The University of British Columbia Affiliated Fellowship is one of the most genuinely accessible funding routes into a top Canadian graduate programme, precisely because it doesn’t gatekeep by citizenship the way many national scholarships do. Each year, UBC’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies awards roughly 50 Affiliated Fellowships to outstanding full-time graduate students — Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international students alike, all competing on the same academic merit basis. For a strong applicant from outside Canada, that’s a real opportunity most comparable programmes simply don’t offer. For the current 2026/27 cycle, the deadline for submitting your checklist to your graduate programme is 15 September 2026, 12:00 PM PT.
UBC Affiliated Fellowship Summary
| Fellowship Name ⇒ | UBC Affiliated Fellowships (Master’s and Doctoral) |
| Host Country ⇒ | Canada |
| Host Institution ⇒ | University of British Columbia (Vancouver campus) |
| Study Level ⇒ | Master’s, PhD |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | All nationalities — no citizenship restrictions |
| Benefits ⇒ | Master’s: $175–$16,000 CAD. Doctoral: $175–$40,000 CAD |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Checklist due 15 September 2026, 12:00 PM PT. Programme nominations due 13 October 2026. |
About the University of British Columbia Affiliated Fellowship
Awarded purely on academic excellence, this fellowship is open to both current and prospective full-time graduate students at UBC’s Vancouver campus, across virtually every discipline. Awards can be stacked with several other funding sources — UBC’s Four-Year Fellowship (4YF), RA/TA positions, and donor-funded awards — and the prestigious Killam Doctoral Scholarship is awarded to top candidates through this same competition, provided they meet its additional specific criteria.
Priority is given to applicants who don’t already hold $16,000 CAD or more in other confirmed funding for the award year — if you receive other significant funding after being offered an Affiliated Fellowship, the offer is typically rescinded, so be transparent about your existing funding situation.
Eligibility Requirements
- Be enrolled in, or applying to, a full-time research-based Master’s or PhD programme at UBC’s Vancouver campus
- Have a minimum first-class standing (80% or higher at UBC; equivalent standard elsewhere) in each of the last two years of full-time study
- For Master’s applicants: have completed between 0 and 12 months of graduate-level study as of 31 December 2025
- For Doctoral applicants: have completed up to 36 months of graduate-level study by the relevant date, confirmed directly with your specific graduate programme
- Be in a programme with a genuine research focus — thesis or scholarly work
- Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or international student — no citizenship restrictions apply
The Application Process Differs by Citizenship Too
This is worth understanding clearly before you apply. Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are eligible must first apply for CGS-M (Master’s) or the equivalent Tri-Agency doctoral competition (CGS-D, through SSHRC, NSERC, or CIHR) — submitting that application also puts them in consideration for Affiliated funding automatically, without a separate submission.
International students — genuinely most of ScholarWaka’s readership — skip that step entirely. You apply directly for the Affiliated Fellowship itself, since CGS-M and CGS-D eligibility is specifically tied to Canadian citizenship or permanent residency status.
Required Documents
- A completed application form matching your level (Master’s or Doctoral)
- A research proposal — maximum 1 page for Master’s applicants, maximum 2 pages for Doctoral applicants
- Official transcripts
- A reference letter
- Your completed checklist of criteria-based Affiliated Awards, identifying any specific named awards (like the Killam) you may also qualify for
How to Apply
- Confirm which route applies to you: Canadian citizen/permanent resident (apply through CGS-M or the relevant Tri-Agency doctoral programme first), or international student (apply directly for the Affiliated Fellowship)
- Review the checklist of criteria-based Affiliated Awards to identify any additional named awards you may qualify for, beyond the general unrestricted funding pool
- Prepare your research proposal, transcripts, and reference letter well ahead of the deadline
- Submit your complete application and checklist to your specific UBC graduate programme before 15 September 2026, 12:00 PM PT
- Your graduate programme reviews and ranks the applications it receives, then forwards its top nominees to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies by 13 October 2026
Official Application Portal
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the UBC Affiliated Fellowship open to international students?
Yes, with no citizenship restrictions at all. Canadian citizens and permanent residents follow a slightly different first step (applying through CGS-M or the relevant Tri-Agency programme), but international students apply directly for the Affiliated Fellowship itself.
What’s the difference in award value between Master’s and Doctoral fellowships?
Master’s awards range from $175 to $16,000 CAD. Doctoral awards range from $175 to $40,000 CAD — these are genuinely different ceilings, not one shared range.
When is the current application deadline?
Your checklist is due to your graduate programme by 15 September 2026, 12:00 PM PT. Programme nominations to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies are due by 13 October 2026.
Can I hold this fellowship alongside other funding?
Yes, in many cases — it can be stacked with UBC’s Four-Year Fellowship, RA/TA positions, and donor-funded awards. However, priority in the initial selection goes to applicants who don’t already hold $16,000 CAD or more in other confirmed funding.
What is the Killam Doctoral Scholarship’s connection to this fellowship?
It’s awarded to top candidates through this same Affiliated Fellowships competition, provided they meet its own additional specific eligibility criteria beyond the general fellowship requirements.
Disclaimer: All fellowship details were verified directly against UBC’s official Graduate School page as of August 2026, reflecting the 2026/27 competition cycle. Deadlines and award figures can change annually — always confirm current details directly at grad.ubc.ca before applying.
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