Canada Research Training Awards Suite – Research Travel Supplements (CRTAS-RTS)

Overview and objectives

The Canada Research Training Awards Suite – Research Travel Supplements (CRTAS-RTS) provide additional funding to active master’s and doctoral award holders to help offset the costs of undertaking research travel within Canada or outside Canada for a defined period.

The CRTAS is administered by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), NSERC and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and aims to support the next generation of innovators by providing funding and high-quality research training, cultivating research skills, fostering creativity and empowering awardees to make significant contributions to Canada’s research ecosystem, economy and prosperity.

Expandable List

The value of a CRTAS-RTS is $9,000 and is non-renewable. A total of 250 supplements are available each year: 45 allocated to CIHR, 80 to NSERC and 125 to SSHRC. Additional supplements may be awarded should funds become available.

The CRTAS-RTS supports a minimum of two months (59 days) and a maximum of six months (184 days) of research travel.

You must start your research travel:

  • on or after the application deadline date
  • during an active master’s or doctoral award
  • within one year of receiving the notice of award for a CRTAS-RTS

You cannot take up a CRTAS-RTS during an interruption of your master’s or doctoral award.
If you begin your research travel before results are announced, the agencies are not liable for any costs incurred if the application is not funded or is deemed ineligible.

  • McMaster internal deadline for application’s institutional approval and signature: June 1, 2026.
  • CRTAS-RTS – Final direct electronic secure submission by applicant: June 10, 2026

Late applications will not be accepted. Should additional funding be available, the agencies may announce a second intake with a deadline of October 10.

Note: Supplements will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. We strongly recommend that you complete and submit your applications as early as possible.

To be eligible to apply for this supplement, you must:

  • be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)
  • have accepted or currently hold a master’s or doctoral award from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC (including a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship)
  • begin your proposed research travel on or after the application deadline date
  • not have held or be currently holding a Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS)
  • not hold a CRTAS-RTS more than once

You may apply more than once for a CRTAS-RTS if you were unsuccessful in previous competitions or declined a previous CRTAS-RTS offer.

Eligible master’s and doctoral programs include:

  • Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral program
  • Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship – Doctoral program
  • Canada Graduate Scholarship – Master’s program
  • CIHR Doctoral Foreign Study Award
  • NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – Doctoral program
  • SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships program
  • Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program

If your master’s or doctoral award is held in Canada, the supplement must be for research outside of Canada. If your doctoral award is held outside Canada, the supplement must be used for research in Canada.

Eligible host institutions include universities, interuniversity research centres, international or national research institutes or laboratories, or other institutions with a research mandate. If your doctoral award is held outside Canada, you cannot hold the supplement at a Canadian federal government research institution.

A host supervisor must be a researcher affiliated with and employed full-time at the proposed eligible host institution. Research assistants and postdoctoral researchers are not eligible to be host supervisors.

If you are unsure about the eligibility of a particular host supervisor or host institution, contact the appropriate federal granting agency prior to submitting your application.

 

The CRTAS-RTS covers costs associated with travel, living and other logistical expenses. Costs directly related to the research must be covered by other funding sources.
The following are examples of appropriate expenses for a CRTAS-RTS:

  • travel and accommodation (for one round trip)
  • meals
  • tuition at the host institution
  • travel or study visas
  • insurance
  • disability accommodation directly attributable to the research travel, provided the expense is not already covered

How to apply

A complete application includes the CRTAS-RTS application form and the signed terms and conditions of applying.

Part 1 – Award holder information

  • complete all fields in this section
  • if your PIN is unknown, leave the field blank
  • inform the agencies if your address or contact information changes after submitting your application

Part 2 – Current award and institution information

  • indicate the federal granting agency that offered your current award
  • select, from the drop-down list, the type of award that you currently hold or that you will take up before the start date of your research travel
  • indicate the start and end dates of your current award

Part 3 – Project information

  • enter the title of your research proposal, which will be used for publication purposes. The title should describe the subject of the research for which you are seeking support, not contain a company or trade name, and spell out scientific symbols and acronyms
  • complete the fields for the start and end dates and the number of months of support requested for your proposed research travel
  • indicate the location of your proposed research travel. The location in this section may be different from the host supervisor’s home institution, for example, if the research takes place at a field station, observatory or similar research site

Part 4 – Current supervisor information and confirmation of approval

  • provide information for your current master’s or doctoral award research supervisor
  • your research supervisor must confirm that the proposed activities align with your master’s or doctoral award research by checking the box on the application form
  • your research supervisor must sign and date the form

Part 5 – Host supervisor information and confirmation of approval

  • provide information for your supervisor at the host institution
  • your host supervisor must confirm that the proposed research can be conducted at the host institution and that they have experience supervising graduate student researchers by checking the boxes on the application form
  • your host supervisor must sign and date the form

Part 6 – Confirmation of institutional approval

To be completed and signed by the applicant’s Department Chair/Graduate Chair (authorized institutional official), only after the application is complete, including signatures in parts 4 and 5.

  • provide the name of the current institution where your master’s or doctoral award is held
  • the authorized institutional official must confirm that the institution has approved the research travel by checking the box on the application form
  • the authorized institutional official must complete their name, title, sign and date the form

Part 7 – Description of the proposed research activities

To be completed by the applicant; maximum two pages.

  • write in plain language; your description should be readable by someone with a background in the discipline but no specific knowledge of the particular field of research
  • the detailed description must include the following:
  • your proposed research activities during your research travel, including specific objectives, methodology and expected outcomes and how these activities relate to and enhance your graduate research studies supported by your master’s or doctoral award
  • the potential benefits you will derive from working at the host institution and with the proposed host supervisor in relation to your current research objectives.
  • timelines for your research travel, including the start and end dates for the tasks involved to complete the proposed research activities

Before you submit your application

  • Before you can submit your application, you must read and agree to the terms and conditions of applying and confirm your agreement by signing and dating the terms and conditions of applying.
  • It is your responsibility to retain a copy of the terms and conditions for your records.
  • Submit your complete application electronically as a single portable document format (PDF) file.
  • Submit your completed application via Secure submission

Note: You must also upload a copy of your completed application to MacDrive for the School of Graduate Studies records. 

The agencies will review the applications received for eligibility and completeness. Supplements will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

 

The supplement is paid separately from your master’s or doctoral award.

  • If your master’s or doctoral award is held at a Canadian institution, the agency will transfer the funds in one instalment to the institution and you will receive the funds through the institution. Contact your Scholarship Liaison Officer (SLO) for details. Your SLO must be copied on all relevant communications regarding the supplement.
  • If you hold a doctoral award outside Canada, the agency will transfer the funds in one instalment directly to you.

The agencies will send results within two months of the application deadline.

If your master’s or doctoral award is held at a Canadian institution, the agencies will also notify the institution.

You must notify the agency of your decision to accept or decline the award by the deadline indicated in the notice of award sent by the agency.
Any supplement not accepted by the deadline indicated in the notice of award will be cancelled.

The agencies will publish the names (and other basic award information) of supplement recipients on their respective websites. For more information, refer to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.

Upon receiving a CRTAS-RTS offer from one of the agencies, recipients are expected to abide by the terms and conditions of the award.

To hold a supplement, award holders must:

  • accept the terms and conditions of the supplement as set out in the notice of award (including attachments) and in the supplement program description
  • hold an active master’s or doctoral award and be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada, or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) and comply with all the terms and conditions attached to that award
  • be registered in a graduate studies program at an eligible institution
  • comply with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and with the policies and guidelines regarding animal care and biohazards
  • comply with the policies outlined in the Tri-agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research
  • acknowledge, wherever possible, the funding assistance of CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC for the research travel
  • take up the supplement within one year of receiving the notice of award for the CRTAS-RTS
  • return to complete their degree at the institution where they currently hold an active master’s or doctoral award
    submit an activity report to the agency (see Reporting requirements)

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 supplement must be reimbursed.

The information you provide in your application is collected under the authority of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act, as applicable.

The collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of your personal information are outlined in the following policies and legislation:

• the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
• the Data retention information
• the Privacy notice

Changes to the proposed research travel include changes to the trip dates, the host supervisor, the host institution and/or the proposed activities.

Before requesting any changes to your proposed research travel, you must obtain approval from both your current master’s or doctoral award research supervisor and your host supervisor. These approvals can be provided by email from both parties.

To request a change, send an email to the agency and the SLO (if your master’s or doctoral award is held at a Canadian institution) with the approvals attached and provide a brief rationale for the proposed change(s). The agency will review your request and provide a response.

Trip date changes of less than one month do not need to be reported.

Within two months of completing your research travel, you must submit an activity report to the agency (maximum two pages). The report must include:

  • the activities carried out and results achieved
  • any ongoing activities resulting from the research travel, such as joint publications or the development of new techniques
  • any unanticipated benefits derived from working at, or attending, the host institution in relation to your current research objectives
  • any problems encountered during the research travel
  • the start and end dates of your research travel
  • confirmation from your current master’s or doctoral award supervisor that they have reviewed the report (either with a signature in the report or an email confirmation)

If you terminate your master’s or doctoral award before the start of the research travel, you must immediately advise the agency and SLO (if applicable).

If your research travel ends before the required minimum of two months, the value of the award may be prorated to the termination date.