Ontario Scholarships : OGS and QEII

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) and the Queen Elizabeth II Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) encourage excellence in graduate studies at the master’s and doctoral levels.

Scholarships Overview

The Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) programs and the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) aim to promote academic excellence in Ontario's publicly assisted universities. Since 1975, the OGS program has been awarding merit-based scholarships to the top-performing graduate students in Ontario across all academic disciplines. In 1998, the Ontario government introduced the QEII-GSST, a merit-based scholarship program specifically designed for graduate students in science and technology.

The main objective of these funds is to award scholarships to master's and doctoral students in all academic fields within participating Ontario institutions. This initiative aims to recognize, value, and encourage academic excellence.

Note: The information on this page is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment from the University of Ottawa.

The selection committee’s decisions are final. The dean (or delegate) of the faculty offering the program will hear appeals only on procedural grounds.

In order to be considered for an OGS or QEII-GSST, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Citizenship

For OGS:

Be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person [under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protections Act (Canada)] at the time of submitting the application.
Foreign students who are studying in Ontario under a temporary resident visa or a valid student study permit, under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) are eligible for the allotted OGS international student awards. Applicants who do not have a valid temporary resident visa or student study permit at the time of application will be required to provide proof of a valid one at the time of taking up the award.

For QEII-GSST:

Be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person [under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protections Act (Canada)] at the time of submitting the application. International students are not eligible for QEII-GSST awards.

2. Minimum Academic Average

For OGS and QEII-GSST:

Applicants having completed zero to twenty-four months of graduate studies at the time of the application deadline: must have achieved a minimum average of at least A-(8.0/10), in each of the last two years of completed studies (full-time equivalent).
Applicants entering the third year or beyond (25 months or more) of graduate studies at the time of the application deadline: must have an overall average of at least A- (8.0/10) on all graduate courses completed, including graduate courses taken while completing an undergraduate degree or as a special student.

Examples of one-year full-time equivalent:

Undergraduate studies: enrolled full-time for two terms.
Graduate studies: enrolled full-time for three consecutive terms.
Undergraduate and graduate studies: two terms of part-time studies are equivalent to one term of full-time studies.

3. Enrollment Requirements

For OGS and QEII-GSST:

Be enrolled full-time in, or expect to be enrolled full-time, in a graduate program during the academic year 2026-2027 (May 2026 to April 2027) at the University of Ottawa.
Master’s program: applicants cannot have completed more than four (4) terms of their master’s program at the time that the award is disbursed.
PhD program: applicants cannot have completed more than thirteen (13) terms of their PhD program at the time that the award is disbursed.

For QEII-GSST only:

Be enrolled in a research master’s or doctoral program in science and technology disciplines, as per the following eligible disciplines:

Applied Sciences

Aerospace (may include Aeronautical Engineering)
Biomedical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering and Architecture (may include Landscape Architecture)
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Engineering Science (may include Engineering, Engineering Physics and Nuclear Engineering)
Mechanical Engineering
Mining, Metallurgy, and Materials Science (may include Metallurgical Engineering
Systems and Industrial Engineering (may include Systems/Design Engineering and Operational Research)

Biological and Life Sciences

Biochemistry and Biophysics (may include Medical Biophysics)
Environmental Sciences (may include Agriculture, Ecology, Forestry, and Toxicology)
General Biological Sciences (may include Biology, Botany, Entomology, Microbiology, Mycology, Plant and Animal Biology, and Zoology)
Genetics, Cell, and Molecular Biology
General Health Science (may include research-oriented programs in Epidemiology, Human Kinetics, Hygiene, Nutrition, and Rehabilitation disciplines such as Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Audiology, and Speech Pathology)
Human Biology (may include Anatomy, Biomedical Sciences, Food Science, Immunology, Neuroscience, Pathology, Pharmacology, and Physiology)
Medical and Veterinary Sciences (may include research-oriented programs in Dentistry, Medical Sciences, Nursing, Optometry, and Pharmacy)

Physical Sciences

Chemistry
Computer Science (may include Information/Systems Science)
Earth Sciences (may include Geology and Geophysics)
Mathematics and Statistics
Physics (may include Astronomy, Meteorology, and Space Science)

The OGS and QEII-GSST are not transferable between Ontario universities. It must be held at the university that awarded it. Students must apply for the OGS and QEII-GSST at the institution where they will be registered for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Applicants who do not know at the time of applying for an OGS or QEII-GSST which university they will be attending, will have to submit an OGS and QEII-GSST application to each Ontario University where they are seeking admission.

Each Ontario University now has its own specific deadlines, with its own application forms and application process. Applicants must respect the deadlines and processes of each university.

Candidates may have to submit more than one OGS or QEII-GSST application at the University of Ottawa if they are intending to apply for admissions to more than one program of studies. Each Faculty is given a quota and awards are not transferable between faculties. Some faculties may allocate their quota by program of studies and they will not allow an OGS transfer between their programs. Please confirm with the Graduate Office of the faculty to which you have applied or will be applying for admissions to confirm whether a second application is required.

OGS Scholarships for Indigenous Candidates

At the University of Ottawa, we are dedicated to empowering Indigenous graduate students. To honour this commitment, we proudly offer two exclusive OGS awards specifically for Indigenous students one at the master level and one at the PhD level. Within the OGS application, there is a designated section where eligible applicants can self-identify as Indigenous to be considered for these prestigious scholarships. Please note that applicants who self-identify on the application form will be required to provide a document confirming their Indigenous identity. For more information, consult the document Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people.

Transcripts

You must include up-to-date transcripts of ALL undergraduate and graduate studies.

Up-to-date transcripts (PDF) are defined as transcripts dated or issued in the fall session of the year of application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).
Unofficial copies (PDF) are acceptable. It is important to note that an unofficial copy is a copy issued by the university that does not bear the institutional seal or the registrar's signature. It is not a screenshot or a copy directly from your student account (copy and paste).
If your transcript is in a language other than English or French, you must submit a certified translated version (PDF).
One copy (PDF) of the legend (reverse of each transcript) must be included except for Canadian transcripts.
If you took a course or courses in another university or if you participated in an exchange, you must submit the transcript (PDF) even if the marks appear on your home university (this does not apply to candidates admitted to a program at the University of Ottawa).
If transcripts are not provided for ALL study listed in your OGS application, the selection committee(s) will have less information on which to base their assessment, which may put your application at a disadvantage or render it inadmissible.
Scan and download all your transcripts into one single document using a PDF format. Please note that opening the envelope to scan the transcript will not render it unofficial for the OGS-QEII competition.
Retain the paper copy of any uploaded transcripts, as you may be asked to provide it for verification purposes.

Please read carefully the OGS and QEII-GSST Combined Application Instructions before completing your combined application.

Online application available soon for 2026-27.

Application Procedure

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External candidates (who do not have a �糵�� student number, uoAccess account, and no active admission application at �糵��): must request an account creation to the Online Scholarships and Bursaries portal by emailing [email protected], with the following details:

Subject line: “Access request to the Online Scholarships Portal (OGS)”
Given Name and Surname
Email address (it will be used for future correspondence and as the username login)
Language preference (French or English)

Once the account is created, external candidates will receive an email inviting them to access their account and reset their password.

Competitions (Faculty)

There are nine (9) OGS competitions available on the Online Scholarships Portal:

Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Education
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Law
Faculty of Medicine
Faculty of Science
Faculty of Social Sciences
Telfer School of Management

Candidates

Must apply to the competition of their proposed host faculty (where they would receive the scholarship).
Click here to consult .
May apply to more than one competition. If you plan to apply to more than one faculty, you must complete an application for each faculty (competition).
May submit only one application per competition (faculty).

Application Contents

Please note that all documents to be uploaded to the portal must be in PDF format. This format ensures better readability and compatibility for all users. Please convert your files to PDF before uploading them.

The OGS application form
Resume (CV): This application will only accept a resume that was created through the Online Scholarships and Bursaries portal.
Research/Program Statement and Contributions: provide your research/program statement in the space provided (max. 700 words).
(Optional) Bibliography and Citations (max. 1250 words)
Supporting Documentation
- Transcripts: Upload complete transcripts of ALL postsecondary institutions you have frequented. Please ensure to include the back of the documents, should they contain legends. See information about transcripts in the Important to Note section.
- Letter of Sponsorship or Letter of Interest of Sponsorship (QEII-GSST). Required only if you answered “Yes” to the question, “I have read the eligibility criteria for the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarships in Science and Technology (QEII-GSST) and wish to have my candidacy considered for this scholarship.” Please note that students who have not secured sponsorship can still submit an application and must include a letter stating that they have not found a suitable sponsorship opportunity.
- Documented proof of Indigenous identity, as per the requirements of the University of Ottawa academic regulation, Eligibility for Focused Admissions, Scholarships and Bursaries for First Nations, Inuit and Métis people. Required only if you answered "Yes" to the statement "Declaration of Status: I hereby state that I identify as an Indigenous student (…)".
Notice of Collection, Applicant's Consent and Applicant's Declaration

Academic Assessment Report (OGS / QEII-GSST)

All applicants to the OGS-QEII competitions require two (2) academic assessment reports from two distinct referees. Academic assessment reports are submitted by the referee via the portal. Applicant must:

Download the (or the )
Complete the “Student Information” section of the form, and save the file on your electronic device. Be sure to name your pre-filled document so that your sponsor can identify you. Example: LastName_FirstName_OGSReport.pdf
For each referee, enter your referee's name and e-mail address, and attach your saved file.
Click “Send request”.

Please note that the language of the correspondence sent to the referee will be the same as your current language in your Online Scholarships interface. If you wish to change the language of correspondence, change the language of the portal (by clicking on FR/EN at the top right of the interface before clicking “Send request”).

The email will include a hyperlink for uploading the evaluation report.

Two (2) academic assessment reports are required to submit an application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their referees provide their reports on time. No documents will be accepted after the deadline.

Referees can also consult these for more information. Important: The Academic Assessment form must be completed using Adobe Acrobat Reader or Adobe Acrobat Pro. Using other PDF viewers or editors may result in submission errors, including blank or incomplete forms in our portal. To ensure your form is properly filled out and fully visible to our review committee, please download and use the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader (free) or Adobe Acrobat Pro before completing the form. This step is crucial for the successful submission of your application.

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