General information for a few of our major awards and scholarships

The awards listed below are the main sources of non-stipend funding for EOAS students. You can click on the title of the awards for more information. The Graduate Program Coordinator will send relevant funding sources via email. Scholarships (merit-based) and bursaries (need-based) are also available. 

     Note the following deadlines are for reference only and deadlines may change. Please check the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for a list of awards and scholarships. 

  • September: Vanier Scholarships
  • September to October: NSERC PGS-D/CGS-D, Affiliated Scholarships for PhD students
  • September to October: Aboriginal Graduate Fellowships
  • September to October: Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
  • December to January: NSERC PGS-M, Affiliated Scholarships for MSc students
  • February/March: Four Year Fellowships
  • February/March: Departmental awards

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Eligibility: PhD students
Value: $50,000 a year for up to two years
General Deadline: September
Prestigious scholarship awarded to 60 individuals across Canada each year. Students can apply through ResearchNet.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Eligibility: Canadian citizens and permanent residents
Value: $17,500 for a Master’s student and $21,000 or $35,000 for a PhD student
General Deadline: September for PhD, December for MSc (departmental competition)
NSERC is the federal agency for funding research in natural sciences and engineering. The main competition is open to domestic (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) applicants only. Domestic and international students can also apply for a NSERC Industrial scholarship, which has a rolling deadline.

Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

Eligibility: PhD students
Value: $50,000 annual stipend for a maximum of two years, plus a travel research allowance of $4,000 over two years
General Deadline: September/October
The number of new awards offered each year presently varies between three and five. For 2021, the deadline is Wednesday, October 15, 2021 at 9:00am. Please send all documents to gradsec@eoas.ubc.ca, attention to Kimberly Tietjen.

Affiliated Fellowships

Eligibility: All graduate students
Value: Most awards are worth $16,000 - $17,000 a year
General Deadline: September for PhD, December for MSc (departmental competition)
These are a collection of awards held by UBC which are supported by private donors. Anyone who applies for a NSERC award is automatically considered for an Affiliated award.

Four Year Fellowships

Eligibility: PhD students
General Deadline: February/March
The department offers a small number of Four Year Fellowships (FYF) to outstanding doctoral students worth $18,200.00 per year with free tuition coverage. Preference is given to first year current students, but incoming applicants are also eligible. Nominations are submitted by prospective or current supervisors. 

Department Awards

Eligibility: All graduate students
General Deadline: February/March
Each year the department gives out approximately $100,000 in graduate scholarships from our endowed funds. These include both departmental scholarships and prizes. Calls for these awards are distributed via e-mail. To participate in the awards competition, students must complete an application form and provide additional information including recent transcripts, following specifications in the call.