ELIGIBILITY:

If applicants are studying at a Canadian university, non-Canadian students (permanent residents or foreign nationals) are eligible. 

You are eligible if you are in year one or two of a full-time doctoral program at the time of application. 

At the time of application, you must:

Be in the process of completing a Master’s program (completed no later than summer 2025)

Be in the first year of a doctoral program

Be in your second year of a doctoral program

The Foundation recognizes that many doctoral students are working on research projects that are interdisciplinary and qualify as advanced research in the social sciences and humanities, regardless of their faculty or department affiliation. 

That said, applicants are eligible as long as their research topic relates to one or more of the Foundation’s founding Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, and People and their Natural Environment. The Foundation will not assess the eligibility of individuals’ research topics by email or over the phone. Applicants do not need to be a doctoral student of a faculty or department normally associated with social sciences and humanities; we also welcome applicants from engineering, business, health sciences and pure and applied sciences that can demonstrate how their research topic relates to one or more of the Foundation’s four themes.

Applicants must provide evidence of their strong academic performance and intellectual capacity. We will look for evidence of this throughout your application, including in transcripts and referrals. 

BENEFIT:

Benefits of being a Foundation Scholar

Inclusion in a vibrant community of Scholars, Fellows and Mentors, all leaders in their respective disciplines and fields of action.

Exchanges and inspiration by and from Mentors and Fellows, including unique experiential learning opportunities that enrich and complement your academic experience.

Receipt of up to $50,000 per year for three years to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses to focus on your doctoral studies.

Receipt of an additional $20,000 per year for three years for research, networking and travel expenses related to your doctoral research. 

Encouragement and support for you to learn or improve your language knowledge in both official languages.

Expanded learning and understanding of your role as a settler or as a member of a First Nation, Inuit or Métis concerning ongoing efforts to decolonize and reconcile.

Inclusion in a large community of more than 500 alumni and alumnae of the Foundation, whose professional success stories following the Scholarship tell their own convincing story about the value of this outstanding recognition.