CGRS Master's program
The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s (CGRS-M) program supports the development of research skills and the training of highly qualified personnel. It provides funding to students who demonstrate a high level of academic achievement in undergraduate and early graduate studies.
Awards are allocated annually to Canadian universities by the tri-agency council (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Successful applicants must hold the award at the Canadian institution that offers it.
Supplementary funding opportunities
Indigenous scholars awards and supplements
This initiative provides additional funding to Indigenous students who apply to CGRS-M and are deemed meritorious;
- Applicants must self-identify as Indigenous
- Successful candidates may be asked to provide documentation confirming Indigenous citizenship or membership
- Deadline: December 1, 2026 (EST)
Black student researchers
Additional funding is available to support Black student researchers;
- Applicants must self-identify and consent within the application
- A limited number of additional awards are available through each agency
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person as of the application deadline
- Be enrolled in, applying to, or intending to apply for full-time admission to an eligible graduate program at a Canadian institution with a CGRS-M allocation
- Meet the admissions deadline of their chosen graduate program at Memorial University
- Have completed, as of December 31, 2026:
- Between 0 and 12 months of full-time study in an eligible graduate program, or
- Between 4 and 12 months in a master’s program that transitions into a doctoral program
- Not have previously held a tri-agency master’s-level scholarship (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)
- Not have previously held an Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplement
- Have achieved a first-class average (e.g., A- or equivalent) in each of the last two completed years of study
- Submit only one tri-agency application per year
Program eligibility
Eligible programs must include a significant research component, such as:
- Thesis
- Major research project
- Dissertation
- Scholarly publication, performance, or exhibition
Programs that are course-based only are generally not eligible.
Application process
Applicants must:
- Complete the application through the Research Portal
- Submit a Canadian Common CV (CCV)
- Select up to three Canadian universities where they wish to hold the award
Applications must include:
- Completed online application (all sections)
- Research proposal outline
- All academic transcripts (combined into one PDF)
- CCV confirmation number
- Two academic reference assessments
Important notes:
- Applications are due December 1, 2026 at 8:00 PM (EST) (no extensions)
- Applications cannot be edited after submission
Transcripts
Applicants must submit:
- Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- A Fall 2026 transcript, even if no grades are available, – please note you need to request after the first day of classes September 9, 2026 to ensure your Fall registration appears on your official transcript
Guidelines:
- Transcripts must be complete, legible, and up to date
- Official e-transcripts must have encryption removed
- Unofficial transcripts are accepted but must include applicant and institution names
- All transcripts must be combined into a single PDF file
Applicants are responsible for ensuring accuracy and completeness.
Selection process
At Memorial University:
- Applications are reviewed centrally through the tri-agency national process
- Memorial University’s CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC committees adjudicate applications and select awards within the university’s allocated quota.
- Selection is based on academic excellence, research potential, and personal achievements
Results
- Results are released through the Research Portal on April 1, 2027
- Alternate offers may be made until January 31, 2028
Response Timeline:
- Applicants have 21 days to accept or decline an offer
- Failure to respond results in automatic decline
Resources
If you have any questions about applying for a CGRS-M scholarship, or would like any clarification on the information provided above, please contact our Scholarships Officer, Tammy Power-Taylor (gradawards@mun.ca).
Process and conflict of interest statement (CGRS-M review committees)
The School of Graduate Studies (SGS) forms three separate and distinct multidisciplinary review committees to do the work of selecting CGRS-M award recipients according to Memorial’s institutional quota.
The purpose of this review is to identify those who will be offered a CGRS-M and to establish a ranked list of alternate meritorious candidates. This process is both rigorous and transparent in order to identify applicants to whom an award should be offered.
- Applications in both official languages will be reviewed.
- The merit review is done according to the Selection Criteria. Criteria are weighted, and committee members must take each criterion into consideration when assigning a global score to an application.
- One review committee has representatives from SSHRC disciplines; another review committee has representatives from NSERC disciplines; and, a third committee has representatives from CIHR disciplines.
- The review committees will have either 3 or 5 members, depending on faculty workload and time constraints. The voting members are always an odd number and never fewer than three. The Dean and the Associate Dean of SGS normally chair the committees, but do not vote or rank applications.
- Only application material submitted using the Research Portal will be considered during the merit review. Pages in excess of the number permitted wil be removed before the selection process begins.
- Committee members will declare a conflict of interest if their relationship with the student is other than an academic one - that is, if:
- they supervise or have provided a letter of reference for the applicant;
- or, if they have a direct or indirect financial interest in the application being reviewed.
- NOTE: an administrator in the student’s program or on the student’s supervisory committee (excluding the supervisor) is not considered a conflict unless they have provided a letter of reference for the applicant.
- For more information about Memorial University Conflict of Interest Policy, please visit the Policy Office website.
- Resources about Scholarship Information and Application Writing are also available.