University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) 2026/27: Up to $100,000 for PhD Students at a Leading Canadian Research University (All Nationalities)

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The University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) is one of Canada’s most significant institutional doctoral and Master’s funding awards — offering $25,000 per year for PhD students (up to $100,000 total over four years) and $20,000 per year for Master’s students (up to $40,000 total over two years).

Crucially, the UMGF is open to all students regardless of citizenship — making it one of the few Canadian institutional fellowships that does not restrict international applicants.

What the Fellowship Pays

The duration of your award depends on where you are in your programme at the time of recommendation:

Master’s students:

• At programme start (0 months): 24 months of funding available
• 1–12 months in: 12 months of funding available
• 13+ months in: no longer eligible

PhD students:

• At programme start: 48 months of funding available
• 1–12 months in: 36 months
• 13–24 months in: 24 months
• 25–36 months in: 12 months
• 37+ months in: no longer eligible

What Is the University of Manitoba?

The University of Manitoba is Canada’s 13th largest university and the largest in the Prairie provinces, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is a comprehensive research university with particular strengths in medicine, health sciences, engineering, agriculture, and the social sciences.

Winnipeg is one of Canada’s most affordable major cities, with a cost of living significantly below Toronto or Vancouver. For international graduate students, the combination of a $25,000 annual fellowship and Winnipeg’s affordability creates genuinely comfortable living conditions for doctoral study.

The university is a member of the U15, Canada’s 15 leading research universities, giving a University of Manitoba doctoral degree the same institutional credibility tier as the University of Toronto, McGill, or UBC in most professional contexts.

Eligibility

Academic standing: Minimum admission GPA of 3.0. Individual departments may have higher requirements.

Citizenship: All students — domestic and international — are eligible. No nationality restriction.

Programme: Must be enrolled as a Master’s or PhD student at the University of Manitoba. Pre-master’s and Occasional students are not eligible.

Fields of study: All fields of graduate study eligible for Tri-Agency (NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR) funding are covered.

Ongoing conditions:

• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0
• No grade lower than C+
• Registered full-time in your programme
• Progressing satisfactorily
• Not receiving another award of equal or greater annual value — if you receive such an award, you must notify the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies and terminate the UMGF

How the Application Process Works

The UMGF is not applied for directly by students through a central portal. The process works through your department:

Step 1: Your department recommends you for the UMGF. Students cannot self-nominate, your department must identify and put you forward.

Step 2: The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) reviews departmental recommendations.

Step 3: FGPS notifies award recipients by email.

Your action: Contact your department or unit directly to understand their internal UMGF nomination process and deadline. Every department manages this differently — some have internal competitions, others select top incoming students automatically.

Why This Fellowship Matters

For international students specifically, the UMGF’s citizenship-agnostic eligibility is significant. Most Canadian provincial government scholarships are restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. The UMGF — as an institutional award — is available to everyone.

A $25,000 annual doctoral fellowship at a U15 Canadian university, in one of Canada’s most affordable major cities, is a genuinely competitive funding package. Combined with the Canadian work permit pathway available to international students during and after graduate study, the University of Manitoba UMGF represents a viable full pathway, from graduate study to potential permanent residency.

For more information and application: 

Visit the official website of the University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) 2026/27