The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship—Doctoral (CGRS D) is the federal research agencies’ doctoral award; this entry covers the stream run by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Holders pursue a research-based doctorate, usually at a Canadian university, though some awards may be held abroad. SSHRC’s multidisciplinary committees judge applications in five discipline groups, from fine arts and history to economics and law.
Benefits & funding
- $40,000 a year for 36 months.
- A stipend toward doctoral study; the pages do not say it covers tuition.
- Eligible holders may also win supplements, e.g. $10,000 (Aileen D. Ross or Queen’s Fellowship) or $5,000 for Indigenous scholars.
Eligibility
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons: may apply from any institution, in Canada or abroad.
- International applicants: must be registered in their doctoral program at an eligible Canadian institution by the deadline; up to 15% of awards go to them.
- No more than 36 months of full-time-equivalent doctoral study completed by December 31 of the application year; those not yet in a PhD may apply.
- A research-oriented doctorate ending in a thesis or similar; holders may be eligible to hold the award part time.
- Barred: past holders of a CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC doctoral scholarship (including Vanier CGS); three applications at most.
- Holding the award abroad (up to 20% of awards): citizens or permanent residents with a previous Canadian degree.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Education required
Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Prepare a two-page research proposal, a bibliography, a two-page contributions and experience statement, transcripts and a SSHRC web CV.
- 2Invite two referees, one a current or former research supervisor; their letters must be in before you can submit.
- 3Registered at a Canadian university with a SSHRC doctoral quota: submit by its internal deadline; it forwards recommended files by December 7.
- 4Everyone else, including students abroad: submit directly to SSHRC by October 19, 2026, 8 p.m. Eastern.
Program timeline
Deadline for direct applicants
October 19, 2026 (8 p.m. ET)
Earlier, set by each university
Institutional deadline
Universities forward applications to SSHRC
December 7, 2026
Results
By April 30, 2027
Award can start
May 1, September 1 or January 1