Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)

Overview

In 2009, the Government of Canada announced the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) to support the development of human capital and the next generation of leaders in the Americas while strengthening the linkages between post-secondary institutions in Canada and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The scholarships also advance Canada’s objectives for the Americas: democratic and accountable governance, human rights, the environment, diversity and Indigenous peoples.

The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) scholarships are facilitated through institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between post-secondary institutions in Canada and their partners in eligible countries/territories.

Roles and responsibilities

Canadian post-secondary institutions

Canadian institutions:

• submit applications on behalf of eligible candidates;
• promote this scholarship opportunity to their faculty and staff members, as well as to partner institutions from the eligible countries/territories;
• rank applications based on the institution’s strategic priorities;
• identify a single person responsible for the submission of applications;
• sign a Contribution Agreement with DFATD and disburse scholarship funds to successful candidates; and
• submit qualitative and quantitative reports during the scholarship period.

Scholarship candidates

Candidates interested in this scholarship program should:

• make their interest known to their home institution;
• find out if there is an existing institutional collaboration or exchange agreement between their home institution and a Canadian institution;
• request information from their home institution about the application process and selection criteria specific to the Canadian partner institution: and
• ensure they meet the eligibility requirements.

Post-secondary institutions from eligible countries/territories

Post-secondary institutions from eligible countries/territories should:

• communicate with partner institutions in Canada to confirm or explore institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements;
• promote this scholarship opportunity through their international offices;
• identify candidates who meet the eligibility and admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution;
• provide supporting documents for their candidates to the Canadian partner institution, which is responsible for submitting the scholarship applications; and
• advise selected candidates to gain additional linguistic training and intercultural skills before their departure.

Successful applicants

Scholarship recipients agree to:

• engage in full-time studies or research as defined by the Canadian institution;
• arrive in Canada for the uptake of their award between August 1, 2022 but no later than February 1, 2023. Failure to arrive during this time may result in the cancellation of the scholarship.
• abstain from clinical training or clinically-oriented research involving direct patient-care;
• focus primarily on full-time studies or research during their stay in Canada; and
• return to their home institutions after the scholarship period to complete their studies.

Additional information

• The scholarship administrator will not provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates.
• Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable.
• Scholarships are subject to availability of funding from the Government of Canada.
• Scholarships are not taxable for either the Canadian institution or the scholarship recipient.

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

Scholarship value and duration

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.

Scholarship values vary depending on the duration and level of study:

• CAD 8,200 for college, undergraduate or graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research; or
• CAD 11,100 for graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research.

In addition to the funds allocated to the recipients by DFATD, Canadian host institutions will receive CAD 500 per scholarship recipient to assist with administrative costs once the scholarship recipient arrives in Canada.

In certain cases, Canadian institutions may be eligible for reimbursement of additional employer compliance fees paid to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

Eligible expenses

Scholarship funds should be used towards:

• visa or study/work permit fees;
• airfare for the scholarship recipient only via the most direct and economical route;
• health insurance;
• living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food;
• ground transportation, including a public transportation pass; and
• books and supplies required for the recipient’s study or research, excluding computers and other equipment.

The Canadian institution will receive funding from DFATD in the form of a contribution agreement and disburse funds to scholarship recipients according to its internal processes.

Should a recipient not take up the scholarship, Canadian institutions must return all funds, including the administrative fee, to DFATD.

Candidate eligibility

Candidates must be:

• citizens of one of the following eligible countries/territories:
• Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos;
• Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama;
• North America: Mexico;
• South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela; and
• enrolled as a full-time student at post-secondary institution in an eligible country/territory and paying tuition fees to that institution at the time of application and for the full duration of the exchange.

Candidates are not eligible:

• if they hold or have a pending application for Canadian citizenship or permanent residency;
• if they are already participating in a scholarship program funded by the Government of Canada; or
• if they are already enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program at a Canadian post-secondary institution.

Canadian post-secondary institution eligibility

The Canadian post-secondary institution must:

• be a Designated Learning Institution (DLI);
• have a valid student exchange agreement with the candidate’s home institution that waives tuition fees for scholarship recipients. For college and undergraduate research applications with no agreement, a letter issued by the Canadian institution’s international office or equivalent will be accepted; and
• inform both the candidate and their home institution of any mandatory fees that, in exceptional cases, cannot be waived, prior to applying for a scholarship on the candidate's behalf.

Any questions?

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

Selection criteria

Eligible and complete applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• merit of the research or study to be undertaken in Canada;
• benefit to the home institution and peers;
• benefit to the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers;
• strength of the linkages to be created through the proposed exchange; and
• rankings submitted by the Canadian institution.

Note: Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously received a scholarship under the Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program, the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship or the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program.

All applications are submitted by the Canadian institution on behalf of candidates. Canadian institutions are encouraged to carefully read the instructions before beginning the online application. More information is available on the International Scholarships Canada Application Tool Help webpage.

Instructions for Canadian institutions

Institutions that have trouble filling out or submitting the form should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Canadian institutions must:

1. Complete an online application for each candidate.
• Institutions that do not have an account will first need to Register an account.
• Once the institution has logged into their account, they should select the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program in the “For Non-Canadians” section and click on “Apply Now”.
• Institutions can save applications and complete them at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the institution’s profile page.
2. Enter data in the fields marked mandatory and follow instructions for each item.
• The name of the candidate must be the same as it appears on their passport.
• The official name of the candidate’s home institution must be provided in its national language.
3. Upload all required documents.
4. Verify the data prior to submission.
5. Click SUBMIT. The institution will receive a confirmation message and reference number once the form is submitted.
6. Print the form for their records using the print function in the browser.

Supporting documents

Each document must be smaller than 5 MB and in .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif format for the application to upload successfully.

Institutions must ensure documents are complete and accurate as per the instructions. Revised documents will not be accepted after the deadline. Documents in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a translation.

• Proof of citizenship:
• a copy of the candidate's passport or national identity card with a photo and valid dates
• documents not accepted as proof of citizenship are: driver’s license, permanent residence card, work permit, student card, health card, birth certificate or baptismal certificate
• proof of citizenship selected must be from the same country/territory as the citizenship selected in the online application form

• Privacy Notice Statement: a copy of the Privacy Notice Statement for non-Canadian participants signed by the candidate and dated within the last six months

• Letter of intent from the candidate (maximum one page):
• explains the nature of studies or research to be undertaken
• provides rationale for study in Canada and for the choice of institution, program and supervisor and how the proposed program of study or research will relate to their future career

• Letter of proof of full-time enrolment from the home institution (maximum one page):
• on official letterhead
• dated within the last six months
• confirms that the candidate is currently enrolled in a full-time program
• copies of transcripts, a student card or a letter of admission are not acceptable

• Letter of support from the home institution (maximum one page):
• on official letterhead
• dates within the last six months
• from the candidate's instructor, professor or international director
• explains the nature of study or research to be undertaken in Canada and how the candidate and the home institution will benefit from this scholarship program

• Graduate students only - Letter of invitation from the Canadian supervisor (maximum one page):
• on official letterhead
• dated within the last six months
• signed by the Canadian supervisor
• describes the nature and scope of the research collaboration with the student’s home institution
• confirms their willingness to support and mentor the candidate during the exchange period
• explains how the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers will benefit from the exchange

• Signed copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Agreement with the partner institution:
• indicates that tuition fees will not be charged and highlights this specific clause
• college and undergraduate research applications with no existing agreement can include a letter from the international office or equivalent on official letterhead that links the application to a specific international research collaboration, names the Canadian supervisor and confirms that tuition will not be charged. The letter must be dated within the last six months and be a maximum of one page
• expired agreements will not be accepted – if the agreement is in the process of renewal, institutions must include a letter to this effect
• for graduate applications, an agreement is recommended but not required

• A ranking of applications based on the institution’s strategic priorities must be sent to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca by the March 22, 2022 deadline.

Deadline for Canadian institutions

The deadline for Canadian institutions to submit online applications on behalf of candidates is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 22, 2022.

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

Deadline for candidates and home institutions

Interested candidates are encouraged to check with their home institution and the Canadian institution to obtain their respective internal deadlines to submit supporting documents.

Notification

The scholarship administrator will inform Canadian institutions of the final selection and results in May 2022 following approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

Canadian institutions must notify the successful candidates in due course to allow them time to submit their visa or study/work permit application as early as possible.

International candidates should contact their home institution or the Canadian institution regarding the status of their application.

Arrival in Canada

Scholarship recipients must begin their studies or research between August 1, 2022 and February 1, 2023.