The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Master's (CGRS M) pays $27,000 for one year of research-based master's study at a Canadian university. The deadline is December 1, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and you apply through the NSERC Research Portal.
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Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Master's (CGRS M) 2027: $27,000, Eligibility and How to Apply
Check one thing before you spend a weekend on the application. You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a Protected Person under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. International students cannot apply for the CGRS M. If that is you, jump to the international students section below for what to do instead.
Some scholarship listings call this award fully funded or open to international students. The second claim is false, and the first depends on your tuition and living costs, because the award is a flat $27,000 for the year.
CGRS M at a glance
Award value | $27,000 |
Duration | 12 months, non-renewable |
Deadline | December 1, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET |
Who can apply | Canadian citizens, permanent residents and Protected Persons |
Where you can use it | Eligible Canadian institutions with a CGRS M allocation, no exceptions |
Where you apply | NSERC Research Portal, plus your university's own admission steps |
Awards per year | Up to 3,298, across all disciplines |
Run by | CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC |
What the CGRS M is
The CGRS M belongs to the Canada Research Training Awards Suite and is run jointly by three federal agencies: CIHR for health research, NSERC for natural sciences and engineering, and SSHRC for social sciences and humanities. Selection and post-award administration happen at the university level under the agencies' guidance, so you submit your application to the university where you plan to hold the award.
Who is eligible
You need to meet every point below.
• You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or Protected Person as of the application deadline.
• You are registered in, have applied to, or will apply to an eligible master's or doctoral program at a Canadian institution with a CGRS M allocation, and the program can start within the competition's eligible dates.
• You have completed 0 to 12 months of full-time study (or the equivalent) in the program you want funded, counted as of December 31 of the application year. Part-time study counts proportionally: two terms at a 50% course load equal one full-time term. Direct-entry doctoral, combined master's-doctoral and fast-track programs are covered.
• Alternatively, you have completed 4 to 12 months in a master's program that will be finished before the award activates, so you can use the award in the first 12 months of the doctoral program that follows at the same university.
• You have never held, and do not currently hold, a master's-level scholarship from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC.
• You have never held an Indigenous Scholars Award or Supplement, or CIHR's designated master's funding for Indigenous researchers.
• You have a first-class average in each of your last two completed years of full-time study, as your host university defines it. Guelph and McMaster both use 80%. Universities may accept applicants below first-class at their discretion, so ask the one you are applying to.
• You apply to only one Canada Research Training Awards Suite program per academic year through CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC. If you submit more than one, only the first eligible application is kept.
The agencies count all your studies toward the program being funded, including studies done at other institutions.
Which programs qualify
The program has to be mainly research-based and end in something a panel of experts reviews: a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital or exhibit. Course-only master's programs are typically not eligible. Joint programs with a professional degree, such as MD/PhD or JD/MA, and clinical programs like clinical psychology can qualify if they have a significant independent research component.
If your program requires separate admission to its research stream, that acceptance must be confirmed before you can hold the award. Your host university also needs an allocation for the agency that matches your field, so confirm that with its graduate studies office.
How applications are scored
Applications are scored on academic excellence (50%), research potential (30%), and personal characteristics and interpersonal skills (20%). Universities review and rank applications internally, starting with the proposed department, and award offers come out of each university's allocation. Academic excellence carries half the score, so your grades do the most work.
How to apply
1. Confirm you meet the eligibility rules above, especially your citizenship status and your average for the last two completed years.
2. Contact the graduate studies office at each university you are considering. Ask for the internal deadline, the admission deadline, and whether it has a CGRS M allocation for your field. Waterloo, for example, requires an admission application by February 1, 2027 from students who want to hold the award there.
3. Pick the agency that matches your research: CIHR for health, NSERC for natural sciences and engineering, SSHRC for social sciences and humanities. If your work crosses fields, read the federal guidance on selecting the appropriate granting agency. A university can relabel an application that was filed under the wrong agency.
4. Complete your Canadian Common CV and keep the confirmation number, which you enter in the application.
5. Order official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies, then scan them as PDFs to upload.
6. Line up your referees early so they are not writing on the last night.
7. Fill in the Research Portal application, choose up to three universities (one graduate department at each), and submit before December 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET. You cannot change anything after you submit, and the portal slows down near the deadline, so aim to submit days early.
Key dates
Date | What happens |
Before Dec 1, 2026 | Confirm internal deadlines and admission requirements with each university. They vary. |
Dec 1, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ET | Research Portal deadline |
Early April 2027 | Universities post results in the Research Portal. Last cycle this was April 1, 2026. |
Late April 2027 | Deadline to accept an offer. Last cycle this was April 22, 2026. |
The April dates are from the previous cycle. Check your university's page for this year's exact dates.
International students: what to do instead
The CGRS M is closed to you, and applying anyway only gets the application rejected. UBC's graduate school says so plainly and points international master's applicants to its Affiliated Fellowships Master's Program, which runs alongside the CGRS M competition. Here is where to put your effort instead.
• Check each university's own funding pages. Ask the graduate program coordinator about entrance awards and fellowships that international students can hold. This differs by university and by department.
• Ask about assistantships. Some Canadian departments pay graduate students for part-time teaching and research work. Ask each department directly, and ask before you accept an admission offer.
• Look at the doctoral version if a PhD is your plan. The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Doctoral (CGRS D) is now open to applicants of any citizenship, as long as you are already enrolled in your doctoral program at an eligible Canadian institution when you apply. McGill lists it at $40,000 a year for three years. This is recent, so confirm the current rules on the NSERC page.
Frequently asked questions
Can international students apply for the CGRS M?
No. Only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and Protected Persons are eligible.
How much is the CGRS M worth?
$27,000 for 12 months. It is a one-year award and cannot be renewed.
What is the CGRS M deadline?
December 1, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Your university may have an earlier admission or internal deadline, so check with it.
Can I apply to more than one university?
Yes. A single application can name up to three universities, one graduate department at each.
Do I need a first-class average?
Generally yes, in each of your last two completed years, as defined by your host university. Some universities can accept applicants without one at their discretion.
Can I apply for more than one tri-agency award in the same year?
No. You can apply to one Canada Research Training Awards Suite program per academic year. If you submit more than one, only the first eligible application is kept.
Is a course-based master's eligible?
Typically not. The program needs a significant research component, such as a thesis or major research project. Ask your program to confirm.
Official pages and sources
Rules and dates change, so check the agency page and your university's page before you submit.
• NSERC: launch of the harmonized scholarship programs
• University of Toronto: CGRS M
• University of Guelph: CGRS M
• University of Waterloo: CGRS M
Last updated: September 20, 2026
