Fast facts about Graduate Scholarships

Internal donor awards for the 2026 – 27 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 10, 2026 January 12, 2027
Scholarships September 25, 2026 November 20, 2026
Travel Awards January 4, 2027 February 26, 2027

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 2026 September 1, 2026 October 2, 2026
Winter 2027 January 4, 2027 February 1, 2027
Spring/Summer 2027 May 3, 2027 June 1, 2027

 

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 2027 – 28 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 (24-25 and 25-26)

Value and Duration: $27,000 – 1 year award

Application Deadline: December 1, 2026 (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: TBD (usually end of September or beginning of October)

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS/QEII-GSST)

Eligibility

  • Students entering their first or second year of graduate studies in 2027-28: 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 (24-25 and 25-26) (full-time equivalent).
  • Students entering their third year or beyond of graduate studies in 2027-28: 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 2027).

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 2027).