GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AWARDS

INTERPRETATION

Foreign Affairs Canada and the International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS) reserve the right in instances of uncertainty to interpret provisions of this document and any other conditions related to individual awards.

Application Procedures and Form

OBJECTIVES

Under its program of academic exchanges, Foreign Affairs Canada offers awards on an annual basis to citizens of various countries. (Offers of awards are subject to availability of funding).

These awards, tenable only in Canada, are intended to enable foreign students of high academic standing to undertake graduate studies or post doctoral research in Canadian institutions. Awards may be applied to research or studies in all areas of the arts, the social sciences and humanities, commerce, the natural sciences and engineering. Proposed programs of study must focus on a Canadian subject or include significant Canadian content.

Applications are screened by the Canadian Embassy which coordinates the competition in the applicant’s home country. Those which pass this review are sent by the Canadian Embassy to the program administrators in Canada, the International Council for Canadian Studies (ICCS). The final selection is made on the advice of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee, a representative body of academic specialists. Awards are approved subject to the admission of the successful candidate to a Canadian institution. Confirmation of most placements in host institutions is normally made by the month of June following the date of application. Full scholarship holders should expect to take up their awards by September, when the Canadian academic year begins. Research scholarship and post doctoral fellowship holders must begin their program in Canada no later than the month of January following the final confirmation of their award.

VALUE

In addition to the monthly living allowance and registration and tuition fees as described in the country-specific information section, Government of Canada Award holders are entitled to reimbursement of their Canadian student visa, an installation allowance of $500 (with the exception of those who are already in Canada at the time of application unless they relocate to another city to take up their studies under the award), a thesis allowance of $200, life insurance for the award holder only, and hospital, medical and prescription drugs insurance coverage for the award holder and accompanying spouse and/or dependents.

Round trip economy class airfare for the award holder only is covered under the award. Candidates residing in Canada at the time of application for the award are only entitled to a one way economy class air ticket to return to their home country.

Award holders cannot accept other awards concurrently and, unless expressly authorized, may not accept paid employment in Canada. ALL GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AWARDS ARE TAXABLE IN CANADA.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO APPLICANTS

In Canada, it normally takes two years to complete a master’s program and at least four years for a Ph.D. program.

Scholarships will not be awarded to candidates wishing to undertake undergraduate studies, studies in medicine or dentistry, clinical training, MBA programs including international aviation, or any other academic program not publicly supported.

The ICCS does not secure admission to Canadian universities: this is the responsibility of award recipients. An award is confirmed only upon a recipient’s admission to a Canadian university. At the master’s or doctoral level, students must already have a solid background in the field of study they plan to pursue in Canada.

Applicants who intend to take courses at a Canadian university, either within the context of a degree program or as a visiting or special student, are requested to submit an application to the university where they wish to study in Canada at the same time they apply for a Government of Canada Award. They should indicate on their university application that they have applied for a Government of Canada Award. COPIES OF ALL CORRESPONDENCE WITH CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES CONCERNING ADMISSION MUST BE INCLUDED WITH THE APPLICATION FOR A SCHOLARSHIP. (Letters requesting application forms or information are not considered formal university applications).

Applicants who intend to carry out research at a Canadian institution but DO NOT INTEND TO TAKE ANY COURSES MUST contact a professor at the time they apply for a Government of Canada Award. Furthermore, a letter from the proposed research supervisor, stating that the institution is prepared to receive the award holder during a specified time period, and that necessary facilities or equipment will be made available, should be included with the application.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications and letters of recommendation must be submitted on the official forms to the designated Canadian Embassy or agency in the applicant’s home country at the address and by the deadline indicated in the country-specific information. Applications sent directly to the ICCS in Canada WILL NOT be considered. Applications must contain all documents listed and described on the first page of the application form. All documents must be in English or French; translations from other languages must be certified.

Applicants who wish to attend an English speaking university should take the TOEFL test (the minimum acceptable score varies depending on the university but is never less than 550 for the paper-based test or 213 for the computer-based test) and attach the results to their award application. Non francophone applicants who wish to attend a francophone university must provide certification that they possess adequate knowledge of written and spoken French, signed by the chairperson of the French department (or equivalent) of the institution they are attending at present.

Applicants in the arts must include, along with the documents listed on the first page of the application form, supplementary documents as described below:

a) In the Fine Arts (painting, graphic arts, sculpture, photography), candidates must submit up to 20 slides of 20 original works. These should be dated and clearly identified, and presented in polyethylene pages; film-makers and video artists must submit a video cassette (all formats (e.g. PAL, SECAM, NTSC, VHS) are accepted provided the format is specified on the case) of at least one recent film, indicating clearly when it was made, how the candidate was involved in its production, and the running time. (Samples may also be presented on CD/DVD provided their formats are compatible with both PCs and Mac computers).

b) In Music, composers, singers or instrumentalists must submit audio cassette tapes or CDs of three works totaling a maximum of 30 minutes duration. For singers and instrumentalists, these works should be chosen from three different musical periods, except for Baroque musicians who should include movements from three different types of pieces. All recordings submitted by singers and instrumentalists should begin with a spoken declaration by the applicant’s music professor that the samples on the recording were performed by the applicant and are unedited. Piano accompaniments should be included where necessary. Composers must submit scores and recordings of three different types of works composed by them.

c) Candidates in architecture must submit up to ten 22cm x 29cm (8 1/2" x 11") reproductions (PMT’s or similar) of drawings. Slides of models will be accepted as well; samples may also be presented on CD provided the format is compatible with both PC and Mac computers).

Note: The Canadian Embassies and the International Council for Canadian Studies, while taking all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of supporting material submitted. Please specify an address to which supporting material should be returned after the announcement of the awards.