No. You must already be in a PhD programme at a Canadian university, because the application is submitted through the institution. Planning from Bangladesh therefore runs in that order: supervisor and admission first, scholarship after.
Canada · Doctoral funding
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral
One doctoral programme and one application across all three federal research councils. The headline for Bangladeshi candidates: international students are now eligible, with up to 15% of each agency’s awards reserved for them.
- CA$40k
- Per year
- 3 yr
- Duration
- PhD
- Level
- 15%
- International quota
Overview
The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral (CGRS-D) is run jointly by Canada’s three federal research councils — CIHR for health, NSERC for science and engineering, and SSHRC for social sciences and humanities. Where Vanier, CGS-D and various agency-specific awards once ran separately, there is now a single programme and a single application.
From a Bangladeshi candidate’s point of view the biggest change is eligibility. The old CGS-D was limited to Canadians and permanent residents; CGRS-D admits international students too, on one condition — you must be in a PhD programme at a Canadian university when you apply. Admission comes first, the scholarship second.
What the scholarship covers
- CA$40,000 a year for three years — CA$120,000 in total
- One application across all three councils, with no separate forms
- Up to 15% of each agency’s awards are ring-fenced for international candidates
- Full-time research at a research-intensive Canadian university, and a strong line on an academic CV
Eligibility
- Be enrolled in a PhD programme at an eligible Canadian university at the time of application
- Any citizenship — Canadian, permanent resident or international all qualify
- Fall within the agency’s cap on months already completed in the doctoral programme
- A high academic standing and clear evidence of research potential
How to apply
The step-by-step application process for the CGRS-D Doctoral Scholarship.
01.Get into the PhD first
Without a supervisor and an offer there is no CGRS-D application to make — this is the real contest.
02.Find the institutional deadline
There is no single national date; each university sets its own, often in mid-September.
03.Proposal and referees
Prepare the research proposal, CCV, transcripts and two referee assessments.
04.Submit through your department
Your department and graduate school shortlist and forward it to the agency; results arrive in spring.
Application cycles
Each cycle has its own page with that round’s dates, figures and changes — kept in step with the official notice.
Frequently asked questions
Vanier was a high-value award (CA$50,000) for a small number of people. CGRS-D merges that into mainstream doctoral funding — CA$40,000, but across more awards and with the eligibility door now open to international candidates.
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