UMGF Fellowship 2027 at University of Manitoba Canada Inviting Applications

The University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF) 2027-2028 currently offers CAN$20,000 a year for master’s students and CAN$25,000 for PhD students, with applicants of any nationality eligible for consideration. Planning graduate study in Canada in 2027? Start by finding a research programme that fits your qualifications and a department willing to recommend you.

You might have the grades, a promising research idea and a favourite programme—but how do those become a funded offer? Does admission automatically bring a fellowship? Will the award cover tuition too? This guide walks you through the decisions that matter before you spend money applying.

Can your subject and grades qualify for UMGF?

UMGF covers eligible graduate research across disciplines, provided the programme qualifies for Tri-Agency funding. The current award-holder rules specify a thesis, dissertation or major research paper/project route. A course-only programme without a research component does not qualify.

Think beyond your subject label: engineering, sciences, humanities or social sciences can offer research routes, but you must check the actual programme. Bachelor’s, pre-master’s and occasional-student registrations are outside this fellowship’s eligible degree categories.

The central admission-GPA threshold is 3.0, assessed by Manitoba; departments can require more. Electrical and Computer Engineering’s published UMGF criteria, for example, specify 3.5 in the last 60 credit hours or equivalent. Confirm the next competition’s criteria rather than assuming the university minimum settles your eligibility.

For master’s admission, Manitoba generally requires a four-year bachelor’s or equivalent and a B average in the last 60 credits. PhD admission normally requires a master’s or equivalent; exceptional honours-bachelor’s applicants may be considered with departmental recommendation.

Does “Tri-Agency eligible” mean you must be Canadian? No. Here it describes the programme’s eligibility; UMGF itself accepts applicants regardless of citizenship.

Back to your next step

What would the fellowship actually pay you?

Your award can provide substantial support, but its duration determines the total. Use the current published ceilings to understand the opportunity:

Those totals are ceilings, not a lump-sum promise. Total UMGF support is limited to four years across your degrees. Departments determine awards, and time already spent in your programme reduces the available support. A master’s student beginning the programme may qualify for 24 months; after 1–12 months, only 12 months remain available. At 13 months or more, master’s eligibility ends.

Does this automatically make your degree fully funded? No. The advertised fellowship does not promise a separate tuition waiver, airfare or accommodation package. Compare the written award with tuition, fees and living costs, then identify any shortfall.

Advisor-funded stipends and assistantships are among the permitted exceptions. A separate scholarship worth at least the annual UMGF amount generally prevents holding both. Ask the awards office to confirm your funding combination before accepting offers.

Back to your next step

How do you turn interest into a departmental recommendation?

Follow two connected processes: graduate admission and your department’s fellowship selection. Admission alone does not award UMGF.

1. Choose the research programme and 2027 intake. Use Manitoba’s graduate programme directory to check prerequisites, intake availability, closing dates and supervision requirements.
2. Contact the graduate coordinator early. Ask whether incoming applicants can enter the next UMGF competition, when admission must be confirmed, and which forms, references and GPA rules apply. Where required, contact a suitable supervisor with a focused explanation of your research fit.
3. Prepare the admission evidence. Follow the official admission and English requirements. The university’s IELTS Academic minimum is 6.5 overall; approved alternatives and exemptions exist. Departments can set higher requirements. An English-medium letter does not automatically establish an exemption.
4. Submit and pay for admission. Follow the graduate application guide to access the online application. Upload the required transcripts and programme-specific documents, arrange references and pay the applicable non-refundable fee. Manitoba does not accept WES or ECE evaluation-service documents for this process.
5. Complete the departmental UMGF process. Use your unit’s current instructions alongside the official fellowship rules. The department selects candidates and recommends them to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, which reviews recommendations and issues official award notifications.
6. Check and activate a successful award. The current award-holder guide requires acceptance in Slate within one month of the offer. Confirm your approved start date, conditions and payment arrangements; initial payment can take four to six weeks after conditions are met.

Once funded, maintain full-time registration, satisfactory progress, at least a 3.0 GPA and no grades below C+. Report changes to your programme or funding promptly.

Back to your next step

Your 2027 application starts with two dates

Record your admission deadline and departmental UMGF deadline separately. Under Manitoba’s standard schedule, September 2027 graduate admission applications open from 1 July 2026, unless the programme specifies otherwise. Programme closing dates vary.

Your first useful email can be simple: “I’m preparing an application for your research programme for 2027. What are the admission deadline, UMGF nomination deadline, eligibility requirements and documents for incoming international applicants?”

Have your transcripts, research interests and referee contacts ready while you await the answer. Confirm the next award cycle’s values and conditions before building your budget around them.

Back to your next step