Canada Graduate Research Scholarships Doctoral (CGRS D) Program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) 2025-2026

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarships – Doctoral (CGRS D) program is a prestigious national award administered by Canada's three federal granting agencies—CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC. It aims to support exceptional doctoral students in building research careers and contributing to Canada’s knowledge economy. UBC administers these scholarships for eligible students enrolled at the Vancouver campus.

Table of Content

• Summary
• Benefits
• Requirements
• Interview Process
• Application Documents
• Application Deadline
• How To Apply

Summary

• Application DeadlineSeptember 9, 2025
• Value$40,000
• Study LevelPhD
• SponsorUniversity of British Columbia
• City to studyVancouver
• School to studyUniversity of British Columbia
• Eligible CountryAll Countries

Benefits

$40,000 CAD per year

Requirements

• Must be pursuing full-time doctoral studies at UBC

• For international students: must be registered in a UBC PhD program in Fall 2025

• Meet the specific eligibility of one of the three federal funding agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)

• Hold first-class standing (typically a GPA of 3.7/4.0 or equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study

• Demonstrated research potential

Transcript Guidelines

UBC requires official, up to date transcripts for all post-secondary studies (including studies that did not lead to a degree, e.g. exchange/transfer course grades) as part of each application package.  

UBC transcripts:

• Official UBC transcripts are preferred.
• The “Advising Transcript” document (provided to applicants by graduate programs) is acceptable.
• The “"Unofficial Transcript” downloaded from Workday is not acceptable.The UBC transcript or Advising transcript must show 2025W1 (Fall 2025) course registration.

Other transcripts

• Only official transcripts will be accepted.
• Transcripts must be authentic, complete, and up to date.
• Acceptable:
  • Official transcripts from UBC Admission application (eVision system): Scanned copies of official transcripts, accessed by the UBC graduate program from eVision, that were validated and uploaded by G+PS (i.e., transcripts listed as “Transcripts & Diplomas – Official” under ‘Document Type’ in eVision)
  • “Certified True” copies of official transcripts from the UBC graduate program’s own files.
  • Official transcripts sent directly from the issuing institution to the UBC graduate program.
  • Transcripts uploaded by the applicant for UBC admission (i.e. official transcripts in eVision system that are not verified by G+PS)
  • Applicant’s personal copies of official transcripts
• Not Acceptable:
  • Unofficial transcripts (no water mark or registrar’s signature or registrar's stamp and/or may note “unofficial” on each page and/or copied from institution student account)
• The graduate program may have some of the applicant's transcripts on file already; if so, well in advance of the application deadline, the applicant must confirm with the graduate program which transcripts the program has on file and will provide to support the CGRS D application, and which transcripts the applicant must still order from their prior institutions.
• Up to date transcripts: Dated or issued in the current fall session (September 2025) (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).
• Foreign transcripts: For students including foreign transcripts, if the transcripts are not presented in one of Canada’s two official languages (English or French), a certified translation must be provided, in addition to the transcripts in its original language.
• Include one copy of marking key / legend (usually on back of transcript) for each institution.
• Transcripts are required even from institutions in cases of transfer credit or exchange terms.
• If your institution does not provide transcripts, you must submit, in lieu of a transcript: a certificate of matriculation, a letter bearing the official institution seal/stamp or a letter signed by the dean of graduate studies.  This document must confirm:
  • your program of study
  • your registration status
  • the date on which you started the program of study
  • the fact that the institution does not provide transcripts (not necessary for a certificate of matriculation)

It is the applicant's responsibility to confirm that they have provided all of their required transcripts for their CGRS D application, even if some of the transcripts were obtained from their UBC graduate program.

Selection Process

Graduate programs review and rank the applications they receive and forward their top applicants to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by uploading the required documents to their graduate program folder in Sharepoint. Nominations must be submitted by graduate programs to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies on Tuesday,  October 7 2025 at 4:00 pm PT.

Graduate program resources (including detailed nomination procedures in the "Graduate Program Procedures" document) will be posted here: https://faculty-staff.grad.ubc.ca/resources/award-administration (CWL log-in required).

Application Documents

• Online application form (via agency-specific portal)

• Research proposal

• Academic CV

• Reference letters

• Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions

• Translations for any transcripts not in English or French

• Marking key/legend for each transcript

UBC transcript must reflect Fall 2025 course registration if currently enrolled.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

1. Students registered in a UBC degree program (or on an approved leave of absence from UBC) between 1 January and 31 December 2025 must complete their application by Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 12:00 pm PT. Applications submitted after this deadline will not be accepted.

   Detailed application procedures and instructions will be made available in mid-July. Please consult the CGRS D program page for most up to date information. An overview of the steps in the application process is provided below for reference:

2. Confirm eligibility
3. Confirm research area: Select the appropriate funding agency. Applicants should complete the agency application that is best aligned with their research subject matter:
   • Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
   • Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
   • Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
4. Determine where to submit an application (through a Canadian institution such as UBC or directly to the appropriate agency). See the CGRS D program page for guidance. 
   • If applying via UBC, complete the application by the UBC application deadline, Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 12:00 pm PT.
5. Read the instructions  and apply online via the application portal that corresponds to your funding agency.
6. Ensure your referees are aware of the submission deadline to provide their assessment.
7. Gather all required supporting documents and official transcripts as outlined on the CGRS D program page. 

For more details, visit UBC Scholarship webpage