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Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program:
Master’s Scholarships

Important change regarding eligibility of subject matter

Due to changes in eligibility of subject matter, applicants are advised to review the guidelines to ensure that they are applying to the appropriate agency.

Regulations Governing Fellowship and Scholarship Applications
Definitions

Next application deadline Value Duration Results announced Apply

Check your applicant status.

If you must apply through your university, the University sets the deadline.

If you must apply directly to SSHRC, the deadline is December 14, 2009.

$17,500

12 months (non-renewable) Spring 2010 Web application form and instructions

Letter of Appraisal (pdf document, 184KB)

Departmental Appraisal (pdf document, 153KB)

Context
Objectives
Value and Duration
Eligibility
Evaluation and Adjudication
Application Process
Administrative Regulations
Related Funding Opportunities
More Information


Context

Through the Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) program, the three federal research granting agencies each year support 2,000 doctoral students and 2,000 master’s students in all disciplines.

In Budget 2009, the Government of Canada announced a temporary increase of $17.5 million to SSHRC’s budget to fund additional Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGSs for business-related research. This temporary increase allows SSHRC to award, over two years, 400 additional master’s and 100 additional doctoral scholarships for research related to business.

Most Canadian universities receive a CGS allocation indicating the number of students they can nominate for scholarships. Students registered in a degree program at a university that did not receive an allocation must apply directly to SSHRC.

If you are interested in a research experience outside of Canada and hold a Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS at the master’s or doctoral level, or a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) at the doctoral level, you are eligible to apply for a Michael Smith foreign study supplement through the Canada Graduate Scholarships program.

 


Objectives

The Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships program seeks to develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students in the social sciences and humanities who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.

Description

This program, together with the SSHRC Doctoral Awards, the Vanier CGS doctoral nominations, and SSHRC’s Postdoctoral Fellowships program, helps train Canada’s researchers and leaders of tomorrow.

Tenable only at eligible Canadian universities, Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships are open to applicants who will be registered as full-time students in a master's program, or in the first or second year of a combined MA/PhD program, and in a discipline supported by SSHRC.


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Value and Duration

The Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s program offers one-time, non-renewable, 12-month awards, valued at $17,500.

Successful applicants must take up their awards in May 2010, September 2010 or January 2011. The January start date is available only to award holders who cannot begin their degree program earlier, either because of an incomplete previous degree or because their chosen degree program is not available until the later date.

 


Eligibility

Eligibility to Apply in the 2010 Competition (Deadline Fall 2009)

To qualify to apply to this program, you must:

  • be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
  • be applying for support to pursue your first graduate degree (i.e., master's or equivalent) and not have completed more than 12 months of full-time graduate study at the proposed start date of the award (all previous studies at the graduate level, regardless of discipline, will be included in determining eligibility);
  • have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your university, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent;
  • not have already received an award for master's-level study from SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR;
  • not be applying for graduate funding in the 2009-10 academic year to NSERC or CIHR;
  • not be pursuing a degree program that combines undergraduate and graduate degrees; and
  • if indicating interest in a Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS master’s award for business-related research, be pursuing research with a broad focus on business.

Notes:

At the time of application, you need not be assured admission to a particular university or to a degree program.

If you completed your bachelor's degree before January 1, 2005 (the date that you completed all degree requirements, not the date of your graduation) and have not been registered at a university since that date, you are not eligible to apply to this program.

Combined MA/PhD Programs

  • If you are or will be registered in a combined MA/PhD program, you may apply to the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s program for the first or second year of the master’s portion of the combined program, provided you have not exceeded 12 months of graduate-level study at the time of the proposed start date of the award.
  • If you are currently registered in a combined MA/PhD program and have or will have completed more than 12 months of graduate-level study as of the proposed start date of the award, you may apply to the Doctoral Awards program.

Eligibility to Hold an Award

At the time of taking up the award, you must:

  • be registered as a full-time student, at an eligible Canadian university, in the first year of a master's or combined MA/PhD program in the social sciences or humanities that includes advanced research training (as defined in Program Eligibility below);

or

  • be registered as a full-time student, at an eligible Canadian university, in a master's or combined MA/PhD program in the social sciences or humanities that includes advanced research training (as defined in Program Eligibility below), and have completed no more than 12 months of full-time study or equivalent at the graduate level.
and
  • be admitted unconditionally in a master's or combined MA/PhD program (generally, this means having completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree).

Notes:

Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master's Scholarships are available to students who are registered part time because of a disability. For this purpose, “disability” is defined as “a functional limitation resulting from a physical, sensory, or mental impairment, which, for an indefinite period, affects the ability of the student to perform the activities necessary to participate fully in his or her learning.”

Federal government employees are eligible to hold an award only if on an unpaid leave of absence (no salary or special allowances permitted).

A qualifying or “make-up” year of study is not eligible for support.

Program Eligibility

The scholarship is tenable only in degree programs that include significant research training. Research training normally involves:

  • demonstrating the ability to conduct original research by the completion of a thesis, major scholarly paper, project, publication, performance, recital or exhibit; and/or
  • completing course work in research methods and/or statistics appropriate for the discipline or field of study; and/or
  • acquiring knowledge and experience sufficient to conduct, assess and interpret research and scholarship in the field.

 


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Evaluation and Adjudication

Evaluation Criteria

Multidisciplinary committees evaluate applicants based on:

Academic Excellence
Weighting: 60%
Academic excellence—as demonstrated by academic transcripts, awards and distinctions.
Research Potential
Weighting: 30%
Quality of analytical skills, ability to think critically, ability to apply skills and knowledge, judgement, originality, initiative and autonomy, determination, and ability to complete projects within an appropriate period of time—as demonstrated in the description of the degree program and by work experience, research contributions, letters of appraisal and, if applicable, the departmental appraisal.
Communication Skills
Weighting: 10%
As demonstrated in the description of the degree program and, if relevant, by work experience, community involvement and other extracurricular activities, as well as by letters of appraisal, the quality of presentation of the application and, if applicable, the departmental appraisal.

Competition Process

Those applying through a Canadian university Those applying directly to SSHRC
The student contacts his or her university immediately to determine the university’s internal application deadline, then submits the completed application to the university by that deadline.
The candidate applies directly to SSHRC. Applications must be postmarked no later than December 14, 2009.
The university evaluates all applications in accordance with SSHRC’s selection criteria and establishes three categories: A-list applications, which are recommended for awards; B-list applications, which are not; and a list of alternate applications. The university informs all applicants whether they are on the A, B or alternate list.
The university submits all A- and alternate-list applications to SSHRC for review and final decision. SSHRC announces competition results by spring 2010. SSHRC informs all applicants in writing of the outcome of their applications. Competition results are not given over the telephone or by email.
SSHRC evaluates and makes final decisions on all applications and announces competition results by spring 2010. SSHRC informs all applicants in writing of the outcome of their applications. Competition results are not given over the telephone or by email.

 


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Application Process

  1. Ensure both you and the master’s program for which you request support meet the requirements specified in the Eligibility section.

  2. Complete the application form and the required attachments. You will find the application instructions inside your application when you begin to create it online.

  3. Determine your current applicant status from the table below and submit your complete application to the appropriate institution.

Applicant Status Where to Submit Application
You are currently registered in a degree program at, or are on an approved leave of absence from . . .
a university with a CGS allocation the university at which you are currently registered or from which you have taken an approved leave of absence.
a university without a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation SSHRC (at address below)
a foreign university* SSHRC (at address below)
You are not currently registered in a degree program, but completed your previous degree  . . .
at a university with a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation at any time between January 1, 2009, and the present the university at which you were most recently registered.
at a university with or without a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation at any time between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2008 SSHRC (at address below)

*Students registered concurrently at a Canadian and a foreign university must apply through the Canadian university if that university has a CGS allocation


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Administrative Regulations

All applicants and scholarship holders must comply with the Regulations Governing Fellowship and Scholarship Applications and with the regulations set out in the appropriate award holder's guide.

SSHRC reserves the right to determine the eligibility of applications based on the information provided in those applications. The Council also reserves the right to interpret the program regulations set out in its published materials.

 


Related Funding Opportunities

Canada Graduate Scholarships—Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements

This tri-agency program supports Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through exceptional research experiences at research institutions outside of Canada.


More Information

Please address questions about the J.-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Program to:

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships
SSHRC
350 Albert Street
P.O. Box 1610
Ottawa, ON K1P 6G4

Tel.: 613-943-7777
Fax: 613-943-1329
Email: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca