The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s (CGS M) Program is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies. The Tri-council allocates [1] CGS M awards to universities specifying the number of awards that each may offer to their students annually. CGS M awards can only be offered to students pursuing graduate studies at eligible Canadian universities [1], and the award must be held at the university that has made the offer.

Value & Duration

$17,500 for 12 months, non-renewable

Presentations

Please reference the NSERC application playlist via Youtube [2] for tips on applying for these awards.

Important Dates

• November 20, 2023 - Deadline to order Guelph transcripts [3] at no charge (refer to Tools and Resources [4] for details)
• December 1, 2023, 8 p.m. Eastern – Deadline for CGS M (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) applications to be submitted through the Research Portal
• April 1, 2024 – Universities will post the competition results using the Research Portal
• April 22, 2024 – Applicants must respond to offers of award; offers not accepted before this date will be deemed to have been declined

Eligibility

Please refer to the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master’s Program website [5] (currently housed on the NSERC website) for full details and eligibility.

Applicants must have a first-class average as per the University of Guelph grading scale [6]. A first-class average is defined as 80% or higher. 

Averages are based on all studies completed in the last two years, calculated separately (12 months x 2), starting from the last completed registered semester. Applicants must have a minimum of 80% in each of the last two completed years of study to be eligible (no exceptions).

Special Circumstances: 

The agencies require institutions and reviewers to take into consideration special circumstances that may have affected your research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement or completion of degrees. Relevant circumstances might include administrative responsibilities, maternity/parental leave, child-rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, trauma and loss, family responsibilities or a pandemic. Specify the dates for any delays or interruptions in the Leaves of absence and impact on research section of the CCV if appropriate. Approximate dates may be used if providing a timeline of a significant life event.

Please also ensure you review the full CGS-M eligibility criteria here [7]. 

Allocation

The University of Guelph has the following number of CGS-M awards for 2024-25:

• CIHR: 5
• NSERC: 22
• SSHRC: 21

Application Process

1. Applicants must complete and submit the online application using the Research Portal [8]. Students should refer to the detailed, step-by-step CGS M application instructions [9] for the answers to questions about the application process.

• Additionally, the Canadian Common CV [10] (CCV) must be completed and the confirmation number uploaded to the CGS M application on the Research Portal.
• Up-to-date official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies should be included in the application. Students must obtain official transcripts (issued by the Registrar's Office or equivalent), open the transcripts, and then scan and upload PDF copies of all required transcripts.

2. Applications will be reviewed and ranked by the applicant’s proposed or current academic department/school. 
3. The Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Awards Committee will review the applications and select those that will be offered a CGS M Award at the University of Guelph.

New for 2022: The Government of Canada has announced the launch of the Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative [11]. This is a new initiative aimed at providing financial support to meritorious Indigenous students who have applied to the CGS-M program.

The pilot initiative will provide, to the limit of available funding, a $5,000 supplement to qualifying Indigenous Canada Graduate Scholarships—Master’s program (CGS M) award holders, and will provide a $17,500 award and a $5,000 supplement to qualifying Indigenous candidates who are on the waitlist for the CGS M program.

Applicants will use the same application form and follow the same application process as for the CGS M competition. See the Tri-Agencies website [12] for additional information on this funding opportunity.

Students 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.

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 [13] 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 ($5000 over 12 months), 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 designated 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 ($17,500 over 12 months) and the Indigenous Scholars Supplement ($5000 over 12 months).

Contacts & Resources

If you have questions about the application process, please contact the Graduate Awards Officers by email grschol@uoguelph.ca [14].