How to Apply

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 2026 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.

Application

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.

Fill out the application: Once your registration is complete, you will be able to create an application for the 2023 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.

Judging

The Foundation reviews all applications. Shortlisted candidates are invited to group interviews. Finalists proceed to interviews with the Application and Nomination Review Committee (ANRC) who recommend their choices to the Board of Directors for final approval.


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