Graduate funding
For questions about graduate funding opportunities, please contact fgsawards@athabascau.ca.
Financial aid and awards funding
You may be eligible for full- or part-time funding. AU’s Support Services website has a list of loans, awards, and grants, as well as planning tools that can help you navigate the application process.
Learn more about financial aid and awardsAthabasca University awards
Athabasca University offers several awards and bursaries to our students. Awards and scholarships may use your academic achievement and other criteria. Bursaries are based on financial need and often include similar criteria to awards and scholarships.
Use the awards finderAU student travel awards
Travel awards help you present your research findings at conferences.
Graduate Level Student Travel Awards Alberta Graduate Students Travel IncentiveAthabasca University Graduate Students' Association
As an AU graduate student, you may be eligible for awards, scholarships, and bursariesthrough the Athabasca University Graduate Students’ Association (AUGSA).
Check out AUGSA student awards and bursariesResearch funding
Athabasca University offers awards, scholarships, and other funding to support student research. The AU Research Centre also maintains a list of external research funding opportunities.
Graduate Student Research Fund
The Graduate Student Research Fund (GSRF) is intended to:
- enhance the research experience of award recipients
- foster research creativity and innovation
- support graduate students’ research-focused endeavour
- encourage dissemination of master’s or doctoral research.
- acknowledge graduate students’ contributions to Athabasca University’s research climate
In addition to the GSRF open call for applications, within the 2023/2024 fiscal year, the GSRF Committee is also supporting research applications that encompass the following thematic areas:
- Indigeneity as a core component
- the benefit of Indigenous communities
- decolonization or conciliation
GSRF funding can support costs associated with meeting community protocols (e.g., appropriate recognition and in reciprocity of time, wisdom and sharing, such as tobacco, cloth or honoraria), as well as travel costs, research equipment and incentives to participate in the research.
Access to Data Management Analysis Software Fund
Students who need to buy data management/analysis software for their research may have some costs covered by the Access to Data Management Analysis Software Fund. The funding can be used to buy licences or upgrades for statistical software such as:
- SPSS
- NVIVO
- ATLAS.ti
Explore research funding opportunities
Explore research assistant opportunities
External, provincial, and federal funding programs
Several organizations make awards available to graduate students across Canada, including those awarded through provincial and national competitions by the federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
Learn more about AU-administered external graduate funding programs below.
Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship
The Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarships support academically superior graduate students who are receiving training and conducting research in areas that are strategically important to Alberta’s economy.
In addition to the information provided below, students must also review the appropriate Alberta Innovates' Program Guidelines and Handbook for detailed requirements on applying for, holding, and renewing awards.
Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program
The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program (CGS M) provides financial support to high-calibre scholars who are engaged in an eligible master’s or, in some cases, doctoral program in Canada. This support allows these scholars to fully concentrate on their studies in their chosen fields.
The CGS M program supports up to 3,000 students annually in all disciplines and is administered jointly by Canada’s 3 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 selection process and post-award administration are carried out at the institutional level, under the guidance of the 3 agencies. Students submit their application to the institution at which they intend to hold their award using the Research Portal.
For full details, visit Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s program.
Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral program
The objective of the Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral (CGS D) program is to promote continued excellence in Canadian research by rewarding and retaining high-calibre doctoral students at Canadian institutions. By providing support for a high-quality research training experience to awardees, the CGS D program strives to foster impacts within and beyond the research environment.
The CGS D program supports and promotes research excellence in a wide variety of disciplines and broad fields of health, natural sciences and engineering, and social sciences and humanities, including interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research. This support allows scholars to fully concentrate on their doctoral studies, to seek out the best research mentors in their chosen fields and to contribute to the Canadian research ecosystem during and beyond the tenure of their awards.
For full details, visit Canada Graduate Scholarships – Doctoral Program.
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
The Government of Canada launched the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program in 2008 to strengthen Canada's ability to attract and retain world-class doctoral students and establish Canada as a global centre of excellence in research and higher learning. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and/or engineering and health.
For full details, visit Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships.
Updated December 19, 2022 by Digital & Web Operations (web_services@athabascau.ca)