OGS, is designed for international students. So, if you’re doing a PhD at the University of Waterloo, consider applying for the OGS as an international student. This scholarship offers 15,000 dollars per year, but it cannot be renewed.
As for the eligibility, you need to be an international student with a study permit and have maintained a first-class average, which means a minimum of A- or 80% in the last two years of your bachelor’s degree. The OGS scholarship is available for any field of study at the University of Waterloo.
5. University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship
Moving on, the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship is next on my list. This fellowship is open to PhD and international masters students as well. You have to show outstanding intellectual capabilities and academic achievements. The fellowship awards $14,000 annually for a Master’s degree, up to a total of $28,000, and $18,000 annually for a PhD, totaling up to $72,000.
The departments decide on the fellowship’s value and how long it lasts, but you have to fit the eligibility requirements. PhD students get coverage for up to 72 months, and after that, you are on your own.
You can be considered for this fellowship if you have been accepted as a full-time PhD student in a graduate program at the University of Manitoba, and naturally, your academic performance needs to be good.
6. Graduate Student Engagement Scholarship at the University of Alberta
The next opportunity we’re talking about is the Graduate Student Engagement Scholarship at the University of Alberta. This scholarship celebrates what you achieved academically, how you’ve led, and engaged with your community through volunteering, and any extra stuff you have been involved in outside of class. You’ll receive 10,000 dollars.
When it comes to who can apply, they are really open – it doesn’t matter where you’re from, any country’s fine. And it’s not just for certain courses; whatever your field, you are welcome to apply. You’ll need at least a 3.5 GPA to be considered, and show that you are a leader, active in your community, and like to help. This scholarship specifically looks for students of African descent or those who identify as Black, including African Canadian, African American, or Afro-Caribbean or Afro-Latino backgrounds. If you’re applying, mark October 20th, 2024, on your calendar. As for the application process, you have to be admitted to the university first. Once in, you apply directly to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, FGSR. Fill out the online application form – there’s no need for a department to nominate you; they’ll just look over what you submit. And don’t forget, you’ll need a letter of reference too.
7. UdeM Exemption Scholarship
I talked about this scholarship in my post about Canadian scholarships. The UdeM Exemption Scholarship for International Students is offered by the University of Montreal (UdeM). This scholarship is for international students with PhD studies. As for eligibility, you must be an international student, as it’s not open to domestic students, and you must be enrolled full-time in your study program.
This scholarship helps with the tuition fee, which is 28,731 dollars a year. After this scholarship, you’d need to pay about 18,000 dollars. The scholarship amount is 21,000 dollars a year for PhD dollars, which helps with the tuition fee of 29,788 dollars a year for PhD studies.
8. Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship
Okay, we will now talk about the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship. This program supports the very best postdoctoral candidates, both from Canada and around the world, who will contribute to the country’s economic, social, and research growth. It is set up to attract and keep top postdoctoral talent, help them develop leadership skills, and prepare them for success as future research leaders.
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship is specifically for those interested in postdoctoral studies. Regardless of the university you choose for your postdoctoral studies, if you’re aiming to be a postdoctoral fellow, this fellowship is for you. It provides seventy thousand dollars annually for two years.
The eligibility requires obtaining an endorsement from your host institution before application. You should prepare and submit your application. Some schools may have their own deadlines. You need to meet the deadline of the institution where you wish to undertake your fellowship. The school you plan to do your postdoctoral studies must be willing to endorse you. After obtaining this endorsement, you can proceed to fill out the application form. If applying for the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship separately, after receiving the endorsement and applying to the institution, the deadline is September 21st, 2024.
Conclusion
So, that’s all I have for this post about PhD scholarships in Canada for international students. I’ve shared some of the scholarships for PhD, and even postdoctoral studies that I found. I’m sure there are more out there, and I’ll keep looking and updating you as I find them. Don’t forget that these scholarships are active right now.
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