Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
Information on this page is subject to change pending updates from the agency.
Update as of September 29, 2023: The SSHRC Doctoral application portal has been experiencing technical issues since September 26. Waterloo will be extending their institutional deadline once further information has been confirmed by the agency.
This web page relates to the fall 2023 SSHRC Doctoral Scholarships competition and the University of Waterloo's internal administration of the program. For information pertaining to the Tri-Agency Canada Graduate Scholarships Master's (CGS M) competition, please visit Waterloo's Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Canada Graduate Scholarships Master's (CGS M) website.
In fall 2019, the three national granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) harmonized the CGS D competitions. They share the same program guide, eligibility, and selection criteria, however the agency-specific doctoral awards (ex. SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship etc.) were not harmonized and continue to have their own unique program guides, eligibility, and selection criteria.
The SSHRC Doctoral Scholarships support high-calibre students engaged in doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities. There are two types of SSHRC Doctoral Scholarships available:
Applicants are automatically considered for both (if eligible) by completing an application through the SSHRC online system. The agency determines the value, duration, and type of award during the adjudication based on the applicant's eligibility. If a student is offered a CGS D but decides to undertake graduate studies at an eligible foreign university (provided they are eligible to do so), they must decline the CGS D and are alternatively awarded a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship. Specific eligibility details are available on the official CGS D Program website and the SSHRC Doctoral website.
For Fall 2023, Waterloo’s allocation of SSHRC Doctoral Scholarships is 39. This is the number of applications we can put forward to the national competition.
Recipients of a SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship who hold their scholarship at Waterloo are also eligible to receive the President’s Graduate Scholarship (PGS).
The dates below are applicable to students whose applications will be considered at Waterloo. To determine where your application should be considered, applicants must refer to Step 2: Confirm where your application should be considered in the Critical Steps section.
It is the applicant's responsibility to confirm that the minimum eligibility criteria are satisfied before they begin the application process. Some eligibility requirements for the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships differ from those of the CGS-D Scholarships. Interested applicants must review the official eligibility criteria on the SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship website and the CGS D Program website before beginning their application.
Note 1: Applicants may also be eligible to apply for the Vanier CGS; applicants MUST apply for the Vanier CGS and for the SSHRC Doctoral Scholarships separately. Details about the Vanier CGS are available on the official agency website; applicants applying for the Vanier with the intention of holding it at Waterloo should refer to Waterloo's Vanier web page for additional details. Successful applicants can only take up one award.
Note 2: Applicants who are or will be registered in a fast-track program (accelerating from a master's program into a doctoral program without obtaining the master's degree) or direct-entry PhD program (never enrolled in a master’s program), may be eligible to apply for a CGS Master's Scholarship (CGS M) for the first year of doctoral funding which could maximize their potential funding. If eligible for both a CGS M and a SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship/CGS D, then it is the applicant’s responsibility to determine which scholarship they are going to apply for.
The student’s registration status at the time of application will determine where their application will be forwarded to (and considered by); i.e., either through Waterloo, another Canadian university, or directly by SSHRC. Applicants should review the flowchart regarding “Where should I submit my application?” on SSHRC’s web page to ensure their application is submitted appropriately. Applicants who apply incorrectly will be deemed ineligible.
Transcripts are required for all programs of study listed in the SSHRC CV, including if the applicant just started their program in Fall 2023. Students are unable to submit their application until they have uploaded all transcripts to their application.
The process to obtain these transcripts is as follows:
*Applicants who are in the following situations are responsible for obtaining their own final official transcripts from previous post-secondary institutions:
Note: Students who are in the above situations and are having issues with obtaining their official transcripts must contact Miranda Bilotta in GSPA, by Wednesday, September 13, 2023 for further direction.
Applicants must follow the detailed instructions provided on SSHRC's website including how to complete the application, how to confirm the proposed research falls under the correct agency's mandate, the number of referees required, presentation standards of the free form documents, etc.
Two completed Letters of Appraisal (reference letters) are required to apply through the SSHRC Online System.
Tips for selecting referees and reference letters:
The proposed research project and doctoral program of study must be eligible within the mandate of the agency to which the application is being submitted. To confirm the proposal falls under the correct agency, applicants should refer to the Government of Canada’s website for Selecting the Appropriate Federal Granting Agency or SSHRC’s website for Subject Matter Eligibility for more details about applying to the correct agency. Applicants can only apply to one Tri-Agency competition, and it is important to ensure it is the correct one or they may be disqualified.
A complete application package includes the following sections:
For applications where the University of Waterloo is responsible for the review and ranking, the following process takes place:
*At Waterloo, the institutional selection committee is comprised of the Associate-Vice, President, GSPA (chair), both of the Assistant Vice-Presidents, GSPA, and the six Faculty Associate Deans, Graduate Studies (ARTS, ENG, ENV, HEALTH, MATH, SCI), or designates as appropriate. All reviewers are encouraged to follow unconscious bias training and are subject to the Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement for Review Committee Members, External Reviewers, and Observers.
Visit Waterloo’s SSHRC Doctoral scholarship timeline for further details on the SSHRC Doctoral Awards competition at Waterloo.
Questions regarding this competition at Waterloo can be directed to Miranda Bilotta, Manager Graduate Financial Aid & Awards in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs.
August 3, 2023; updated September 29, 2023
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within our Office of Indigenous Relations.