PsychBoy

For those interested, I found this info on Waterloo's website on stats from previous Vanier Scholars at their University. Gives a good ballpark of # of publications  https://uwaterloo.ca/graduate-studies/awardsandfunding/external-awards/vanier-canada-graduate-scholarships-vanier-cgs 
Wish I had seen this when I was applying this year!

it's all electronic -- through ResearchNet

it's all electronic -- through ResearchNet

ResearchNet says March 30 
thanks for asking them!

Thanks, thought I'd ask, even though I knew that patience would be the answer. Also, my regular SSHRC app (which my institution selected for forwarding to the national competition) seems to have disappeared from my SSHRC portal (i.e. it  there's nothing in my "Portfolio"). I wrote the info address to ask if this was normal and was told that "After a period of time the older forms and submitted forms are removed from profile". Anyone else experience this?

Hi everyone, another update to let you know I received a call from the foundation yesterday (around 3 pm) letting me know I've been accepted as a finalist. My interview is March 16th in Montreal. She sent me an email right after our phone conversation, so if you didn't get a call perhaps look out for an email? Best of luck!

It's the end of April. When I won in 2016, the letter was dated April 25. Depending on your university, you may find out earlier in April from the powers that be at your school (they usually get some sort of list before award letters go out to applicants from SSHRC). 

Master's FRQSC? My letter of offer was dated April 24, 2015
Hope that helps!

Your heart will have to wait 24 days haha!

My heart can't handle it any longer!

ONE MONTH!

I totally agree with that!
You can even tell your leadership referees to take advantage of the Arial 10 rule
Also, make sure you check the instructions around mid-June, because last year the *new* instructions were published around that time (so we never know what could change)

OGS results came in from my school. 
I won! Hopefully I win SSHRC or Vanier so then someone else on the waitlist can get OGS.

Previous winners have told me that you should be comfortable sending your drafts to other people in your department. I knew someone who wrote more than 20 drafts and sent it to like 20 people in my department and other professors they knew. Just ask! Any professor you've worked with. They'll understand if it's for the Vanier.
I wrote about 20 drafts for mine and combed through it so many times. It went through over 10 people who looked over it, commented, and proofread.
Also, find really honest people who will write you good letters. In previous years I've gotten waitlisted or rejected for SSHRC and OGS because, what I suspect, was weak reference letters. Even my supervisor told me (she was on a committee doing reviews) that a referee of mine wrote me a "lukewarm" letter. This year I changed my referee and I got forwarded to Vanier, SSHRC, and OGS! 
The same goes for your leadership stuff. Your leadership application is just as important as your research proposal. Look through Vanier's list carefully and write your letter in a way that touches on all the things they say they're looking for. Leadership is not just about volunteering. Any school activities you did, such as student groups, senate... or any jobs you had involving some sort of mentorship/supervisory experience within a community... then find solid leadership referees to write you good letters. Since you can actually see their letters, you can work with them in terms of crafting your leadership letter so it is reflective of what Vanier is looking for.
Lastly. The Vanier has a VERY generous formatting system. Make use of it. They say minimum font is 10 Arial! Which gives you a lot of room to write more on every application (research proposal, leadership, research experience). 

ONE MONTH!

Make sure you start early; that's a lot of applications!

ONE MONTH!

Direct applicant in the U.S. being forwarded! 

Direct applicant here attending a school in the US. Forwarded to the national competition. Letter dated Feb 15. Good luck everyone! 

Yeah I Am already working on my proposal and I started to contact potential referees for LOR!
 

Make sure you start early; that's a lot of applications!

I didn't think I was qualified for a number of reasons and when I asked my supervisor if I should apply, he said "it's extremely competitive and an accomplishment if you even make it out of the department to the university level, but nothing ventured nothing gained". So I applied. And got one in 2017. I'd say put the work in, because you never know what could happen.

That's exactly what I told her.

To be fair, it is a pretty long application (if you want to make it a good one). But if you believe you have the dossier, go for it--you have nothing to lose!

the way it worked for me is that I had to apply through ResearchNet (to my institution) and then my institution forwarded (nominated) my application to Vanier 
perhaps other institutions tell you before that you will be nominated and then ask you to apply through ResearchNet but I'm pretty sure most schools let everyone apply and then they pick a few applications (the best ones depending on their quota) to send off to Ottawa