Application Process
To be considered for a scholarship under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, an applicant must complete and submit the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) online application form available on this site and provide the supporting documents as requested.
Applicants are recommended to list up to two universities, in order of priority, where they would like their scholarship application to be considered. The New Zealand universities will be involved in the final assessment process in the order in which they are listed on the online application form.
Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
All inquiries regarding this scholarship should be directed to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.
Instructions
Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the instructions below before beginning the online form. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting the form, they should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.
Applicants must:
- Complete the online form;
- Individuals who do not have an account will first need to Register an account.
- Under “For Canadians” section, applicants will need to go to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan-New Zealand and click on Apply Now.
- Enter data in the fields marked mandatory, following instructions for each item;
- Upload all required supporting documents;
- Upon completion, verify the data prior to submission;
- Print the form for their records using the print function in the browser; and
- Click SUBMIT to provide their form electronically to DFATD. The candidate will receive a confirmation message and reference number once their form is submitted.
NOTE: Applicants will have the ability to save their application and complete it at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the applicant’s profile homepage.
Supporting documentation
All supporting documentation may be submitted in English or in French, but pre-selected applicants with documents in French will be required to provide English translations.
The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the online application form in one of the following formats: .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif. Each document must be smaller than 5 Mb in order for the application to upload successfully:
- Certificate of admission: certificate of admission from the host institution or copy of correspondence testifying that the applicant has requested admission and / or will have the support from a potential doctoral supervisor.
- Proof of Canadian citizenship: copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, or passport; a baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- Official transcripts: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic records including colleges and CÉGEPs) with the cumulative grade point average for each degree or certificate.
- Study or research proposal: An essay describing your study or research plan. Applicants are expected to have researched the program, the research and supervisory capabilities of their preferred New Zealand universities (maximum two pages).
- Copy of the diploma: for the highest degree obtained.
- Proof of registration for studies in progress: including courses being taken (if applicable).
Additional documents to submit by email or mail:
- Curriculum vitae: the curriculum vitae must not include photographs or any personal information such as a date of birth (maximum four pages).
- Three letters of recommendation: must be sent in PDF format, by e-mail, directly by the referees to CBIE at admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. The New Zealand CSFP Committee attaches great importance to letters of recommendation from people who are well acquainted with the applicant’s academic or professional work. Please note that:
- where an applicant has studied at a New Zealand university, at least one referee should be from this institution; and
- at least two of the three referees should have taught or supervised the applicant in an area of study relevant to this application. Documents and email subject lines must clearly identify the name of the scholarship program and the last name of the applicant (e.g. Subject: CSFP-NEW-ZEALAND-last name of the applicant).
- Artwork samples for applicants in fine arts, music and architecture are required as follows: Applicants in the history or theory of art, of music, or of architecture are not required to submit samples.
- Applicants in the fine arts1 (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit copies or photos of three pieces of their work. Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
- Applicants in music1 must submit a USB Key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces for a total of no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included.
- Applicants in architecture1 must submit up to ten reproductions of drawings, provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that these documents are received by the deadline.
The documents above must be sent to CBIE at:
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan – New Zealand
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9
Email: admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca
Note: Recommendation letters must be written and signed by the referees and cannot be authored by relatives of the applicant. Relatives are defined as: spouse, son or daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother, brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.
Review procedures
All applications received by the deadline that meet the eligibility requirements will be evaluated by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee.
The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee:
- is made up of individuals from the academic community representing all regions of Canada, both official language groups and a wide variety of academic disciplines; and
- reviews, evaluates and ranks candidates to recommend a list of pre-selected candidates.
Applications will be reviewed by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee using the following criteria:
- the merits and overall credentials of the applicant, including academic and/or professional experience;
- the quality of the study and research proposal and how well applicants have researched the program and the research and supervisory capabilities of their preferred New Zealand universities;
- the candidate’s university grade point average (GPA);
- the level of completeness and detail put into the preparation of the application; and
- the quality of the recommendation letters which attest to the candidate’s ability to perform and to succeed as a scholarship recipient.
Pre-selected applications will be nominated to the New Zealand CSFP Committee where the final selection of scholarship recipients will be made. The results will be communicated to CBIE by November 2018. Notification will be sent out to all pre-selected candidates by mid-November 2018 by Universities New Zealand - Te Pōkai Tara.
Conditions
All recommendations of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee and decisions made by the New Zealand CSFP Committee are final and are not open to appeal.
The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
Applications submitted directly to the High Commission of New Zealand will not be considered.
These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the participating universities in New Zealand.
Apply online
1Only samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee. Samples can be returned following the competition; please indicate the return address. However CBIE, while taking all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of artwork samples.