NSERC Scholarships

Overview

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is the primary federal agency funding natural sciences and engineering research in Canada. NSERC administers scholarships and fellowships for Canadian graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, including the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's (CGS-M) valued at $17,500 per year, the Postgraduate Scholarship-Doctoral (PGS-D) at $21,000 per year, the Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS-D at $35,000 per year), and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships. NSERC also funds research projects through Discovery Grants, Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) grants, and numerous partnership programs.

What You Can Find Here

• CGS-M (Canada Graduate Scholarships-Master's): $17,500/year for 1 year of master's study
• PGS-D (Postgraduate Scholarship-Doctoral): $21,000/year for up to 3 years of doctoral study
• CGS-D (Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral): $35,000/year for up to 3 years
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship: $45,000/year for 2 years of postdoctoral research
• Vanier CGS: $50,000/year (NSERC stream for natural sciences and engineering)
• NSERC Discovery Grants for faculty research projects in all natural sciences and engineering fields
• CREATE training grants for collaborative graduate training programs

Who Should Use This

• Canadian citizens and permanent residents enrolled or planning to enroll in Canadian graduate programs in natural sciences or engineering
• Graduate students in physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, or engineering
• Postdoctoral researchers in natural sciences and engineering seeking fellowship funding
• Faculty members at Canadian universities applying for Discovery Grants to fund research programs

How to Get Started

1. Step 1: Visit nserc.gc.ca to find all NSERC scholarship and grant programs
2. Step 2: For student scholarships (CGS-M, PGS-D): apply through your Canadian university's research grants office via ResearchNet
3. Step 3: Prepare your academic and research documents including transcripts, research proposal, and reference letters
4. Step 4: Submit applications by the annual fall deadline (typically October-November for most awards)
5. Step 5: For faculty research grants (Discovery Grants, CREATE): apply directly through ResearchNet following NSERC program guidelines

Things to Check Before Applying

• NSERC scholarships are for Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and protected persons - international students are generally not eligible
• Applications are submitted through your university's research grants office, not directly to NSERC independently
• Different scholarship levels (CGS-M vs CGS-D vs PGS-D) have different values and durations
• Vanier CGS (co-administered with CIHR and SSHRC) is the most prestigious NSERC doctoral award

Frequently Asked Questions