Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships 2022/2023

Application Deadline: 21st December 2021

To be taken at (country): Canadian Universities

Accepted Subject Areas: Social Sciences and Humanities related studies, preferably one of the following:

• Human Rights and Dignity
• Responsible Citizenship
• Canada and the World
• People and their Natural Environment

About the Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships:  The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship Program will help shape researchers into engaged leaders who are conscious of the impact of their research, connected to the realities of the communities in which they work, and open to non-conventional forms of knowledge. The Foundation is seeking candidates who are audacious, original, and forward-thinking.

The program will last for three years and will also provide generous support for Scholars’ doctoral work in the form of a stipend and a research and travel allowance.

While the pandemic will require that the process be much more virtual, the Foundation will seek the brightest emerging Scholars from Canada and abroad to receive this remarkable Scholarship, as has always been the case. Through the Foundation’s leadership development program, these Scholars will learn from a new cohort of Fellows and Mentors, leading lights in their institutions and communities, under the scientific theme beginning in 2021, Language, Culture & Identity. 

The selection criteria for 2021 ushers in important changes rooted in the Foundation’s Strategic Plan 2019-2024. Importantly, these criteria are built upon the definition of diversity outlined in the plan, including the commitment to a diversity of perspectives, now under the banner Plurality of Perspectives. We continue to seek scholars with the greatest intellectual capacity, while also looking for those committed to deep listening, profound curiosity, exploring grey areas, and demonstrating a willingness to engage with a diversity of people, cultures, ideologies, and perspectives. In tandem with this development, the Foundation is pleased its programs will bear the emblem Brave Spaces, accountable and democratic spaces where a multiplicity of ideas may be expressed and debated in an open and welcoming fashion. This commitment to Brave Spaces, privileging robust debates while offering a safety net of policy, empathy circles, and mutual respect, recognizes that challenging and sometimes uncomfortable discussions are important steps on the road to becoming an Engaged Leader. 

Selection Criteria

• Academic excellence;
• Leadership experience and abilities;
• Thematic relevance of research to the Foundation’s themes;
• Public engagement;
• Desire to contribute to public dialogue and share knowledge;
• Communication skills;
• Desire to belong to a vibrant community made up of leaders from across sectors

The Foundation welcomes candidates embodying all forms of diversity, including but not limited to gender, ethnicity, language, region, and discipline. We encourage First Nations, Métis, and Inuit candidates.

Eligibility: To apply to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• 1) You must be already accepted into or in year one or two of a full-time doctoral program, and expected to complete your doctoral studies in 2025 or later.
• 2) Your field of study is broadly related to the humanities or human sciences of direct relevance to the future of Canada; (please refer to the FAQ for more details and read up on past scholarship recipients)
• 3) Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment.
• 4) Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident of Canada or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

Selection:

1. Candidates who are committed to a three-year leadership program and who meet the eligibility criteria can apply directly to the Foundation through the application portal.
2. Universities play an integral role encouraging candidates to apply, recommending candidates (academic referees) and later, confirming the status of their students and other details.
3. The Foundation reviews all applications and shortlisted candidates are invited to group interviews. Finalists proceed to interviews with the Application and Nomination Review Committee (ANRC) who ultimately recommend their choices to the Board of Directors for final approval.

Number of Awards: Up to 20 Scholars will be selected in 2021.

Value of Awards: If you are chosen as a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar, you will receive:

• Membership in a community of other Scholars, Mentors, and Fellows, all of whom are leaders and change-makers in their respective disciplines and sectors;
• Leadership training from Mentors and Fellows;
• $40,000 per year for three years to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses; and
• Up to $20,000 per year for three years, as a research and travel allowance;

If you are chosen as a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar, you must:

• Attend a community retreat and two Institutes of Engaged Leadership during the first year of your term;
• Collaboratively plan and participate in a conference event during the second year of your term;
• Work with other Scholars, Mentors, and Fellows on a creative knowledge sharing and dissemination project during the third year of your term;
• Work towards fluency in English and French with support from the Foundation;
• Actively engage and collaborate with the Foundation’s community of Scholars, Mentors, and Fellows; and
• Submit one research progress report per year.

Duration: 3 years

How to Apply for Trudeau Foundation Doctoral Scholarships:

1. Are you ready to embark on a leadership development journey rooted in Brave Spaces? : Before beginning, make sure to read more about the Foundation’s programs and Brave Spaces. 
   • Are you willing to learn from peers, Fellows and Mentors? The Foundation’s leadership curriculum, Brave Spaces: The Path to Engaged Leadership, is anchored by six key leadership concepts: audacity & resilience communication & sharing knowledge, creativity & innovation, diversity, collaboration and duty of service, and by fostering these key competencies and values, the leadership program seeks to develop three dimensions of Scholars’ leadership: leadership of self, leadership among others and leadership of systems. Fellows and Mentors support this leadership training as trainers, advisers and mentors.
   • Are you interested to learn more about Global Economies? For the three-year leadership program starting in 2022, this scientific cycle will be focused on Global Economies, a theme that has interdisciplinary dimensions and reflects a timely and significant set of issues for the future of Canada and the world.
   • Are you committed to improving your abilities in the Canadian official language with which you are less familiar and an interest in becoming familiar with Indigenous Languages? The Foundation recognizes that knowledge of multiple languages is a hallmark of leaders and public intellectuals, and is a strength and advantage, both professionally and personally. The Foundation’s Policy on Language: BilingualismPlus outlines the Foundation’s support of its Scholars in Canada’s Official Languages – French and English – and in Canada’s Indigenous Languages. Read more about the Foundation’s BilingualismPlus policy here.
   • Do you believe in academic freedom, respectful dialogue, and open debate? The Foundation fosters a community of bold, cutting-edge researchers and community leaders who hold strong views and stand out in their respective fields, who explore, ask difficult questions, and discover new horizons as they blaze new trails. The Foundation openly encourages the free transmission and dissemination of knowledge and has enshrined this in a Code of Community Engagement . The Code informs successful engagement with a plurality of perspectives and encourage academic and intellectual freedom and open speech, while providing a framework for a positive and healthy environment for such exchanges.
   • Candidates are invited to join the Foundation for virtual information sessions on November 10th, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. EST for the French session and at 12:30 p.m. EST for the English session. These information sessions will take place via Zoom, and you may attend by video or by phone if you prefer. Kindly let us know if you require ASL or LSQ sign interpretation by emailing leadership@trudeaufoundation.ca. We will be happy to provide this service. Kindly note the following connection details: 
     • Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 – 1.5 hour French session for Scholar candidates at 10:00 a.m. EST. Register here!
        
     • Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 – 1.5 hour English session for Scholar candidates at 12:30 p.m. EST. Register here!
2. Register for an account: When the competition opens, register for an account on the Foundation’s application portal. If you already have an account from a scholarship competition prior to 2021, you will need to create a new application.
3. Fill out the application: Once your registration is complete, you will be able to create an application for the 2022 Scholarship Competition. In order to complete your application, you will need to provide: 
   • Demographic information on yourself: The Foundation gathers demographic information for statistical purposes, in order to fulfill its commitment to diversity and inclusion. This information will only be used by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. 
   • Essay Questions: Provide answers (200 to 400 words) to four essay questions.
   • Doctoral Projects and Themes: Provide information on your doctoral project, with answers ranging from 200 to 400 words in length.
   • Referees: Enter the name and email address of two referees in the boxes provided. At least one of them must be an academic referee who is able to comment on your university academic performance. Refer to “Get recommendations” below for more details.
   • Language Skills, Post-secondary Education, Achievements and Experience: Provide information on your language skills, your post-secondary education, your achievements – including scholarships, fellowships, awards, publications, conferences, extracurricular and volunteer activities – as well as your relevant work experience.
   • Upload Transcripts: Upload transcripts for all your post-secondary education, except information related to CEGEP in Quebec, should you have attended CEGEP in Quebec. 
   • Read and understand the Foundation’s policies: All candidates are asked to acknowledge that they have read and understood key policies of the Foundation. Throughout the three-year program, all Scholars are asked to read, understand and comply with these policies: Policy on the Prevention of Harassment and Violence and Code of Community Engagement.  
4. Get recommendations: Once you have entered the name and email address of your referees in the space provided in the application form, an email will automatically be sent to the referees, asking them to complete a predetermined referral form directly on the Foundation’s application portal. Referees must complete the predetermined referral form, which includes both narrative answers and numerical evaluations. We are no longer asking referees to upload their reference letter in PDF format on our application portal. We advise that you follow up with your referees to ensure they submit the completed form on time, by December 21, 2021 at 5:00 p.m EST.
5. PETF selection process: All eligible candidates who submit a completed application by December 21, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. EST will go through a rigorous selection process. Shortlisted candidates (Round One) will be contacted in February 2022 and invited to group interviews. Finalists (Round Two) will then be invited to meet for individual interviews with members of the ANRC in March 2022. 

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.

Visit Award Webpage for Details