Information on this page is subject to change pending updates from the agency.
Early August 2023:
- Program details available on CGS D Program website/NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship website and NSERC’s online application portal is open.
As soon as possible - September 13, 2023:
- Applicants request official transcripts through the Tri-Agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) Doctoral Scholarships – applicant transcript request form for all current and previous post-secondary institutions and upload a merged electronic file to their application.
- Deadline for students to request their transcripts through Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) is Wednesday, September 13. Late requests will not be processed.
September 13, 2023 – October 9, 2023:
- Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) locates all requested transcripts using their systems and merges all transcripts into one PDF document. This is then emailed to the applicant to upload to their application.
Note: Students are unable to submit their application until they upload their transcripts.
October 10, 2023, at 8:00 p.m. (ET)*:
- DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATION THROUGH NSERC’s ONLINE APPLICATION PORTAL – Applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered, even though the system may allow it.
- Applicants are unable to submit their applications until they are complete (which includes transcripts and references letters). Applicants must “submit” to complete the application process.
*Note: This is prior to NSERC’s deadline for direct applicants; refer to Step 2: Confirm where your application should be considered.
As soon as possible - October 13, 2023:
- GSPA saves each NSERC application to department folders in SharePoint.
- GSPA prepares spreadsheets for departments by end of day on October 13, 2023.
October 13 – 25, 2023:
- Departments review and rank their applications in SharePoint.
- NOTE: GSPA will only be confirming eligibility for those applications recommended for endorsement by the university-wide scholarship selection committee.
- Departments complete and save a copy of their ranking sheets to SharePoint for GSPA use by October 25, 2023.
October 25, 2023:
- Deadline for departments to upload their completed spreadsheets with rankings to SharePoint.
October 30 – November 6, 2023:
- GSPA gives access to the institutional selection committee members in order to review the applications that will be discussed at the selection meeting on November 9, 2023.
- Selection committee members complete and save a copy of their ranking sheets to SharePoint for GSPA use by November 6, 2023.
November 9, 2023:
- Institutional selection committee meeting to determine applicants selected for endorsement.
November 10 - 20, 2023:
- GSPA to confirm eligibility of endorsed applicants and notify applicants of corrections required.
November 21, 2023:
- GSPA to forward recommended applications to agency based on NSERC-assigned quota.
November 22 - December 2023:
- GSPA to notify department graduate co-ordinators and applicants of the application status.
By end of April 2024:
- NSERC to release results to applicants and institutions. If applicant’s contact information (email) changes after submitting their application they must inform NSERC by sending an email to schol@nserc-crsng.gc.ca no later than March 1, 2024.
Return to Waterloo's NSERC Scholarships web page
August 3, 2023
