Fall 2019 Doctoral competitions Info session for graduate program administrators Junnie Cheung, graduate Awards Manager

Fall 2019 doctoral competitions Deadline Vanier CGS Competition Tri-Agency CGS Doctoral UBC Affiliated Fellowship Application Deadline (through UBC) 5 September 2019 17 September 2019 Graduate Program Deadline 24 September 2019 11 October 2019 Agency Deadline 6 November 2019 21 November 2019

Common terms and ACRONYMS Tri-Agency is the umbrella term used to describe the three federal granting agencies: CIHR: Canadian Institutes of Health Research NSERC: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada SSHRC: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada CGS: Canada Graduate Scholarships CGS-D: Canada Graduate Scholarships - Doctoral G+PS refers to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

Vanier cgs competition

Vanier cgs - program overview Value: $50,000 per year Duration: 36 months Tenure: Applicants must be nominated by the institution at which they want to study Eligibility criteria: Vanier CGS =/= Tri-Agency CGS-D Selection criteria: Academic excellence (33.3%) Research potential (33.3%) Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability) (33.3%)

Vanier cgs - application and nomination procedures Instructions to applicants: Remind their referees to submit their letter at least two days before the application deadline Applicants will not be able to complete their application until all 4 letters have been successfully completed or uploaded

Vanier cgs - application Package A ResearchNet application form (includes two [academic] letters of reference) A Canadian Common CV (CCV) - use the Vanier-Banting Academic template Research Contributions (max 1 page) Personal Leadership Statement (max 2 pages) Two leadership letters of reference (max 2 pages) Research Proposal (max 2 pages) Project References (max 5 pages) Two [academic] letters of reference: to be completed by referee via ResearchNet Two leadership letters of reference: on institutional letterhead and must contain a signature To be provided to applicant as PDF document To be uploaded by applicant to ResearchNet

Vanier cgs - graduate program review Now: Assemble your internal review committee (Who will write the nomination letter?) By Sep 9th: Application materials and resources (include quotas) will be available By Sep 24th: Review application files for eligibility: months of studies (Vanier CGS =/= Tri-Agency CGS-D) If applicable, prepare a cover memo listing your nominees in rank order For each nominee, submit the following via Workspace to G+PS: Nomination letter Research training environment Rationale for recruiting the candidate Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Scanned copies of up-to-date, official transcripts for all post-secondary studies (including one copy of transcript legend/key per institution) as a single PDF

Vanier cgs - application revisions Grad program (internal review committee) may have suggestions for their nominees on improving their application materials. Is it possible for a student to revise/update their application before grad program submits their application to university-level adjudication (i.e., the Sep 24 deadline)? Yes, if necessary Instructions to grad program staff: Communicate the changes required to your student(s) Email the name of your student(s) to junnie.cheung@ubc.ca (request must comes from grad program, not the student) Note: G+PS will return the application via ResearchNet to the student The student will have up to 48 hours to make revisions before Sep 24

Vanier cgs - university-wide adjudication University-wide adjudication: Three adjudication committees to select UBC’s nominees CIHR: up to 24 NSERC: up to 17 SSHRC: up to 16 Total: up to 57 Late October: Nominees will have an opportunity to update their application before submission Grad program will have an opportunity to update their nomination letter before submission April 2020: Nominees will be notified by email when the results are available on ResearchNet

Vanier CGS - useful links Official description: http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html For eligibility criteria and for guidance on calculating months of doctoral studies G+PS webpage: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/vanier-scholarship For nomination procedures ResearchNet: https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca/rnr16/LoginServlet?language=E Application portal Canadian Common CV (CCV): https://ccv-cvc.ca/indexresearcher-eng.frm Part of the application

Tri-agency cgs-d Ubc affiliated fellowships

Competition overview The Affiliated Fellowships competition runs in concert with the Tri-Agency CGS-D competition:

What’s new? Application deadline University-wide application deadline: 12 PM (PDT) on Tuesday, 17 September 2019 Unlike previous years, grad programs do not set their own application deadline Students who were registered or are currently registered in a degree program at UBC during the year of application (i.e., in 2019, from Jan 1 to Dec 31) Students who are on an approved leave from their UBC degree program Instructions to grad programs: Strongly encourage your students to follow the instructions Review applications for eligibility (months of studies) and completeness (transcripts) Application files will be forwarded to adjudicators without G+PS review Application review will occur concurrently with adjudication

Tri-agency cgs-d

Tri-agency cgs-D - program overview Value: $35,000 per year Duration: 36 months Tenure: Canadian institutions only Competition: One national competition at each granting agency Applicants complete the agency application that is best aligned with their research subject matter Selection criteria: Research ability or potential (50%) Relevant experiences and achievements obtained within and beyond academia (50%)

Tri-Agency CGS-D - eligibility Applicant Open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents Eligibility window Must have completed no more than 24 months of full-time study in their doctoral program by December 31 of the year of application; Must have completed no more than 24 months of full-time study in their doctoral program if fast-track to a PhD without completing a Master’s (i.e., count from date of PhD transfer); OR Must have completed no more than 36 months if transferred directly from Bachelors to a PhD or enrolled in a joint program, e.g., MD/PhD, MA/PhD Program of study An eligible doctoral program must include a significant, autonomous research component

Tri-agency cgs-d - application materials Application requirements remain agency-specific (see the next slide) Instructions to applicants: Follow the instructions and adhere to presentation standards when preparing attachments It is the applicant’s responsibility to make sure that Up-to-date, official transcripts for all post-secondary studies are included Official record of fall 2019 registration is also included Their referees complete their reference form in advance of the application deadline Instructions to grad program staff: If you agree to compile transcripts for your students, have transcript files ready for applicants in advance of the application deadline

Tri-agency cgs-d - Application materials CIHR NSERC SSHRC Platform ResearchNet NSERC online system SSHRC online system Canadian Common CV Required, use CIHR Academic Special circumstances Not required Attachments Publication List (2 pages max) Proof of Canadian citizenship Training Expectations (2 pages max) Research Project Summary including References (1 page max) Confirmation of Scientific Area form Signature Page Research proposal (2 pages max) Bibliography (5 pages max) Contributions and statement (2 pages max) If applicable, justification(s) (1 page max each) NSERC: Special circumstances (half page max) SSHRC: Allowable inclusion (1 page max) Transcripts To be uploaded by applicant Append Doctoral Studies Timelines To be uploaded by graduate program staff References Two references required To be completed by referees online Applicants do not have access to the content of the reference forms Important note: If any discrepancies exist between this slide and official instructions, follow the latter; the purpose of this slide is to illustrate the differences among the application requirements for the three agencies.

Tri-agency cgs-d - Application instructions Program description: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/CGSD-BESCD_eng.asp CIHR application instructions: http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/38887.html NSERC application instructions: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/OnlineServices-ServicesEnLigne/instructions/201/pgs-pdf_eng.asp SSHRC application instructions: https://webapps.nserc.ca/SSHRC/Instructions-Help/docinstr_e.htm

Tri-agency cgs-d - Transcript requirements Up-to-date, official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies, including those undertaken but not completed (e.g., transfer courses and exchange terms) Grades for transfer and/or exchange credits must be shown Certified copies are acceptable UBC Academic History from SISC is acceptable for students applying through UBC* Must show 2019W registration It is also required for those who have no UBC registration prior to 2019W e:Vision transcripts must be validated and uploaded by G+PS - stamped “G+PS Official” Transcript key (legend): include one copy per institution Transcript in a foreign language must include a certified English or French translation *Official UBC transcript is required for applicants submitting directly to granting agencies

Tri-agency cgs-d - reference requirements One referee should be very familiar with the applicant’s research and abilities (e.g., current or previous research supervisor) The other should be sufficiently familiar with the applicant’s research and abilities to provide a meaningful commentary Referees should have had sufficient opportunity to assess the applicant’s research ability and potential and the relevance of their experience and achievements obtained within and beyond academia, per the selection criteria To assist referees in recognizing potential bias, recommend the Tri-Agency unconscious bias training module (19 minutes)

Harmonized CGS-D Program What are Agency-specific awards? Meritorious CGS-D applicants may also be eligible for agency-specific doctoral awards. CIHR: Encourage your students to review “Doctoral Research Award: Fall 2019 Priority Announcement (Specific Research Areas)” on ResearchNet NSERC: Students submit one application to be considered for both CGS-D and PGS-D SSHRC: Encourage your students to review “Doctoral Fellowships” on SSHRC’s website CIHR NSERC SSHRC Common award Harmonized CGS-D Program Agency-specific award Priority announcement If eligible, applicant selects up to 3 priority announcement research areas in their CGS-D application PGS-D Eligibility window and award duration are the same as those of the CGS-D Doctoral Fellowships Eligibility window differs from that of the CGS-D and award duration varies accordingly

What’s new? CIHR Institutional quota system Students apply through university (previously students applied directly to CIHR) Application process Removal of supervisor’s Canadian Common CV (CCV) from application package NSERC The duration of all doctoral scholarships (i.e., CGS-D and PGS-D) is now 36 months SSHRC Online submission of applications and letters of appraisal Removal of departmental appraisal from application package

Ubc quotas Quotas = the number of applications UBC can forward to the national competition Average of the number of successful doctoral applicants in the national competition submitted by UBC over 3 most recent years Indigenous applicants Self-identified Indigenous applicants will not be counted towards UBC’s quota CIHR applicants who wish to self-declare themselves as an Indigenous applicant should be directed to email junnie.cheung@ubc.ca NSERC and SSHRC applicants can self-declare via the online application system CIHR NSERC SSHRC 2019 85 141 2018 n/a 140 132 2017 143 129

Affiliated fellowships

What’s new? Affiliated Fellowship application in the Health Sciences Updated application form and reference form to match CIHR’s Affiliated Fellowship application in the Social Sciences and Humanities Updated application form to match SSHRC’s Reminders To determine eligibility, count all previous studies at the doctoral level Application procedures Applicants submit their application materials to their graduate program Referees submit their reference form directly to the applicant’s graduate program

Graduate program nomination procedures

Competition overview University-level adjudication will occur concurrently with G+PS application review

Proposed changes By Sep 17th: Grad program sends G+PS a list of the students applying for a Tri-Agency CGS-D By Sep 23rd: G+PS uploads application materials to Workspace and posts quotas Early October: G+PS returns applications to applicants before university-level adjudication Applicant incorporates changes as suggested by grad program / internal review committee Applicant uploads up-to-date or missing transcript By Oct 11th: Grad program submits via Workspace the following: Cover memo Nomination data sheet (Excel spreadsheet) Complete Affiliated Fellowship application packages include transcripts and reference forms

university-wide adjudication / competition results Mid-October to early November: Six adjudication committees select UBC’s nominees G+PS staff reviews application for eligibility and completeness Mid-November: If time permits, UBC’s nominees will have an opportunity to update their application before submission April 2020: Anticipated notification of results of the Tri-Agency CGS-D competitions June 2020: Anticipated notification of results of the UBC’s Affiliated Fellowship competitions