Killam Predoctoral Scholarship — PhD Scholarship

The Killam Predoctoral Scholarship is a competitive Dalhousie University award for full-time doctoral students. It supports Canadian and international students across sciences, engineering, humanities, and social sciences.

Recipients pursue their PhD at Dalhousie in Canada and are expected to take part in Killam scholar activities when possible. Applications and selection are managed by individual faculties, so procedures and dates vary.

Benefits & funding

The base award is CAD 42,000 per year, or CAD 14,000 per term, for up to three years while eligibility is maintained; the award value includes tuition.
A recipient who secures a Tri-agency CGRS-D receives a top-up to CAD 48,000 per year while both awards are held and may have Killam support extended through the fourth PhD year.
New scholars relocating to Nova Scotia may claim travel costs up to the lowest available airfare on the most direct route. Family travel and personal-effects transport are not reimbursed.
Approved unpaid interruptions of up to 12 months are possible, and eligible recipients may request paid parental-leave support.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Canadian or international students pursuing a full-time PhD at Dalhousie University.
As of May 1 in the award year, an applicant must have completed fewer than six PhD terms, equivalent to less than 24 months. Time in program for a transfer from a Master’s to a PhD without completing the Master’s starts on the transfer date.
The scholarship must be taken up no later than the seventh term of the PhD.
Award holders must apply for a Tri-agency CGRS-D within the first two years of holding the Killam award.

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PhD Enrolled

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Application process

1
Contact the intended Dalhousie program or faculty to confirm its current Killam route, internal deadline, and required materials.
2
Follow that faculty’s procedure. The Faculty of Science uses a Dalhousie NetID application form, while the Faculty of Medicine includes Killam consideration in its graduate studentship application.
3
Submit the faculty-specific application and supporting materials by its internal deadline.

Program timeline

Faculty of Science deadline for the most recently published Killam-D cycle.
Dec 1, 2025
Dalhousie Faculty of Graduate Studies states that its new funding cycle will open.
Late summer 2026
Faculty of Medicine application route opens for students joining in 2027.
Oct 1, 2026
Faculty of Medicine intent-to-apply deadline.
Dec 1, 2026
Faculty of Medicine application deadline.
Jan 15, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. AST