The university must provide a nomination letter, along with the application form, for each student it wishes to nominate for a Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship. This is an opportunity for the university to highlight its reasons for nominating the student for a Vanier-Banting scholarship. 

Letters may be a maximum of two pages in length.

Either the dean of graduate studies or the president of the university (at the university’s discretion) must sign off on the nomination letter, which should address the following points:

1. Rationale for the choice of nominee:

• Highlight the factors used to determine why the student is potentially deserving of a Vanier scholarship. Include information that supports the three selection criteria: academic achievement, research potential and leadership qualities.

2. Research training environment:

• Highlight the key elements of the research training environment, such as research facilities and opportunities available to the nominee; and explain how the research interests of the student align with the university’s priorities.
• If known, comment on the research group and/or faculty with whom the nominee will interact, and how the institution will support the development of the nominee’s leadership potential.

3. Potential benefits to the host institution of recruiting the nominee: 

• Comment on the incremental benefit the nominee will bring to the institution if awarded a Vanier scholarship (e.g., role model, networking, etc.).

4. Recruitment and student mobility:

• Comment on how the university’s nomination of the candidate promotes the recruitment of new foreign or Canadian candidates to Canadian universities.
• If the candidate has completed a previous degree within your institution, provide an explanation as to why the university believes it is in the candidate’s best interest to stay at the same university.