Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship

Master's full value: $26,000
PhD full value: $31,000
Top-up value: $12,000

Notes:

• Tri-Council Scholarships (Doctoral and Master's), China Scholarship Council and other major award (valued at $21,000 or higher) holders who win an AI GSS will receive a top-up value for the duration of their eligibility, and the AI GSS start date will align with the other external scholarship start/renewal date, as determined by the GPS
• AI GSS years of funding vary depending on the student’s program admit term. Please refer to the Eligibility and Term of Scholarship Chart under 2026/27 Alberta Innovates GSS Program Guidelines and Handbook
• This award can be held concurrently with Alberta Graduate Excellence Scholarship (AGES).

Eligible applicant requirements:

• There are no citizenship restrictions on this award.
• A minimum of 3.5 GPA is an eligibility requirement for all applicants. The GPA will be calculated based on the current graduate program graded coursework at the University of Alberta, or, if a student is newly admitted, the admission GPA (AGPA) will be used to determine eligibility.
• Students applying for a master's level Alberta Innovates GSS must have been admitted to their master's program no earlier than Spring 2025.
• Students applying for a doctoral level Alberta Innovates GSS must have been admitted to their doctoral program no earlier than Spring 2023. This includes any time spent in a master’s program (if transferred from master’s to doctoral program). 
• Proposed research projects must advance Applied Digital & Emerging Technology areas in natural sciences and engineering, in and of themselves or which additionally support at least one of the following Thematic Areas of Focus i) Health, Agricultural, and Life Science Innovation, ii) Advanced Materials, Defence and Aerospace, iii) Natural Resource Recovery. Further explanation of the eligible Emerging Technology Areas of Research can be found in 2026/27 AI GSS Program Guidelines
  • If the student's project involves developing or advancing an emerging technology (ET) listed here, it is considered development (eligible). The primary objective must be the advancement of the ET itself, rather than improvements in other products. Conversely, if the project involves developing a technology that is not an ET but utilizes ET as a tool, it would be categorized as the use of ET (ineligible), rather than ET development.
• Each candidate must be sponsored by a faculty supervisor, possessing both a record of productive research within one of the research areas and sufficient resources to ensure the satisfactory conduct of the research.
• For those not yet registered in a graduate program at U of A, your eligibility to apply for the Alberta Innovates GSS is contingent upon meeting all eligibility requirements for admission to a U of A graduate program. Applicants are to contact their prospective department for information on those requirements.
• Students cannot simultaneously hold support from more than one Alberta Innovates studentship program.
• Students cannot receive more than a total of four years of combined master’s/doctoral support from Alberta Innovates (across all programs). This includes support from the Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship, Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship for Data-Enabled Innovation, the Alberta Innovates Graduate Studentship (Health), and the Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU) Graduate Studentships.

Additional details can be found in the 2026-27 Alberta Innovates GSS Program Guidelines and Handbook.

Students must apply directly to GPS via the GSMS Awards Portal.

2026-27 Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship (AI GSS) Memo

A complete application includes:

1. Alberta Innovates Graduate Student Scholarship Application Form - for questions related to the content of each section, students are encouraged to seek advise from their program supervisor(s) or department.
   
   Students may also refer to the Tips & Tools for a Successful Scholarship Application located under Award Resources webpage.
   
   
2. Up-to-date transcripts: of all undergraduate and graduate studies must be included with the application (includes all transfer credit, even if transferred to the U of A, and incomplete work/non-degree study/qualifying years, etc). With the exception of the U of A, all other institutions must be copies of the official transcripts. Missing or illegible transcripts may deem students' applications as incomplete and will not be reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to order required transcripts as soon as possible, where required. Up-to-date transcripts include (but is not limited to):
   
   
   1. U of A Transcripts: U of A unofficial transcripts (printed from BearTracks) will be accepted:
      • Unofficial U of A transcripts must be up-to-date and show current full time registration (courses/thesis in progress) if the applicant is currently registered.
      • For newly admissible students (i.e., recommended for admission to a graduate degree program starting September 1, 2026 or January 1, 2027) and who have no prior U of A record, refer to step b).
      • Newly admissible students with a prior U of A record may also provide an unofficial transcript. Students who no longer have access to BearTracks are to contact their admitting department.
      • GPS will not generate an updated U of A transcript for applicants.
   2. Other Institution Transcripts: copies of official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies from other institutions attended are required (must show all completed coursework and grades, and conferral of any degrees). Opening and scanning a paper transcript, or providing a copy of an official e-transcript will not render the transcript unofficial:
      • Transcripts must be up-to-date; students are responsible for obtaining official transcripts and appending a copy to their application
      • GPS does not provide copies of transcripts from student records held at the U of A (includes transcripts from other Canadian/international post-secondary institutions, and transcripts included in former, recent, or in progress admission/award applications).
      • One copy of the legend (reverse of each transcript) must be included.
      • Self-produced transcripts or mark sheets from institutions’ self-served student systems are considered unofficial and will not be considered.

3. Two Letters of Reference. Applicants are required to have their referees complete their assessments using the Google Form. Applicants are responsible for providing this link to their referees, and the documents necessary for them to write their respective letters.
   
   Students should contact their referees well in advance and follow up with their referees to ensure the form is submitted by Thursday, July 23, 2026.

IMPORTANT:

• It is the student's responsibility to ensure that their application package is complete in every respect before submitting to GPS via GSMS Awards portal. Incomplete application packages, including those submitted with missing transcripts, missing signatures or pages, and missing reference letters, will not be considered.
• Students must follow the instructions on how to Apply for Award under Students GSMS Resources located under Award Resources webpage.
  • Applications with a status of Under Review indicates that the application was successfully submitted to GPS. 
  • Applications that are in the status of Application in Progress indicate that the application is NOT yet submitted to GPS. Applications with this status by the application deadline will not be considered. 
• Once the application is submitted via GSMS awards portal, NO revisions will be permitted.  GPS will not follow up regarding applications that are incomplete and the application will automatically be deemed ineligible.

University of Alberta Review Procedure and Selection Criteria

GPS will review all applications for eligibility and completeness and forward them to the Graduate Scholarship Committee (GSC) for adjudication. The GSC will evaluate the applicants based on excellence and strategic alignment in applied digital and emerging technology areas of scientific research important to Alberta. 

Alberta Innovates Evaluation Process

Alberta Innovates will then review applications forwarded by the universities for alignment with Government of Alberta, Alberta Innovates, and Emerging Technology & Talent (ETT) priorities.

All applications are reviewed and evaluated to determine fit with the Graduate Student Scholarship program objectives and intended outcomes. Alberta Innovates staff and external expert reviewers are engaged to evaluate Applications.

All investment decisions are at the sole discretion of Alberta Innovates.

For details, refer to the 2026/27 AI GSS Program Guidelines.

Deadline for students to directly submit applications via GSMS awards portal and referees to submit letters via Google Form is Thursday, July 23, 2026.

Due to high volume of applications we expect to receive, we highly recommend students to submit their application a few days prior the deadline to avoid any technical issue. GPS will NOT ACCEPT any late applications and no exceptions.

Scholarship recipients will be required to participate in professional development opportunities such as workshops, events, etc. provided by Alberta Innovates during the term of the award. Students will be contacted by Alberta Innovates regarding these opportunities.

Additionally, award holders are required to submit their final report at the end of the funding term. The final report can be found in the student’s Alberta Innovates account.

For more information, complete eligibility and binding rules for holding Alberta Innovates GSS, please see the Alberta Innovates GSS Program Guidelines and Handbook, which can be found on Alberta Innovates website.