Extension of Tri-agency scholarships and fellowships (Canada Graduate Scholarships - Master’s, Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral, agency-specific doctoral awards, Postdoctoral Fellowships, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships)
Canada’s three research 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)—recognize the vital role that highly qualified talent plays in preserving Canada's research enterprise throughout the major disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As announced on April 22, the Government of Canada committed $291.6 million to support students and postdoctoral researchers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, through the federal research funding agencies. Part of this investment will be used to support trainees paid directly through scholarships and fellowships, as well as those supported indirectly through grants awarded to their supervisors.
We are pleased to provide further information on the direct support being offered for scholarship or fellowship holders, through the Canada Graduate Scholarships (Master’s, Doctoral and Vanier streams), Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, and agency-specific doctoral and postdoctoral programs, which will be granted an extension. For eligible students and postdoctoral researchers whose research scholarship or fellowship ends between March and August 2020, support will be extended for an additional four months and fully funded. This represents an investment of up to $40 million to help these students and postdoctoral researchers complete their research projects and training. Award holders will be contacted in the coming weeks by their respective agency, and the funding will be provided before September 30, 2020. Details about the supports for trainees paid indirectly through grants will be provided in a future update.
Award holders will need to attest that their research was disrupted by COVID-19 constraints and that they are not benefiting from compensation under the Canada Emergency Student Benefit or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit or other income supports related to COVID-19.
Please see the accompanying frequently asked questions, which provide details on how this additional funding will be implemented, and visit the agency websites (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) all of which are updated regularly. You may also contact the agencies’ scholarships and fellowships program staff at:
- NSERC: schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
- SSHRC: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
- CIHR: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships: vanier@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
- Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships: banting@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
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