The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program at UBC in Canada

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. The Vanier CGS is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years.

ELIGIBILITY

To be considered for a Vanier CGS, a student must:

• Be nominated by only one Canadian university. The Vanier CGS must be held by the student at the university that nominated them. The scholarships are not transferable; they may not be taken to another university
• Be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint graduate research program such as: MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component). Note that only the PhD portion of a combined degree is eligible for funding.
• Intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or a joint graduate research program such as: MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution. For joint graduate research program, only the PhD portion of a joint graduate research program is eligible for funding.
• Months of study:
  • Have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in their doctoral program as of May 1, 2022.
    • The doctoral program would begin after the completion of a Master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
• Special cases – months of study:
  • have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in their doctoral program (i.e. joint graduate research program, fast-track, accelerated), by May 1, 2022 if:
    • enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants in this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a Master’s program:
      • The months of study are calculated starting from the date on which an applicant is officially registered in the joint program (including the Master’s portion of the program).
    • accelerated directly from a Bachelor’s to a PhD (not previously enrolled in a Master’s program);
      • The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.
    • accelerated (Fast-track) from a Master’s degree into a Doctoral program without obtaining the Master’s degree.
      • The months of study completed are calculated from the original Master’s enrolment date.
• Applicants must have achieved a first-class average in each of the last two years of full-tme study or equivalent.
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada, and international students are all eligible for the Vanier CGS.
• Students who have held or are currently holding Tri-Agency scholarship funding for their doctoral program (such as the CGS-D) are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants do not have to be registered as doctoral students at the time of application, but must be registered as doctoral students at the nominating Canadian university when they take up the Vanier CGS.

Eligibility of Program of Study

• An eligible doctoral program must include a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as requirement for a completion of the program.
• Joint graduate research programs with a professional degree (e.g., MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD) as well as clinically-oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are also eligible programs if they have a significant autonomous research component, as described above.

Number of months of doctoral studies

• All prior doctoral-level studies, regardless of discipline, are considered in the evaluation of eligibility, and are considered to be continuous, full-time, and uninterrupted unless otherwise confirmed by the institution (including the summer months, unless on official leave). The Vanier-Banting Secretariat (the Secretariat) will count two months of part-time study as one month of full-time study.
• Students who studied on a part-time basis must outline their part-time study in the Special Circumstances attachment.

Please see the Vanier CGS website for complete eligibility criteria.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Nominees will be evaluated and selected based on the following three criteria, which will be weighted equally by the selection committees:

• Academic Excellence
• Research Potential
• Leadership (Potental and Demonstrated Ability)

Please see the Vanier CGS website for complete selection criteria.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

UBC Vanier applicants will complete their Vanier application using ResearchNet, an online application system. Applicants to UBC must submit their complete Vanier application package via ResearchNet by 12 noon (PDT – Vancouver time) on Thursday, 2 September 2021.  Late applications will not be accepted.

Applicants should refer to the Vanier CGS website for step-by-step application instructions.

To apply, applicants must do the following by the deadline noted above:

1. Notify their chosen UBC graduate program that they intend to apply for the Vanier CGS.  This is an important step as your UBC graduate program should be aware of your intention to apply for the Vanier as they must support (nominate) your application in order for it to reach the university-wide stage of the award competition.
2. Provide official, up to date transcripts to their UBC graduate program for all post-secondary studies (including studies that did not lead to a degree, e.g., exchange / transfer course grades) up to 31 August 2021.
   • UBC transcripts:
     • The SISC Academic History (provided by graduate program – not available on SSC) can be submitted instead of ordering an official UBC transcript.
     • For applicants registered at UBC in the 2021W1 (Fall 2021) term, the UBC transcript (or SISC Academic History) must list the student’s 2021W1 (Fall 2021) registration.
   • Other transcripts:
     • Only official transcripts will be accepted.
     • The graduate program may have some of the applicant’s transcripts on file already; if so, well in advance of the application deadline, the applicant must confirm with the graduate program which transcripts the program has on file and will provide to support the Vanier CGS application, and which transcripts the applicant must still provide to the graduate program.
     • If the applicant needs to provide any transcripts in support of their Vanier CGS application, the graduate program must receive the original, official transcripts from the issuing institution.
     • Given current uncertainties related to COVID-19 and the difficulty of obtaining/processing paper transcripts, it is recommended that applicants order official transcripts that can be sent electronically from their previous institutions to UBC, rather than by mail, where possible.
     • Acceptable:
       • Official transcripts from UBC admission application (evision system): Scanned copies of official transcripts, accessed by the UBC graduate program from evision, that were validated and uploaded by G+PS (i.e., transcripts listed as “Transcripts & Diplomas – Official” under ‘Document Type’ in evision)
       • “Certified true” copies of official transcripts from the UBC graduate program’s own files.
       • Official transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to the UBC graduate program.
     • Not acceptable:
       • Unofficial transcripts (no water mark or registrar’s signature or registrar’s stamp and/or may note ”unofficial” on each page and/or copied from institution student account)
       • Transcripts uploaded by the applicant for UBC admission (ie. transcripts in evision system that are not verified by G+PS)
       • Applicant’s personal copies of official transcripts
     • Official transcripts: Typically include a watermark from the institution and/or a registrar’s signature and/or stamp.
     • Up to date transcripts: Dated or issued in the summer session (summer 2021) (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).
     • For students including foreign transcripts, if the transcripts are not presented in one of Canada’s two official languages (English or French), a certified translation must be provided, in addition to the official transcripts in its original language.
   • Include one copy of marking key / legend (usually on back of transcript) for each institution.
   • Note: “transcripts for post-secondary studies” includes transcripts from transfer credit courses and exchange or study abroad terms.
     • Example: UBC transcript lists study abroad terms at “Sciences Po” institute in Paris. The courses are listed as transfer credit on the UBC transcript, but the grades are not listed. The official Sciences Po transcript must be provided.
   • Questions about transcript requirements should be directed to the graduate program; the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies does not provide transcripts for Vanier applications
   • It is the applicant’s responsibility to confirm that their graduate program has all of their required transcripts for their Vanier application
   • Transcripts are not attached to the Vanier application by the application deadline.  The nominating institution will attach the official transcripts should the application be nominated to the Vanier CGS national competition.
3. Request letters of support from four referees:
   • two letters from referees assessing the applicant’s academic excellence, research potential and demonstrated and potential leadership ability are submitted electronically through ResearchNet by the referee
   • two leadership reference letters; two PDFs are provided to the applicant, who uploads the letters to his or her electronic application file
   • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Referees are encouraged to review Vanier’s EDI resources to incorporate EDI considerations in their reference letters.
4. Create a “Vanier-Banting Academic” CV
5. Prepare the other required documents (research contributions, personal leadership statement, special circumstances [if applicable], research proposal, and project references).  The presentation standards set by Vanier must be followed.
6. Submit a completed Vanier CGS application via ResearchNet

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI): Applicants are encouraged to review Vanier’s EDI resources to incorporate EDI considerations in their application package.

Please see the Vanier CGS website for detailed application/nomination instructions.

Official website