Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) – for students

Guidelines

The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program aims to reduce poverty in the developing countries of ASEAN and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Scholarships and educational exchanges will contribute towards all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls) through, for example, women’s studies, political science, anthropology, and economics; and Goal 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) through, for example, environmental sciences/policy examining climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy, peatlands and other land use effects and strategies, and forestry.

SEED scholarships are facilitated through institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between Canadian and ASEAN institutions. These agreements are created between colleges, technical or vocational institutions and universities. Students, hereby referred to as "candidates", must be registered as full-time students in their home institution at the time of application and during the entire duration of their study or research stay in Canada.

Canadian post-secondary institutions

Canadian institutions are:

• responsible for submitting applications on behalf of eligible candidates from post-secondary institutions in ASEAN; and
• encouraged to promote this scholarship opportunity to faculty and staff members, as well as to partner institutions in ASEAN.

Canadian institutions with successful candidates:

• should identify a single person responsible for the administration of the contribution agreement and another person with delegated signing authority; and
• will receive contribution funding from Global Affairs Canada (legally referred to as the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, or DFATD) to disburse as scholarships to recipients.

Southeast Asian candidates

Candidates interested in this scholarship program should contact their home institution to:

• make their interest known;
• find out if there is an existing institutional collaboration and student exchange agreement with a Canadian institution; and
• request information about the application process and selection criteria specific to the Canadian institution and provide any additional information, such as transcripts, language test results, a research project and a registration form for an exchange program.

Selected candidates are encouraged to:

• ensure that they fulfill the requirements of the Canadian institution including academic requirements, language proficiency and, if applicable, institutional student exchange program requirements;
• submit their visa application as early as possible and follow the procedures as outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (generally a study permit is required for course work and a work permit is required for research);
• initiate the process for the transfer of credits to their home institution as soon as their Canadian courses have been identified; and
• contact alumni of the program through their home institution for advice and a local perspective on the scholarship experience.

Post-secondary institutions in ASEAN countries

Post-secondary institutions in ASEAN countries are encouraged to:

• communicate with post-secondary institutions they are partnered with in Canada to confirm or explore institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements;
• promote this scholarship opportunity through their international offices;
• identify strong academic candidates who meet the admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution;
• provide the candidates' documents to the Canadian partner institution, which is responsible for submitting the scholarship applications; and
• propose to selected candidates to gain additional linguistic training, academic upgrading and cultural preparedness before their departure.

Scholarship value and duration

Funding for SEED scholarships is made available by Global Affairs Canada through its legal title: the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

The Canadian institution will receive funding from DFATD for all successful candidates in the form of a contribution agreement and will be responsible for providing the funds to scholarship recipients.

The scholarship value varies depending on the duration and level of study. The scholarship value for students is:

• CAD 10,200 for college, undergraduate or graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research;
• CAD 12,700 for graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research; or
• CAD 15,900 for undergraduate and college students for a period of eight months or two academic terms of study or research.

In addition to the funds allocated to the recipients by DFATD, the Canadian host institution may also claim CAD 500 per scholarship recipient to assist with administrative costs once the scholarship recipient arrives in Canada.

Eligible expenses

Canadian institutions will disburse scholarship funds to the scholarship recipient to contribute to the following costs:

• visa and/or study/work permit fees;
• round-trip airfare for the scholarship recipient only (from an ASEAN member state to Canada and return upon completion of the scholarship) via the most direct and economical route;
• health insurance;
• living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food;
• ground transportation expenses, including a public transportation pass; and
• books and supplies required for the recipient’s study or research, excluding computers and other equipment.

Payment procedure

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Contribution Agreement, funding will be disbursed by direct deposit to the Canadian institution upon receiving the following documents:

• the Contribution Agreement signed by both the designated authority at the Canadian institution and the designated authority at DFATD; and
• a Cash Flow Statement submitted by the Canadian institution, once the Contribution Agreement is in effect, to coincide with the arrival of the scholarship recipients to Canada.

Funds will be disbursed to the scholarship recipients according to the Canadian institution’s internal processes and in conformity with the Contribution Agreement concluded between DFATD and the Canadian institution. Canadian institutions will typically disburse funds to scholarship recipients in instalments.

The Canadian institution will retain proof of scholarship payments to the recipient(s) and other documents required as further outlined in the Contribution Agreement concluded between DFATD and the Canadian institution.

Should a recipient not take up the scholarship, all funds, including the administrative fee, must be returned to DFATD through the scholarship program administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).

Eligibility

Candidates must be citizens of an ASEAN member state (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)), Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam).

Candidates:

• who have obtained Canadian citizenship or who have applied for permanent residency in Canada are not eligible;
• already participating in an exchange scholarship program funded by the Government of Canada are not eligible;
• already enrolled in a degree or diploma program at a Canadian university or college are not eligible;
• must be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in an eligible country and paying any tuition fees regulated by that institution at the time of application and for the full duration of the exchange;
• must take the responsibility for applying for a study or work permit (generally a study permit is required for course work and a work permit is required for research);
• must choose a field of study or research that is aligned with, and contributes to, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and
• must submit a letter of intent (maximum one page) outlining how the chosen field of study or research contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and how the candidate will apply the learning to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region. The candidate letter of intent must include the following:
  1. A brief description of the chosen field of study or research;
  2. A brief explanation of how the chosen field of study or research is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
  3. An identification of which Sustainable Development Goal(s) the chosen field of study or research is aligned with;
  4. For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country;
  5. For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries listed under item 4 above.

Terms and conditions

The following terms and conditions must be met during the period of the scholarship.

The Canadian post-secondary institution must:

• be recognized by its provincial or territorial government;
• waive tuition and/or academic fees for selected students, as scholarship recipients must be registered full-time and paying tuition to their home institution;
• inform both the candidate and the home institution of any mandatory fees that, in exceptional cases, cannot be waived, prior to applying for a scholarship on the candidate's behalf;
• enter into an agreement with the recipient stating that:
  • funding for the scholarship is provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD);
  • the recipient must provide the Canadian institution with records to account for major expenses such as travel and lodging; and
  • the recipient agrees to have their contact information shared with DFATD, for reasons such as: to be invited to join the Government of Canada Scholars’ Alumni Association (GCSAA), to attend events organized by the Canadian Embassy or the High Commission in their home country and by DFATD in Canada, or for promotional and statistical purposes; and
• provide qualitative and quantitative reports during the scholarship period.

Scholarship recipients:

• must present a letter of intent of how their studies will enable them to contribute towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the developing countries of ASEAN upon their return;
• must engage in full-time studies or research as defined by the Canadian institution;
• must be proficient in the language of instruction at the Canadian institution (English or French) before their arrival in Canada, as the scholarship does not cover language training. Language requirements are set by each Canadian institution;
• in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry or other health fields are excluded from clinical training or clinically-oriented research involving direct patient-care;
• may not hold any other scholarship granted by the Government of Canada;
• enrolled in courses must arrive in Canada by September for the fall semester or by January for the winter semester;
• conducting research must arrive in Canada for the uptake of their award between August 1, 2021 but no later than February 1, 2022. Failure to arrive during this time may result in the cancellation of the scholarship. In exceptional cases, and with prior approval from DFATD, the arrival deadline may be extended to March 1, 2022;
• must ensure that they have appropriate health insurance for the full duration of the scholarship, as per the policies of the Canadian institution; and
• must focus primarily on full-time studies or research during their stay in Canada.

Important information:

• For college and undergraduate applications, a written institutional collaboration and student exchange agreement or memorandum of understanding between the Canadian institution and the candidate’s home institution is mandatory.
• For graduate applications, an inter-institutional agreement is desirable but not mandatory. If there is no existing exchange agreement, graduate applications which involve a new or established collaboration between professors from a Canadian institution and the candidate's home institution will be accepted.
• Applications submitted directly by a candidate or their home institution will not be accepted.
• Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable.
• Candidates who have previously received a scholarship under the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development will not be considered for another SEED scholarship.
• Scholarships are not taxable by the Government of Canada for either the Canadian institution or the scholarship recipient.

Any questions?

Please direct all inquiries regarding the eligibility requirements to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca or 613-237-4820.

Deadline for Canadian institutions

The deadline for Canadian institutions to submit online applications on behalf of candidates is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 4, 2021.

It is the responsibility of the Canadian institution to ensure that supporting documents are received by the deadline. Supporting documents, other than those requested, will not be accepted.

Canadian institutions are advised to establish an earlier deadline with candidates and their home institutions to ensure timely receipt of supporting documents.

Deadline for candidates and Southeast Asian institutions

Interested candidates are encouraged to check with both their home institution and the Canadian institution to obtain their respective deadlines.

Home institutions are required to send the candidates’ supporting documents to Canadian institutions by their established internal deadline.

Arrival in Canada

Scholarship recipients for the 2021-2022 academic year may commence their studies or research as early as August 1, 2021 but no later than February 1, 2022. Global Affairs Canada anticipates allocating SEED scholarships again each year for two years.

Notification

Canadian institutions will be provided a preliminary update on the eligibility status of their respective applications by the end of April 2021. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), the Scholarship Administrator, will communicate all updates and results to the main contact at the Canadian institution.

Canadian institutions will be informed of the final selection and results by May 2021 following approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

International candidates are advised to contact their home institution or the Canadian institution regarding the status of their application.

Canadian institutions with successful candidates will receive a contribution agreement for the administration and disbursement of scholarships to the recipients.

Application process

Candidates:

• should first contact their home institution;
• must submit a letter of intent that explains how their studies/research in Canada will enable them to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in their future career to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region; and
• do not apply on their own behalf.

Home institutions:

• are responsible for identifying strong academic candidates who meet the admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution and providing the candidates' documents to the Canadian partner institution.

Canadian institutions:

• must apply on behalf of the candidate(s) by submitting the online application form and uploading all supporting documents prior to the deadline;
• may submit multiple applications and may be asked to rank their applications, based on their strategic priorities;
• should identify a single person responsible for the administration of the program; and
• should instruct Canadian faculty or staff members who are submitting an application to notify the person responsible for the administration of the program at their respective institution as the institution may be requested to rank multiple applications.

Canadian institutions are encouraged to carefully read the instructions below before beginning the online application. Further information is available on the Apply for Scholarships with Momentum webpage.

If institutions experience difficulty filling out or submitting the form, they should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Canadian institutions must:

1. Complete an online application for each candidate.
   • Institutions which do not have an account first need to Register an account.
   • Under “For Non-Canadians” section, scroll down to the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development and click on Apply Now.
2. Enter data in the fields marked mandatory, following instructions for each item, or copy and paste it from another source. Note that the name of the candidate must be exactly the same as it is on their passport.
3. Upload all required supporting documents.
4. Upon completion, verify the data prior to submission.
5. Print the form for their records using the print function in the browser; and
6. Click SUBMIT to provide their form electronically to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). The institution will receive a confirmation message and reference number once their form is submitted.

NOTE: Institutions will have the ability to save applications and complete them at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the institution’s profile homepage.

Supporting documents

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.

• Proof of citizenship: a copy of the candidate's passport or national identity document with valid dates. If the identity document is in a language other than English or French, an English or French translation of the identity document approved by the partner international institution must be provided. Note: a driver's licence, permanent resident card, student card, birth certificate or baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of citizenship. The country of citizenship selected in the online application form must be the same as the country of the proof of citizenship.
• Proof of full-time enrolment: a letter in English or French from the home institution, on official letterhead, dated within the last six months, confirming that the candidate is currently enrolled in a full-time program and will continue to be enrolled upon their return and providing the expected completion date of the degree. The letter must clearly state:
  1. The type of program and the level of study of the candidate at the home institution;
  2. The full-time enrolment status at the home institution; and
  3. The anticipated completion date of the degree at the home institution.
  Note: copies of transcripts, a student card or letter of admission are not acceptable (maximum one page).
• Letter of intent from the candidate: a letter in English or French explaining how undertaking the study/research in Canada will empower the student to apply the learning to address the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and how they intend to use this learning to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region in their future career. In the letter of intent, candidates must identify the Sustainable Development Goal that their proposed study or research in Canada would contribute to (maximum one page). The Letter of intent must include the following:
  1. A brief description of the chosen field of study or research;
  2. A brief explanation of how the chosen field of study or research is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
  3. An identification of which Sustainable Development Goal(s) the chosen field of study or research is aligned with;
  4. For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country;
  5. For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries listed under item 4 above.
• Letter of support from the home institution: a letter in English or French from the candidate's instructor, professor or international director on the institution's official letterhead explaining the nature of study or research, how the candidate and the home institution will benefit from this scholarship program, and the institution’s assessment of the candidate’s commitment and capacity to use the program of study or research in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region (maximum one page).
• Letter of invitation from the Canadian supervisor: applications for graduate students must include a letter from the Canadian supervisor indicating their willingness to support and mentor the candidate. This letter must be on institutional letterhead, be in English or French, be signed and demonstrate the support for the candidate during the exchange period and demonstrate how the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers will benefit (maximum one page).
• Signed copy of Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement with the partner institution: a written agreement or understanding, in English or in French, signed by both institutions indicating that tuition fees will not be charged and containing any other clauses of mutual interest. The specific clause in which the tuition fees are waived must be clearly indicated in the agreement submitted in the application or must be confirmed in writing in a letter appended to the agreement signed by both institutions. Note: a signed copy of this document is mandatory for undergraduate and college applications. For graduate applications, if the exchange is made under a signed agreement, it is strongly suggested that it be included with the application.
• Privacy Notice Statement: a copy of the Privacy Notice Statement for non-Canadian participants dated and signed by the candidate.

Selection process

The following guidelines are followed for the review, assessment and selection of applications:

• All online applications received by the deadline will be pre-screened to ensure they meet eligibility requirements established for the program.
• Eligible and complete applications, including the supporting documents, will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
  • the linkage of the proposed research or study that the student will undertake in Canada to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
  • the candidate’s commitment to use his/her research or studies in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region;
  • benefit to the home institution, supervisor and peers;
  • benefit to the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers; and
  • strength of the linkages to be created through the proposed exchange.
• Should there be a larger number of applications than funding available, the Canadian institution will be asked to rank its eligible applications based on its institutional strategic priorities.

Conditions

Only applications submitted directly by Canadian institutions will be considered.

Only fields of study or research that are aligned with, and contribute to, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are eligible under SEED. Only candidates who demonstrate a commitment and capacity to use their research or studies in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region will be considered.

The scholarship administrator is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding from the Government of Canada.

Background

On August 6, 2017, the Government of Canada announced the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program to provide opportunities for students from ASEAN to conduct short-term study or research in Canadian post-secondary institutions in areas that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.