Skilled and innovative Canadians are our country’s greatest asset. To harness our talent and fuel productivity, the Government of Canada has announced the results of its 2025 Tri-agency scholarships and fellowships programs. In total, $365.6 million in research funding, distributed across 4761 awards, is supporting the next generation of researchers tackling some of the most pressing challenges of today faced by Canadians and the world.

Through their prestigious postgraduate scholarships programs, Canada’s three federal research funding agencies – the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) – are championing the brightest doctoral students—those who not only excel academically but also demonstrate exceptional leadership potential. These scholarships provide crucial financial support, empowering emerging scholars to push the boundaries of knowledge and drive innovation in their fields.

Our postdoctoral fellowships programs support top-tier talent who are ready to make impactful contributions to Canada’s economy and quality of life. Together, these programs are shaping Canada’s research landscape—fostering talent, accelerating discovery, and building a stronger, smarter tomorrow.

As announced on March 11, 2025, the below-named scholarships and fellowships programshave since been streamlined into a new harmonized talent program called the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) that will open for applications in summer 2025. Funding to support Black scholars at all levels and the Indigenous Scholarships and Supplements Pilot Initiative are not part of the streamlining exercise and are ongoing.

Awards and programs

• The CIHR Doctoral Foreign Study Award provides special recognition and support to approximately 10 students who are pursuing a doctoral degree in a health-related field abroad. Learn more about CIHR’s other health research training award programs.
• The CIHR Fellowship Program provides support for highly qualified candidates at the postdoctoral (post-PhD) or post-health professional degree stages to add to their experience by engaging in health research either in Canada or abroad.
• The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program helps develop research skills and assists in the training of highly qualified personnel by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.
• The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral program allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields, and to contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
• The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements provide additional supplements to active award holders to help offset the costs of undertaking research studies outside Canada. The supplement supports high calibre Canadian graduate students in building global links and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences at research institutions abroad.
• The Canada Graduate Scholarships to Honour Nelson Mandela are jointly administered by CIHR and SSHRC and are an honorary mention that applies for the duration of the award. They recognize and support graduate students conducting research in one or more of the five areas that Nelson Mandela championed during his lifetime: national unity; democracy, freedom and human rights; leadership; children’s participation in society; and children’s health.
• The NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – Doctoral program provides financial support to high-calibre graduate students who are engaged in a doctoral program in natural sciences or engineering. This support allows scholars to concentrate more fully on their studies and seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields both within Canada and abroad.
• The NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides support to a core of the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers. The fellowships are also intended to secure a supply of highly qualified Canadians with leading-edge scientific and research skills for Canadian industry, government, and academic institutions.
• The SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships program supports high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities. This support allows scholars to fully focus on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields, and to contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
• The SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities at an important time in their research careers. These fellowships provide support to recent Ph.D. graduates who are undertaking original research, publishing research findings, developing and expanding personal research networks, and preparing for research-intensive careers within and beyond academia.

Contacts

CIHR
support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca

NSERC
schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

SSHRC
fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca