The University of British Columbia is currently accepting applications from students who believe they meet the requirements to be considered for the Vanier Scholarship. This award is intended to help the university recruit and keep doctoral students of a world-class caliber by providing financial assistance to students who have demonstrated both strong leadership abilities and a high level of academic achievement.

Funding for graduate study in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related subjects is made available through the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. The value of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is up to $50,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

Scholarship Sponsor(s): Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship

Scholarship Type: Full Funding

Host Institution(s): The University of British Columbia

Scholarship Worth: $50,000 for three years

Number of Awards: Several

Study Level: Postgraduate

Nationality: All Nationalities

Eligibility Requirements for the Vanier Scholarship 2024–2025

The following criteria must be met by applicants in order for them to be considered for the Vanier Scholarship at the University of British Columbia:

• Be nominated by only one Canadian institution, which must have received a Vanier CGS quota.
• Be pursuing your first doctoral degree (including joint program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, or JD/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component);
• 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;
• Have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in your doctoral program as of May 1, 2025;
  • 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.
• Have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in your doctoral program (i.e., joint graduate research program, accelerated, previously enrolled without obtaining Master’s degree), by May 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).
  • enrolled 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.
  • Previously enrolled in a Master’s program without obtaining the degree.
    • The months of study completed are calculated from the original Master’s enrolment date.
• Have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your institution, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent. Candidates are encouraged to contact the institution for its definition of a first-class average; and
• Must not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.

ALSO APPLY: ASTON UNIVERSITY FERGUSON SCHOLARSHIP 2024/25

Procedures for Making Applications

Instructions for Applying: Students who are interested in applying for the Vanier Scholarship 2024/25 at the University of British Columbia should follow the processes that are detailed (below):

Applicants are required to submit the following by the specified deadline in order to be considered:

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.
3. Request letters of support from four referees:

1. • 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, Project References, and Voluntary Self-Identification Form for Indigenous Applicants [optional]).  The presentation standards and page limits set by Vanier must be followed.
6. Submit a completed Vanier CGS application via ResearchNet

Application Deadline: 1 September at 12:00 noon PT