University of Alberta Canada Graduate Research Masters (CGRS M) Scholarships 2026

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarships - Master's Program (CGRS M) has a single, harmonized application process for the three federal granting agencies: the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). These three agencies are also referred to as the "Tri-Council". Note: effective 2025 the CGRS M program replaces the agencies former Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s (CGS M) program.

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineDecember 1, 2025
• Value$27,000
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorUniversity of Alberta
• City to studyEdmonton
• School to studyUniversity of Alberta
• Eligible CountryCanada

Benefits

The CGRS M is valued at $27,000 for 12 months. It is not renewable.

Requirements

Eligibility requirements:

• Must be in a graduate program with a significant research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as a requirement for completion of the program.
  • Master’s programs that are based only on course work are typically not eligible since they do not include a significant research component, as described above.
  • The U of A takes the above definition as a base for the review of applications through the university.
  • U of A course based programs: the work completed in the course-based program must be considered equivalent to a major research project and is appropriate for students who intend to proceed to doctoral studies.
• Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) as of the application deadline date.
• Must be enrolled in, have applied for or will apply for full-time admission* to an eligible graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level
  • Refer to Application Procedures and Deadlines for the U of A process and internal deadline to apply for admission for your intended program of study at the U of A
  • Prospective students are to note that an award offer does not guarantee admission to the program in which you originally applied to. GPS does not assist with the process of securing admission to a graduate program.
• Must have completed, as of December 31 of the year of application
  • either between 0 and 12 months of full-time studies (or full-time equivalent) in the program for which you are requesting funding,** which may be one of the following:
                    - a master’s program
                    - a doctoral program that you are entering directly from a bachelor’s program without having ever been enrolled in any graduate programs (direct-entry)
                    - a combined master’s-doctoral program
                    - a master’s program that will transition to an eligible doctoral program, either before or after award activation, with no master’s degree conferred (fast-track)
                    - a master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before the end of the award, allowing the award to continue into an eligible doctoral program
  • or between 4 and 12 months of full-time study (or full-time equivalent) in an eligible master’s program for which the degree requirements will be completed before activation of the award, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding
• Must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher (first class average at the U of A) in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)
  • Note: first class average is not a cumulative GPA of the last two years; the GPA is calculated on each of the most recent year completed, and the second last year completed.
• Not have held or be currently holding a Master's level scholarship from NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC
• Not have held or be currently holding an Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement
• Submit a maximum of one scholarship (master’s or doctoral) or fellowship application per academic year to either NSERC, CIHR or SSHRC
  • Note: Should more than one application be submitted, the eligible application submitted first chronologically will be retained

Selection Process

December 1, 2025 before 6:00 p.m. (Mountain Time)/8:00 p.m. (Eastern Time): Deadline for students to submit their completed application and CCV through the Research Portal. No changes or updates can be made to an application once it has been submitted, either before or after the deadline. Only personal contact information may be updated through the Research Portal account.

February 9, 2026: If not yet admitted to a graduate program, prospective students must apply for admission no later than February 9th in order to be considered for the CGRS M at the U of A. 

Mid-February 2026 – end of March 2026: GPS Graduate Scholarship Committee reviews and adjudicates eligible applications.

April 1, 2026: Applicants are notified of results on the online Research Portal. Winners may receive offers from multiple institutions, but may accept only one CGRS M offer; the award is not transferable.

Application Deadline

How To Apply

For more details, visit University of Alberta Scholarship webpage