CGRS-D Agencies: CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC
One doctoral program, three mandates. You pick the agency that matches the research, and the first eligible CRTAS file is the one they keep.
ScholarshipUnion Editorial
2 min read
Updated Oct 6, 2026
Who owns which field
One doctoral program, three mandates. You pick the agency that matches the research. The first eligible CRTAS file is the one they keep.
Health research. ResearchNet, Common CV, sponsor assessments, signature pages, confirmation of scientific area. French page limits are longer. CIHR instructions →
Natural sciences and engineering. Form 201. Health-adjacent files must read the addendum. The research subject code assigns the committee. NSERC CGRS-D →
Social sciences and humanities, including research-creation. Web CV and Letters of Appraisal. The October 2026 direct close is 19 October 2026, 8:00 p.m. eastern. SSHRC CGRS-D →
Start here if the project sits on a border: Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency.
The rest of the suite
CGRS-M is the master’s award: $27,000 for 12 months, Research Portal, 1 December close, offers from 1 April, tenable only at eligible Canadian institutions, and limited to Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons. You may name up to three institutions. That is a different contest.
CPRA is the postdoctoral award: $70,000 per year for 24 months, with agency-specific closes (CIHR 16 September, SSHRC 10 September, NSERC 17 October). If you already hold a doctorate and want a postdoc, that is the CRTAS door — not CGRS-D, and not the closed Vanier program.
Contacts
- CIHR — support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
- NSERC — nsercscholarships-boursescrsng@nserc-crsng.gc.ca
- SSHRC — fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Quick agency check
Agency-choice filters. Yes means you are not dual-filing “just in case.”
0 of 4 answered
- 1Have you read Selecting the appropriate federal granting agency before you open a portal?
- 2If the project touches health and NSE, have you read NSERC’s addendum on health-related applications?
- 3If the project sits near SSHRC’s edge, have you read SSHRC subject-matter eligibility (and emailed them if still unsure)?
- 4Will you submit to only one of CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC this year (plus no second CRTAS program)?
Your subject-matter path is deliberate. Open that agency’s instructions next.
Do not open two portals. The first eligible CRTAS application is retained.
This is a planning tool, not an official CIHR, NSERC or SSHRC decision. Confirm the current wording on the agency sites.
Agency-prep tracker
Each agency has its own quota list, portal, and attachments.
Progress: 0% (0 of 5). This is a planning tool, not an official agency decision. Combine it with the full checklist.