External Scholarships and Awards

External awards provide for generous funding and students are very strongly encouraged to apply for these awards. If registered at an Ontario university, apply through your home university; other Canadian applicants should contact OGS or SSHRC.The Department’s Graduate Student Advisor will work with you to establish your eligibility for specific awards and inform you about application details and deadlines.

Students must be alert to all of the requirements pertaining to applications for the following year. These include filling out the necessary forms, and obtaining letters of recommendation.) Be advised that the department deadline for external awards is typically early October (check with administrators in September for the exact deadline.) All application documents must be received by the departmental deadline for consideration.

CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC – Master’s Awards

To apply, student must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and have an “A-” average in the final two years of study. Value of this scholarship is $17,500 (MA) for one year. The SSHRC CGS-M award is non-renewable.

  • Internal/departmental application deadline is December 1, 2021

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS)

For full-time graduate students in Ontario. To apply, an “A-” average in the final two years of study is required. Ontario Graduate Scholarship is valued at $5,000 per term and it can be awarded for two or three terms depending on the length of student’s full time registration in a program. All information regarding application procedure, application requirements and eligibility to apply is available on the SGS Website.

  • Internal/departmental application deadline  (international students): April 1, 2022
  • Internal/departmental application deadline  (domestic students): April 29, 2022

Vanier Award (SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR)

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) was created to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and to brand Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. It is worth $50,000 per year for three years and is available to both Canadian and international PhD students studying at Canadian universities.

  • Application and eligibility requirements are available in August on the Vanier website
  • Applicants must be nominated by the Department of Geography. If you are interested in being nominated, please contact the graduate office. The department is only able to submit a maximum of two applications each year.
  • SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR Vanier Awards are valued at $50,000 for up to three years
  • Internal Deadline: September 13, 2021 

CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC – Doctoral Awards

The Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral (CGS D) program is a federal program of scholarships awarded through national competitions by the granting agencies: 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 of Canada (SSHRC). The program aims to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment. Students submit an application online through the respective granting agency portal:

Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation (Doctoral) Scholarships

The Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation was established in 2001 as a living memorial to the former Prime Minister by his family, friends and colleagues. Through this scholarship, the Foundation supports highly gifted individuals who are actively engaged in their fields and are expected to become leading national and international figures.

Up to fifteen Trudeau Scholarships are awarded nationally each year and are tenable for three years. These scholars receive an annual stipend of $40 000 to support research-related travel and cover networking expenses associated with the Foundation’s Public Interaction program. Award winners are provided with the opportunity to interact with exciting community leaders and committed individuals in every field of the social sciences and humanities. Applicants must be nominated by the department. Please contact the graduate office for information. For more information on application process, requirements and eligibility, please visit the Trudeau Foundation website.

  • In 2021, applications are submitted directly to the Foundation.
  • Application Deadline: December 21, 2021

CIP Student Award for Academic Excellence

The Canadian Institute of Planners Student Awards for Academic Excellence will be awarded to the student member, in each of the CIP recognized planning programs across Canada, who achieves the highest academic standing over the length of the program.