The UBC Killam Doctoral Scholarship provides CAD $40,000 per year for up to two years. Candidates are considered through UBC’s Affiliated Fellowships Doctoral competition. The current Killam page lists the next deadline as likely in September 2027; do not treat that estimate as a confirmed application date or an invitation to submit now.
About UBC’s Killam award
UBC offers approximately 25 Killam Doctoral Scholarships each year to leading doctoral candidates in the affiliated competition. This guide concerns the UBC award, not every Killam programme in Canada. Other institutions have their own rules and application arrangements.
Start with the official UBC Killam page. It explains both the value and the additional doctoral study limit.
| Institution | University of British Columbia |
|---|---|
| Level | Doctoral |
| Value | CAD $40,000 annually |
| Period | Up to two years |
| Citizenship | Canadian, permanent resident and international categories |
Stipend and tuition support
The stated stipend is $40,000 a year. Eligible UBC Vancouver Killam recipients also become Four Year Fellowship holders and receive additional tuition funding through that arrangement. Tuition support should be checked against individual eligibility, rather than assumed to be an identical cash supplement for every candidate.
The Affiliated Fellowships page describes how other scholarships interact with awards. Some funding can be replaced or adjusted, and Killam top-up arrangements may apply. Ask your graduate programme to review a combined funding offer before adding every advertised award value together.
Doctoral study-month requirement
For the 2027–28 competition, the Killam page says applicants must have completed no more than 24 months of doctoral study as of September 1, 2027. Citizenship alone does not establish eligibility; the affiliated competition’s requirements also apply.
Prepare a timeline showing your doctoral start date, any programme transfers and approved interruptions. If your route is unusual, ask the graduate programme how study months will be counted. A personal estimate should not replace the university’s eligibility determination.
Which deadline applies?
UBC’s pages currently contain different cycle information. The Killam and Affiliated page headers estimate a September 2027 deadline, while some application instructions still refer to September 15, 2027. The linked CGRS Doctoral guidance records that 2026 student deadline as closed and a later departmental nomination date.
A nomination deadline is for university staff, not an extension for students. Confirm the next student deadline with your programme and the refreshed competition notice before submitting. This guide does not claim that a new applicant can enter the closed 2026 round.
What to prepare
UBC’s doctoral competition guidance requires complete academic records and the application materials for the appropriate research funding agency. The current transcript instructions distinguish official or approved advising records from an unacceptable unofficial Workday transcript. Foreign-language records require the specified translation.
Before requesting documents, check which records your graduate programme already holds. Include exchange or transfer study where required, and allow time for institutions to issue updated official copies. Prepare research descriptions and referee arrangements against the current application instructions, not a previous year’s saved form.
How the application route works
- Confirm the relevant competition year with your UBC programme.
- Check Killam’s additional study-month limit.
- Follow the linked doctoral competition application route.
- Complete any required criteria-based affiliated award checklist.
- Submit by the confirmed student deadline and let the programme conduct nomination.
Present your research clearly: the question, why it matters, how you will investigate it and why your training supports the work. Label planned research as planned and distinguish your contribution in collaborative outputs.
Related Canadian awards
See Sun Life Inclusion, Loran and Schulich Leader. Their study levels and selection processes differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a standalone Killam application?
UBC directs candidates through the Affiliated Fellowships competition.
Can international students be considered?
Yes, subject to the applicable doctoral competition and Killam eligibility rules.
Is September 2027 a confirmed closing date?
No. The current header describes it as likely, so await the confirmed notice.