Canada Graduate Scholarship Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement

Deadline

10 September 2021 at 4:00 pm PDT

Annual Value

up to $6,000 for two to six months

Citizenship

Canadian

Permanent Resident

Degree Level

Masters

Doctoral

The Canada Graduate Scholarships - Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS) Program supports high-calibre Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences at research institutions abroad. By accessing international scientific research and training, CGS-MSFSS recipients will contribute to strengthening the potential for collaboration between Canadian and foreign institutions.

This program is available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents who hold a Tri-Agency Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) at the Master's or doctoral level or a Vanier CGS from CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC. Note that international students who hold a Vanier CGS are not eligible for this competition.

Note: The CGS-MSFSS typically has two main competitions per year, in September (Fall competition) and May (Spring competition), as well as an occasional special competition (3rd call) in January.

Travelling outside of Canada: When students are planning travel outside of Canada for university purposes, they have obligations under UBC’s Student Safety Abroad Policy (SC12). Students are required to have adequate travel medical insurance, to register their travel on UBC’s Safety Abroad Registry, and to use the resources provided by UBC to support safe travel planning and risk management. In locations where the Government of Canada has official travel advisories in place, students are required to request High-Risk Authorization before travelling. For more information, see: https://safetyabroad.ubc.ca or email safety.abroad@ubc.ca.

Eligibility

For complete eligibility criteria and program details, please review the harmonized program description hosted on NSERC’s website: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/CGSForeignStudy-BESCEtudeEtranger_eng.asp

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the linkage between the CGS research goals, the activities outlined for the proposed research study period abroad, and the applicant’s future research/career goals, considering:

the significance, feasibility and merit of proposed activities at the foreign institution
the justification for the choice of host institution and/or host supervisor
the relevance and anticipated benefits of the proposed activities to the candidate’s current graduate-degree training

For reference, the program objectives are as follows:

to support high-caliber Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences abroad
to strengthen the potential for collaboration between Canadian institutions and other research institutions outside of Canada

Application Procedures

Applicants submit their application materials directly to Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies via online submission (see application submisson link below) by 4:00 pm PDT on Friday, 10 September 2021. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the following materials are submitted by the deadline:

1. Signed and dated CGS-MSFSS application form

Each agency has its own application form and instructions, and care should be taken to ensure that the appropriate form is used. Please obtain the application form from the website of the funding agency from which you received your CGS award. For example, an NSERC award holder (CGSM, Doctoral, Vanier) would apply for the MSFSS via NSERC.

CIHR: The application form is a fillable PDF (view instructions here)
NSERC: The application is available via the NSERC On-line System (view instructions here)
SSHRC: Applicants must complete the web-based application form (view instructions here) and verify it online

Note: The budget proposal is a part of the application form.

2. Outline of proposed research (maximum two pages)

Outline of proposed research while abroad, including:
- a description of your intended research activities during your study period abroad (including objectives, methodology, timelines, and expected outcomes)
- an indication as to how this relates to your main graduate research topic
- a description of the potential benefits that you will derive from the host institution in relation to your current research objectives
Refer to the following links for presentation standards (ex. font size):
- CIHR: Requirements for PDF Attachments
- NSERC: Presentation and Attachment Standards
- SSHRC: General Presentation

3. Two signed letters of support (maximum one page each)

letter of support from your current CGS research supervisor detailing their support for your research study period abroad and confirming that your proposed research aligns with the research from your CGS award
letter of support from host supervisor detailing their support for your research study period abroad and the resources they have available (financial [if any], supervision time, equipment, library access, etc.) to support your planned research activities

4. Signed consent form(s)

Please obtain the required form(s) from the appropriate funding agency website:

CIHR

The "Applicant consent form for use and disclosure of personal information provided to CIHR for peer review" must be completed and signed by the applicant.
The "Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information" form must be completed and signed by the applicant and supervisor.

NSERC

The "Terms and Conditions of Applying Form" must be completed and signed by the applicant.

SSHRC

The "Consent to Disclosure of Personal Information Form" must be completed and signed by the applicant.

ONLINE SUBMISSION

New for Fall 2021 applications: All application materials should be submitted as 1 PDF document via online submission (see link below). Applicants are strongly encouraged to collect letters from their supervisors and include all PDF documents in one online submission.

SUBMIT APPLICATION HERE

If a referee would prefer not to submit their letter to the applicant, they can email their letter to Joanne Tsui (Graduate Awards Clerk) at joanne.tsui@ubc.ca. The referee should clearly indicate in the subject line of the email "MSFSS application - [applicant name] letter of support". If a referee is emailing their letter directly, it remains the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their complete MSFSS application (including reference letters) has been submitted by the application deadline.

The PDF document should adhere to the file naming convention as specified below. AGENCY represents the funding agency from which you received your CGS award (i.e., CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC). File naming convention:

AGENCY_Last-Name_First-Name

Applicants: It is your responsibility to ensure that your application is complete by the deadline. Please follow up with your referees before the deadline as appropriate.

Adjudication Procedures

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies will review applications for eligibility and completeness and forward eligible applications to the participating funding agencies.

Results of the MSFSS Spring competition are announced by the funding agencies in mid-August. Results of the MSFSS Fall competition are announced by the funding agencies in mid-December.

Meet Award Holders

Kalysha Closson

Doctor of Philosophy in Population and Public Health (PhD)

Unpacking gender and relationship power inequities to advance sexual and reproductive health among young South African women and men in the time of COVID-19 : A youth-engaged study

Michael W Brunt

Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Animal Biology (PhD)

How perceptions of transparency influence the social acceptability of animal use in science

Evan Warner

Doctor of Philosophy in Genome Science and Technology (PhD)

Genomic and epigenomic features of prostate tumors with high metastatic potential

Jessica Archibald

Doctor of Philosophy in Experimental Medicine (PhD)

Investigating neurochemical patterns in relation to pain

Laura Stankiewicz

Doctor of Philosophy in Biomedical Engineering (PhD)

Mapping T Cell Development in the Human Thymus

Further Information

Please review the harmonized program description hosted on NSERC’s website: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PG-CS/CGSForeignStudy-BESCEtudeEtranger_eng.asp

The CGS-MSFSS Award Holder's Gulde: http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/Guides-Guides/CGSMSFSSRegs-BESCSEEMSRegs_eng.asp

For questions about UBC's MSFSS application and review procedures, please contact Joanne Tsui at joanne.tsui@ubc.ca.