Fully Funded PhD Scholarships in Canada for Indian Students (2026)

The CGRS-D is the flagship doctoral fellowship of the Canadian government — the direct successor to the legendary Vanier CGS, which concluded its final cycle in 2024–25. Administered jointly by CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC under the new Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS), the CGRS-D provides CAD 40,000 per year for three years to outstanding doctoral students across all disciplines. Indian students enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution are fully eligible. Up to 15% of all doctoral awards are reserved for international students. The annual value represents approximately ₹25.9 Lakhs — a transformative funding level that eliminates the need for any paid work during your PhD. Selection is based on academic excellence (50%) and relevant experience and achievements (50%), placing the CGRS-D firmly within reach of strong Indian applicants with research publications or exceptional projects.

The Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarship is arguably the most prestigious social-science doctoral award in Canada. It provides up to CAD 50,000/year in living and tuition support plus an additional CAD 20,000/year for research and travel — totalling up to CAD 210,000 over three years. Only 15 scholars are selected nationally each year, but international students enrolled in a Canadian doctoral program are fully eligible. Research must relate to the Foundation’s four themes: Human Rights & Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, and People and Their Natural Environment. Each Scholar is paired with a Trudeau Mentor from public life, providing a rare leadership development experience beyond the academic track.

Launched under Canada’s Budget 2025, the Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA) is a targeted, one-time initiative designed specifically to recruit top international doctoral students to Canada — making it exclusively available to non-residents and returning Canadians. Doctoral awards are valued at CAD 40,000/year for up to three years. Research must align with one of eight national priority areas: advanced digital technologies (including AI and quantum), clean energy, biotechnology and health sciences, advanced materials and manufacturing, agriculture and food security, ocean and environmental research, defence and security, or social and cultural resilience. International students already enrolled at a Canadian institution are eligible for the CGRS-D instead. This is a rare, institutionally-nominated opportunity — Indian researchers abroad applying to Canadian PhD programs should expressly request nomination consideration from their prospective supervisor.

The Ontario Trillium Scholarship is one of the most prestigious fully funded PhD in Canada awards specifically designed for international students. Funded 2/3 by the Province of Ontario and 1/3 by the host university, OTS provides CAD 40,000 per year for four full years — covering the entirety of most PhD programs. Indian students with outstanding academic records (typically first-class results throughout their master’s) are competitive candidates. The University of Toronto, McMaster, University of Ottawa, Waterloo, and other Ontario universities each receive annual allocations. Candidates cannot apply directly; universities nominate their strongest international PhD admits. Indian applicants should specifically ask admissions departments whether they are being considered for the OTS at the time of acceptance.

UBC’s Four Year Fellowship (4YF) guarantees a minimum funding package to every doctoral student admitted to UBC — making it one of the most accessible institutional fellowships in Canada. The fellowship provides at minimum CAD 22,000 per year plus full tuition coverage for four years. In practice, many departments top up this amount through Research Assistantships and external scholarships, with total packages commonly reaching CAD 28,000–35,000/year. Indian students admitted to UBC’s PhD programs in STEM, social sciences, and professional fields are automatically considered. UBC also separately offers the President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award for additional merit-based recognition. As one of the world’s top 40 universities, UBC provides an exceptional environment for Indian researchers in AI, environmental sciences, medicine, and interdisciplinary fields.

The University of Toronto — Canada’s highest-ranked university — guarantees a minimum funding package to all admitted doctoral students through a combination of U of T Fellowships (UTF), Teaching Assistantships (TA), and Research Assistantships. The total package commonly exceeds CAD 27,000/year. Indian students in competitive programs (Engineering, Medicine, Computer Science, Economics) frequently receive top-ups through departmental funds or external scholarships such as the Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS). The Connaught International Scholarship for Doctoral Students is a U of T-specific top-up award for exceptional international PhD students, administered at the department level. With over 5,900 in-course scholarships available annually, U of T provides unparalleled funding diversity.

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) is one of the oldest merit-based PhD funding programs in Canada, running since 1975. Though technically a partial award at CAD 15,000/year, it is frequently combined with base institutional funding to create a near-fully-funded package. Crucially, international students with a valid Canadian study permit are eligible — making OGS one of the rare government scholarships directly accessible to Indian students already enrolled. OGS is distributed across Ontario universities proportional to their doctoral enrolment, and students apply through their university’s graduate office. For Indian PhD students in Toronto, Ottawa, or Waterloo, layering OGS on top of their base funding is a realistic goal in years 2–4 of the program.

McGill University, ranked consistently among the world’s top 30, offers competitive doctoral funding through its Provost’s Graduate Fellowship and departmental packages under the Post-Graduate Student Differential (PGSD) funding model. McGill also holds one of the largest Trudeau Foundation and CGRS-D quota allocations in the country. Montréal’s significantly lower cost of living compared to Toronto or Vancouver makes McGill a financially attractive destination for Indian PhD students. The city’s bilingual character, strong research culture, and proximity to the US tech corridor (Mila, Element AI) makes it particularly appealing for computer science and AI researchers from India.

The University of Alberta is one of Canada’s leading research universities with a guaranteed minimum funding policy for PhD students. Its Doctoral Recruitment Scholarship awards up to CAD 29,000/year to top international PhD candidates — one of the most competitive institutional awards in western Canada. Edmonton’s low cost of living (among the lowest of major Canadian cities) means a CAD 20,000–29,000 package offers excellent purchasing power. The university also participates in both CGRS-D and Canada Impact+ Research Training Awards (CIRTA), providing layered funding opportunities. For Indian students in petroleum engineering, agricultural sciences, medicine, and AI — U of A is a natural match.

Simon Fraser University’s SFU Graduate Fellowship (SFUGF) provides a competitive CAD 25,000/year stipend for exceptional international PhD students — covering both tuition and living expenses. SFU is particularly well-regarded in computer science, cognitive science, environmental science, and communication studies. The university’s location in Burnaby (part of Metro Vancouver) offers access to one of Canada’s most vibrant tech ecosystems while retaining a more manageable cost of living than central Vancouver. Indian applicants with strong publication records or competitive GRE/GATE scores are frequently nominated for the fellowship upon admission.