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External Funding and Awards
All current and prospective graduate students are encouraged to apply for external funding. These are funds provided through federal and provincial departments and agencies, foundations, private companies and other sources. External funding can provide you additional financial support while you pursue your studies at Laurier. They also reinforce your academic resume and may assist in your career development.
Each external funding agency maintains its own policies regarding eligibility and the application process. For most of these programs, applications are made in the academic year prior to taking up the award. Applications completed this fall/winter will be to hold the award starting in the following spring or fall term. Applications may be made prior to admission to a program.
Provincial External Scholarships
Administered through the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Province of Ontario supports graduate students through their scholarship programs.
This award recognizes master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows whose research will potentially contribute to the advancement of knowledge about women’s health.
The following is for general information only. See the website for the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies for full details.
Application Details
Students are responsible for ensuring they have met all the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
By Dec. 1 (Dec. 2nd for 2024) annually, applicants must submit to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (via email to fgps@wlu.ca) electronic copies of the following documents:
- The completed application form.
- A curriculum vitae (including information concerning the eligibility criteria).
- For postdoctoral applicants: a brief summary of their doctoral thesis (maximum 300 words).
- A statement of research to be undertaken during the period of graduate study or postdoctoral research and note any progress already made in this research (maximum 1,000 words). There must also be an additional, non-technical summary (maximum 500 words). These statements must be written by the candidate.
The candidate must also provide:
- For master’s and doctoral applicants: all undergraduate and graduate transcripts. These may be either official transcripts sent directly by the Registrar's Office of the issuing university, or copies verified and certified as accurate by the Registrar's Office of the Ontario university of current registration.
- Confidential letters from two assessors for master’s and doctoral applicants, and four assessors for postdoctoral applicants. These appraisals should focus on an evaluation of the applicant’s research to date, and the research being undertaken during the graduate or postdoctoral period. The applicant must ask for the appraisals to be transmitted by the referee directly via email to the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at fgps@wlu.ca. For postdoctoral applications, two of the assessors should preferably be from another university and must not have been associated with the candidate as either a supervisor, a member of the candidate’s supervisory committee, or a co-author.
Value
Up to three awards will be made at each of the master's and doctoral levels, and up to two awards at the postdoctoral level. These awards will be valued as follows:
- Master’s awards: $25,000 plus $1,000 research allowance.
- Doctoral awards: $35,000 plus $2,000 research allowance.
- Postdoctoral awards: $50,000 plus $5,000 research allowance.
Eligibility
- All applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as of the application deadline date.
- All applicants must be sponsored and endorsed by the Dean of Graduate Studies at the Ontario university at which they are undertaking graduate study or postdoctoral research.
- To be eligible for a master’s or doctoral award, applicants must be registered full-time in a master’s or doctoral graduate program at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award, and must remain registered full-time throughout the term of the award. Master’s students remain eligible to the end of their sixth term of full-time study, and doctoral students to the end of their fifteenth term of full-time study.
- To be eligible for a postdoctoral award, applicants must be engaged in full-time research at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award, and must have completed all requirements for the doctoral degree by the application deadline and within 36 months of the application deadline. If a longer period of time has passed (e.g., as a result of parental leave), applicants must submit a rationale for the delay in application.
- Holders of Women's Health Scholars Awards are precluded from holding any other award that offers financial support of more than $20,000 for that same year.
- All publications, written or oral, related to the research undertaken by the successful applicants must contain an acknowledgement of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's role in supporting the project.
Selection Criteria
Committee members are nominated by the Deans of the Graduate Schools in the Province of Ontario and selected by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies.
Applicants for master’s and doctoral awards will be assessed on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision that they bring to their endeavours, and the impact they foresee resulting from their work, as measured by:
- The program of study and research, and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women's health.
- Past academic results, demonstrated by transcripts, awards and distinctions.
- Relevant professional and academic experience, including research training, as evidenced by papers presented at conferences and the candidate's publication record.
- Written letters of appraisal.
- Appropriateness of the choice of institution and supervising investigator.
Applicants for postdoctoral awards will be assessed on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision that they bring to their endeavours, and the impact that they foresee resulting from their work, as measured by:
- The program of study and research, and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women's health.
- The degree of originality and expected contribution to the advancement of knowledge about women's health.
- Significance of the research for women's health, understood to encompass scholarly or intellectual significance as well as social and cultural significance.
- The suitability of theoretical perspectives.
- The appropriateness and expected effectiveness of the research strategies or methodologies.
- The suitability and expected effectiveness of plans to communicate research results both within and beyond the academic community (as appropriate).
- Where appropriate, the nature and extent of research training.
- Written letters of appraisal.
- Appropriateness of the choice of institution and supervising investigator.
Laurier may only submit a maximum of two nominations at each level of competiton (master's, doctoral and postdoctoral) for a total of 6 applications. Applicants will be notified by the end of January if their application is being forwarded to the provincial competition.
The following is for general information only. For more information, visit the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies website for full details.
With the support of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, a Scholar Awards Program in Autism has been established to ensure that Ontario attracts and retains pre-eminent scholars. The community of autism scholars fostered by this Awards Program will excel, according to internationally accepted standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge concerning child autism and its translation into improved health for children, more effective services and products for children with autism and to increase the province’s capacity in diagnosis and assessment of autism and a strengthened treatment system.
Application Details
Students are responsible for ensuring they have met all the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
By Dec. 1 (Dec. 2 for 2024) annually, applicants must submit electronic copies of the following documents to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies via email to FGPS@wlu.ca:
- The completed application form.
- A curriculum vitae (including information concerning the eligibility criteria).
- A statement of research to be undertaken during the period of graduate study (maximum 1,000 words). There must also be an additional non-technical summary (maximum 500 words). These statements must be written by the candidate.
The candidate must also provide:
- All undergraduate and graduate transcripts. These may be either official transcripts sent directly by the Registrar's office of the issuing university, or copies verified and certified as accurate by the Registrar's office of the Ontario university of current registration.
- Confidential letters from two assessors. These appraisals should focus on an evaluation of the applicant’s research to date, and the research being undertaken during the graduate or postdoctoral period. The applicant must ask for the appraisals to be submitted directly via email from the referee to the Dean of Graduate Studies at fgps@wlu.ca.
Value
- Master’s awards: $18,000 annually.
- Doctoral awards: $20,000 annually.
Eligibility
- All applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada as of the application deadline date.
- All applicants must be sponsored and endorsed by the Dean of Graduate Studies at the Ontario university at which they are undertaking graduate study.
- To be eligible for a Master’s Award, applicants must be registered full-time in a Master’s or Doctoral graduate program at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award and must remain registered full-time in that master’s program throughout the term of the award. Master’s students remain eligible to the end of their sixth term of full-time study.
- To be eligible for a Doctoral Award, applicants must be registered full-time in a Doctoral graduate program at an Ontario university at the time of taking up the award and must remain registered full-time throughout the term of the award. Doctoral students remain eligible to the end of their fifteenth term of full-time study.
- Holders of Autism Scholars Awards are precluded from holding any other award that offers financial support of more than $20,000 during the term of this award.
Selection Criteria
Committee members are nominated by the Deans of the Graduate Schools in the Province of Ontario and selected by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies.
Applicants for master’s and doctoral awards will be assessed on their talent, the excellence of their work, the vision that they bring to their endeavours, and the impact they foresee resulting from their work, as measured by:
- The program of study and research, and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge about autism.
- Past academic results, demonstrated by transcripts, awards and distinctions.
- Relevant professional and academic experience, including research training, as evidenced by papers presented at conferences and the candidate's publication record.
- Written letters of appraisal.
- Appropriateness of the choice of institution and supervising investigator.
Laurier may only submit a maximum of two nominations at each level of competiton (master's and doctoral) for a total of 4 applications. Applicants will be notified by the end of January if their application is being forwarded to the provincial competition.
National External Scholarships
The Government of Canada, in part through the Tri-Council Federal Funding Agencies (SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR), is a major supporter of high-quality graduate research.
The Canada Graduate Reserach Scholarship - Master's (CGRS M) info will be updated and reposted by the end of August 2025.
Transcripts for national competitions:
Laurier is allowing for the use of Unofficial Transcripts to be used for the Tri-Agency competitions. This means that you can download an "Unofficial Record of Course Work" from LORIS to use for your Laurier transcript. Please ensure that it includes all levels. Once you have the Unofficial Record of Coursework on your screen, go to your browser's print menu and select "Print to PDF", choose all pages and put it in colour if possible. This will allow you to save the document in PDF format for inclusion in your applications.
For those requiring WLU official transcripts or who would prefer to submit official transcripts, you can order hard copies to be sent to yourself to scan and upload in PDF format. For faster service you can request to pick-up the transcript at Service Laurier. Please order these as early as possible and at least prior to October 1st, 2025.
The objective of the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Master's (CGRS 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 following information applies to the CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC CGRS M competitions.
Note: All CGRS M applicants (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) will find details and application instructions for this competition on the NSERC website in August.
Application Deadline
Applications for the fall 2025 CGRS M competition, for funding for the 2026/27 academic year are not yet open. The application deadline is December 1, 2025, by 8 pm (ET).
Note: In order for applicants to submit their CGRS M application by the deadline, reference letters must be completed and uploaded to the Tri-Agency Research Portal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to communicate a deadline that is earlier than December 1 to their referees. The Tri-Agencies will not accept submissions after the December 1 (8 pm ET) deadline.
Please see the NSERC website for complete details and application instructions for the CGRS M competition for CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC.
Value and Duration of Awards
As of September 1, 2024, these awards are valued at $27,000 for 12 months and are non-renewable. (subject to change).
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
- Be enrolled in or intend to apply for full-time admission to an eligible* graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level at a Canadian university with a CGS M allocation.
- As of Dec. 31 of the year of application, have completed between zero and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in:
- The master’s program for which you are requesting funding.
- The doctoral program for which you are requesting funding, if you were admitted into a doctoral program directly from your bachelor’s program (i.e., you were never registered in a master’s program, or you are registered in a combined master’s-doctoral program).
- A master’s program, but are requesting funding for a doctoral program (e.g., a student who is fast-tracking from a master’s to a doctoral program within 12 months of starting their master’s and is seeking funding for the first 12 months of their doctoral program.
- Not have previously held a CGS M or CGRS M.
- Have achieved a first-class average, as determined by the host university, in the last two completed years of study (or full-time equivalent).
- At Laurier, we require an A- (10.0/12.0) or 80% average or each of the last two completed years of study (or full-time equivalent).
- Submit a maximum of one CGRS M application per year (the Research Portal will allow one application to be submitted to up to three universities).
Application Procedure
To apply for the CGRS M scholarships, all applicants must complete and submit an application using the Research Portal. You will be required to include the Canadian Common CV. Carefully review the online instructions.
YouTube Video: CGS M – How to apply using the Research Portal
Transcripts
- Applicants are expected to obtain official transcripts (issued to the student by the Office of the Registrar at the issuing institution) from all postsecondary institutions attended.
- If you are applying only to Laurier, we will accept Unofficial transcripts with your application. If you are applying to multiple institutions, please check with each one to see if they require official transcripts or if they will accept unofficial.
- Transcripts are uploaded by the applicant via the Research Portal to the CGRS M application.
- New and returning Laurier CGRS M applicants who are registered in the fall 2025 term must upload an up-to-date Laurier transcript to their CGRS M application (to show fall term registration at time of application).
- See note above regarding Transcripts for national competitions about obtaining your WLU transcript.
The Research Portal will instruct applicants to select up to three universities where they wish to hold the award. Applicants may select universities on the application where:
- They are currently enrolled in an eligible program of study and are continuing to pursue their studies.
- They intend to apply for full-time admission to an eligible program of study if not currently enrolled at the university of their choice.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies (or equivalent) at each Canadian university is responsible for coordinating the selection process for the CGRS M applications, and for communicating the results to the applicants and agencies. Laurier has separate selection committees for each research mandate (i.e., CIHR, SSHRC and NSERC).
Selection Criteria
- Academic excellence (50%)
- Research potential (30%)
- Personal characteristics and interpersonal skills (20%)
*An eligible graduate program must include a significant research component that leads 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 completion of the program. If the program requires additional admission into the major research component stream, this acceptance must be confirmed before you can hold the award. Coursework only programs are ineligible.
The three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) have harmonized the Canada Graduate Research Scholarships Doctoral (CGS D) Program. The CGRS D Program has a new common landing page as well a a harmonized application timeline and CGRS D program description.
The CGRS D program supports high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in all academic disciplines. This support allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
How to apply
Applications are completed online, and students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
CIHR Doctoral Applicants who are currently registered at Laurier or who were registered at Laurier at any time during the year of application and who will not be registered at another institution in the year of application must apply through Laurier. Laurier’s CIHR doctoral quota for the Fall 2025 competition is 3 (three).
Note: If you were not registered at an institution during the year of application, you must apply directly to CIHR.
Laurier’s internal applicant deadline to be considered for a CIHR Doctoral Award is Monday, October 6, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. (ET). Completed applications submitted through Laurier’s quota must be submitted via ResearchNet by Laurier’s internal deadline.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to set a deadline of Friday, October 3, 2024, for their referees in order to ensure that referees submit their assessments prior to the internal applicant deadline. (Note: a completed application includes all components of the application; official transcripts and reference letters.)
Transcripts
- Applicants must upload official or unofficial transcripts (issued to the student by the Office of the Registrar at the issuing institution or unofficial records of coursework downloaded from a student system such as LORIS) from all postsecondary institutions attended.
- Transcripts are uploaded by the applicant via ResearchNet.
- The Tri-Agencies will accept unofficial electronic transcripts. Laurier will accept the use of unoffiical transcripts at this time.
- New and returning Laurier CIHR applicants who are registered in the fall 2025 term must upload an up-to-date Laurier transcript to their CIHR application (to show fall term registration at time of application).
- See note above regarding Transcripts for national competitions about obtaining a WLU transcript.
Value and Duration of Award (new as of September 1, 2024)
- $40,000 per year for up to 36 months.
Eligibility
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, as of the application deadline date; or be an international student currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.
- Have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the year of application
- Be applying for support to pursue a first PhD (or equivalent);
- Submit only one doctoral award application in a given academic year;
- Not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC;
- You do not need to be admitted to a doctoral program at the time of application (applies to domestic applicants only)
Selection Criteria
- Research ability and potential (50%).
- Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia (50%).
A complete list of eligibility guidelines and instructions on how to apply for this opportunity can be found on the CIHR Doctoral Research Award website.
The three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) have harmonized the Canada Graduate Research Scholarships Doctoral (CGS D) Program. The CGRS D Program has a new common landing page as well a a harmonized application timeline and CGRS D program description.
The CGRS D program supports high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in all academic disciplines. This support allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
The following is for general information only. See the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) website for full details.
To determine if your research falls under SSHRC's mandate, see the guidelines on Subject Matter Eligibility and Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency.
How to Apply
Applications are completed online, and students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
SSHRC Doctoral Applicants who are currently registered at Laurier or who were registered at Laurier at any time during the year of application and who will not be registered at another institution in the year of application must apply through Laurier. Laurier’s SSHRC doctoral quota for the Fall 2025 competition is 21 (twenty-one).
Note: If you were not registered at an institution during the year of application, you must apply directly to SSHRC.
Laurier’s internal applicant deadline to be considered for a SSHRC Doctoral Award is Monday, October 6, 2025, by 11:59 p.m. (ET). Completed applications submitted through Laurier’s quota must be submitted via SSHRC's online application portal by Laurier’s internal deadline.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to set a deadline of Friday, October 3, 2025, for their referees in order to ensure that referees submit their assessments prior to the internal applicant deadline. (Note: a completed application includes all components of the application; official transcripts and reference letters.)
Transcripts
- Applicants must upload official or unofficial transcripts (issued to the student by the Office of the Registrar at the issuing institution or unofficial records of coursework downloaded from a student system such as LORIS) from all postsecondary institutions attended.
- Transcripts are uploaded by the applicant via SSHRC's online application portal.
- The Tri-Agencies will accept unofficial electronic transcripts. Laurier will accept the use of unofficial transcripts at this time.
- New and returning Laurier SSHRC applicants who are registered in the fall 2025 term must upload an up-to-date Laurier transcript to their SSHRC application (to show fall term registration at time of application).
- See note above regarding Transcripts for national competitions about obtaining a WLU transcript.
Value and Duration of Award
- $40,000 per year for up to 36 months.
Eligibility for the SSHRC CGRS D Program
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, as of the application deadline date; or be an international student currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.;
- Have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the year of application;
- Be applying for support to pursue a first PhD (or equivalent);
- Not be under SSHRC sanction for financial or research misconduct;
- Submit only one doctoral award application in a given academic year;
- Not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC;
- You do not need to be admitted to a doctoral program at the time of application (applied to domestic applicants only).
Selection Criteria
- Research ability and potential (50%).
- Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia (50%).
Conditions of Award
- At time of taking up scholarship, you must be undertaking an eligible program of study in the social sciences and humanities.
- Doctoral scholarships may be held at any recognized university in Canada or abroad (provided that the holder is a domestic student and has earned at least one previous degree from a Canadian university).
NSERC Resources Playlist - Scholarships & Fellowships program application tutorials: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6ox0GB7vXYlhaAY7mEqwmMqYK9TGCp1E
The three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) have harmonized the Canada Graduate Research Scholarships Doctoral (CGS D) Program. The CGRS D Program has a new common landing page as well a a harmonized application timeline and CGRS D program description.
The CGRS D program supports high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in all academic disciplines. This support allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
The following is for general information only. See the NSERC website for full details. Tips for applicants are available in NSERC's Resource Videos.
To ensure your research project falls within NSERC's mandate, refer to Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency.
How to Apply
Applications are to be submitted using Form 201 in the online application system. Students are responsible for ensuring that they meet the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
NSERC Doctoral Applicants who are currently registered at Laurier or who were registered at Laurier at any time during the year of application and who will not be registered at another institution in the year of application must apply through Laurier. Laurier’s NSERC doctoral quota for the Fall 2025 competition is 6 (six).
Note: If you were not registered at an institution during the year of application, you must apply directly to NSERC.
Laurier’s internal applicant deadline to be considered for a NSERC Doctoral Award is Monday, October 6, 2025, by 11:59pm (ET). Completed applications submitted through Laurier’s quota must be submitted via NSERC's online application portal by Laurier’s internal deadline.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to set a deadline of Friday, October 3, 2025, for their referees in order to ensure that referees submit their assessments prior to the internal applicant deadline. (Note: a completed application includes all components of the application; official transcripts and reference letters.)
Transcripts
- Applicants must upload official or unofficial transcripts (issued to the student by the Office of the Registrar at the issuing institution or unofficial records of coursework downloaded from a student system such as LORIS) from all postsecondary institutions attended.
- Transcripts are uploaded by the applicant via NSERC's online application portal.
- The Tri-Agencies will accept unofficial electronic transcripts. Laurier will accept the use of unofficial transcripts at this time.
- New and returning Laurier NSERC applicants who are registered in the fall 2025 term must upload an up-to-date Laurier transcript to their SSHRC application (to show fall term registration at time of application).
- See note above regarding Transcripts for national competitions about obtaining a WLU transcript.
Value and Duration of Award
- $40,000 per year for up to 36 months.
Eligibility for the NSERC CGRS D programs:
- Be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada, as of the application deadline date; or an international student currently enrolled at a Canadian instititution.
- Have completed no more than 36 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the year of application
- Be applying for support to pursue a first PhD (or equivalent);
- Submit only one doctoral award application in a given academic year;
- Not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC;
- You do not need to be admitted to a doctoral program at the time of application; you must intend to pursue, in the following year, full-time graduate studies and research at the doctoral level in an area supported by NSERC.
- You may submit only one application per year to either CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC.
Selection Criteria
- Research ability and potential (50%).
- Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia (50%).
Conditions of Award
To hold the award, you must:
- Have been unconditionally accepted into a doctoral degree program recognized by NSERC.
- Be registered full-time (part-time, if special conditions apply) in a graduate studies program at an eligible university.
The following is for general information only. Please see the Trudeau Scholars Program website for full details.
Applications are available online as of September 9, 2025 and are due by November 17, 2025 at 4:00 p.m. (EST) and students are responsible for ensuring they have met all the eligibility requirements and have adhered to the scholarship application guidelines.
Value
- Up to $50,000 per year for three years to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses.
- Up to $20,000 per year for three years as a research, networking, and travel allowance. This funding may also be used for activities related to the learning of languages.
Eligibility
- You must be already accepted into a doctoral program or be in year one or two of a full-time doctoral program in the humanities or social sciences at the time of application.
- Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment.
- Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.
The Trudeau Foundation is looking for those who can demonstrate:
- Academic excellence and intellectual capacity
- Commitment and openness to engaging with a plurality of perspectives
- Leadership and engagement
- Agility and resiliance
How to apply and deadlines:
- All applicants apply directly to the Trudeau Doctoral Scholarship competition via a new application platform. See the Trudeau Foundation website for complete details and application instructions.
Other External Funding Opportunities
The following scholarships are predominantly for graduate students. For postdoctoral awards, visit the Funding for Postdoctoral Fellows page and see the Mitacs accordion below.
Mitacs
Mitacs provides graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from all disciplines with the opportunity to work with industry or non-profit partners to enhance the impact of their research and get the experience they need to land that first job. They offer four different programs to help you transition to the workplace:
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Accelerate: Armed with the very latest tools, techniques, and innovations, the intern (graduate students or postdoctoral fellows) brings a new perspective to the problem faced by the partner organization. Interns spend approximately half of the time onsite with the partner; the remainder is spent at the university advancing the research under the guidance of a faculty supervisor.
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Elevate: Build your career through this competitive annual fellowship for up to two years. Elevate includes a research management training program and a postdoctoral fellowship.
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Globalink: Take your research abroad with Mitacs Globalink. The program offers travel funding between Canada and several international partners.
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Training: Mitacs Training bridges the gap between university learning and career success through professional skills development workshops. Workshops offer an interactive learning environment with small class sizes that are facilitated by leading business and industry professionals. Sessions are offered at no charge to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows currently registered at a Canadian university.
For full details and application procedures, visit the Mitacs website.
Resources for finding partner organizations:
- Accelerate Internship Opportunities.
- Consult with Laurier's Industrial-Liaison Officer, Agnes Bantigue (abantigue@wlu.ca).
NOTE: For CGS M or CGS D award holders, the September 10th deadline is the last time you will be able to apply for this competition. It is being discontinued in it's current format for 2026.
Canada Graduate Scholarships-Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (MSFSS) are available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who hold a Joseph-Armand Bombardier, Alexander Graham Bell or Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship at the master’s or doctoral level, or a Vanier CGS at the doctoral level. Supplements of up to $6,000 are available to active CGS Master’s, CGS Doctoral or eligible Vanier CGS holders to offset the costs of undertaking research studies outside of Canada for a defined period.
For internal Laurier application deadlines, please contact drussell@wlu.ca. Typically, the fall and winter term deadlines to submit a MSFSS application for any of the Tri-Council Agencies is May 10th and September 10th, or one month before the annual June 10th and October 10th MSFSS national competition deadlines. Completed applications are to be sent to be submitted to the FGPS Submission Form.
For full details regarding eligibility and application procedures visit the following websites:
Two scholarship awards of $3,000 each are offered by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Arctic Section in memory of John W. Davies. The competition is open to any full time graduate student at a recognized University in Canada or the U.S. state of Alaska whose research will assist in providing solutions to problems encountered in the Arctic or in cold ocean environments, specifically in the areas of: marine transportation, exploitation of offshore resources, eco-systems that impact or may impact the exploitation of Arctic/cold ocean resources or special areas of research for Arctic/cold ocean environments.
For full details and application procedures, visit the John W. Davies Memorial Award website.
Awards of $4,000 each are awarded annually to women graduate students in various regions across Canada who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the university or general community while maintaining exemplary academic records.
For full details and application procedures visit the Senior Women Academic Administrators of Canada website.
The next opportunity for students in Ontario is 2027.
There are two classes of Mackenzie King Scholarships: The Open Scholarship (up to approximately $14,000 annually) and the Travelling Scholarship (up to approximately $15,500 annually).
The Open Scholarship is unrestricted as to subject matter or the country where the graduate study is to be pursued. The Travelling Scholarship is only available to support graduate study at an institution in the US or the UK in the field of international relations or industrial relations. The Selection Committee in the past has interpreted “international relations” broadly, as encompassing a program in any discipline as long as the topic is substantially concerned with the relationship between nations. If there is doubt about whether a particular application for the Travelling Scholarship meets the subject-matter criteria, please feel free to contact me.
For full details and application procedures visit the W.L. Mackenzie King Memorial Scholarships website.
For those applying through Laurier, please submit the application and reference letters to fgps@wlu.ca by February 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.
Laurier will then determine which candidates are forwarded to the national competition.
ScholarshipsCanada.com is no-charge data base designed for students who are looking for scholarships, bursaries, grants and or awards. Students are matched up with scholarships and bursaries free of charge by creating an account and user profile on the site. Some of the services this data base provides are: scholarship-to-profile matching, a personalized dashboard, scholarship deadline alerts and more.
For full details, visit the Scholarships Canada website.
Parkinson Society Southwestern Ontario Graduate Student Scholarship Program is a strategic initiative to encourage young scientists to enter the field of Parkinson’s research and to invest in research and training that offers promise for future work in the area of Parkinson’s Disease. PSSO provides awards up to $25,000 to outstanding graduate students who meet the eligibility criteria of the Program and who have been approved by the Program’s Adjudication Committee.
For full details visit the Parkinson Society website.
Canadians count on the Bank of Canada to think ahead, inspire confidence and include everyone. That’s why they:
- challenge the status quo in pursuit of better answers
- live up to our commitments and communicate transparently about our work
- welcome and learn from people with diverse perspectives, knowledge and experiences
- encourage students from diverse communities to further their education in fields related to the Bank’s work and offer them an opportunity to gain on-the-job experience
Scholarship Award for Post-Secondary Students
These Can$8,000 scholarships are awarded to assist students with disabilities, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, Francophone and those who identify as a member of a visible minority group or racialized group to help remove barriers to education and support greater diversity in our workforce.
In addition to the award, successful candidates may be offered a work opportunity at the Bank, with mentorship by a Bank employee.
To be considered for one of these scholarships, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- be pursuing post-secondary studies (university or college)—either full-time or part-time—in a field related to the Bank’s work, including:
- economics and finance:economics, computer science, mathematics or statistics, commerce or business administration with a finance major
- administration and operations:financial services, administration and business, project management, human resources, accounting, communications and web development, internal audit, currency production, knowledge and information management, security
- information technology and cyber security:software development, network engineering, solution architecture, project management, business analysis, cyber security
- have an overall average grade of 70 percent or higher
You can submit your application online between early March to end of May; please refer to the job posting for the specific application deadline.
Master’s Scholarship Award for Women
The Bank values the contributions of women in economics and finance and awards scholarships to support women in these specializations. This award also:
- promotes the pursuit of graduate studies in Economics and Finance among women at the undergraduate level or those who have completed an undergraduate degree
- proactively contributes to building a gender-balanced talent pool for the economics and finance professions in central banking
These Can$10,000 scholarships are awarded to women specializing in economics and finance. In addition to the award, successful candidates may be offered a work opportunity, with mentorship by a Bank employee. They may also be able to attend a learning event at the Bank related to central banking, economics or finance (e.g., lecture, conference, networking event).
To be considered for one of these scholarships, you must:
- be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
- be in the final two years of an undergraduate program or have completed an undergraduate degree
- plan to pursue a master’s degree in Economics or Finance
- have an overall average grade of 70 percent or higher
Women currently enrolled in a master’s program in Economics or Finance are not eligible for this scholarship.
The online application period begins in September; please refer to the job posting for specific application deadline.
Please use the links in the titles above to learn more about these opportunities and how to apply.
In honour of the achievement of John Charles Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, the Government of the Province of Ontario has established a fund to provide annually up to five prizes to outstanding researchers in the early stages of their career who are continuing to post-doctoral studies or have recently started a faculty appointment at an Ontario university. Prizes have historically been valued at $20,000 each and are available in the areas broadly defined as Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Economic Science.
See the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies website for full details.