Two Indian doctoral students are among the 37 international researchers to have been awarded Canada’s highly prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships during the inaugural year. The awards will entitle them to $50,000 each per year for up to three years to pursue doctoral studies at Canadian universities. The awards, announced recently in Canada, proclaimed 166 recipients for 2009. Once at full capacity, the program will support up to 500 new students annually. The scholarships were announced by the Government of Canada in Budget 2008 and are awarded to the world’s leading doctoral students hailing from across Canada and abroad.
The prestige and value of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships put them on par with such highly renowned scholarships as the Rhodes scholarships in the United Kingdom and the Fulbright scholarships in the United States.
Announcing the scholarships in Ottawa, Canada’s Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Goodyear, said, “The recipients of these scholarships are the world’s leading doctoral students and the next generation of researchers, professors and industry leaders who will make considerable economic and social contributions in Canada and abroad. As evidenced through this program, Canada is a magnet for top intellectual talent and a global centre of excellence in university education and research.”
The two Indian recipients of Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships for 2009 are Ms Niladri Chattopadhyay, who will pursue cancer research at the University of Toronto, and Mr Atam Kapoor who will work in the field of chemical engineering at the University of Alberta.
A Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship provides successful candidates with significant freedom to pursue and complete doctoral studies. Students must be nominated by a recognized Canadian university to apply for a scholarship, which will be awarded after a competitive process that includes a two-stage peer review. Nominees will be evaluated solely on academic excellence, research potential and leadership ability.
The Scholarship program aims to attract and retain world-class doctoral students by supporting students who demonstrate a high standard of scholarly achievement in graduate studies in the social sciences and humanities, natural sciences and engineering, and health, as well as leadership skills. Both Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship.
For more information on the Scholarship, please visit: www.vanier-cgs-bes.gc.ca