This funding opportunity is no longer offered through the SSHRC website. As of August 15, 2013, the Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program—Master’s Scholarships description is housed on the NSERC website as part of the tri-agency harmonization project.

December 2012 Competition

Overview
Value	$17,500
Duration	1 year (non-renewable)
Application deadline *	Direct applications: December 13, 2012 University applications: February 4, 2013
Results announced	Spring 2013
Apply	Application form not available

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

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Context

Through Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS), the three federal research granting agencies each year support 2,500 doctoral students and 2,500 master's students in all disciplines.

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 may be eligible to apply for a CGS Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement.

 

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Objectives

The Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master's Scholarships funding opportunity 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.

This funding opportunity, together with the SSHRC Doctoral Awards, the Vanier CGS, the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, help 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 or combined undergraduate/graduate program, or in the first 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 Scholarships funding opportunity offers one-time, non-renewable, 12-month awards, valued at $17,500.

Successful applicants must take up their awards in May 2013, September 2013 or January 2014. 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.

 

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Eligibility

Subject Matter

Most SSHRC funding is awarded through open competitions. Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarship proposals may involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. Please see Subject Matter Eligibility for more information.

Applicants

Eligibility to Apply

To qualify to apply to this funding opportunity, 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; and
• not be applying for graduate funding in the 2012-13 academic year to NSERC or CIHR.

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, 2008 (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 funding opportunity.

Combined MA/PhD or fast-track programs

• If you are or will be registered in a combined MA/PhD or a fast-track program (accelerating from a master’s program into a doctoral program without obtaining the master’s degree), you may apply to the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master's Scholarships funding opportunity, provided you have completed less than 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 or a fast-track program and have or will have completed 12 months or more of graduate-level study at the proposed start date of the award, you may only apply to the Doctoral Awards funding opportunity.

Combined undergraduate/graduate degree programs

• If you are or will be registered in a combined undergraduate/graduate degree program, you may apply to the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships funding opportunity only for the period(s) during which you are enrolled full-time at the master’s level.

Direct-entry doctoral programs

• If you are or will be registered in a direct-entry doctoral program following your undergraduate studies, you may only apply to the Doctoral Awards funding opportunity.

Eligibility to Hold an Award

On the proposed start date of the award, you must:

• be registered as a full-time student in the social sciences or humanities, at an eligible Canadian university; and
• be admitted unconditionally (generally, this means having fulfilled all the requirements for a bachelor's degree) in one of the eligible programs (as defined above) that include advanced research training (as defined in Eligibility of Degree Programs below).

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."

Award holders may not hold full-time employment during the tenure of their award.

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.

Eligibility of Degree Programs

The scholarship is tenable only in degree programs that include significant research training. Research training normally involves at least one of the following three components:

• 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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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. Application instructions can be found inside your online application.
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 ...	Submit your application to ...
a university with a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation	the university at which you are currently registered.
a university without a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation	SSHRC
a foreign university*	SSHRC
You are not currently registered in a degree program, but completed your previous degree ...	Submit your application to:
at any time between January 1, 2012, and the present at a university with a Canada Graduate Scholarship allocation	the university at which you obtained your most recent degree.
at any time between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2011	SSHRC

*Students registered concurrently at a Canadian and a foreign university must submit their application to the Canadian university if that university has a CGS allocation.

 

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Evaluation and Adjudication

Evaluation Criteria

Multidisciplinary committees evaluate applicants based on the following:

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, judgment, 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
Step 1: 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.	Step 1: The candidate applies directly to SSHRC. Applications must be postmarked no later than December 13, 2012.
Step 2: 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.	Step 2: SSHRC staff reviews all applications and forwards those eligible to a multidisciplinary selection committee of experts for evaluation and recommendations for funding. SSHRC announces competition results in spring 2013. SSHRC informs all applicants in writing of the outcome of their applications. Competition results are not provided by telephone or email.
Step 3: The university submits all A- and alternate-list applications to SSHRC for review and final decisions. SSHRC announces competition results in spring 2013. SSHRC informs all applicants in writing of the outcome of their applications. Competition results are not provided by telephone or email.

 

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Administrative Regulations and Related Information

SSHRC reserves the right to determine the eligibility of applications based on the information provided therein. SSHRC also reserves the right to interpret the regulations governing its funding opportunities set out in its published materials.

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.

For descriptions of SSHRC terms, see Definitions of Terms.

 

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Related Funding Opportunities

For a complete list of SSHRC funding opportunities that may be of interest to master’s students, please use the Funding search tool and select “Graduate student” as the type of applicant.

 

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More Information

For more information about the Joseph-Armand Bombardier CGS Master’s Scholarships funding opportunity, please visit our Resource Centre. If you have additional questions, please contact:

Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program Master’s Scholarships
Research Training Portfolio
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
350 Albert Street
P.O. Box 1610
Ottawa, ON  K1P 6G4

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