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Home > Students and Fellows > Award Holder’s Guide > For Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS) Holders > Policies and Requirements

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Policies and Requirements

General Requirements

To hold a Canada Graduate Scholarship - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement (CGS-MSFSS), you must:

  • currently hold an active CGS, at the master’s or doctoral level, or hold an active Vanier CGS (and be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada) and adhere to all the terms and conditions attached to that scholarship;
  • accept the terms and conditions of the supplement, as set out in this Guide, in the Notice of Award and in the program description;
  • comply with the policies and guidelines set out in NSERC’s Requirements for Certain Types of Research, including:
    • research involving humans;
    • research involving human pluripotent stem cells;
    • research requiring the use of animals;
    • research involving controlled information;
    • research involving biohazards;
    • research involving radioactive materials;
    • research activities having potential effects on the environment; and
    • other related policies;
  • comply with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Integrity in Research and Scholarship;
  • always acknowledge your granting agency’s funding assistance for your research study period abroad;
  • be registered full-time and progressing satisfactorily in a graduate studies program at an eligible institution; and
  • not hold or accept full-time employment while your award is active.

In addition,

  • supplements may be cancelled without notice if the terms and conditions under which they are granted are violated. Any payment made for a period during which you were not eligible to hold the CGS-MSFSS must be reimbursed.

Note: Your university Scholarship Liaison Officer (SLO) is responsible for the administration of this award. You must copy the SLO on all communications relevant to the award.

Acceptance or Refusal of CGS-MSFSS

  • You must notify your granting agency and SLO by e-mail of your decision to accept or refuse the supplement. Please include “CGS-MSFSS” in the subject line.
  • Your granting agency will cancel any supplement not accepted by the deadline date indicated in your notice of award.
  • Notification by telephone will not be accepted.

Payment of CGS-MSFSS

  • The supplement will be paid separately from the CGS or Vanier CGS.
  • Funds will be transferred to the university where the CGS is held.
  • The supplement will be paid in one instalment to the university.

Value of CGS-MSFSS

  • The value of your supplement is detailed in your Notice of Award to a maximum of $6,000.
  • The value of the CGS-MSFSS is based on the information and budget justification provided in your application package. The supplements are non-renewable.

Duration of the CGS-MSFSS

  • Students are expected to adhere to their research study period abroad as indicated on their application. However, should this change, please see the next section and contact your granting agency.
  • You must take up the supplement within one year of receiving the Notice of Award for the CGS-MSFSS.

Note: The research study period abroad must begin before the end date of your original master’s, doctoral or Vanier CGS.

Changes to the Proposed Research Study Period Abroad

  • You must receive approval from your granting agency before making any changes to the research study period abroad. This includes changes to the trip dates, host supervisor, host institution or proposed activities. Such requests should be made as soon as possible, preferably four weeks prior to your travel date.
  • Send an e-mail to your granting agency and SLO (include CGS-MSFSS in the subject line) and provide a brief rationale for the proposed change(s), as well as a letter or e-mail from your current and host supervisors showing support for the change.

Reporting Requirements

Within two months of completing your research study period abroad, you must ensure that your granting agency receives, by e-mail or mail, the following documents:

1. Activity report:

  • a one- to two-page report on your experience that describes:
    • the activities that were carried out and results achieved;
    • the on-going activities resulting from the research study period abroad, such as joint publications, the development of new techniques, etc.;
    • any unanticipated benefits derived from working at, or attending, the host institution in relation to your current research objectives at your Canadian institution;
    • problems encountered; and
    • advice on how the CGS-MSFSS program could be improved.

In addition, please include a short public summary (maximum half a page) of your research experience/outcomes. This could be used by the granting agencies to highlight the program benefits and should be written in language suitable for the general public.

2. Letter from host supervisor:

  • A letter or e-mail from the host supervisor evaluating your performance and summarizing the positive and negative aspects of the study period from the host supervisor’s perspective.

It is the responsibility of the award holder to request the letter or e-mail be sent directly to your granting agency (include “CGS-MSFSS” in the subject line).

Termination of CGS-MSFSS

  • If you terminate your full-time registration status or accept full-time employment before the end of the research study period abroad, you must advise your granting agency and SLO immediately for appropriate action.

Note: Exceptionally, if your trip ends before the required minimum of three months, the value of the award will be prorated to the date of your termination.

Roles and Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the Award Holder:

  • adhere to the terms and conditions of the CGS-MSFSS and CGS awards; and
  • advise your granting agency and SLO of any changes relating to your CGS-MSFSS award immediately.

Responsibilities of the Scholarship Liaison Officer (SLO):

  • administer the CGS-MSFSS awards;
  • inform students of university specific rules and requirements to which they must adhere;
  • inform students of any program changes; and
  • inform the Financial Business Officer (FBO) of any changes.

Responsibilities of the Granting Agencies:

  • notify students of the decision made about their CGS-MSFSS application in a timely matter;
  • inform SLO of the decision and the FBO of any financial matters; and
  • respond within two weeks to any request received to change any component of the proposed activities.

Taxation and Other Issues

Taxation

  • The granting agencies are unable to dispense advice on income tax matters to individual students, given the uniqueness of each award recipient's personal financial situation. Consequently, you are encouraged to seek advice from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) or from a qualified income tax specialist.
  • You are referred to two documents published by the CRA:

Insurance

  • The granting agencies are unable to assume liability for accidents, illness or losses that may occur during the research study period abroad. You are responsible for ensuring that you have appropriate insurance.
  • You are encouraged to communicate with your provincial health insurance office before leaving Canada; spending a significant length of time outside the country may impact the coverage available to you when you return.

Visa

  • The granting agencies cannot provide information on visa requirements. For information on the visa requirements of foreign countries for Canadians or permanent residents travelling abroad, please visit the This link will take you to another Web site Visas page of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Web site.

The Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act

Date Modified: 2011-04-21
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