Killam Doctoral Scholarships are the most prestigious awards available to graduate students at UBC and are offered each year to the top doctoral candidates through the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral Program.
ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible to apply for Killam Doctoral Scholarship funding, applicants must have completed no more than 24 months of doctoral study as of the start date of the scholarship. Therefore, applicants to the 2027-2028 competition must have completed no more than 24 months of doctoral study as of 1 September 2027.
In cases where a student has transferred directly from a master’s program into a doctoral program without receiving a master’s degree, eligibility will be counted from the effective date of transfer to the doctoral program.
However, applicants will not receive funding past the end of their 48th month of study starting from the beginning of their Master’s degree, in cases of transfers to PhD.
Please refer to the CGRS-D eligibility for more information.*
* International students who are registered in a PhD program as of September 2026 are now eligible to apply to the CGRS-D
Evaluation Criteria
Research ability and potential – 50%
Quality of research proposal.
specific, focused and feasible research question(s) and objective(s).
clear description of the proposed methodology.
significance and expected contributions to research.
Relevant training, such as academic training, lived experience and traditional teachings.
Research experience and achievements relative to the applicant’s stage of study, lived experience, and knowledge systems.
Quality of contributions and extent to which they advance the field of research. Contributions may include: publications, patents, reports, posters, abstracts, monographs, presentations, creative outputs, knowledge translation outputs, community products, etc.
Demonstration of sound judgment and ability to think critically.
Demonstration of responsible and ethical research conduct, including honest and thoughtful inquiry, rigorous analysis, commitment to safety and to the dissemination of research results and adherence to the use of professional standards.
Enthusiasm for research, originality, initiative, autonomy, relevant community involvement and outreach.
The ability or potential to communicate theoretical, technical and/or scientific concepts clearly and logically in written and oral formats.
Relevant experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia – 50%
Scholarships, awards and distinctions (amount, duration and prestige)
Academic record:
Transcripts
Duration of previous studies
Program requirements and courses pursued
Course load
Relative standing in program (if available)
Professional, academic and extracurricular activities as well as collaborations with supervisors, colleagues, peers, students and members of the community, such as:
teaching, mentoring, supervising and/or coaching
managing projects
participating in science and/or research promotion
community outreach, volunteer work and/or civic engagement
chairing committees and/or organizing conferences and meetings
participating in departmental or institutional organizations, associations, societies and/or clubs
The College of Graduate Studies Scholarship and Awards Committee will convene an adjudication committee composed of UBC faculty members to review applications and select the top-ranked applicants.
Results are released in Spring 2027.
