Top STEM Scholarships in Canada for 2027: Complete Guide with Live Deadlines

Quick Answer: The most valuable STEM scholarship you can apply for in Canada right now for the 2027 academic year is the Schulich Leader Scholarship: $120,000 for engineering students or $100,000 for science, technology, and mathematics students. Your high school must nominate you by January 27, 2027. You then submit your application by February 17, 2027. 100 awards are given across 20 partner universities annually. At the graduate level, the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship was permanently discontinued in February 2025. It has been replaced by the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Doctoral (CGRS-D), which pays $40,000 per year for three years and is now open to international students for the first time. The CGRS-D agency deadline is October 17 annually. For Master’s students, the CGRS-M pays $27,000 for 12 months with a December 1 deadline. This guide covers every current, live STEM scholarship in Canada with verified 2026-2027 deadlines.

Key Highlights of STEM scholarships in Canada

• Schulich Leader Scholarships 2027: $120,000 (engineering) or $100,000 (science, technology, math). School nomination deadline January 27, 2027. Student application deadline February 17, 2027. Only Canadian citizens graduating from Canadian high schools or cégeps are eligible.
• Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is permanently discontinued as of February 2025. Do not apply for it. The replacement program is the CGRS-D, which launched in 2025 and pays $40,000 per year for three years ($120,000 total). International PhD students are now eligible for up to 15% of CGRS-D awards.
• CGRS-M (Master’s scholarship): $27,000 for 12 months. December 1 deadline. Administered by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC. Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only. Up to 3,000 awards given annually across all disciplines.
• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA): Pays $5,625 for a 16-week research placement. Administered by individual universities. Ideal for undergrad STEM students wanting to build a research profile before graduate applications.
• University-specific entrance awards for international STEM students: UBC International Major Entrance Scholarship (up to $40,000), UofT Scholar Award, McGill entrance scholarships ($3,000 to $12,000). These are open to international students.
• Ontario Trillium Scholarship: $40,000 per year for up to 4 years for international PhD students at Ontario universities. Extremely competitive. Applications go through the university, not directly.

The Most Important Update Before You Apply: Vanier Is Gone

If you have been researching Canadian graduate scholarships and saw the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship on older lists, stop. The Vanier CGS competition was permanently discontinued as of February 2025. The last competition results were released in April 2025 for students who applied in the 2024-2025 cycle. No new Vanier applications are being accepted. The official Vanier website now redirects applicants to the replacement program.

According to the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies, the Vanier CGS has been replaced by the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Doctoral (CGRS-D), which is part of the new Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) launched by the federal government under Budget 2024. The CGRS-D carries forward the same three selection criteria as Vanier: academic excellence, research potential, and leadership. But the value dropped from $50,000 per year to $40,000 per year, and eligibility was expanded significantly by opening it to international students.

Any scholarship list or blog that still mentions Vanier as an active application option for 2026 or 2027 is outdated. If you received advice to prepare a Vanier file, redirect that energy to CGRS-D instead.

Schulich Leader Scholarships 2027: Canada’s Top Undergraduate STEM Award

What It Pays and Who Gets It

The Schulich Leader Scholarship is Canada’s most prestigious undergraduate STEM award. Founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist Seymour Schulich, it awards 100 scholarships annually to Canadian high school graduates entering STEM programs at 20 partner universities. Engineering students compete for a $120,000 scholarship ($30,000 per year over four years). Science, technology, and mathematics students compete for $100,000 ($25,000 per year over four years). Full details are at schulichleaders.com.

The 2027 Cycle: Confirmed Live Deadlines

According to the official Schulich Leaders website, the 2027 cycle timeline is as follows:

Who Is Eligible

• Must be a Canadian citizen (not permanent residents; not international students)
• Must be graduating from a Canadian high school or cégep in the 2026-2027 academic year
• Must plan to enroll in an eligible STEM program at one of the 20 partner universities
• Must be entrepreneurial-minded, demonstrating leadership, charisma, and creativity
• Strong consideration is given to students with financial need

Who is explicitly not considered: Students whose primary focus is activism (environmental, political, or social). Students who intend to become a practicing physician, dentist, nurse, or medical researcher. The scholarship targets entrepreneurship and applied science careers, not clinical medicine.

The 20 Schulich Partner Universities

The partner universities include the University of Toronto, University of Waterloo, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Queen’s, Dalhousie, University of Alberta, York University, University of Ottawa, University of Calgary, and others. Check schulichleaders.com/universities for the full current list and the eligible STEM programs at each institution.

How to Win the Schulich Nomination at Your School

The most important thing to understand is that your high school can nominate only one student per year. If your school had a previous Schulich winner, it can nominate two students. The nomination decision is made internally by your principal and guidance counsellor. You do not apply for the nomination. You position yourself to be chosen for it.

• Start in Grade 11, not Grade 12: The typical Schulich winner has a multi-year track record of leadership and entrepreneurship, not a single Grade 12 club executive role. By late January of Grade 12, the decision is often already informally made.
• The application asks for four essays plus a one-minute video: A personal passion essay (250 words), an entrepreneurial mindset essay (250 words), a meaningful risk essay (250 words), and your top three achievements (50 words each). These cannot be written well in a weekend. Draft them in October.
• Talk to your guidance counsellor by September of Grade 12: Ask directly whether your school plans to nominate someone and what qualities they are looking for. Some schools have an internal selection process. Others decide informally. Knowing the process at your school gives you time to strengthen your position.
• Financial need strengthens applications: The scholarship explicitly gives strong consideration to financial need. Do not assume it is only for students from privileged backgrounds. Students from modest financial circumstances who demonstrate exceptional leadership have a genuine competitive advantage.

For Ontario students in Grade 11 or 12, USCA Academy’s university preparation program helps students develop the extracurricular profile and community engagement record that Schulich nominations reward alongside academic performance.

CGRS-D: The Scholarship That Replaced Vanier for PhD Students

What Changed and What Stayed the Same

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Doctoral (CGRS-D) launched in 2025 under the Canada Research Training Awards Suite. It replaced Vanier, CGS-D, and PGS-D in a single harmonized program administered across all three federal agencies (CIHR for health, NSERC for natural sciences and engineering, SSHRC for social sciences and humanities). According to NSERC’s official CGRS-D program page, the value is $40,000 per year for up to 36 months ($120,000 total).

CGRS-D 2027 Cycle Deadlines

For the 2027 funding cycle (funding commencing Fall 2027), the expected agency-level deadline based on the established annual pattern is October 17, 2026. University internal deadlines are set by each institution and are typically several weeks earlier than the agency deadline. According to University of Victoria’s announcement (July 16, 2026), the 2027 CGRS-D competition is now open. Contact your graduate program’s awards office immediately if you are a doctoral student planning to apply. Do not rely on the agency deadline alone; your university’s internal deadline is the date that matters for your application.

• Agency deadline (NSERC): October 17
• Internal university deadline: Set by each institution, typically August to October
• Results released: April 30 the following year
• Funding starts: September of the year following the award

CGRS-D Eligibility: Key Facts for International Students

International PhD students are now eligible for the CGRS-D, but with important conditions. You must be registered in a doctoral program at an eligible Canadian institution by the application deadline. Up to 15% of awards are available to international applicants nationally. You cannot apply directly to the agency; you must apply through your university. You must not have completed more than 36 months of full-time doctoral study by December 31 of the application year. Full criteria are at the NSERC CGRS-D program page.

For international students considering a PhD in Canada as part of their study pathway, USCA Academy’s international students program covers the full academic pathway from OSSD through university preparation that positions students for Canadian graduate programs.

CGRS-M: The Master’s Scholarship for STEM Students in Canada

The Canada Graduate Research Scholarship Master’s (CGRS-M) provides $27,000 for 12 months to high-achieving Master’s students across all disciplines, including STEM. It is administered by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC. Up to 3,000 awards are given annually. The December 1 deadline is firm and applies directly to the applicant through the Research Portal (NSERC), ResearchNet (CIHR), or SSHRC Online System. Results are released April 1 the following year, with alternate offers continuing until January 31.

STEM students applying for the CGRS-M should submit to NSERC for natural sciences and engineering fields. Use CIHR for health-related research disciplines. The agency you choose determines which expert committee reviews your application, so alignment between your research topic and the agency’s mandate matters.

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA): For Undergrads

The NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award pays $5,625 for a 16-week research placement with a faculty supervisor at a Canadian university. This is administered at the institutional level, not nationally. Individual universities set their own internal competitions and deadlines, typically running from January to March for summer placements. Visit your university’s awards office to confirm the specific USRA competition dates.

Why USRA matters for STEM students beyond the money: A USRA placement gives you a genuine research publication record or at minimum a research contribution to cite in graduate school applications and on applications for the CGRS-D. Students who have held USRA awards have a documented competitive advantage in doctoral scholarship applications. If you are an undergraduate STEM student in Canada, apply for a USRA in your second or third year. The experience compounds into every future application.

• Value: $5,625 per 16-week placement
• Who can apply: Undergraduate students at Canadian universities (Canadian citizens, PR, and some visa categories depending on the institution)
• When to apply: Contact your university’s faculty of science or engineering awards office in January for summer placements
• Application route: Through your supervising professor and your university’s awards office, not directly to NSERC

University-Specific STEM Scholarships Open to International Students

Federal programs like CGRS-M are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. But university entrance scholarships and internal awards are typically open to international students as well. Here are the most significant ones currently active:

Always confirm scholarship eligibility, values, and deadlines directly with each university’s financial aid office. Scholarship terms change annually and promotional information may lag behind actual current terms.

The Ontario Trillium Scholarship deserves special mention. It is specifically designed for international PhD students at Ontario universities and pays $40,000 per year for up to four years. It is administered through individual Ontario universities, and the competition is fierce. Applications typically open in January and close in March. Contact the graduate studies office at your chosen Ontario university for the 2027 competition dates. For international students building toward a Canadian PhD through an OSSD pathway, USCA Academy’s accredited Ontario high school programs are the starting point that leads to university admission through OUAC.

Women in STEM Scholarships with Active or Upcoming Deadlines

Three scholarships specifically supporting women in STEM fields are relevant for 2027 applicants. These differ significantly from general STEM scholarships in their selection criteria and are worth applying to independently:

• MPOWER Women in STEM Scholarship: CAD $1,000 to $5,000 for female international or DACA students enrolled full-time in a STEM degree at a MPOWER-supported institution in Canada. Applications open annually; visit mpower.org for current cycle dates.
• ESET Women in STEM and Cybersecurity Scholarship: CAD $15,000 for women pursuing STEM or cybersecurity degrees. This scholarship reflects ESET’s commitment to closing the cybersecurity gender gap. Check eset.com for 2027 application opening, typically early in the calendar year.
• Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship: Funds women from developing and emerging economies pursuing PhDs or post-doctoral research at institutions abroad, including Canadian universities. Check slb.com/foundation for the current cycle. Open to eligible PhD and post-doctoral women applicants with a strong research proposal.

For female international students building their STEM foundation at the high school level, USCA Academy’s OSSD science and math courses build the academic profile that scholarship committees evaluate.

How to Build a Scholarship-Ready STEM Profile Starting Now

Scholarship applications rarely fail because of eligibility issues. They fail because applicants built a strong academic record but did not build the research experience, leadership profile, and personal narrative that scholarship committees use to differentiate the top 1% from the top 5%. Here is what to do at each stage:

If You Are in High School Right Now

• Target the Schulich Leaders above everything else if you are Canadian: No other Canadian undergraduate STEM scholarship comes close in value. The January 27, 2027 nomination deadline means you need your school to know your name and profile before September 2026. Work backwards from that date.
• Build your Grade 12 marks specifically in SBI4U, SCH4U, SPH4U, and MHF4U: These four courses determine which STEM undergraduate programs you can access. Weak marks here constrain every downstream option. USCA Academy’s Grade 12 science and math courses are delivered in classes of 5 to 15 students, giving you the individual teacher access that these demanding courses require.
• Start your Schulich application essays in October, not January: The four essays and one-minute video require genuine reflection on leadership experience, entrepreneurial thinking, and meaningful risk. These cannot be produced under deadline pressure without sounding generic.

If You Are in Your First or Second Year of University

• Apply for a NSERC USRA immediately: Approach a professor whose research interests you and ask about USRA placements. Do this in January. Supervisors decide early which students they will support for USRA applications.
• Build your Canadian Common CV (CCV) profile: The CCV is used across all federal scholarship applications (CGRS-M, CGRS-D). Starting it early and keeping it updated is far easier than completing it from scratch during a deadline window.
• Identify which NSERC division covers your field: Confirm this with your supervisor and graduate advisor before applying. Submitting to the wrong agency leads to rejection for reasons entirely unrelated to the quality of your application.

If You Are a Master’s Student Targeting CGRS-D for PhD Funding

• Apply for CGRS-M this December 1: Even if you do not win, the application process forces you to write your research statement, build your CCV, and get reference letters in order. These same elements feed directly into your CGRS-D application later.
• Identify your university’s CGRS-D internal deadline now: Internal university deadlines for October 17 agency submissions often fall in August or September. Contact your graduate awards office today.

Frequently Asked Questions