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Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements

Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements (CGS-MSFSS) program supports high-caliber Canadian graduate students in building global linkages and international networks through the pursuit of exceptional research experiences abroad. By accessing international scientific research and training, CGS-MSFSS recipients will contribute to strengthening the potential for collaboration between Canadian institutions and other research institutions outside of Canada.

This foreign study supplements program is available to Canadian citizens, permanent residents or Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) who hold a Canada Graduate Scholarship (CGS) at the master's or doctoral level, or a Vanier CGS at the doctoral level.

For detailed information, visit Canada Graduate Scholarships – Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplements Program.

Funds Available

CIHR and partner(s) financial contributions are subject to availability of funds. Should CIHR or partner(s) funding levels not be available or decrease due to unforeseen circumstances, CIHR and partner(s) reserve the right to reduce, defer or suspend financial contributions to awards received as a result of this funding opportunity.

The total amount available for this funding opportunity is $270,000, enough to fund approximately 45 awards. The maximum amount per award is up to $6,000 for a defined research study period outside of Canada for a minimum of two months to a maximum of six months. The supplements are non-renewable.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

CIHR publishes data showing how early career researchers (ECRs) perform in the Project / Open Operating Grant competitions versus established researchers. Some notable data:

Metric	ECRs vs Established Researchers	What It Shows
Success rates	From 2019–2023, project grant success rates for ECRs vs established researchers have been very similar. E.g. in 2022: ~19.8% for ECRs vs ~19.7% for established researchers.
Average grant size	ECRs tend to receive slightly smaller average dollar amounts than established researchers, but not hugely smaller. Over the years, averages have been rising.
Proportion of funds to ECRs	Over time, the share of funds going to early career researchers has increased; in recent years ~22-23% of funds have gone to ECRs.

These data suggest that being an ECR is not a huge disadvantage in terms of probability of success, though established researchers often manage larger budgets.

Predictors of Success: What Strong Applicants Tend to Have

Based on CIHR eligibility rules, published data, and trends, here are features / behaviors that past successful applications frequently share. These are what I’ll call “success predictors” for CIHR applications.

Predictor	What This Looks Like / How to Meet It
Independent researcher status	Having an appointment that gives you research independence (not just being a postdoc); being recognized in the institution.
Time since independence (for ECR calls)	If eligible as an early career investigator, making sure you meet the time-limits (years since first independent appointment) and past funding limits. Don’t exceed the caps.
Adequate protected time	Having clear indication that you have enough time to carry out the proposed research without conflicting heavy non-research obligations. Some calls (e.g. early career) require 50% protected time.
Canadian affiliation and role	Having an institutional home in Canada; having your substantive work base in Canada during the grant period; ensuring that institutional responsibilities are compatible.
Strong track record relative to career stage	Publications, prior grants / awards, demonstrated outputs consistent with how long you’ve been independent. For ECRs, not expecting a huge record, but showing good progression matters.
Feasible, well-designed proposal	Clear hypothesis/questions; methodological rigor; clear budget; reasonable timeline. Avoid overambitious scope for the funding period.
Alignment with CIHR or institute priorities	Sometimes special priorities exist (e.g. Indigenous health, child & youth health, knowledge translation, etc.). Proposals that align with those may get priority or matching funding.
Knowledge translation / stakeholder engagement	Many CIHR grants expect or favor inclusion of “knowledge users,” plans for dissemination, translation of findings. Integration of real world / policy / clinical impact. Some calls allow knowledge users as co-applicants.
Diversity / inclusion factors	While not always required, CIHR has programs / funding pools for Indigenous research, for equity-seeking populations. Proposals that recognize and include these aspects (if relevant) are often stronger.
Language / accessibility	For some competitions, there is recognition for French language applications, Indigenous communities. Ensuring your proposal can serve or includes diverse populations where relevant.
Previous funding management ability	Demonstrating you’ve managed projects; having track record of budget, deliverables- being able to show you’ve delivered past grants (if you’ve had any). This builds confidence in capability.

Common Weaknesses (What Often Reduces Success)

These are pitfalls seen in unsuccessful applications, or factors that tend to make getting funded harder:

Project scope too large or vague; unclear methods.

Poor budgeting or unclear resource commitment, especially human resources, facilities.

Underestimating time needed or overpromising deliverables.

Missing or weak knowledge translation / stakeholder input if required.

Falling outside eligibility (e.g. not independent researcher; being beyond early career when applying to ECR call).

Lack of alignment with CIHR’s or specific institute's strategic priorities.

Weak clarity / past outputs relative to career stage.

Putting It Into Practice: How to Maximise Your Chances with CIHR

If you aim to submit a CIHR grant or fellowship, here are concrete strategies derived from what works in practice:

Check and match the correct competition: Are you applying as Early Career or Established? Is your profile aligned (time since appointment, prior grants) with the eligibility?

Establish and demonstrate independent researcher status: Even if early career, ensure your role is substantive, with infrastructure support, PI responsibilities.

Secure protected time for research: Make sure in your proposal (and via institutional support letters) that you have enough time to do the research. If your non-research duties are heavy, clarify how you’ll manage.

Produce solid preliminary data or pilot work when possible, especially for Project Grants. Even for ECR calls, showing some work done bolsters credibility.

Craft a clear, focused, realistic plan: Specific aims that are doable, methods well detailed, timeline matches the duration of grant.

Include knowledge translation and stakeholder engagement: If your area lends itself, involve users or policy actors; plan for how findings will be shared or used.

Align with priority areas if possible but without forcing: If one of CIHR’s priority topics matches your work, this helps; but don’t distort your science only for “priority” unless genuine.

Clearly show institutional and mentor support: Letters of support from department/institution; if ECR, show mentorship plan; show you have the resources (lab space, equipment, collaborators).

Pay attention to other details: ethics approvals, whether working in Indigenous / rural / language contexts needs special care; ensure proposal adheres closely to formatting, character limits, CVs, etc.

Be aware of success rates & plan accordingly: Given that success rates hover around ~15-20% for many project grants, ensure your application is polished, have backup plans, maybe apply multiple competitions, or smaller funding first if needed.

Specialties

Others

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to apply for this supplement, you must

have accepted or currently hold a CGS (master’s or doctoral) or eligible Vanier CGS
undertake your proposed trip abroad no earlier than the competition deadline date
not hold, or have held, any other CGS-MSFSS during the course of your graduate studies

To remain eligible during the research study period abroad, you must

hold an active CGS at the time your research study period abroad starts
be registered in a graduate research studies program at a Canadian institution for the duration of your research study period abroad
take up the award within one year of receiving the notice of award for the CGS-MSFSS
return to complete your degree at your Canadian institution

Eligible Countries:

Canada

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Canadian Institutes of Health Research

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 160 Elgin Street, 9th Floor Address Locator 4809A Ottawa,

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