OpenFieldWestern Graduate Research Scholarship (WGRS) & Doctoral Fellowships
Western's premier merit-based doctoral funding guarantee, providing guaranteed living stipends and full tuition fee offsets to domestic and international doctoral scholars across all disciplines.
Application checklist & requirements
These requirements reflect published university guidelines available at the last review. Review official department guidelines before submission.
- Academic degree / Prerequisites
- First-class academic standing (minimum 80% or 3.7/4.0 GPA) in previous university degree programs.
- English language proficiency
- Academic IELTS 7.0 overall with no band below 6.5 or TOEFL iBT 92.
- Standardized testing (GRE/GMAT)
- Recommended for international applicants with non-Canadian credentials.
- Thesis / Research statement
- Demonstrated academic excellence, research publications, or strong Master's thesis record.
- Recommendation letters
- Two academic referee appraisals submitted via the graduate portal.
How much will it cost? How much funding is available?
- Financial support / stipend
- Fully funded: Annual financial package of CAD $24,000 to $30,000/year for 4 years plus full international tuition fee differential offset
- Application fee
- CAD $150 graduate application fee
- Tuition / joining costs
- Differential tuition covered through university scholarship awards.
Dates and verification
- Application deadline
- January 15, 2027 (Annual departmental funding allocation deadline for Fall intake)
- Last source review
- 2026-10-14
Important verification note
Facts reflect official Western University documentation reviewed 2026-10-14. Admissions, funding allocations, and eligibility thresholds are evaluated by the university.
Reviewed 2026-10-14 · Editorial standards · Report an issue