Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP)
The Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) is administered by Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR). It was established in 1961 to encourage Canadian universities to participate in training northern specialists to meet national needs.
The purpose of the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) is to encourage and support Canadian university and Northern post-secondary students with an interest in northern studies and conducting thesis research in Northern regions, by assisting them to gain northern professional experience and training, through the issuance of supplementary funds.
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- The applicant must be enrolled in a degree program at a Canadian university and must be a Canadian Citizen or a Permanent Resident.
- Refer to 2025-26 NSTP Information Manual for Location Eligibility for Canadian research.
Definition of the 'North'
For the purposes of the grants program, the term 'North' is understood to include that part of Canada that lies north of the southern limit of the discontinuous permafrost zone in Canada (arctic and subarctic). The 'Circumpolar North' refers to the eight countries of the Arctic Council (Canada, Finland, Greenland [Denmark], Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States [Alaska]). Please refer to the NSTP guidelines for changes in eligible areas for each of the Countries listed.
The University of Alberta Common Application Form must be used to apply for both the UANRA and NSTP grants. If you are eligible to apply for NSTP you must also apply for UANRA funds.
Students must submit both the Common Application & NSTP Online Application by GPS deadline.
Grants are meant to help offset the higher or additional cost of conducting research in northern and/or remote areas; the budget should reflect this.
Collaboration is encouraged for cost-efficiencies; members of research teams working on individual projects attached to a research program should coordinate multiple applications. Applicants must obtain all necessary signatures and provide ethics statements, apply for research licenses and permits, and undertake all consultations with all relevant communities and organizations for the project.
Supervisors should assist students in completing their applications.
Friday, October 18, 2024:
- Deadline for students to submit the complete application (including an electronic copy of the Common Application Form and attachments, as well as PDF copy of the NSTP Online Application) to GPS via Student Service Portal. Note: Students must also submit the online portion of the application to NSTP by this deadline.
- Deadline for supervisors to submit the Supervisor's Evaluation Form to GPS by email at grad.awards@ualberta.ca.