To: Graduate Department/Program Heads, Graduate Coordinators

To: Graduate Department/Program Heads, Graduate Coordinators,

and Graduate Assistants

From: Monica Corbett

Date: June 20, 2016

RE: 2017-2018 Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship (Vanier CGS) Competition

DEADLINE TO SGS: OCTOBER 13, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time)

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program is designed to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by offering them a significant financial award to assist them during their studies at Canadian universities. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health-related fields. Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier CGS, which is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years.

The scholarships are administered by Canada's three federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The three agencies have developed a joint, harmonized online application, application process and application deadline for applications to these scholarships.

The Vanier CGS can be held by doctoral students only. Applicants must be nominated by Queen’s University to be sent forward to the national competitions. Only students who will have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of May 1, 2017 are eligible to apply. Both domestic and international students who meet all eligibility criteria may be considered. Nominees must have an overall average of at least A- or the equivalent in each of the last two years of full-time study or equivalent and must not have already received a doctoral-level scholarship or fellowship from CIHR, SSHRC or NSERC to undertake or complete a doctoral degree.

Along with the details of this year’s competition, universities have been asked to provide staff, faculty and applicants with information about CHANGES to the competition for this year, as well any updates and annual reminders about the competition.

NEW THIS YEAR

International Transcripts

For applications which include international transcripts, Queen’s University must include a standard table or record that outlines our understanding of the foreign transcript. This step will be done by the School of Graduate Studies, when/if required. Student explanations of grades will not be forwarded.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

1. The nomination letter

The nomination letter must be completed and signed by the Head of the Graduate Department/Program nominating the candidate instead of the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies. The nomination letter is a critical part of the application, and it is important that the letter expresses enthusiastic support for the nominee, and that it shows how the nominee meets the specified Vanier criteria. Please see Appendix A below for more information.

2. Mobility and choice of nominating Institution

To help students benefit from diverse experiences and research environments, the Vanier Scholarship program encourages universities to support the mobility of all nominees to pursue their doctoral studies at institutions different than those where they completed a previous degree. Nominees who chose a nominating institution which is the same as the institution where they completed their previous degree(s) must provide a strong justification for this exceptional circumstance which will be assessed as part of the selection committee review process under Special Circumstances. The more similar the proposed research environment is to that of the previous degree environment, the stronger the required justification.

In the Nomination Letter, the Department Head is required to provide justification for the lack of mobility and an explanation as to why it is in the candidate’s best interest to stay at the same institution. This will include further elaboration on the appropriateness of the supervisor in terms of resources, funding, publications, their research and training environment. Examples may include (but not limited to) funding, facilities/resources and personnel that will be available to support the candidate as they carry out their proposed research and develop their leadership potential

In the Research proposal: Candidates must describe the incremental benefit conferred by undertaking their research at the nominating institution (e.g. supervisor/departmental specialization, lab facilities, funding opportunities, support structures offered/in-place).

3. Institutional endorsement: selectivity and diversity

With the competitive nature of the program in mind, the Vanier program encourages universities to continue to be selective and to nominate only our best students. We are further reminded that proposals from all research areas and in both official languages are accepted, and that gender equity is important in the nomination process.

4. Institutional Quotas

How the agencies determine each university’s allocation (the number of nominations that can be sent forward each competition), is explained here:

http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/nr-memo_note_2015-16.html

5. International Recruitment

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program’s aim is to attract doctoral students to Canada. Universities are encouraged to continue to use this opportunity to recruit new international doctoral students.

6. Subject matter eligibility (research area)

The proposed research project must be eligible within the mandate of the federal granting agency selected in the nomination, or the application will be disqualified.

The candidate and their supervisor must carefully consider which selection committee should review the application. For more details, the applicant and supervisor should review the Application/nomination instructions - Task 6: Identify area of research (http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/nomination_process-processus_de_mise_en_candidature.html#e6 ). If there is uncertainty the applicant must send an email to with a one-page summary of the proposed research to receive clarification.

THIS YEAR’S COMPETITION: Here are the details of the 2017-2018 competition and application processes.

Online Application: Applications to the Vanier CGS competition must be submitted online through ResearchNet. ResearchNet is an online system that provides a secure web portal to collect certain scholarship applications.

The online application to the 2017-2018 Vanier CGS competition is now available. Applicants should go to the following website for complete instructions:

http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/nomination_process-processus_de_mise_en_candidature.html

Applicants must have and use both a ResearchNet account, and a Canadian common cv (CCV) account, in order to complete and submit a Vanier CGS application. Full instructions are on the website

http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/nomination_process-processus_de_mise_en_candidature.html

Eligibility and Conditions: For complete details on:

·  who is eligible to apply,

·  minimum academic eligibility standards for applicants,

·  selecting the appropriate granting agency

·  review process

·  selection criteria

·  all acceptance and eligibility conditions to hold a 2017-2018 Vanier CGS,

go here: http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/eligibility-admissibilite.html

Applications submitted by candidates directly to one of the federal research granting agencies, instead of submitted through a Canadian university, will not be considered.

Only one university can submit a candidate’s nomination to an agency.If more than one university is interested in nominating a particular candidate for an award, the candidate must choose the university that will submit his/her nomination. Multiple nominations will not be accepted and will be withdrawn from the competition. Additionally, nominations that are withdrawn will count towards the university’s Vanier CGS allocation.

DEPARTMENTAL INFORMATION, 2017-2018 VANIER CGS COMPETITION

1. Queen’s University Vanier CGS quota, 2017-2018: This year, Queen’s University may nominate the following number of applications to each agency’s Vanier CGS competition:

NSERC Vanier CGS / CIHR Vanier CGS / SSHRC Vanier CGS
maximum of 8 / maximum of 5 / maximum of 8

Nationwide, only 167 Vanier CGS will be awarded between all 3 agencies in 2017-2018. This means the competition will be intense. Department/programs should ensure that their most competitive, eligible students complete and submit applications, according to the required processes and by the deadline of October 13, 2016.

2. Eligibility

a. Minimum Academic Standards for Vanier CGS applicants: Applicants must have a first class average, that is, at least A-, or the equivalent, in EACH of the last two years of full time studies or equivalent.

b. Calculating months of doctoral studies: Only students who will have completed no more than 20 months of doctoral studies as of May 1, 2017 are eligible to apply.

For students who are enrolled in the following programs, the first 12 months of graduate level study will NOT be included in the calculation of the 20 month maximum:

1. Those enrolled in a combined MA/PhD or MSc/PhD, program,

2. Those enrolled in a direct-entry doctoral program,

3. Those who are accelerated from a master's program into a doctoral program (promoted) without obtaining the master's degree.

In the case of students who are registered in a joint undergraduate/graduate research degree program, such as but not limited to the MD/PHD program, the undergraduate (MD) enrolment portion will not count towards the 20 months maximum calculation, but all enrollment in PhD level studies will be counted.

The Vanier-Banting Secretariat (the Secretariat) will count two months of part-time study as one month of full-time study. Also, all interruptions, delays, part-time studies and undergraduate studies undertaken as part of a joint undergraduate/graduate degree program must be indicated by the student in the Special Circumstances section.

3. Selection Criteria: As will be done at the national level, Queen’s University’s nominees for the national competition will be evaluated and selected based on the following 3 criteria, which will be weighted equally by the selection committee.

1. Academic excellence, as demonstrated by past academic results and by transcripts, awards and distinctions.

2. Research potential, as demonstrated by the candidate’s research history, his/her interest in discovery, the proposed research and its potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge in the field, the potential benefit to Canadians, and any anticipated outcomes.

3. Leadership (potential and demonstrated ability), as defined by the following qualities:

i. Personal achievement:

·  impactful involvement and achievement in professional programs/associations such as sports, arts, science, business etc.

·  entrepreneurial achievement (start-up company); and/or

·  foreign travel and study.

ii. Involvement in academic life:

·  mentoring/teaching;

·  supervisory experience;

·  involvement in student government and in the university community, including committees, teams, senate, boards, ethics committees, etc.;

·  project management;

·  roles in academic/professional societies; and/or

·  organization of conferences, meetings, courses etc.

iii. Volunteerism/community outreach:

·  community involvement in charity or not-for-profit organizations.

iv. Civic engagement:

·  parliamentary page positions and internships;

·  political activity; and/or

·  elected positions.

v. Other

This list is not intended to include all possible categories and is provided for guidance only.

4. Assessment of Leadership: Leadership could be assessed with the following personal and/or social skills:

i. Goal achievement:

·  a clear vision of what they want to accomplish;

·  a developed personal vision for the future that defines a impactful/meaningful change for the community or a group, cause or organization; and

·  strategizes on how to achieve desired outcomes and has specific, realistic and timely goals.

ii. Self-management:

·  knows how to prioritize and complete tasks to reach the desired outcome and is confident of success;

·  establishes learning goals and tasks;

·  reaches goals in an efficient, organized and innovative way; and

·  is constantly working on self-improvement.

iii. Integrity:

·  acts consistently with core ethical and personal values and convictions; and

·  accepts personal accountability for the consequences of their actions/decisions.

iv. Other characteristics:

·  is creative and takes initiative;

·  is curious;

·  deals well with complexity;

·  has a strong sense of reality;

·  is courageous;

·  is strategic, a big-picture thinker;

·  focuses on solutions, not problems;

·  is capable of producing extraordinary results; and

·  is able to solve real problems and create real products.

v. Social skills:

·  knows how to develop positive relationships with a diverse range of people;

·  cares about and listens to what others say and gives feedback;

·  knows how to motivate individuals;

·  is persuasive;

·  is supportive of peers;

·  is able to negotiate;

·  is viewed as trustworthy, ethical and dependable;

·  is well-respected; and

·  displays mastery of presentation skills and public communications.

More information on leadership is available in the SSHRC-funded study http://www.vanier.gc.ca/en/pdf/leadership_report_e.pdf.

Here is the supporting evidence from the application that will be evaluated under the Leadership criterion:

·  Leadership activities/accomplishments - impact (CCV, description of leadership and communication skills, leadership reference letter, nomination letter, referee assessments and special circumstances attachment)

·  Mobility: this award provides opportunities for research trainees to study, conduct research, and engage in knowledge mobilization in a national and international context. Candidates should explain the rationale behind their proposed research institution with this in mind. (nomination letter, research proposal and special circumstances)

·  Participation in publication writing (CCV, research contributions attachment and referee assessments)

·  Professional and extracurricular interactions and collaborations with supervisors, colleagues and peers (CCV, description of leadership and communication skills, leadership reference letter and referee assessments)

·  Those who have volunteer/professional experience outside of their domain of study should provide context that demonstrates how their contribution went beyond the expectations of the work/volunteer position.

·  Overall quality and presentation of the nominating institution.

5. Highlighting Leadership in a Vanier CGS Nomination: Candidates are evaluated on academic excellence, research potential and leadership (potential and demonstrated ability). There are five opportunities in the nomination package for a Vanier CGS candidate to highlight their leadership potential:

1. Students must list their previous leadership activities/accomplishments according to the categories listed under “Selection Criteria” in the program description. Students are also asked to write a self-assessment detailing the impact of their activities and accomplishments, and how they judge themselves to be a potential Vanier CGS recipient and a leader in their research community.

2. The student’s referees are asked to comment on the student’s leadership (potential and demonstrated ability) and to elaborate on the impact of the activities and accomplishments mentioned in the self-assessment.

3. One of the three required letters of reference is to be a “leadership reference letter”. The leadership reference letter should be written by someone who knows the student in a non-academic capacity. It should describe how the student has demonstrated, and will potentially continue to demonstrate, leadership.