Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Presented By: Tianna Yaskow
Manager of Graduate Scholarships and Awards
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The Tri-Council Agencies
Scholarships
Eligibility
Subject Matter Eligibility
Holding the Award
Application
Selection Criteria
Adjudication
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CIHR – Canadian Institutes of Health Research
◦ Primary federal funding agency for health research
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NSERC – Natural Sciences and Engineering
Research Council
◦ Primary federal funding agency for researchers in
science and engineering
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SSHRC – Social Sciences and Humanities
Research Council
◦ Primary federal funding agency for researchers in
the social sciences and humanities
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Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) are
worth $17,500 and are paid out over a year
Allocations for the U of R:
◦ CIHR – 4
◦ NSERC – 1
◦ SSHRC – 7
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These allocations are based on how many
students have held CGS master’s scholarships
at the U of R over the last 3 years
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Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of
Canada
Be enrolled in, or intend to apply to, the U of R
Have completed, as of December 31, 2013,
between zero and 12 months of full-time studies
Not have previously held a CGS M
To be eligible to apply, students must have
achieved a first-class average (80%) in each of
the last two completed years of study (full-time
equivalent).
Submit an application to only one tri-council
agency
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You must ensure that you apply to the
appropriate tri-council agency
If you are unsure, please ask your supervisor
or myself and we can help you pick the right
one
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A change from previous years: awards are no
longer portable
This means that if you are awarded a CGS M
at the U of R, you must take up the award at
the U of R
Students can apply for awards at up to 5
universities which means a student could
receive multiple awards – but must pick only
one institution to study at
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Consists of the following:
◦ Main application
◦ Attachments
 Outline of proposed research
 Transcripts
◦ Canadian Common CV (CCV)
◦ Invitations
 Two references required
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Apply using the Research Portal
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Asks for basic information about your current or
proposed program
You can choose up to five universities under Host
Organization; however, you can only select
universities where:
◦ You are currently enrolled in an eligible program of
study and wish to pursue your studies; or
◦ You intend to apply for full-time admission to an eligible
program of study if not currently enrolled at the
university of your choice.
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Failure to apply for admission to a program may
result in your application being removed from
the competition
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The attachment must adhere to the following:
◦ A maximum of one page can be used for the outline
of proposed research; and
◦ A maximum of one page can be used for citations.
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Provide a detailed description of your
proposed research project for the period
during which you will hold the award
If you have not decided on a specific project,
you must still give a description of a project
that interests you. You are NOT bound to
this project.
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Applicants are expected to write their own
research project independently. Ideas and/or
text belonging to others are to be properly
referenced.
Include all relevant information in the outline.
Do not refer reviewers to URLs or other
publications for supplemental information.
The document must meet presentation
standards:
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Text must be single spaced
Times New Roman, 12 pt. font
Margins at ¾” all around
Include name in page header on every page
For multipage attachments, number them sequentially
All attachments must be in PDF format
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What: Describe clearly the research challenge in your
project. Provide background information to position
your research within the context of the field. State
objectives and hypothesis.
◦ What are you going to do?
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How: Describe what you will do. Outline the
experimental or theoretical approach to be taken.
Ensure the methodology fits within the constraints of
your program.
◦ How are you going to reach your objectives?
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Why: State the significance of the proposed research
to your chosen field.
◦ Why is the research worth pursuing? What are the benefits?
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Students are responsible for obtaining their
transcripts
Transcripts must be provided by the
university – web copies are not allowed
◦ If you require certified copies of previously
submitted transcripts, please let me know
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Transcripts must be in a single PDF document
A legend (found on the back of your
transcripts) must be included with the
transcripts
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This is the first part of your application
◦ You will need to register before you can create this:
https://ccv-cvc.ca/loginresearcher-eng.frm
 This login will be different than the one used for the
research portal where you will complete your CGS
application
◦ Once logged in, you will choose CV
Funding
CGS-Master’s
◦ Complete instructions are available on the website
at: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ResearchPortalPortailDeRecherche/InstructionsInstructions/CCV_CGSM-CVC_BESCM_eng.asp
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Main Categories:
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Personal Information
Education
Recognitions
Employment
Research Funding History
Activities
Memberships
Contributions
There are many sub-categories – make sure
you leave enough time to complete the whole
CCV
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Each application must be accompanied by
two Reference Assessments
They CANNOT be completed by a proposed
supervisor unless that person is, or has been,
your supervisor
Both assessments should be from people very
familiar with your research and other abilities
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The reference letter needs to present an
accurate and complete picture of your
achievements and research potential
The more information a referee has to draw
from, the better the case for support he/she
can make for you. Give them:
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Research proposal
A list of publications
A list of scholarships
A list of any other notable achievements
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Referees receive a notification e-mail that
they need to complete a reference letter.
Make sure you send them information about
you before they write their letter
Make sure you give your referees as much
time as possible. Without these letters, your
application will be considered incomplete
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Your application is submitted online
You do not need to submit a paper copy to
FGSR or your academic unit
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Academic Excellence – 50%
◦ Transcripts
◦ Scholarships received
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Research Potential – 30%
◦ Research proposal
◦ CCV
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Personal Characteristics and Interpersonal
Skills – 20%
◦ CCV
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While filling out your application, it is
important to remember how your application
will be assessed
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Academic Excellence (50%) – as demonstrated
by past academic results, transcripts, awards
and distinctions:
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Academic record (first class average – 80%)
Scholarships and awards held
Duration of previous studies
Type of program and courses pursued
Course load
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Research Potential (30%) – as demonstrated by
the applicant’s research history, his/her interest
in discovery, the proposed research, its potential
contribution to the advancement of knowledge in
the field, and any anticipated outcomes:
◦ Quality and originality of contributions to research and
development
◦ Relevance of work experience and academic training to
field of proposed research
◦ Significance, feasibility, and merit of proposed research
◦ Judgment and ability to think critically
◦ Ability to apply skills and knowledge
◦ Initiative, autonomy and independence
◦ Research experience and achievements relative to
expectations of someone with the candidate’s academic
experience
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Personal Characteristics and Interpersonal Skills
(20%) – as demonstrated by the applicant’s past
professional and relevant extracurricular
interactions and collaborations:
◦ Work experience
◦ Leadership experience
◦ Project management including organizing conferences
and meetings
◦ The ability or potential to communicate theoretical,
technical and/or scientific concepts clearly and logically
in written and oral formats
◦ Involvement in academic life
◦ Volunteerism/community outreach
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A selection committee comprised of U of R
faculty from various academic units will be
brought together and make the final decision
on which students will receive our allocation
of awards
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Tri-Council award competitions are extremely
competitive
Make sure you read all the instructions
before, during and after completing your
application – follow the presentation
guidelines for your attachments
Look at what you will be assessed on: Did you
demonstrate it throughout your application?
Read and re-read (and get someone else to
read) your application before its final
submission
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December 1, 2013 – applications must be
submitted online
◦ Note: There is no internal deadline
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April 1, 2014 – U of R will announce the
results through the Research Portal
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Link to her website that talks about her
experiences: Link to come
Sell yourself: why is your research important?
Send your proposal to multiple people –
friends, professors, parents, etc.
She didn’t know many of the professors she
sent her proposal to but she reached out to
professors in her department and they were
happy to help
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Don’t think you have to get a tenure-track
professor to write a reference – it’s better to
find someone who can speak to your
strengths
Approach other people who have applied –
ask for feedback on your proposal
Attention to details is important
Don’t get discouraged – if you don’t apply,
you can’t get it
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Help is there if you want it
Start early – it takes more time than you think
Make sure everyone can understand what
you’re talking about
Be clear, concise and precise
Citations should relate to the proposed
research
Professional experience can be very
important – use it to help build your CV
Make your application look good – headings,
etc.