Internal donor awards for the 2025 – 26 academic year
Most awards are available in AwardSpring. You can access AwardSpring from the tile on your Mosaic home page.
What is available and what are the deadlines
| Awards | Application Open Date | Application Closing Date |
| Bursaries and academic grants | August 11, 2025 | January 14, 2026 |
| Scholarships | September 26, 2025 | December 2, 2025 |
| Travel Awards | January 5, 2026 | February 27, 2026 |
About internal donor awards
- Most awards are research based, with a small number of awards available to course-based programs.
- International students are eligible for merit-based awards only – unless otherwise stated in the award terms.
GSA Travel
To qualify for a GSA Travel award, travel must take place in the term of the application.
| Term | Application Open Date | Application Close Date |
| Fall 2025 | September 2, 2025 | October 3, 2025 |
| Winter 2026 | January 5, 2026 | February 5, 2026 |
| Spring/Summer 2026 | opens May 1, 2026 | June 2, 2026 |
External Awards
A list of external awards can be found in our Scholarships database.
IMPORTANT: This list is not exhaustive.
Federal and provincial funding competitions for the 2026-27 academic year
Tri-Agency Scholarships
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) – Master’s
Eligibility
- Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)
- Minimum GPA 10/12 (A-, 80%) in the last two completed years of study (23-24 and 24-25)
Value and Duration: $27,000 – 1 year award
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025 (Tri-Agency deadline)
Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) – Doctoral
Eligibility
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident, protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), and International Students (must be enrolled in their doctoral program of study at an eligible Canadian institution at the time of application).
Value and Duration: $40,000 per year for 3 years
McMaster internal deadline for all agencies: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS/QEII-GSST)
Eligibility
- Students entering their first or second year of graduate studies in 2026-27: must have achieved a first-class average (which is an A-at McMaster or equivalent (80%, 10/12)), as determined by the host institution, in each of the last two completed years of study (23-24 and 24-25) (full-time equivalent).
- Students entering their third year or beyond of graduate studies in 2026-27: must have an overall average of at least A- or equivalent (80%, 10/12)) on all graduate courses completed.
Value and Duration: $15,000 – 1 year award
Master’s students who apply for a CGS-M at McMaster University will automatically be considered for an OGS or QEII-GSST through the central Master’s competition. For incoming Master’s students who apply for a CGS-M, please remember to choose McMaster as one of the three universities to where you would like to submit your CGS-M application.
For students who are not eligible for the CGS-M (or who do not receive a CGS-M) and are interested in the OGS and QEII-GSST should reach out to their graduate program to be considered in their Faculty OGS Allocation (early 2026).
All eligible doctoral students who are interested in the OGS and QEII-GSST should reach out to their graduate program to be considered in their Faculty OGS Allocation (early 2026).