ELIGIBILITY:

Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and international students are eligible to apply. Joint graduate research programs with a professional degree (e.g., MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD) as well as clinically-oriented programs of study, including clinical psychology, are eligible programs if they have a significant autonomous research component that leads to the completion of a thesis, major research project, dissertation, scholarly publication, performance, recital and/or exhibit that is merit/expert-reviewed at the institutional level as requirement for a completion of the program.

Regardless of disciplines, all prior doctoral-level studies that started in Canada or abroad, are considered in the evaluation of eligibility, and are considered to be continuous, full-time, and uninterrupted unless otherwise confirmed by the institution (including the summer months, unless on official leave). The Vanier-Banting Secretariat will count two months of part-time study as one month of full-time study.

All applicants must:

be enrolled full-time in a doctoral program no later than January 2026.

be nominated by only one Canadian institution;

be pursuing their first doctoral degree (including joint program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, or JD/PhD, MBA/PhD – if it has a demonstrated and significant research component);

intend to pursue, in the summer semester or the academic year following the announcement of results, full-time doctoral (or a joint graduate research program such as MD/PhD, DVM/PhD, JD/PhD, MBA/PhD) studies and research at the nominating institution; For joint graduate research programs, only the PhD portion of the program is eligible for funding.

have completed no more than 20 months of full-time study in the doctoral program as of May 1, 2025;

The doctoral program would begin after the completion of a master’s degree. The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.

have completed no more than 32 months of full-time study in the doctoral program (i.e., joint graduate research program, directly from bachelor’s, previously enrolled without obtaining master’s degree, transferring or withdrew from program), by May 1, 2025 if:

enrolled in a joint graduate research program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD, MS/PhD, DVM/PhD. Applicants in this category have access to the 32-month window whether or not they were previously enrolled in a master’s program:

The months of study are calculated starting from the date on which an applicant is officially registered in the joint graduate program. (For MA/PhD or MS/PhD, this will be the master’s registration date).

enrolled directly from a bachelor’s to a PhD program (without having been previously enrolled in another graduate program);

The months of study completed are calculated from the doctoral enrolment date.

previously enrolled in a master’s program without obtaining the degree, transferring or withdrawing from the program and subsequently starting a doctoral program.

The months of study completed are calculated from the original master’s enrolment date.

have achieved a first-class average (GPA of at least 3.5 on the U of A grading scale) in each of the last two years of full-time study (or equivalent)

not hold, or have held, a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC to undertake or complete a doctoral program.

Applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First nation, Inuit and/or Métis) are highly encouraged to apply. The U of A may nominate applicants who wish to self-identify as Indigenous without those nominations being counted towards the university quota.

BENEFIT:

Awarded at $50,000 a year for three years, the Vanier is one of Canada’s most prestigious graduate awards.