Overview
Since 1975, Ontario, in partnership with Ontario’s publicly–assisted universities, has encouraged excellence in graduate studies at the ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s and Doctoral levels through the awarding of Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS). OGS awards are merit–based scholarships available to students in all disciplines of academic study jointly funded by the Province of Ontario and Ontario universities. The Province of Ontario contributes two-thirds of the value of the award and the university provides one-third. In 1998, the Ontario government introduced the QEII-GSST, a merit-based scholarship program targeted specifically towards graduate students in science and technology.
At 91ÑÇÉ«, OGS and QEIIGSST awards are adjudicated together. OGS applicants in science and engineering programs who are eligible to hold a QEIIGSST are automatically considered for a QEIIGSST.
Value and Duration
- $5,000 per term for up to $15,000 over three terms
- Must be held for a minimum of two sequential terms
Eligibility
- Domestic and international students who receive graduate funding and are registered in an eligible graduate program.
- Be applying for or enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution in Ontario at the time of application at a ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s or Doctoral level.
- Be taking an eligible program on a full-time basis. An eligible program is defined as a full–time program of study of two or three terms at an eligible institution leading to a graduate degree. Eligible programs must be approved as eligible for funding by MTCU.
- A full-time student is usually registered in at least 60% of a full course load (40% for students with a permanent disability) as defined by their institution.
- PhD students in their 4th year of study (or beyond) in Fall 2026 are ineligible to apply. Students must be in 3rd year or less as of December 2026, to be eligible.
- Students who have OSAP restrictions may apply to an OGS if the other eligibility criteria are met; however, they must clear the restrictions before the funds may be disbursed.
- Minimum Academic Requirements: The applicant must, at minimum, meet the following OGS/QEIIGSST academic requirements:
- If entering the first or second year of graduate studies at the time of the application deadline, the student must have achieved at least A-minus or equivalent first-class standing, in each of the last two completed years of study (full-time equivalent).
- If the student is entering the third year of graduate studies at the time of application the applicant must have an overall average of at least A-minus, or the equivalent, on all graduate courses completed in their current degree.
- Equivalent first-class standing: Students may still be considered for an OGS award if their application or admittance to a graduate program is on the basis of professional accomplishments or experience and not on the basis of their academic record. The nominating program must also include a rationale for nominating the student without an academic background and a statement of the grade equivalent at which they assess the student’s professional accomplishments.
- Award Maximums:
- ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s students can receive the scholarship for a maximum of two years and Doctoral students for a maximum of four years, subject to a lifetime maximum of six years per student. Awards under the following programs will be counted toward this lifetime maximum:
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship Program (OGS)
- Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology (QEIIGSST)
- Ontario Trillium Scholarships (OTS)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarships (CGS) Doctoral Scholarship, SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship, or Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral Program (CGRS-D)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Alexander Graham Bell CGS Doctoral Scholarship, NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship, or Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral Program (CGRS-D)
- Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) Frederick Banting and Charles Best CGS Doctoral Award, Doctoral Foreign Study Award, or Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral Program (CGRS-D)
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS)
- Canada Graduate Scholarships, ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s level (CGS-M), Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s Program (CGRS-M)
- Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA)
- Combining awards: students also cannot hold the OGS with any of the above awards simultaneously
- ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s students can receive the scholarship for a maximum of two years and Doctoral students for a maximum of four years, subject to a lifetime maximum of six years per student. Awards under the following programs will be counted toward this lifetime maximum:
Deadlines
Combined OGS and Tri-Council Award Procedures
At 91ÑÇÉ«, the adjudication of OGS is combined with the Tri-Council scholarship competitions (CIHR Doctoral, NSERC Doctoral, SSHRC Doctoral, and CGS-²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s awards). This will allow students who are applying to both a Tri-council award and OGS to submit one application to be considered for both. Accordingly, application deadlines are aligned with the deadlines of the respective Tri-Council awards as described below.
| Level of Study | Field of Research | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral* | CIHR | Thursday, October 1, 2026, 11:59 P.M. ET |
| Doctoral* | NSERC | Thursday, October 1, 2026, 11:59 P.M. ET |
| Doctoral* | SSHRC | Thursday, October 8, 2026, 11:59 P.M. ET |
| ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s | All | Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 8:00 P.M. ET |
*To find out which Tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) mandate covers your field of research, please see the .
How to Apply
Applicants who submit a Tri-Council application and complete the required 91ÑÇÉ« Cover Sheet will automatically be considered for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), provided they meet the eligibility requirements. Applicants who submit a Tri-Council application should not submit a separate OGS only application.
The 91ÑÇÉ« Cover Sheet submission process differs for current and prospective students. Please review the instructions below to determine which cover sheet applies to your situation.
Students are encouraged to review the Tri-Council and OGS Guide (.pdf) prior to submitting their application on the Financial aid awards and scholarship system.
Decide if you are applying to one of the Tri-Council awards (CIHR Doctoral, NSERC Doctoral, SSHRC Doctoral, and CGRS-Master's awards). Applicants applying to a Tri-Council competition (SSHRC, NSERC, or CIHR. Doctoral and ²Ñ²¹²õ³Ù±ð°ù’s) must first submit their application through the appropriate funding agency portal. In addition, applicants must complete 91ÑÇÉ«'s required internal Cover Sheet submission process. If you are eligible to apply to a Tri-Council program, you are expected to do so. Applicants must submit the Tri-Council application through the funding agency portal and complete the applicable 91ÑÇÉ« Cover Sheet as outlined below. This will enable staff to match Tri-Council applications submitted by the student in the system.
- If you are a current registered 91ÑÇÉ« Graduate student applying to a Tri-Council award, submit your Tri-Council application to the relevant agency as well as the applicable Tri-Council (CIHR Doctoral, NSERC Doctoral, SSHRC Doctoral, CIHR CGRS-Master's, NSERC CGRS-Master's, or SSHRC CGRS-Master's) Cover Sheet on the system by the applicable deadline above.
- If you are a prospective graduate student (including current 91ÑÇÉ« undergraduate students), you will not have access to complete the application on the Financial Aid, Awards and Scholarships (FAAS) system. Submit your Tri-Council application to the relevant agency as well as the to accompany your Tri-Council Application.
- If you are a current registered 91ÑÇÉ« Graduate student submitting an OGS only application (that is, you are not submitting any Tri-Council applications), you are required to complete your OGS application on the .
- If you are a prospective graduate student (including current 91ÑÇÉ« undergraduate students) submitting an OGS only application, you are required to complete your OGS application using the .
Next Steps:
- Transcripts: Gather transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. You must include only one copy of the legend (for each transcript) per institution. Do not scan the legend multiple times. Arrange the transcripts from the most recent to the oldest in one PDF file and upload it to your OGS application. To access your 91ÑÇÉ« transcript, please visit the page and request for your unofficial transcript to be emailed to you. Note that official transcripts must be submitted for Tri-council applications, however, unofficial transcripts are permitted for OGS/QEII Applications. Please note that grade reports will not be accepted under any circumstance.
- Referees: Solicit references from two referees and have them submit them before your submission deadline, you will need to add the name of your references to your application, so that they can receive a unique upload link.
- Note: Applicants are responsible for soliciting reference assessments and ensuring that they are submitted by the applicable deadline. Incomplete or applications received without two reference assessments will not be considered.
- A complete OGS application will consist of the following, please be prepared to upload or cite them in your application:
- Research Proposal or a Plan of Study
- References or Works Cited
- Professional Experience
- Academic Background
- Credentials and Recognitions
- Research Contributions
- Relevant Experience and Activities
- Transcripts – undergraduate and graduate transcripts including the Fall 2026 term
- Two reference assessments
Students are required to submit their applications using Tri-Council pagination guidelines.
SSHRC—Doctoral Awards Applicant Instructions:
NSERC—Doctoral Awards Application instructions:
CIHR—Doctoral Awards Application instructions:
While the OGS/QEII application forms are available in English only, students may submit an application in either English or French. Applications will be reviewed and adjudicated by the appropriate committees according to the language selected.
Resources
FGS encourages all graduate students applying for external scholarships to consult the following guides:
Support
- If you require further assistance, please contact our Scholarship & Awards Coordinator (for general queries) or Research Officer by visiting our FGS Staff Directory.