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The CGRS D is a scholarship in the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The supports and promotes research excellence in a wide variety of disciplines and broad fields of health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research.

Effective 2025, the CGRS D harmonized program replaces the former Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS D – CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC), the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS D), and the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships.

Value

The doctoral scholarship has a duration of 36 months (three years) and is valued at $40,000 per year.

Eligibility

All applicants registered in a degree program at the U of A (with a quota) at any time during the calendar year of application (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025) must apply through the U of A, even if they intend to pursue their doctoral studies at an institution other than the U of A.

For more information, refer to the table of the application procedure. Failure to submit an application through the correct channel may result in an application being removed from the competition.

• Must have completed no more than 36 months of full-time equivalent study in the doctoral program, the PhD portion of the joint professional undergraduate/PhD program (such as MD/PhD, JD/PhD, DVM/PhD) or the joint program (such as MA/PhD, MSc/PhD, MBA/PhD) for which you are requesting funding by December 31 of the calendar year of your application if previously enrolled in a graduate program
  • Eligibility for CGRS D is based on the number of months of full-time study, including summer months, completed by December 31 of the calendar year of the application toward the degree for which funding is requested. Two terms of part-time study count as one term of full-time study.
  • The agencies count all studies toward the doctoral degree for which funding is requested, whether or not they were completed in the same program or at the same institution.
  • Fast-track programs: Students who were enrolled in a master’s program and subsequently transferred to a doctoral program (fast-track), the months of study completed are calculated starting from the date on which they transferred into the doctoral program.
  • Joint programs: Students who are enrolled in a joint program and will obtain a master’s degree as part of the program (for example, MA/PhD, MSc/PhD, MBA/PhD), the months of study are calculated starting from the date on which they officially enrolled in either portion of the joint program (including the master’s portion of the program).
  • Joint professional undergraduate/PhD programs: Students who are enrolled in a joint professional undergraduate/PhD program (such as MD/PhD, JD/PhD, DVM/PhD), only the months of study in the PhD portion will be counted.
• Students who are not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) must be enrolled in their doctoral program of study at the U of A at the time of application.
• Students can submit a maximum of one scholarship or fellowship application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC. If more than one application is submitted, only the eligible application submitted first will be retained.
• Students can apply a maximum of three times to this funding opportunity.
• Students cannot have already received a doctoral-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC.
• Students cannot hold a tenure or tenure-track appointment or be on leave from such an appointment concurrently with your CGRS D award (some exceptions apply; see the for details).
• Either enrolled in an eligible doctoral program with a significant research component or have applied for, or are intending to apply for, an eligible program.
  • An eligible doctoral program must be predominantly research oriented, leading 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 a requirement for completing the program.
  • Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD), as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible if they have a significant autonomous research component as described above.
• Students are to apply to the agency best aligned with their research subject matter to ensure their application will be reviewed by experts in disciplines closest to their field(s) of study. It is the student’s responsibility to select the funding agency that best suits their application. Applications submitted to the incorrect agency may be removed from the competition. For more information, see .
• Note: Students who are eligible to apply to the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Master’s (CGRS M) program may be able to maximize their potential funding period by applying to the CGRS M program for their first year of doctoral studies instead of applying directly to the CGRS D program. Students are responsible for choosing which award program to apply to. See Other restrictions on the for more information.

For complete eligibility requirements and other restrictions, visit the .

Selection Criteria

Applicants are evaluated and selected according to criteria in the following categories:

• Research ability and potential - 50%
• Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia - 50%

For complete selection criteria, please visit the .

Application Procedures

* Effective 2025, the CGRS D harmonized program replaces the former Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS D – CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC), the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS D), and the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships. For the 2025/2026 CGRS D competition cycle, applicants will continue using each CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC current online systems.

The application submission deadline listed below is for applications submitted through the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ (U of A) only. Failure to submit an application through the correct channel may result in an application being removed from the competition. For more information, refer to the table of the application procedure. This table details which option should be selected within the online application form.

All applicants registered in a degree program at the U of A at any time during the calendar year of application (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025) must apply through the U of A (with a quota), even if they intend to pursue their doctoral studies at an institution other than the U of A.

Applications submitted this Fall 2025 term are for awards to start May or September 2026, or January 2027.

1. Review all information and criteria. It is the student's responsibility to read all instructions and be familiar with the application process before applying:
   • details, eligibility, and requirements.
   • 2025/26 CGRS D Memo to Students and Departments. An institutional timeline with important dates is included. 
2. Select the appropriate agency (CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC):
   • Application procedures/Selecting the appropriate agency
   • CRTAS’
3. Create an online application. This is a direct application whereby students apply through the appropriate agency’s website in accordance with their instructions. GPS accesses U of A applications from each agency portal for university review and adjudication:
   • CIHR: and
   • NSERC: and
   • SSHRC: and
     • Students who studied part-time or interrupted their doctoral studies must contact GPS by September 5, 2025 to request an ‘Official letter to confirm part-time study and/or leave of absence’ to upload with their application
4. Start writing required application documents and arrange for transcripts and letters of recommendation
   • Use GPS CGRS D Gantt Chart tool (TBA) as a resource to guide you through the proposal writing stages and applicable deadlines
   • Refer to the Timeline Chart in the 2025/26 CGRS D Memo to Students and Departments

Letters of Recommendation

U of A’s Transcript Policy and Requirements

Applicants are responsible for reviewing and adhering to the following U of A’s Transcript Policy and Requirements. These instructions are imperative, as non-compliance with transcript related guidelines is the primary reason for the rejection of applications.

Applicants are responsible for obtaining any and all required up-to-date transcripts for the U of A and all other institutions attended and attaching them to the Transcripts portion of their application for the university review process. This includes all undergraduate and graduate studies, completed or ongoing. Missing, outdated/incomplete, illegible transcripts may deem applicants' CGRS D applications as incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Opening and scanning an official paper transcript, or providing a copy of an official e-Transcript will not render the transcript unofficial. Applicants are to note the following:

- Transcript Legend: one copy of the legend (reverse page of the transcript, or the last page of an e-transcript) must be included (with the exception of unofficial UofA transcripts printed from BearTracks). Only one copy of the legend is required.

- E-Transcripts Document Cover Page: the institutional cover page must be included (in addition to the transcript legend as the last page) as this retains authenticity.

- To combine e-Transcripts with other transcripts, open it in a browser and print it to pdf (not download and save); applicants should be able to get the unsecured PDF in order to combine with other documents. The security setting will be removed if combined with other transcripts and this is acceptable for uploading purposes to the agency portal

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their transcripts are complete and legible once uploaded. In all cases, the applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete by reviewing the final version of the online application. Review the requirements for each U of A Transcripts and Other Institutions sections:

U of A Transcripts:

Unofficial transcripts (printed from ) will be accepted, or copies of official (paper or e-Transcripts issued through MyCreds™) may be provided. Where transfer credit/exchanges are associated at the U of A, official transcripts of those institutions attended MUST also be included (see Other Institution Transcripts for requirements). U of A transcripts must be up-to-date as follows:

- Students currently registered in, or newly admitted to, a U of A degree program: U of A transcripts must be up-to-date and show current Fall 2025 full time registration (courses and/or thesis in progress. Students newly admitted to Spring/Summer/Fall term must also provide a transcript showing current Fall 2025 full time registration (courses and/or thesis in progress).

- Applicants not currently registered but were registered in a degree program at the U of A at any time during the calendar year of application (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025): U of A transcripts must be up-to-date and show the last term completed.

- SSHRC Applicants Only: students who studied part-time or interrupted their doctoral studies must contact GPS by September 5, 2025 to request an ‘Official letter to confirm part-time study and/or leave of absence’. This letter is to be uploaded with the PDF of the transcripts.

- GPS will not print an unofficial U of A transcript for institutional review should the applicant submit an outdated or incomplete transcript.

Other Institution Transcripts:

Certified true copies of official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies from other institutions attended are required. Students are responsible for obtaining official transcripts. Unofficial/self-produced transcripts or mark sheets from other institutions’ self-serve student systems are considered unofficial and will render the application as incomplete and will not be reviewed:

- Transcripts must be up-to-date (dated or issued after the last term completed)

- Transcripts associated with transfer credit/exchanges MUST be included.

- GPS does not provide copies of transcripts from student records held at the U of A (includes transcripts from other Canadian/international post-secondary institutions, and transcripts included in former, recent, or in progress admission/award applications).

- Students are responsible for ensuring transcripts for all institutions attended are included in their application.

5. Finalize your application
6. Submit your application by the university’s deadline of September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST):
   • This is the deadline to submit your application to GPS for university review via the agency’s portal (the “Application Deadline Through a Canadian Institution”). You are responsible for ensuring all transcripts are uploaded and references have completed and successfully submitted their letter of recommendation.
     • CIHR: and
       • It is the student’s responsibility to read all instructions and be familiar with the application process before applying. This includes making sure to click “preview” and “verify” on each page in order to submit the application.
       • The ResearchNET portal will close on September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and extension requests will not be granted.
       • NSERC: and
         • Note that there is no system shutoff in NSERC's portal September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST); however, student’s applications will be date and time stamped once submitted and this will be the copy used for university review and adjudication. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and extension requests will not be granted.
       • SSHRC: and  
         • Note that there is no system shutoff in SSHRC's portal September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST); however, student’s applications will be date and time stamped once submitted and this will be the copy used for university review and adjudication. This includes making sure to click “preview” and “verify” on each page in order to submit the application. Applications submitted after this date will not be accepted and extension requests will not be granted.
   • Applications incorrectly submitted after September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST) will not be accepted.
   • Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

Adjudication Procedures

All complete and eligible applications are reviewed by the GPS Graduate Scholarship Committee. A list of recommended applications is chosen and sent to the agencies for final adjudication at the national level by November 21, 2025.

The ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥'s quota of recommended applications for the 2025/26 competition year are: 

CIHR – 35
NSERC – 58
SSHRC – 49

The agencies will notify all recommended applicants of final decisions by April 2026.

Deadline and Timelines

September 5, 2025: SSHRC Applicants Only: students who studied part-time or interrupted their doctoral studies must contact GPS Award Services by September 5, 2025 to request an ‘Official letter to confirm part-time study and/or leave of absence’.

September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST) Institution Application Deadline: See the Application Procedures section and refer to the 2025/26 CGRS D Memo to Students and Departments for complete details leading up to the application submission deadline of September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST).

Late submissions of applications or transcripts, or applications incorrectly submitted after September 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm (MST) will not be accepted under any circumstance.