SSHRC and NSERC expand Indigenous scholars initiative to include funding for doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers
Date published: June 18, 2026
The Indigenous Scholars Awards and Supplements Pilot Initiative (ISAS) will soon be available to Indigenous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers, in addition to Indigenous master’s students. The newly expanded initiative will be administered by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
Launched in 2022, the ISAS initiative was developed in response to the government’s commitment to strengthen Indigenous research capacity and provide dedicated funding to support promising master’s students, enable greater mentorship of emerging researchers, and increase opportunities for Indigenous Peoples at Canadian postsecondary institutions. The expansion of the initiative to all levels of funding helps improve access and builds on the commitment to support Indigenous research and research training for Canada’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis scholars.
This initiative launches at the same time as the Canada Research Training Awards Suite (CRTAS) programs. The doctoral and postdoctoral competitions launch on July 8, 2026, and the master’s competition launches on September 2, 2026.
Quick facts
- Indigenous applicants applying for either a Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s or Doctoral award, or a Canada Postdoctoral Research Award, will be able to apply for the ISAS initiative at the same time.
- The award values of the Indigenous Scholars Awards match the current values of the CRTAS programs:
- $27,000 for the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Master’s program—for one year;
- $40,000 per year for the Canada Graduate Research Scholarship – Doctoral program; and
- $70,000 per year for the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award program.
- The Indigenous Scholars Supplement is valued at $5,000 at the master’s and doctoral levels, and $10,000 at the postdoctoral level. Recipients can use the funds for travel to northern and remote communities, childcare, eldercare and/or to help offset other costs associated with their research.
Contact information
For more information, contact the appropriate agency: