Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2026 Graduate Research Scholarships – Master’s Program for Scholars

The objective of the Master’s scholarship funding opportunity is to help develop research skills and assist in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate potential to contribute to Canadian research.

Table of Content

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

Summary

• Application DeadlineDecember 1, 2026
• Value$27,000
• Study LevelMasters
• SponsorNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
• Eligible CountryCanada

Benefits

• Scholarship Worth $27,000 for 12 months, non-renewable

Requirements

To be eligible to apply, you must

• be a Canadian citizen, a 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
• be enrolled in, have applied for or will apply for full-time admission1 to an eligible  graduate program at the master’s or doctoral level that can be started within the eligible dates of the competition year at a Canadian institution with a CGRS M allocation
• respect the internal deadline to apply for admission for your intended program of study—contact the faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent) at the selected Canadian institution(s) for more detailed information
• 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 funding2, 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 at that same institution, allowing it to be activated during the first 12 months of the subsequent doctoral program for which you are requesting funding
• not have held or be currently holding a Master’s level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
• not have held or be currently holding an Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement
• have achieved a first-class average2, as determined by the host institution(s), in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent)
  • Note: Institutions may, at their discretion, accept CGRS M applications from individuals who have not obtained a first-class average; contact your proposed host institution(s) to determine their use of this eligibility criterion
• submit a maximum of one postgraduate (master’s or doctoral) or postdoctoral application per academic year to either CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC
  • Note: Should more than one application be submitted, the eligible application submitted first chronologically will be retained

Check also:
Free Ongoing Fully Funded Scholarships Guide 2026 (Download Now)

Application Deadline

How To Apply

The deadline for CGRS M applications is December 1 before 8:00 pm ET. Complete applications must be submitted by the deadline using the Research Portal . If the deadline falls on a weekend or on a federal holiday, applications must be submitted by the following business day before 8:00 pm (ET).

For More Information, Visit Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Webpage