Deadline: 10-Jun-2026
The Canada Research Training Awards Suite – Research Travel Supplements (CRTAS-RTS) is a federal funding initiative designed to support graduate-level research mobility. It enables master’s and doctoral students to undertake research travel that enhances training, international collaboration, and research capacity development.
The program is jointly administered by:
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Programme Objectives
The CRTAS-RTS aims to:
- Strengthen research training and skills development
- Support international and domestic research mobility
- Promote innovation and academic excellence
- Enhance collaboration between Canadian and global institutions
- Contribute to Canada’s research ecosystem and knowledge economy
- Support next-generation researchers and innovators
Funding Details
- Funding amount: CAD 9,000
- Duration: 2 to 6 months
- Type: Non-renewable supplement
- Annual availability: Up to 250 awards (subject to funding)
- Funding use: Travel-related research mobility support
Eligible Expenses
The supplement can cover:
- Travel costs (domestic or international)
- Accommodation expenses
- Meals and subsistence
- Tuition fees at host institution
- Travel or study visa costs
- Insurance expenses
- Disability accommodation costs related to travel
Important restriction:
- Direct research execution costs must be funded separately
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or Protected Persons under IRPA
- Hold or have accepted one of the following awards:
- CIHR Doctoral Foreign Study Award
- NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships – Doctoral
- SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
- Canada Graduate Research Scholarship (Master’s or Doctoral)
- Other eligible federal graduate research awards
- Be within an active master’s or doctoral award period
- Begin travel on or after the application deadline
- Not have previously received a CRTAS-RTS or Michael Smith Foreign Study Supplement
Research Travel Requirements
The research travel must:
- Last between 2 and 6 months
- Begin during an active graduate award period
- Start within one year of receiving the award notice
- Align with academic and research training goals
Geographic Rules
Travel rules depend on award location:
- If award is held in Canada → research must be conducted outside Canada
- If award is held outside Canada → research must be conducted in Canada
Eligible Host Institutions
Research must take place at approved institutions such as:
- Universities
- Research institutes
- Interuniversity research centres
- Laboratories
- Institutions with formal research mandates
Host requirements:
- Must have a full-time affiliated research supervisor
- Supervisor must actively support the applicant’s research
Programme Priorities
The CRTAS-RTS supports:
- High-quality research training
- International academic collaboration
- Development of research competencies
- Exposure to global research environments
- Strengthening Canada’s research capacity
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are assessed based on:
- Quality of research training plan
- Academic merit and research relevance
- Strength of host institution and supervisor
- Contribution to skill development
- Expected impact on research career progression
- Feasibility of travel and research objectives
Ineligible Conditions
Applicants cannot:
- Hold more than one CRTAS-RTS in their lifetime
- Apply without an eligible graduate award
- Receive funding for research execution costs
- Use funds outside approved travel-related expenses
- Apply after completing award period requirements
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid:
- Confusing travel support with full research funding
- Missing eligibility linkage to federal graduate awards
- Incorrect travel timing outside award period
- Incomplete host institution arrangements
- Including non-eligible research expenses
- Applying after previous supplement receipt
Tips for a Strong Application
To improve success chances:
- Clearly justify research travel purpose
- Align travel with career development goals
- Select a strong host institution and supervisor
- Demonstrate clear training and skill gains
- Provide a realistic 2–6 month research plan
- Emphasize international collaboration benefits
- Ensure compliance with eligibility timing rules
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CRTAS-RTS?
- It is a travel supplement for Canadian graduate students
- It supports research mobility and training
- It is funded by federal research councils
- How much funding is available?
- CAD 9,000 per award
- Non-renewable one-time supplement
- Up to 250 awards per year
- Who can apply?
- Master’s and doctoral students with eligible federal awards
- Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or Protected Persons
- What does the funding cover?
- Travel, accommodation, meals, tuition, visas, insurance
- Disability-related travel accommodations
- What is the duration of travel?
- Between 2 and 6 months
- Must align with active award period
- Can research costs be included?
- No
- Only travel-related costs are covered
Conclusion
The CRTAS-RTS program strengthens Canada’s research ecosystem by enabling graduate students to pursue high-quality research training through domestic and international mobility. By supporting short-term research travel, it enhances skills development, global collaboration, and academic excellence among emerging researchers.
For more information, visit Government of Canada.
