Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 2010

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 2010

About Vanier:
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships are administered by Canada’s three federal granting agencies [Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)]. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship nominees will be evaluated by agency-specific multi-disciplinary peer review committees that will forward selected nominations to an independent inter-agency selection board. This board will select the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship recipients.

Detail:
The Vanier CGS program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate both leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health. Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS. In an effort to support students in broadening their research horizons and seeking new challenges, the Vanier CGS program strongly encourages candidates to pursue their studies beyond the university that granted their undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Eligibility: Eligibility for Nomination
To be considered for a Vanier CGS, you must:
a. be nominated by only one Canadian university, which must have received a Vanier CGS allocation;
b. be seeking financial support to pursue your first doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD);
c. intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD) studies and research at the nominating university;
d. have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of May 1, 2011 (see Notes below);
e. have achieved a first-class average, as determined by your university, in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent; and
f. not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from SSHRC, NSERC or CIHR to undertake or complete a doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD).
Notes:
All prior doctoral-level studies, regardless of discipline, will be considered in the evaluation of eligibility. The granting agencies will count two months of part-time study as one month of full-time study. In the case of students who are registered in a combined MA/PhD program or a direct-entry doctoral program, or who are accelerated from a master’s program into a doctoral program without obtaining the master’s degree, the agencies will not include the first 12 months of graduate study in the evaluation of eligibility.
Combined MD/PhD degrees (CIHR only)
All months of doctoral-level study within the combined degree program will be considered in the evaluation of eligibility.
Eligibility to Hold an Award
Without exception, Vanier CGS awards are tenable only at the eligible Canadian university that submitted the nomination. To hold the award, the candidate must:
1. be registered as a full-time student at the nominating Canadian institution, and be pursuing a doctoral degree (or combined MA/PhD or MD/PhD); and
2. remain enrolled and demonstrate continued satisfactory progress in doctoral program.
Part-time studies:
A Vanier CGS may be held by students who are registered part time because of a disability. For this purpose, disability is defined as “a functional limitation resulting from a physical, sensory, or mental impairment, which, for an indefinite period, affects the ability of the student to perform the activities necessary to participate fully in his or her learning.” For eligible part-time students, Vanier CGS award funding will be equivalent to a full-time award spread over a longer period of time.

Selection Criteria
Nominees will be evaluated and selected based on the following three criteria, which will be weighted equally by the peer review committees. However, the final Selection Board recommendation on awardees will be based solely on the leadership component (referee letters, leadership reference letter, university nomination letter, candidate’s self-assessment of leadership potential and ability) of the nomination documents.
Peer review selection criteria:
1. Academic excellence, as demonstrated by past academic results and by transcripts, awards and distinctions.
2. Research potential, as demonstrated by the candidate’s research history, his/her interest in discovery, the proposed research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field, the potential benefit to Canadians, and any anticipated outcomes.
3. Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability), as defined by the following qualities:
Personal achievement:
1. professional involvement in dance, arts, music, etc.;
2. significant artistic achievement;
3. recognized athletic achievement, especially in a leadership role;
4. entrepreneurial achievement (startup company); and/or
5. foreign travel and study.
Involvement in academic life:
1. mentoring/teaching;
2. supervisory experience;
3. involvement in student government and in the university community, including committees, teams, senate, boards, ethics committees, etc.;
4. project management;
5. roles in professional societies; and/or
6. organization of conferences and meetings.
Volunteerism/community outreach:
1. community involvement in charity or not-for-profit organizations.
Civic engagement:
1. parliamentary page positions and internships;
2. political activity; and/or
3. elected positions.
Other

Value and Duration: A Vanier CGS is valued at $50,000 per year for three years. Award recipients must take up their award in the first semester (May or September) following the announcement of results if they:
1. have already undertaken their doctoral program of study at the Canadian nominating university; or
2. have already undertaken a doctoral program of study at a Canadian university and will be transferring to a doctoral program at the Canadian nominating university.
Award recipients can take their award up in May, September or January following the announcement of results if they:
1. have not yet started a doctoral program of study; or
2. will transfer from a doctoral program at an international university to a doctoral program at the Canadian nominating university.

Deadline: October 20, 2010

Contact:
Email: info@vanier.gc.ca
Tel.: 1-613-943-7777

Source: www.vanier.gc.ca