Grad School Funding in Canada 2025: SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR

Federal scholarships, provincial awards, university fellowships, and teaching assistantships explained.

Graduate students in Canada have access to a rich ecosystem of funding — from federal tri-council scholarships worth $17,500–$50,000/year to provincial awards, university fellowships, and teaching/research assistantships. This guide explains every major funding source so you can build a comprehensive grad school funding strategy.

Federal Tri-Council Graduate Scholarships

Canada's three federal research funding agencies — SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR — each administer competitive graduate scholarships. These are awarded based on academic merit and research potential.

NSERC: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

Award	Level	Value	Duration
CGS-M (Canada Graduate Scholarship — Master's)	Master's	$17,500/year	1 year
CGS-D (Canada Graduate Scholarship — Doctoral)	PhD	$35,000/year	Up to 3 years
Postgraduate Scholarship (PGS-D)	PhD	$21,000/year	Up to 3 years
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship	PhD	$50,000/year	3 years

NSERC scholarships are for students in natural sciences and engineering disciplines. CGS applications are submitted through your university's graduate awards office with a fall deadline (typically October/November).

SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

Award	Level	Value	Duration
CGS-M	Master's	$17,500/year	1 year
CGS-D	PhD	$35,000/year	Up to 3 years
Doctoral Fellowship (non-CGS)	PhD	$20,000/year	Up to 4 years
Vanier CGS	PhD	$50,000/year	3 years

SSHRC funds research in social sciences, humanities, business, and the arts. CGS-M and CGS-D awards are the most common for master's and doctoral students in these fields.

CIHR: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Award	Level	Value	Duration
CGS-M	Master's	$17,500/year	1 year
CGS-D	PhD	$35,000/year	Up to 3 years
Fellowship	Postdoc	$50,000/year	Up to 3 years
Vanier CGS	PhD	$50,000/year	3 years

CIHR funds health research — clinical, biomedical, health systems, population health, and health services research. Medical, nursing, and public health PhD students commonly hold CIHR awards.

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

The Vanier CGS is the most prestigious graduate scholarship in Canada — awarded to only 166 doctoral students per year across all three tri-councils. It provides:

$50,000/year for 3 years ($150,000 total)
Awarded for academic excellence, research potential, and leadership
Available to both Canadian and international students enrolled in Canadian PhD programs
Nominations go through the host university; not all universities nominate all eligible students

The Vanier CGS is extremely competitive — typical recipients have near-perfect academic records and strong research and leadership profiles. Start building your application package in your first year of doctoral studies.

Provincial Graduate Scholarships

Province	Award	Value	Notes
Ontario	Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)	$15,000/year	Master's and PhD; highly competitive
BC	BC Graduate Scholarship	$15,000/year	Master's and PhD students in BC
Alberta	AGES (Graduate Excellence Scholarship)	$11,000/year	Master's and PhD at Alberta universities
Quebec	FRQSC/FRQNT/FRQS Awards	$20,000–$35,000	Quebec research councils; French preferred

Provincial scholarships often require separate applications from federal tri-council awards. Apply for both — stacking them is possible if program rules allow.

University Fellowships and Internal Awards

Every major Canadian university has an internal graduate fellowship program funded by the institution. These vary widely:

University of Toronto: Connaught Fund, SGS internal awards ($3,000–$15,000/year)
UBC: Four Year Doctoral Fellowship — $18,200/year + tuition for 4 years
McGill: McGill Graduate Excellence Fellowship and various departmental awards
Many other schools: departmental fellowships, graduate student research grants

Check your graduate program's financial aid page — many internal awards are not well-publicized and go unclaimed each year.

Teaching Assistantships (TAs)

Most graduate students receive a Teaching Assistantship as part of their funding package. Key facts:

TAs are paid employment — you receive a T4 and pay income tax
Typical TA pay: $3,000–$8,000 per course section per term, depending on the university and union contract
Many programs guarantee a minimum funding package that includes TA work
TA income does not affect your tuition tax credit eligibility

Research Assistantships (RAs)

Research Assistantships are paid positions funded by your supervisor's research grants. RA pay is similar to TA pay and is also employment income (T4). Some supervisors fund students entirely through RA positions, while others combine RA with scholarship funding.

Government Student Loans for Grad Students

Graduate students can still apply for government student loans through their provincial program. However, if you hold a scholarship of $17,500+/year, your assessed financial need may be reduced significantly. Apply anyway — even small loan amounts at 0% (federal) are worth taking to preserve your scholarship funds for living costs.

Tax Treatment of Grad School Funding

CGS-M, CGS-D, Vanier: Generally tax-free for full-time students (report on T4A but exempt)
TA/RA income: Taxable employment income — T4 issued
OGS and provincial scholarships: Generally tax-free for full-time students

Full details: Are Scholarships Taxable in Canada?

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Bottom Line

Well-funded Canadian graduate students can access CGS-M/D scholarships, provincial awards like OGS, university internal fellowships, and TA/RA income — often covering or exceeding tuition and living costs. Apply for every award you're eligible for, starting in October of your first year. Strong applications for Vanier and CGS-D should be a priority for PhD students seeking maximum funding.