NSERC website will be unavailable for a few hours on Saturday, March 23. The tri-agency Financial Data Submission and Reconciliation System (FDSR) will also be unavailable during that time. We expect service to resume the same day.
New for fall 2023: If you are applying through an eligible Canadian institution, you must confirm directly with your institution their policy on official transcripts and whether or not unofficial transcripts will be accepted as part of their internal review process. For the review process at NSERC, applications submitted with unofficial transcripts will not be rejected.
Important: form 201 must be submitted electronically.
The NSERC online system will open in late July, within five business days of the launch of the funding opportunity.
Read the relevant program description for the NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – Doctoral program or Postdoctoral Fellowships program before you complete the application.
Refer to the application process Resource videos and Frequently asked questions for applicants web pages for more information.
Use form 201 if you are applying for
If you are interested in a Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral (CGS D), apply for a PGS D. There is no separate application form or process for the CGS D program. If your application is one of the highest scored applications, you will be offered a CGS D.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your eligibility to apply, communicate with NSERC staff well in advance of the application deadline by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
If you are applying through an institution, you must submit your application by the deadline set by the institution. If you are applying directly to NSERC, you must submit your application before 8:00 p.m. (ET) on October 17. If the deadline falls on a weekend or on a federal statutory holiday, applications must be submitted before 8:00 p.m. (ET) the following business day.
If you are contacting your current and/or former institution(s) to obtain supporting documentation (for example, transcripts and proof of registration, reports on the applicant, etc.), remember that it may take time for them to provide you with the information requested. It is advisable to plan ahead and obtain these documents in time to submit your application by the deadline.
For the PGS D program, you must apply either through a Canadian institution or directly to NSERC depending on your registration status at the application deadline date and/or your registration status in the calendar year of application. Failure to submit through the correct channel will result in your application being rejected. The majority of applications are submitted through a Canadian institution. If you have questions, communicate with NSERC staff well in advance of the application deadline by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Refer to the Where should I submit my application? flowchart, the Application procedure section of the CGS D program web page and the Application profile section of this page for details.
When completing the Application profile section of form 201, you will be asked to indicate your current status. This status determines the channel through which your application will be submitted. Application deadline dates are different in each scenario. Refer to the NSERC PGS D program web page for details.
For the PDF program, applications must be submitted directly to NSERC.
Note: If you submit your application directly to NSERC, NSERC will acknowledge receipt of your application by email. If your application is submitted through a Canadian institution, the status of your application will be reflected on the Portfolio page of your online application.
On each page of the online application, you will find instructions and tips on how to complete your application. Some of the sections require free-form text and must be converted to portable document format (PDF) and appended electronically to the application. Documents that have been password protected cannot be read and, therefore, cannot be attached. Do not password protect documents you plan to attach to your application. The filename of a document should be fewer than 15 characters long and cannot contain special characters (excluding the underscore). It is your responsibility to allow enough time to resolve any formatting issues in advance of the deadline. Any section that is not used for its intended purpose may be redacted or removed from the application.
You are responsible for submitting a complete application that conforms to the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards. Incomplete applications and applications that do not meet presentation standards may be rejected or may be at a disadvantage in comparison to those that are complete and respect the presentation standards.
With the exception of personal contact information, NSERC will not accept any changes or updates to your application once it has been submitted, either before or after the deadline. Personal contact information may be updated by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
The collection, use and disclosure of personal information provided to NSERC is outlined in the following policy statements:
The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act. NSERC is subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The information you provide is stored in a series of NSERC data banks described in the Information about programs and information holdings page of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat website.
Title of proposal
The title may be used for publication purposes. It should describe the subject of the research for which you are seeking support. It should not contain a company or trade name. Spell out scientific symbols and acronyms.
Proposed start date of award
Indicate the date on which you plan to take up the award if your application is successful. See the Start date section of the Tri-agency research training award holder’s guide for details and available start dates.
Current status - PGS D only
You must choose one of the following that applies to your situation. This selection will determine whether your application is submitted through a Canadian institution or directly to NSERC. Failure to submit an application through the correct channel will result in your application being rejected.
Options for applying directly to NSERC:
Options for applying through an eligible Canadian institution:
Refer to the Where should I submit my application? flowchart and the Application procedures and Quotas sections of the CGS D program web page for more details.
If you have questions about choosing the correct submission channel, email NSERC staff at schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca for guidance.
Personal identification number (PIN)
All NSERC applicants have received, or will receive, an NSERC PIN. Refer to your PIN each time you apply for an award and in future correspondence with NSERC. If you have not previously applied to NSERC, leave the field blank and a PIN will automatically be assigned to you by the online system. If you have previously applied to NSERC and do not remember your PIN, contact the online services helpdesk. If you have your PIN, log on the NSERC online system. Then, go to the eConsole web page, select Maintain user profile under Account management and enter your PIN. It will then appear on the Person profile page of your application.
Note: Your NSERC PIN is different from your application ID. Every application created and submitted is assigned a unique application ID while your NSERC PIN remains the same.
Collection of self-identification data
Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strengthen research communities and the quality, social relevance and impact of research. Self-identification data provides information on the diversity of the population applying for and receiving agency funds. This data is important for monitoring our programs and informing measures to increase EDI among all those involved in the research enterprise. You are asked to complete two sets of self-identification questions prior to submitting your application: a self-identification questionnaire, whose data is used for general statistical purposes and additional consent questions, whose data may be used to improve equity in funding outcomes and/or to identify recipients for targeted scholarship and fellowship funding opportunities.
Self-identification questionnaire:
Self-identification statement:
Additional consent questions:
* “Indigenous peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. “Aboriginal peoples” is also often used as a synonym. For the purposes of this program, NSERC uses the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982 definition of Aboriginal peoples as including the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples of Canada.
If your current mailing address is temporary, indicate the leaving date. If your address changes after submitting your application, inform NSERC by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca.
Include only current and past programs.
For PGS D, you must provide transcripts for every degree listed in this section.
For PDF, include transcripts of doctoral studies only.
Refer to the detailed requirements in the Transcripts and proof of registration section below for more information.
Indicate how you gained the experience (for example, during a program of study).
Scholarships and other awards offered
List only competitive awards based on academic or research excellence and/or leadership or communication abilities (including NSERC awards and declined awards). You may list up to ten awards, starting with the most recent. If a listed award has an associated monetary value, list the full monetary value, not the annual stipend.
PGS D
Specify a maximum of three proposed locations of tenure. You may take up your PGS D at any eligible Canadian institution. You may also take it up at any eligible foreign institution, provided you have received a previous degree from a Canadian institution.
CGS D awards are only tenable at an eligible Canadian institution. If you are offered a CGS D award but decide to take it to an eligible foreign institution, and are eligible to do so, you must decline the CGS D award to be offered a PGS D award in its place.
Refer to the Proposed location(s) of tenure section of the PGS D program web page for more information.
Note: Under Program of study, indicate the complete, exact title of the proposed program (for example, PhD in psychology – cognitive psychology). Consult the Eligibility criteria for students and fellows web page for information on eligibility of the proposed program.
Specifications regarding programs of study: Joint programs with a professional degree (for example, MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD) as well as clinically oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, may be eligible. For more information, visit the Program of study section of the CGS D program web page.
Specify a maximum of three proposed locations of tenure. If your PhD was granted by an institution outside of Canada, only locations of tenure within Canada are eligible.
Refer to the Proposed location(s) of tenure section of the PDF program web page for more information.
Note: You may not be supervised by your PhD supervisor during your PDF award, even if your supervisor has moved to a different research institution.
PDF only
In the Scholarship or fellowship information page of your application, provide the required information.
In the Thesis information page of your application, provide the full title and summary of your most recent thesis completed. If you have not completed a thesis at the bachelor’s or master’s level, please provide the full title and summary of your in-progress thesis. If you are describing an in-progress thesis, include only work that has already been done; do not repeat the information provided in the Outline of proposed research section.
For PGS D, describe your bachelor’s (honours) or master’s thesis in this section. If you did not complete a previous thesis, you may describe one of your major research projects or papers, or you may describe the work done to date on your doctoral degree.
For PDF, describe your doctoral thesis in this section.In the Keywords and research subject code page of your application, choose up to ten keywords and the research subject code that most closely corresponds to your proposed research. These keywords help NSERC staff assign your application to the most appropriate selection committee members for review. The keywords may also be used to identify candidates for certain supplements. Consult the supplement descriptions (refer the postgraduate programs and the postdoctoral programs web pages) for more details.
Each NSERC scholarships and fellowships selection committee is associated with a specific set of research subject codes and research disciplines. The research subject code entered on your application will determine the selection committee in which your application will be evaluated. Consult the List of research subject codes for scholarships and fellowships web page.
NSERC may assign your application to a different selection committee if it determines that the subject matter is more appropriate for another selection committee. Should this happen, you will be contacted by email.
Note: If your research is in animal biology and psychologyConsidering EDI in the research process, where relevant, promotes research excellence by making it more relevant to society as a whole, more ethically sound, rigorous, reproducible and useful. You are invited to consider your work through a critical EDI lens by systematically examining how diversity factors such as sex (biological), gender (socio cultural), race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, geographic location, among other possible relevant factors, and their intersections may affect the research questions, design, methodology, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of results. Incorporating EDI considerations in your proposal, where relevant, can strengthen your proposal and will be taken into consideration by the selection committee members during review.
NSERC acknowledges that EDI considerations may not be applicable in the context of some research projects, but nonetheless encourages you to fully consider their relevance, as they apply to more areas than one might think. Generally, research that involves or impacts human subjects, organisms capable of differentiation, or their tissues or cells can benefit from such considerations. It is important to thoroughly reflect on the type of data collected and who might be impacted by the research findings before concluding that EDI considerations are not relevant. For more information consult the Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations at each stage of the research process section of the NSERC guide on integrating equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in research web page.
In the Equity, diversity and inclusion considerations in the research process page of your application, you will be asked if EDI considerations have been taken into account at any of the stages of the research process for your proposed research. The stages of the research process include: research questions, design of the study, methodology, data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of results.
If you answer “Yes,” you should ensure that you include the relevant EDI considerations in your proposal and use the text box to explain your answer.
If you answer “No,” you will be provided with a text box to explain why EDI considerations have not been taken into account.
Important notes:
In the Outline of proposed research section of your application, provide the requested information according to the guidelines and format standards outlined in the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards web page.
Provide a detailed yet concise description of your proposed research project for the period during which you are to hold the award. Be as specific as possible. Provide background information to position your proposed research within the context of the current knowledge in the field. State the significance of the proposed research to a field or fields in the NSE. State the objectives and hypothesis, and outline the experimental or theoretical approach to be taken (citing literature pertinent to the proposal) and the methods and procedures to be used.
In addition:
PGS D only
NSERC expects you to properly reference ideas or text belonging to others. Use this section to list references to works that are cited in or directly relevant to your Outline of proposed research (that is, do not list additional or unnecessary references to fill up the space). Follow the citation conventions that are appropriate to your research discipline or field.
This section is used by NSERC staff only. It is not shared with the selection committee.
Complete this section if your research has any link, overlap or relevance to health or social sciences and humanities (for example, psychology, management studies, geography, physical education, biomedical engineering, health sciences, bioinformatics, biostatistics, etc.). Use this section to explain, in plain language, why you have chosen to apply to NSERC as opposed to one of the other federal granting agencies (Canadian Institutes of Health Research [CIHR] or Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council [SSHRC]). Describe the NSE research challenges of the project on which you propose to work during the tenure of your scholarship or fellowship. Clearly explain what you will be doing and why it should be considered research that is predominantly NSE.
It is strongly recommended that you refer to the Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency web page and the Addendum to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health web page for more information about the agencies’ mandates. Give particular attention to the guidelines for the eligibility of applications related to health and psychology, if they are applicable to your research. For important information about the eligible fields of research, consult the Eligibility criteria for students and fellows web page, including the Eligibility criteria for proposed research and programs of study section.
In cases where the proposed research is deemed to fall within the mandate of either CIHR or SSHRC, NSERC may reject your application. If you or your supervisor have received previous funding from NSERC, this does not mean that you are automatically deemed eligible for continued NSERC funding. As you advance in your studies, if the focus of your research changes from NSE to the health or social sciences and humanities areas, you may no longer be eligible for NSERC support.
Note: Proposals that include the use of methodologies, tools, techniques and knowledge from NSE are not automatically considered eligible for NSERC support. The proposed research must clearly be intended to advance knowledge in NSE.
San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
NSERC is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA). To promote NSERC’s support of research excellence in Canada and incorporate the principles of DORA, NSERC has developed Guidelines on the assessment of contributions to research, training and mentoring. The guidelines highlight NSERC’s commitment to excellence in research funding and aim to ensure that a wide range of research results and outcomes are considered and valued as part of the assessment process.
In the Contributions and statements section of your application, provide the requested information according to the guidelines and format standards outlined in the NSERC online presentation and attachment standards web page.
Given the page limits, be selective and summarize information where appropriate. You must provide information in the three parts listed below. The maximum number of pages you are permitted to use in total, for all three parts, is
Provide the required information using the specified headings below in the order indicated.
Part I – Contributions to research and development
Begin with your most recent contributions and list each entry on a new line. Do not include any contributions that are currently in preparation or articles on which you do not appear as an author. Use the following headings in the order indicated:
Use the following format:
Example
I. Contributions to research and development
a. Articles published or accepted in peer-reviewed journals
Li, H., Surname, X.X., and Kay, M. (1994) Protein-structure interactions in cell membranes. Journal of Biological Chemistry. 269: 1120-1124 (PhD work).
Notes:
Members are asked not to obtain extra information (such as seeking updates to the publication status of research papers or visiting external websites linked to within the free-form sections) for the applications they are reviewing.
Technology transfer letter
Many contributions to industry or other end-users take the form of technical or internal reports that are confidential, to protect proprietary information, or are subject to patent or copyright protection. If your record includes contributions of this kind, and these cannot be elaborated upon in your application for confidentiality reasons, you may include a one-page letter from the institution or company involved, attesting to the confidential nature of this contribution. If you are applying directly to NSERC, you can send the letter separately from your application to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca. If you are applying through a Canadian institution, you must send the letter to your faculty of graduate studies (or its equivalent).
You must forward the following instructions to the individual writing this letter:
Part II Most significant contributions to research and development
From the contributions listed in Part I, choose up to three that you judge to be your most significant contributions to research and development. Comment on the importance of these contributions to the research area.
For each contribution:
Part III – Applicant’s statement
In this section, group your comments under the following headings:
Describe your professional, academic and extracurricular activities, interactions, and collaborations that best demonstrate your relevant experiences and achievements obtained within and beyond academia. Examples of these include
Describe your professional, academic and extracurricular activities, interactions and collaborations that best demonstrate your relevant communication, interpersonal and leadership skills. Examples of these include
For uploading purposes, all three parts of the Contributions and statements section must be saved into a single PDF file.
Describe any special circumstances that have had an effect on your performance or productivity. This includes delays in disseminating research results due to health problems, family responsibilities, parental leave, disabilities, trauma and loss or other applicable circumstances. Explain any gaps in the chronology of your experience (including relevant employment). This section can also be used to describe the impact of COVID-19 on any aspect of the application. Describe any special circumstances that may have delayed, disrupted or interrupted studies or research, or otherwise affected the performance on which the assessment for funding will be made.
The description of special circumstances should include the following information as needed:
Note: You should avoid identifying other individuals in this section.
The selection committee members are asked to recognize delays and assess the quality of your performance and productivity during your active period (that is, excluding the period of special circumstances). If your supervisor is unable to provide you with a report on the applicant, you may use this section to provide an explanation.
IMPORTANT
If you are applying through an eligible Canadian institution, you must confirm directly with your institution their policy on official transcripts and whether or not unofficial transcripts will be accepted as part of their internal review process. For the review process at NSERC, applications submitted with unofficial transcripts will not be rejected.
Transcripts are a mandatory requirement to demonstrate eligibility. Applications that do not adhere to these instructions and guidelines may be rejected.
For PGS D applications, transcripts are an integral part of the material reviewed by selection committee members.
If you are registered in a degree program in the fall session of the year of application, you must provide a transcript that demonstrates registration in your program.
If your institution does not issue transcripts or your program does not have course work, you must still provide a transcript or proof of registration.
Carefully review the detailed instructions below for both general and program-specific requirements.
General guidelines and requirements:
A complete application includes a copy of all up-to-date official transcripts and proof of registration, where applicable. NSERC will not accept transcripts and proofs of registration submitted under separate cover. Incomplete applications may be rejected.
In addition:
It is your responsibility to ensure that your transcripts are complete and legible once uploaded. This is particularly relevant for transcripts with security features in place to prevent duplication. In all cases, you are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete by reviewing and previewing the final version of the online application before it is submitted to NSERC. Updates to your application package will not be accepted after submission.
PGS D requirements:PDF requirements:
Additional supporting documents
You must provide additional supporting documents if your institution does not provide transcripts or if one of the following situations applies to you:
The additional supporting documentation can be a certificate of matriculation, a letter bearing the official institution seal/stamp or a letter signed by the dean of graduate studies that confirms the missing information.
This document must confirm:
Troubleshooting attaching PDF documents
If the size of your transcript attachment is not accepted by the system, the following message may appear: “PDF must be in 8.5” x 11” (216 mm x 279 mm) format.”
To resolve this issue, please try the following:
If you are still experiencing difficulties, contact online services helpdesk by sending an email to webapp@nserc-crsng.gc.ca or by calling 1-855-275-2861. Include your email address and telephone number in your message.
Each application submitted to NSERC must be accompanied by two reports on the applicant.
The reports must be completed by persons capable of making an informed assessment.
For additional guidance on selecting a strong reference, refer to Video 9 of the Scholarships & Fellowships program application tutorials: Advice and tips for writing an application.
What you should do:
This page offers three functionalities:
Before you can submit your application to NSERC, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions of applying that appear in a pop-up window during the submission process. By signing the terms and conditions, you attest that the information included within your application file is accurate and complete. It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the agreed terms and conditions for your records.
The signatures of the institutional authorities (if applicable) certify that
Use the following lists to make sure your application for a PGS D or PDF (form 201) is complete.
PGS D complete application | PDF complete application |
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