Location: Canada
Program: Postgraduate Programs (PhD, DMA, and MDPhD)
Eligibility: All Nationalities
Duration: 4 years
Deadline: December 2026
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The Four Year Doctoral Fellowship is UBC’s flagship doctoral funding programme, designed to ensure that the university’s best PhD, DMA, and MDPhD students receive stable base-level financial support of at least CAD $18,200 per year plus full tuition coverage for up to four years of their doctoral studies. All PhD, DMA, and MDPhD applicants offered admission to UBC are automatically considered for 4YF funding with no separate application required, as each graduate programme is allocated a set number of fellowships and nominates its very best incoming and continuing students.
The University of British Columbia is one of Canada’s and the world’s most prestigious research-intensive universities, consistently ranked among the top 40 universities globally in the QS World University Rankings and home to over 70,000 students from more than 160 countries across its Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. Located in Vancouver, one of the world’s most liveable and internationally diverse cities, UBC offers doctoral students access to world-class research facilities, a vibrant and collaborative academic community, and strong connections to industry, government, and international research networks. The 4YF programme reflects UBC’s firm commitment to attracting and retaining outstanding domestic and international doctoral talent across every field of study, ensuring that financial considerations do not limit the ability of the most gifted researchers to pursue their doctoral studies at one of the world’s great research universities.
Benefits of the Scholarship
This scholarship will provide the following to its recipients:
- Annual stipend of at least CAD $18,200 for up to 4 years
- Full tuition coverage for up to 4 years
- Open to both domestic and international students across all doctoral disciplines
- Automatic consideration upon PhD admission application, no separate application required
- Other benefits
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Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for this scholarship, applicants must meet the following:
- Must be admitted to or currently enrolled in a full-time PhD, DMA, or MDPhD programme at the University of British Columbia Vancouver Campus
- Open to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international students
- Fellowships are generally offered to students beginning their first year of full-time doctoral studies, but may also be offered to continuing students
- All PhD, DMA, and MDPhD applicants offered admission are automatically considered for 4YF funding through their graduate programme; no separate application is required
- Canadian citizens and permanent residents holding the 4YF are required to apply each year for Tri-Agency funding if eligible; failure to do so results in forfeiture of remaining 4YF funding
- International students holding the 4YF are not required to apply to the annual Affiliated Fellowship competition but are eligible to do so if they wish to compete for higher-stipend fellowships such as the Killam Doctoral Fellowship
- Students holding Vanier Scholarships, CGSD, CIHR Doctoral Research Awards, NSERC PGSD, or SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships automatically become 4YF designates and receive 4YF support once external funding ends
- Duration of funding may be less than four years in some circumstances; refer to the 4YF Guidelines for full details
Note: Kindly check the official webpage for full and detailed requirements
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Selection Criteria
The Four Year Doctoral Fellowship selection process is based entirely on academic excellence, with each graduate programme reviewing its incoming and continuing doctoral students and nominating its very best candidates for the fellowship, with priority always given to incoming first-year students. Academic performance is fundamental, with graduate programmes assessing the overall quality of each student’s academic record, research potential, and the strength of their doctoral admission application, and the most competitive candidates are typically those whose academic profiles place them clearly at the very top of their doctoral cohort across all relevant criteria. Graduate programmes submit their nominations to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at least eight weeks before the requested fellowship start date, and the final award decisions rest with the graduate programme in consultation with the Graduate School, with all 4YF holders required to maintain satisfactory academic progress throughout the fellowship period to retain their funding.
How to Apply
CLICK HERE to visit the official webpage and submit your application.
