Women in STEM — Canada

Canada's STEM funding ecosystem for women includes federal programs through NSERC and CIHR, provincial scholarships, and a growing number of industry-backed awards. Programs are available in both English and French and span STEM fields from computing to biomedical research.

23Programs
20With Funding
4Women-Only
5Program Types

Scholarships (1)

Fellowships (6)

Certificates & Bootcamps (2)

Undergraduate Programs (9)

Funded

Schulich Leader Scholarships

Other

Canada's premier undergraduate STEM entrance awards, granting 100 scholarships each year across 20 Canadian partner univ…

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Online

Canadian Computing Competition (CCC)

Computer Science

Deadline: Annual; 2026 contest Feb 18-19, 2026

An annual programming contest for secondary school students run by the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing…

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Funded

Institute of Medical Science Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)

University of Toronto

Biomedical

Deadline: February 25

12-week biomedical and clinical research program open to undergraduates at any Canadian university who are citizens or p…

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Funded

Astronomy & Astrophysics Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)

University of Toronto

Physics

16-week astronomy and astrophysics research program with the Department of Astronomy and Dunlap Institute; open to stude…

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Funded

NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA)

Engineering

Paid summer research placements for undergraduates in the natural sciences and engineering at Canadian universities, adm…

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Funded Women-Only

Claudette-MacKay-Lassonde Excellence Scholarship

Engineering

Deadline: April

A Canada-wide $25,000 award for a woman in the second or third year of an undergraduate engineering program at a Canadia…

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Funded Women-Only

Canadian Engineering Memorial Foundation (CEMF) Scholarships

Engineering

A national scholarship portfolio for women studying engineering in Canada, run by a foundation established in memory of …

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Funded

Engineers Canada Scholarships

Engineering

Three national scholarship streams from the federation of provincial engineering regulators: eight Engineers Canada Lead…

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Women-Only

Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE)

Engineering

A consortium of every engineering faculty in Ontario that coordinates outreach programs, mentorship, and a clearinghouse…

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Graduate Programs (5)

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main sources of STEM funding for women in Canada?

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) offers postgraduate scholarships and research grants with equity components. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) also funds interdisciplinary STEM work. Many programs have specific equity, diversity, and inclusion provisions that benefit women applicants.

Are there programs for women in tech specifically in Canada?

Yes — organizations like Women Who Code, Ladies Learning Code (Cancode), and the Canadian Women in Technology association run bootcamps and scholarships. Several universities including UBC, Waterloo, and U of T have women-in-CS scholarships.

Do Canadian STEM scholarships cover both English and French speakers?

Federal programs like NSERC scholarships accept applications in both English and French. Some Quebec-specific programs are French-language only. Provincial programs vary — check the language requirements for each program.

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