2014-2015 NSERC CGS and PGS Doctoral Competition
FACULTY OF FORESTRY
University of Toronto
Purpose:
Alexander Graham Bell Canada Graduate Scholarships-Doctoral (CGS D) and NSERC Postgraduate
Scholarships-Doctoral (PGS D) provide financial support to high calibre scholars who are engaged in a doctoral
program in the natural sciences or engineering. This support allows these students to fully concentrate on their
studies and to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields.
If you are interested in a Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS), apply for a PGS. The highest ranked PGS
applicants will automatically be considered by NSERC for a CGS. There is no separate application form or
process for the CGS program.
Deadlines:
Applications (i.e., printed copy of Form 201 plus official hard copies of transcripts), must be submitted to Deborah
Paes (ES1016L) by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8, 2013.
Note: When logged into their NSERC account, students can print their application by clicking on the “Preview”
button and selecting the pages of Form 201 they would like to print.
Application must also be submitted electronically via the NSERC website by the departmental deadline (i.e.
October 8, 2013)
Note: Although students will complete the electronic application, they will not be able to click ‘submit’ on their
application until their transcripts are uploaded by the department. Students who are successful at the
departmental level will be notified once their transcripts are uploaded and will be instructed to login to the online
system and click ‘submit.’
How to apply online:
The PGS application must be completed online. Students must first register and create an account to begin their
application. New users should access the following link to register as a new user:
https://ebiz.nserc.ca/nserc_web/nserc_register_e.htm
Students who have submitted an application before, may use their pre-existing user name and password. If you
have forgotten your user name or password, please follow the instructions on the log on screen to retrieve this
information.
Step by Step Application Instructions:
Students can read the Application Instruction page which gives a comprehensive explanation of the application
process. This can be accessed as the following link:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/201/e.asp
Applicants are responsible for reading the full instructions and completing in detail the "Application for a
Postgraduate Scholarship” (Form 201). Please note that Form 201 must be completed electronically by the
departmental deadline (October 8, 2013). For the ‘free form’ parts of the application (‘Outline of Proposed
Research’ and ‘Contributions and Statement’), you will need to convert the documents to PDF’s before attaching
them to the electronic application. Please adhere to NSERC standards for these free form sections:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/pdfatt2_eng.asp
Completed applications should include the following:
1. Form 201
2. Outline of proposed research
3. Contributions and statements
4. All official academic transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)**
5. Report on the Applicant (two required)
6. Appendix 3 (optional)
**The inclusion and completeness of each applicant’s transcripts/proofs of registration is essential
for NSERC staff to determine eligibility and is an integral part of the evaluation material reviewed by
selection committees. This includes transcripts for programs of study started in the fall session of
the year of application.
Students should refer to the PGS application instructions on NSERC’s website for detailed guidelines
on how to complete Form 201 and the other application components:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/201/e.asp
Eligibility Requirements:
In order to be eligible, applicants must:
 be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada;
 hold, or expect to hold (at the time you take up the award), a degree in science or engineering from a
university whose standing is recognized by NSERC (if you have a degree in a field other than science or
engineering, NSERC may accept your application at its discretion);
 intend to pursue, in the following year, full-time graduate studies and research at the doctoral level in an
eligible program (see Eligibility Criteria: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/NSERC-CRSNG/eligibilityadmissibilite/students-etudiants_eng.asp in one of the areas of the natural sciences and engineering
supported by NSERC; and
 have obtained a first-class average (a grade of "A-") in each of the last two completed years of study (fulltime equivalent).
CGS D value = $35,000 a year (for two or three years) and
PGS D value = $21,000 a year (for two or three years):
 As of Dec. 31st of the year of application, applicants must have completed between zero and 24 months in the
doctoral program for which funding is requested or more than 4 and less than 36 months if admitted directly to
PhD from bachelor's program.
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/BellandPostgrad-BelletSuperieures_eng.asp
Official Transcripts:
NSERC accepts ONLY original official transcripts for all applications to NSERC scholarship and fellowship
programs. Students should order official, updated transcripts from any university they have attended in North
America. Students can hand deliver the sealed transcripts when they submit their application to the department or
request that the transcripts be mailed directly to the department (Attention: Deborah Paes).
ROSI print-outs are not acceptable. Also, students must order an official U of T transcript even if they have just
started their program in September, as the transcript will confirm registration in a program even if no coursework
has been completed.
The Department is responsible for uploading student transcripts to the electronic version of the application. For
this reason, when completing Form 201, students must specify a departmental designate to whom NSERC will
send the request to upload their transcript. When asked to enter information for a University Designate on your
application, please provide the following information:
Family Name: Diaz
Given Name: Susana
Email Address: susana.diaz@utoronto.ca
References:
Applicants must select and arrange for two "appropriate persons" (see instructions on NSERC website) to
complete reference letters (Report on the Applicant). Applicants should contact their proposed reviewers to ensure
they are willing to complete a report. In the Reference Letters page of the application, enter the names and e-mail
addresses of each of the reviewers who will be completing a report, as well as the deadline on which you would
like the report to be completed. Once the information is saved, an e-mail containing the appropriate links will be
forwarded to the reviewer so that he or she may view your completed application and complete the form.
Applicants must make sure that Reviewers are aware of the deadline for submission of their report-Oct. 8, 2013.
These two reports do not need to be submitted directly to Deborah Paes. They do need to be submitted
electronically by the reviewer by the application deadline (October 8, 2013).
Research Mandate
For applicants who are unsure if their research project falls under NSERC’s mandate, they should refer to
NSERC’s website to confirm which tri-council their project belongs to:
Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency http://www.science.gc.ca/default.asp?lang=en&n=FEE7261A-1
NSERC Video Tutorials for Students:
NSERC is pleased to announce that online tutorials for applicants are once again available on their website.
Tutorials may be viewed by students as they prepare their applications and can be found on NSERC’s website at:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/Videos-Videos/Index_eng.asp
NSERC FAQ page:
NSERC has prepared an extensive FAQ question page for students. It can be accessed at the following link:
http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/FAQ-FAQ_eng.asp
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