Introduction

On 14 February 2023, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (the Committee) adopted the following motion:

It was agreed, —That, pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(i), the Committee undertake a study of the Government of Canada’s graduate scholarship and post-doctoral fellowship programs, in particular the freezing of funding amounts, the funding system and the impact on graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and that it hold a minimum of six meetings on this study and report its findings to the House.^[1]

The Committee held eight meetings between 4 May and 15 June 2023 for its study. It heard 38 witnesses and received 39 written briefs. The Committee would like to thank all those who took the time to participate in this study, either by appearing or by submitting a brief.

Further to the evidence it compiled, the Committee made recommendations to the Government of Canada on graduate scholarship and postdoctoral fellowship programs.

Chapter 1. Overview of Graduate Funding Programs

The evidence compiled during the study provided an overview of the various sources of funding available to graduate students. The federal scholarship and bursary programs provided through the granting councils actually fund only a minority of students.

1.1.   Federal Programs

1.1.1   Canada Graduate Scholarships Program

The Canada Graduate Scholarships program grants scholarships at the master’s and doctoral level (CGS-M and CGS-D, respectively). Both scholarship programs were created in 2003. The CGS-M and CGS-D programs are administered by the three granting councils: the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

Each year the CGS-M program provides up to 3,000 scholarships of $17,500 for one year.^[2] The CGS-D program grants about 1,000 scholarships of $35,000 per year for three years.^[3] CGS-M and CGS-D scholarships are valid only in Canadian institutions and are only for students who are Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or protected persons under section 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Scholarships are awarded through the institutions where the students are enrolled. For master’s scholarships, eligible institutions “are assigned a separate allocation of awards to offer from each agency.”^[4] It is up to the institutions to review the applications and award their allocation of scholarships.^[5] For doctoral scholarships, the three councils allocate each institution a quota that sets the maximum number of applications it can submit.^[6] The institutions select the scholarship applications that they forward to the councils, which then review them and award the scholarships.^[7]

1.1.2   Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships Program

The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships (Vanier CGS) program is administered jointly by the three granting agencies. Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships are for doctoral students. They are valued at $50,000 per year for three years. Up to 166 scholarships are awarded annually, and up to 500 scholarships are active at any time.^[8] Applications are forwarded by the Canadian institutions where the students are enrolled. Each eligible institution is allocated an annual quota that sets the number of applications it can submit to each granting council.^[9] Vanier scholarships are awarded to Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign nationals.^[10]

The Vanier CGS program was created 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.”^[11]

1.1.3   Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program

Launched in 2010, the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program is administered jointly by the three granting councils and provides funding of $70,000 per year for two years to postdoctoral researchers.^[12] Each year, 70 new fellowships are awarded.^[13] Banting fellowships are taxable.^[14] They may be awarded to Canadian citizens, permanent residents or foreign nationals. Under certain conditions, they may be awarded to postdoctoral researchers working in a foreign institution.^[15]

1.1.4   Granting Councils’ Scholarships Programs

In addition to Canada Graduate Scholarships, each of the three granting councils developed their own scholarship programs for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.

NSERC awards NSERC postgraduate scholarships (doctoral), valued at $21,000 per year for three years, and postdoctoral fellowships, valued at $45,000 per year for two years.^[16] SSHRC awards doctoral fellowships valued at $20,000 per year for one to four years, and postdoctoral fellowships worth $45,000 per year for one or two years.^[17] In the health sciences, the CIHR Fellowship program provides funding from $45,000 to $60,000 per year, for up to five years, to individuals at the postdoctoral level or holding a health professional degree.^[18]

1.2.   Other Sources of Graduate Funding

The Committee heard that federal tri-council scholarships are only available to a fraction of master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.^[19] Paul Davidson, President of Universities Canada, said that “there are 6,000 Canadian graduate scholarship awards. There are 240,000 graduate students.”^[20] Several institutions wrote in briefs to the Committee about how few of their graduate students receive tri-council scholarships.^[21] For example, in University of Quebec institutions, “only 1.3% of graduate students receive a tri-council graduate scholarship.”^[22]

Students who do not receive a tri-council scholarship can turn to other funding sources.

1.2.1.  Funding from Provinces, Universities and the Private Sector

Some provinces provide scholarships for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. For example, the Government of Quebec provides master’s and doctoral scholarships through the Quebec Research Fund.^[23] The value of these scholarships was recently increased by $2,500 for master’s students and $4,000 for doctoral students.[24] In 2018, the Government of British Columbia also developed its own graduate scholarship program.^[25]

Funding is also provided directly by universities in a variety of forms, such as grants, top‑up awards, research stipends and teaching assistantships.^[26]

The private sector also plays a role in graduate funding.^[27] Some universities attract contributions from industry “to support projects on a contract basis.”^[28] Mitacs, an organization funded mainly by the federal and provincial governments, awards research scholarships at the master’s, doctoral and postdoctoral levels, allowing students to complete internships with partner organizations such as companies, not-for-profit organizations, municipalities and hospitals.^[29] These scholarships are co-funded by the partner organization hosting the student:

Partnerships are generally applied research projects, where the research is carried out by students and post-doctoral fellows who divide their time between the university and the non-academic partner. The research project is part of the student’s academic research work—a thesis, in the case of most of the graduate students—but it’s defined by the non-academic partner’s needs, as they pay half the cost.^[30]

According to Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars figures, 7% of postdoctoral fellows are funded by not-for-profit funding agency grants such as Mitacs.^[31]

1.2.2.  Funding Through Research Grants

The vast majority of graduate students do not receive scholarships; instead, they are funded through research grants obtained by their supervisors.^[32] The Committee heard that this is the case for 75% to 80% of graduate students.^[33] According to the Report of the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System (the Bouchard Report), released in March 2023 and cited by many of the witnesses:

Roughly 35,000 trainees are supported indirectly in this way, totalling an estimated $726 million annually. This is almost three times the current annual spending by the granting councils for direct support via their scholarship and fellowship programs.^[34]

Consequently, tri-council research grants awarded to university-based researchers are the primary way doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows fund their research.^[35]

This funding from professors is used to compensate the research work carried out by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Many of the witnesses stressed how vital a contribution these young researchers make to academic research. According to Maydianne Andrade from the Canadian Black Scientists Network:

In fact, the majority of the hands-on research is being done by graduate students and post-doctoral fellows in our system. I can say without hesitation that in the sciences, this is the pattern of every single major research university and lab in the country, every single one. It’s graduate students and post-docs who spend most of their time at the bench or in the field. They are the backbone of our science and innovation ecosystem now, and they are the potential for us to be successful in the future.^[36]

The amount of funding provided through research grants varies. However, several witnesses pointed out that the amounts of tri-council doctoral scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships serve as a benchmark and set a precedent used to calculate student salaries.^[37] In some institutions, postdoctoral fellows are unionized and benefit from a salary floor.^[38] In some cases, students funded by their research institutes are paid more than had they received a Canada Graduate Scholarship.^[39]

In theory, professors who receive a research grant are free to pay the students working for them more than these salary floors or the tri-council scholarship amounts.^[40] However, in practice, supervisors have to make a trade-off between the salaries they pay and the number of students they can pay.^[41] Increasing salaries paid to students from a research grant also leaves less money available to fund research related to the project in question.^[42]

This overview shows that federal grants are just one source of funding for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. In some cases, students can access a number of these sources, for instance by either obtaining a series of scholarships from different sources for the duration of their degree program or supplementing their income with a second job. However, combining some of these grants is not always permitted. For example, SSHRC president Ted Hewitt said that in Ontario, it is not possible to hold a SSHRC doctoral fellowship and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship at the same time.^[43]

Chapter 2. Problematic Underfunding

According to the evidence compiled by the committee, the stagnation in the amount and number of federal graduate scholarships, combined with the difficulties of funding research, are having a very negative impact on some students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as on training the next generation of scientists in Canada.

2.1.     Stagnation in the Value and Number of Federal Scholarships

The testimony and briefs submitted to the Committee by the granting councils laid bare the almost complete stagnation in the scholarship amounts paid out by the federal government.

Table 1 shows that the amounts of tri-council grants paid out by the federal government have hardly budged in the past 20 years.

Table 1—Changes in the Value of Federal Government Graduate Scholarships Since 2001

Program	Current Scholarship Amount	Change
Canada Graduate Scholarships—Master’s	$17,500 per year	Unchanged since 2003
Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral	$35,000 per year	Unchanged since 2003
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral	$50,000 per year	Unchanged since program inception in 2009
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships	$70,000 per year	Unchanged since program inception in 2011
NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (Doctoral)	$21,000 per year	Unchanged since 2003
SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships Program	$20,000 per year	Increased from $19,000 to $20,000 per year in 2004
NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships	$45,000 per year	Increased from $40,000 to $45,000 per year in 2015
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships Program	$45,000 per year	Increased from $28,428 to $35,028 per year in 2001, to $38,000 per year in 2007, to $40,500 per year in 2014 and to $45,000 per year in 2018
CIHR Research Fellowships Program	$45,000–$60,000 per year	Increased from $40,000–$55,000 per year to $45,000–$60,000 per year in 2007

Source: Table prepared using data provided to the Committee by Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).

The stagnated value of these scholarships has not kept up with inflation over the past twenty years. Figure 1 illustrates the gap between the actual value of the scholarships awarded by the three granting councils and their value had they been indexed to inflation since their creation.

Figure 1—Gap between the Value of Grants Awarded by the Three Funding Councils and Inflation

Note:      CGS: Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Sources:    Figure created using data provided to the Committee by ISED and the Bank of Canada, Inflation Calculator, accessed 28 August 2023.

Based on figures provided by witnesses, taking inflation into account, the scholarships with amounts that have remained unchanged since 2003 have lost almost 50% of their value over that period.^[44]

At the same time, the number of tri-agency scholarships has grown little in recent decades.^[45] However, witnesses did note that in 2019, the government funded the distribution of 600 new tri-agency Canada Graduate Scholarships.^[46]

Figures 2, 3 and 4 show the number of new CGS Master’s and Doctoral Scholarships, Vanier Scholarships (Doctoral) and Banting Fellowships (Postdoctoral) awarded by each granting council each year since 2003. For NSERC and SSHRC, the number of scholarships has stagnated since the early 2010s, but increased in 2019. The number of CIHR scholarships rose sharply in 2021 against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 2—Number of Grants by Type Awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), 2003–2021

Note:      CGS: Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Source: Figure created using data provided to the Committee by ISED.

Figure 3—Number of Grants by Type Awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), 2003–2021

Note:      CGS: Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Source: Figure created using data provided to the Committee by ISED.

Figure 4—Number of Grants by Type Awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), 2003–2021

Note:      CGS: Canada Graduate Scholarship.

Source: Figure created using data provided to the Committee by ISED.

The number of scholarships awarded has not kept pace with growth in the graduate student population. According to Statistics Canada data, cited in a brief submitted by Universities Canada, between 2002–2003 and 2020–2021, the number of master’s students in Canada rose from 99,792 to 167,937, and the number of doctoral students in Canada rose from 29,505 to 58,962.^[47] This means that students face increased competition for funding.

The Committee looked into the causes of this stagnation in the amount and number of tri-agency scholarships. As to why most of the amounts have not changed since the scholarships were created, witnesses gave several answers. Some pointed to the complexity of the system and a lack of understanding by successive governments of the needs surrounding university research.^[48] Others were unable to explain the stagnation in funding.^[49] NSERC president Alejandro Adem said that “[o]ne of the reasons the stipends have not been increased is that the advocacy of the students is not incorporated into the governance councils.”^[50] Nipun Vats, Assistant Deputy Minister for the Science and Research Sector at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), said that he had explained the issue to the minister and that “the government had not yet found a solution, but that it was discussing this issue.”^[51]

The tri-councils were asked if they were able to reallocate funding within their own budgets to increase the value of scholarships. Alejandro Adem from NSERC explained that such an option is limited and that some funds are ring-fenced.^[52] SSHRC president Ted Hewitt explained that for certain programs, the values and number of scholarships were set when the program was created and cannot be changed by the tri-councils.^[53] The tri-councils also raised the difficulty of making the trade-off between paying out higher amounts and awarding more scholarships.^[54]

2.2.     Challenges of Funding Research

The Committee heard that universities are facing a funding crunch, making it impossible for them to make up for the stagnation of federal scholarships or help ease the financial burden on students.

Justine De Jaegher, Director of Political Action and Communications with the Canadian Association of University Teachers, spoke to the issue of the public underfunding of post-secondary education, saying that “[i]n the early 1990s, it was about 80% of revenues for post-secondary education that came from public sources. Now that number is less than 50%.”^[55] She went on to say that institutions have had to make up this funding cut with higher tuition fees and with private partnerships, some of them with foreign entities.^[56] Institutions are also facing financial pressures at the provincial level. In Ontario, for example, the provincial government has frozen tuition fees since 2019 and university operating grants since 2016.^[57] Philippe-Edwin Bélanger, President of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies, spoke about the very precarious financial situation of universities in Quebec and several other provinces.^[58] Universities reported that these conditions have made it difficult for them to meet various demands while adequately supporting their students.^[59] Paul Davidson from Universities Canada said that there is an urgent need for reinvestment in universities.^[60]

Justine De Jaegher said that federal funding for post-secondary education could be increased through the Canada Social Transfer.^[61]

Witnesses also addressed tri-council research funding. They said that this is a major issue since most graduate students are funded through research grants obtained by their professors.^[62] Philippe-Edwin Bélanger of the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies mentioned how disappointed members of his organization were with Budget 2023 and “the lack of investment in Canada’s university research ecosystem.”[63]

While most of the witnesses called for increased tri-council research funding support, Chad Gaffield, Chief Executive Officer of the U15 Group of Canadian Research Universities, said that he was extremely concerned by the announcement in Budget 2023 of a 3% cut in eligible spending by departments and agencies by 2026–2027.^[64] Alejandro Adem from NSERC confirmed that the councils were included in this announcement.^[65]

2.3.     Consequences for Training the Next Generation

2.3.1.  Student Economic Hardship

Many witnesses spoke about the financial hardship experienced by graduate students. Hilary Hennessey, Campaign Coordinator for the Canadian Federation of Students, told the Committee that “71% of graduate students live below the poverty line, and one in three graduate students lives on less than $1,250 a month.”^[66] A 2022 national survey of more than 1,300 graduate students by the Ottawa Science Policy Network found that:

86% of respondents have experienced stress and anxiety about their finances, with 43% of respondents describing their financial situation as “tight” or “struggling”. In addition, 31% of graduate students considered leaving their studies solely due to financial concern. Approximately 75% of respondents are not satisfied with their stipends which average to $19,094 for a MSc. student and $23,765 for a PhD student. Alarmingly, 52% of respondents have less than 3 months of living expenses in their savings account.^[67]

Julia Messina-Pacheco, Vice-President of Science and Policy Exchange, told the Committee that “[a]fter tuition, university fees and insurance, [her] doctoral funding leaves [her] with only $20,000 per year to live,” which is below $32,535, the minimum amount required for a single person in Montreal to live with dignity.^[68]

Witnesses told the Committee that many students are struggling to afford food and a growing number of them are turning to food banks.^[69] Housing is also a major expense that more and more students are struggling to afford.^[70] One witness said that for many students, it comes down to “Am I going to choose between groceries or paying my rent this month?”^[71]

Several factors are further eroding the purchasing power of students, including those receiving scholarships. The evidence pointed to the high rates of inflation in recent years.^[72] As well, the Committee was reminded that students face ever-increasing tuition fees.^[73] One witness told the Committee that “universities often subtract employer expenses and some equipment costs” from the scholarship amounts they pay, “lowering the gross salary amount by about 25%.”^[74] It’s also a factor that some federal scholarships are taxable.^[75]

This means that most students are forced to look for alternative sources of income to top up scholarship amounts. Colin Colterjohn, Ph.D. candidate at McMaster University, said, “I cannot think of any students I know of in a master’s or Ph.D. role right now who do not either work with a company through their Ph.D. to increase their overall funding or who have not sought additional working hours from their professor.”^[76] Other witnesses confirmed that many graduate students are forced to find outside work.^[77] In some cases, rules cap the number of hours a student can work in addition to studying.^[78]

The figures presented in the briefs from the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) and the Alliance of Canadian Comprehensive Research Universities (ACCRU) show the following:

[S]ince then, in 2015 graduate students have been taking on increasing levels of debt, with the average student graduating with a debt of $28,000 (Master’s) or $33,000 (PhD), including 41% of Master’s students and 54% of PhD students who graduate with large debt ($25,000 and above).^[79]

The government is aware of the precarious financial situation that many students are in. According to ISED Assistant Deputy Minister Nipun Vats, “ISED recognizes that graduate students and trainees are facing financial challenges that can be a barrier to pursuing higher education and that these financial pressures can also impact students’ well-being.”[80] The tri-councils also acknowledged the scale of the problem.^[81]

2.3.2.  Mental Health

Financial hardship is taking a toll on graduate student mental health.

The Committee was provided with several figures measuring the scale of the problem. A recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Students reveals that “64% of students … say that the cost of tuition and student debt they are facing is negatively impacting their mental health.”^[82] This is nothing new. A 2016 study by the University of Montreal reveals that:

[F]inancial insecurity contributed to alarming rates of mental health problems among university students, from mental illness, alcohol and drug addiction, and an increase in chronic illness and suicide.^[83]

More broadly, another study, this one from 2018 by the Union étudiante du Québec, shows that “58% of the student population has a high level of psychological distress, compared to 20% of the Quebec population.”^[84]

Several witnesses shared their personal experiences. For example, Chantel Millar from McMaster University, speaking as an individual, distinguished between the normal stress related to students’ research and the added stress of their finances and the cost of housing and food.^[85]

There are often long waiting lists for students who need counselling.^[86] Hilary Hennessey of the Canadian Federation of Students said that the counselling services provided by universities are “not effective.”^[87]

Witnesses believe that better financial support for students would significantly relieve psychological distress.^[88]

2.3.3.  Risk of Failure

The financial situation of students also impacts their chances of success. Union étudiante du Québec president Samy-Jane Tremblay said that “students who receive scholarships from research granting agencies cannot concentrate on their studies because the amount offered is simply insufficient.”^[89] Figures provided by McGill University show that “67.9% of Master’s and 72.7% of PhD students said that financial pressures were an obstacle to their progress.”^[90]

Cynthia Mbuya-Bienge, Ph.D. student in epidemiology and President of the Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses étudiant(es) et postdoctoraux de l’Université Laval, said that graduate students do full-time research work, and the need to combine several contracts in order to support themselves can lead to academic failure.^[91] Many students who take on extra jobs are forced to pause or extend their degree program.^[92]

2.3.4.  Accessibility of Graduate School

More broadly, the lack of student financial support is a major barrier to graduate school. Many witnesses told the Committee that the current system favours students who can rely on family support or access to financial resources, to the detriment of less advantaged students.^[93] Debby Burshtyn, Dean of the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, summed up the opinion of several witnesses by stating that research training should not be accessible only to the wealthy.^[94]

Not all students face the same financial pressures. Some groups of students are more vulnerable to a lack of financial resources that could put graduate school out of reach. Sarah Laframboise, Executive Director of Support Our Science, who spoke as an individual, sees the issue this way: “I think it comes down to who we are allowing to do a graduate degree now.”^[95]

Maydianne Andrade of the Canadian Black Scientists Network expanded on the issue:

Our current system is a massive filter. It’s a filter that is filtering out people as a function of their finances, not as a function of their excellence and not as a function of the likelihood that they might be the next Canadian Nobel Prize laureate. We are filtering out people who can’t take the mental load of living in poverty, those who don’t have credit ratings that allow them to take out loans and those who are unable to manage incredibly challenging research agendas while holding down several jobs. We are filtering out mature students who have dependants. We’re filtering out anyone whose family can’t help support them through this without massive debt. We know that in Canada, Black families, many families in rural communities, Indigenous families and others from marginalized groups simply do not have the financial resources to allow their children to follow this path.^[96]

One group facing these challenges was mentioned several times: international students. The Committee heard that international students are not eligible for all tri-council grants.^[97] They also are charged higher tuition fees than Canadian students.^[98] These students also find it hard to find housing.^[99] The Committee heard a number of times that some international students, attracted by the opportunities that Canada has to offer, were surprised by the situation they ended up in.^[100] According to the Ottawa Science Policy Network, international students are twice as likely as Canadian students to experience financial hardship.^[101]

Witnesses also spoke about the situation facing students from rural regions^[102] and francophone students in a minority context,^[103] who face higher costs due to the distance between where they live and where they study.

The Committee heard that inadequate financial support for students is jeopardizing diversity in science and research.^[104] Nipun Vats from ISED recognized that making Canada’s research environment more equitable, diverse and inclusive is essential to creating innovative and impactful research.^[105] He brought up the dedicated funding for targeted scholarships and fellowships for promising Black student researchers announced in Budget 2022.^[106] The granting councils also cited diversity and equity as among their priorities.^[107] On this point, Chief Scientific Advisor Mona Nemer felt that it would be worthwhile to review the criteria for awarding a large proportion of the scholarships and research funding to better ensure the representation of students or researchers from under-represented groups.^[108]

2.3.5.  Brain Drain and Loss of International Competitiveness

The stagnation in the value of tri-council scholarships is also detracting from the appeal of Canadian post-secondary institutions. Many witnesses pointed to the risk of a brain drain undermining the ability to train the next generation of scientists.

Witnesses presented the Committee with a series of international comparisons, focusing on the general level of support for scientific research, and more specifically on the level of graduate scholarships.

Regarding support for science, witnesses told the Committee that in 2021, Canada spent around 1.7% of its gross domestic product on research and development, which is below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 2.7%.^[109] According to this indicator, Canada ranks second to last among G7 countries.^[110] Several witnesses pointed out that other countries have announced major investments in research, citing as an example the CHIPS and Science Act recently passed by the United States.^[111]

As for talent development, Canada tops the OECD rankings in terms of the number of post-secondary graduates; however, in terms of the number of graduates with advanced degrees (masters and doctorates), Canada ranks 28^th.^[112]

It is difficult to compare the financial support received by graduate students in Canada and other countries, as there are significant differences in tuition fees, the cost of living and scholarship terms and conditions.^[113] Nevertheless, the evidence generally highlighted that the graduate scholarships available in Canada are not competitive with those available in certain other countries.^[114] For example, Alejandro Adem said that the U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Scholarship is the main comparator used by NSERC.^[115] It amounts to US$37,000, or about C$50,000, plus US$12,000 for research expenses, or about C$16,000.^[116] In some countries, such as Australia, scholarships are indexed to inflation.^[117]

Witnesses used these international comparisons to highlight the problem of brain drain. For Samy-Jane Tremblay of the Union étudiante du Québec, “[b]y not investing in the next generation of scientists, Canada is encouraging a brain drain and losing great talent, and this, it must be remembered, in a context of a shortage of skilled labour.”^[118] Career opportunities and financial support encourage many graduate students to go abroad when completing their master’s or doctoral degree, or postdoctoral fellowship.^[119]

Based on the findings of the McGill TRaCE study, Marc Johnson, Chair of the Board of Support Our Science, estimated that each year 3,700 recent Ph.Ds. are leaving Canada to pursue careers abroad.^[120] He estimates that this represents an annual loss of $740 million for Canada.^[121] However, Nipun Vats (ISED) told the Committee that he did not have any data indicating that there is a genuine brain drain.^[122]

Graduate student salaries in Canada are also a problem when it comes to attracting new talent. Some witnesses reported trouble recruiting Canadian or international students to their laboratories,^[123] and one witness talked about a “breaking point.”^[124]

Witnesses warned the Committee about the danger that these trends pose to Canada’s ability to train the next generation of researchers.^[125] The evidence also highlighted the impact of training and attracting top talent on the economy of the entire country. Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer said that “[b]y enhancing training and postgraduate job opportunities, we will keep talent at home, attract top international students and amplify the virtuous circle that links research, and training through research, to prosperous societies.”^[126]

Chapter 3. Need for Government Re-Engagement

Based on these findings, the witnesses suggested a number of ways to improve federal graduate scholarship programs and student support. The first set of recommendations pertains to graduate scholarship programs, and the second relates to the associated research support measures.

3.1.     Improving Federal Support Programs

3.1.1.  Increase Scholarship Amounts and Index to Inflation

The one measure heard most clearly in all the testimony and briefs received by the Committee is to increase the amount of federal tri-council graduate scholarships.

The vast majority of witnesses recommended increasing the amounts to catch up with cost of living increases since the various scholarships were established, and to index the scholarships to the consumer price index going forward.^[127] Most of the witnesses who quantified their recommendations suggested an increase of approximately 50% of the value of scholarships to catch up with price trends since 2003.^[128]

Other witnesses called for the value of federal scholarships to be set at an internationally competitive level.^[129]

A series of witnesses also recommended harmonizing the value of tri-council scholarships.^[130] As mentioned earlier, current doctoral scholarships range from $20,000 per year for SSHRC doctoral scholarships to $50,000 per year for Vanier doctoral scholarships.

The Committee heard that an increase in scholarships amounts should not come with a cut to the number of scholarships awarded.^[131]

3.1.2.  Increase the Number of Scholarships

Along with increasing scholarship amounts, the testimony and briefs received by the Committee clearly show that research stakeholders want to see the government increase the number of graduate scholarships awarded each year. As indicated earlier, the number of scholarships awarded has not kept up with the number of graduate students.

Specifically, witnesses recommended increasing the number of Canada Graduate Scholarships (master’s and doctoral) by 50%^[132] or 100%.^[133] Most witnesses also recommended doubling the number of tri-council postdoctoral fellowships.^[134] HealthCareCAN also called for “the number of scholarships [to] be adjusted annually to reflect the level of enrolment in graduate programs”.^[135]

3.1.3.  Increase the Length of Scholarships

The length of graduate scholarships frequently came up in witness testimony and recommendations. The Canada Graduate Scholarships at the graduate and doctoral levels are for one and three years, respectively. However, in practice, the actual length of study required to obtain these degrees is at least two years for a master’s degree and at least four years for a doctorate.^[136] Consequently, students see their funding end before their programs do, forcing them to either look for alternative funding sources to complete their research or to interrupt their education.^[137]

It was noted that Fonds de recherche du Québec graduate scholarships are for two years for the master’s degree and four years for a doctorate.^[138]

Samy-Jane Tremblay pointed out that the 2017 Fundamental Science Review Report (the Naylor Report) already raised this issue.^[139] NSERC president Alejandro Adem said that the three granting councils increased the duration of doctorate scholarships from two or three years for certain awardees to three years for all.^[140]

To align the length of scholarships more closely with how long it takes to complete a graduate degree, witnesses recommended “extending the duration of Canada’s graduate scholarships from 12 months to 24 months for master’s students and from 36 months to 48 months for PhD students.”^[141] The Union étudiante du Québec added that it is important that any increase in the duration of scholarships does not result in a cut in scholarship amounts.^[142]

3.1.4.  Scholarship Eligibility and Targeted Programs

Some of the testimony focused on the eligibility criteria for certain graduate scholarships and the possibility of creating targeted programs.

To start, some witnesses recommended making international students enrolled in eligible Canadian institutions eligible for tri-council scholarships.^[143] As mentioned earlier, Canada Graduate Scholarships at the master’s or doctoral level are reserved for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and protected persons under section 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in Canada. Concordia University said that by opening these scholarships to international students, “Canada can tap into a global talent pool and benefit from the valuable contributions of these gifted individuals.”^[144]

Witnesses also raised the possibility of reviewing the scholarship allocation criteria or creating targeted programs for certain students.

Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer referred to the 2022 report by her youth council, saying that there should be a review of the criteria for allocating many of the scholarships, since “[m]any of them may favour the establishment and folks who, perhaps, come from certain groups and who are going about advancing their careers in certain ways that others don’t have the means and the opportunities to do.”^[145]

Several categories of students were cited as needing support. David Novog, Professor with the Department of Engineering Physics at McMaster University, speaking as an individual, referred to “those with partners, children, dependents or cohabiting family members,” and “those who have challenges related to their mobility or learning.”^[146] ACCRU recommended “that a rural and remote classification and stipend should be added to graduate student scholarships/awards [to enable greater participation] in graduate education by rural graduate students.”^[147] Martin Normand, Director of Strategic Research and International Relations with the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne, said that there needs to be acceptance that “there may be specific measures for francophone students, as well as asymmetrical thinking on granting agency programs, including scholarships.”^[148]

Lastly, the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences encouraged the granting councils to “continue to monitor applications to assess that success rates are proportionate to population rates.”^[149]

3.1.5.  Review the Scholarship Award System

A final set of recommendations concerning scholarship programs focuses on the way they are awarded, through a system of quotas per institution.

As mentioned earlier, Canada Graduate Scholarships at the master’s and doctoral levels, and Vanier Doctoral Scholarships, are distributed by the tri-councils through post-secondary institutions. In the case of master’s scholarships, institutions have a quota of scholarships to award. As for doctoral scholarships, universities have a quota of applications to submit to the granting councils for review.

In briefs to the Committee, ACCRU and several universities said that the current quota system disadvantages smaller universities.^[150] These quotas are based in part on the overall amount of funding received by each university from the granting councils.^[151] These stakeholders recommended that the current quota system be modified or abolished. The University of Quebec at Rimouski and the University of Quebec at Abitibi-Témiscamingue recommended that the current quota system be replaced by a system where “25% of the scholarships available in each program are first distributed equally to each establishment regardless of the results of previous grant competitions.”^[152] ACCRU and the University of Moncton recommended a new formula for distributing master’s scholarships that would take into account not only the overall amount of funding obtained by each institution, but also the number of professors funded and the number of students enrolled in master’s programs that involve research.^[153]

3.2.     Renewing Support for Research

Witnesses stressed that it is important to look beyond graduate scholarship programs. It was clearly established that the vast majority of graduate students do not receive this type of funding and instead rely on research grants obtained by their supervisors.

Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer said the following:

As I mentioned, I believe that it’s essential to remember that 75% of students receive the equivalent of a scholarship through research funding and not directly through scholarships. Fixing this problem for less than 25% of graduate students does not adequately resolve the issue.^[154]

Michel Lacroix, President and Treasurer of the Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université, believes that if only scholarship amounts went up and grant amounts did not, “it would likely create a huge gap between students receiving scholarships and those who depend solely on research grants. It’s already hard enough for these students to successfully complete their studies.”^[155]

This is why many witnesses told the Committee that the budgets of the three granting councils must be increased so that they can award larger research grant amounts.^[156] That “would allow faculty to increase the support they provide to students from their grants.”^[157]

Many witnesses cited the conclusions of the March 2023 report by the Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System (the Bouchard Report). In the report, the advisory panel recommended that the federal government significantly increase its investments in the granting councils: “[a]s an initial step, the government should commit to an increase of at least ten percent annually for five years to the councils’ total base budgets for their core grant programming.”^[158] Many witnesses supported this recommendation by citing the same figures.^[159]

3.3.     Ensuring Student Representation

Lastly, several student organizations called for better representation on the governing councils of the granting councils.^[160] This would allow students to express their views on the decisions made by the councils.^[161] According to NSERC president Alejandro Adem, the fact that student advocacy is not incorporated into the governing councils of the three granting councils is one of the reasons why grant amounts have not increased.^[162]

Alejandro Adem said that NSERC governing council members are appointed by the Governor in Council.^[163] He said that while it is possible to appoint students, this has never happened.^[164] As stated in the brief submitted by the Union étudiante du Québec, “none of the seats are reserved for a student under the three statutes governing the composition of the agencies.”^[165] It was therefore recommended that the legislation governing the three granting councils be amended to guarantee student representation on their governing councils.^[166]

Recommendations

In light of the evidence collected during this study, the Committee makes the following recommendations to the government of Canada:

Recommendation 1

That the Government of Canada, through the granting councils—the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research:

• Increase the value of Tri-Agency graduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships by 50%, and index them to inflation moving forward;
• Increase the number of Tri-Agency graduate student scholarships by 50%;
• Increase the number of Tri-Agency postdoctoral fellowships by 100%; and
• Increase the Tri-Agency research grant budget provided to faculty by at least 10% per year for the next five years, to allow for increased graduate student and postdoctoral pay.

Recommendation 2

That the Government of Canada extend the length of graduate scholarships administered by the granting councils—the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—from 12 to 24 months for master’s programs and from 36 to 48 months for doctoral programs.

Recommendation 3

That the Government of Canada, through the granting councils—the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—expand the eligibility for Canada Graduate Scholarships (master’s and doctoral) to international students enrolled in Canadian institutions, keeping in mind practices of reciprocity and available funds.

Recommendation 4

That the Government of Canada, through the granting councils—the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, review the criteria for awarding graduate scholarships and consider creating specific supports for under-represented groups at the graduate level.

Recommendation 5

That the Government of Canada, through the granting councils—the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—review the quota system used to award Canada Graduate Scholarships and Vanier Doctoral Scholarships to ensure that smaller institutions are not put at a disadvantage.

Finally, the Committee reiterates Recommendation 6 from its report Top Talent, Research and Innovation^[167] and recommends:

Recommendation 6

That the Government of Canada amend the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council Act, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Act to include student representatives on the governing councils of these three institutions.