Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)

Guidelines

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 in the following eligible countries/territories: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Uruguay, and Venezuela. These agreements are created between colleges, technical or vocational institutes 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.

Roles and responsibilities

Canadian post-secondary institutions

Canadian institutions are:

• responsible for submitting applications on behalf of eligible candidates from institutions in the eligible countries/territories; and
• encouraged to promote this scholarship opportunity to their faculty and staff members, as well as to partner institutions from the eligible countries/territories.

Canadian institutions with successful candidates:

• should identify one staff member responsible for the administration of the program and another one with delegated signing authority; and
• will receive contribution funding from Global Affairs Canada to disburse as scholarships to recipients.

Non-Canadian candidates from eligible countries/territories

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 or exchange agreement with a Canadian institution; and
• request information about the exchange program application process and selection criteria specific to the Canadian partner institution, and provide all required documents.

Selected candidates are encouraged to:

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

NOTE: Scholarship recipients are expected to return to their home institutions after the scholarship period in order to complete their studies.

Non-Canadian post-secondary institutions from eligible countries/territories

Non-Canadian institutions are encouraged to:

• 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 strong candidates who meet the admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution;
• provide the candidates' supporting documents to the Canadian partner institution, which is responsible for submitting the scholarship applications; and
• ask selected candidates to upgrade their linguistic, academic and intercultural skills before their departure.

Scholarship value and duration

Funding for ELAP 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 of studies:

• CAD 7,200 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 9,700 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, 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 or study/work permit fees;
• airfare, for the scholarship recipient only, to travel to Canada by the most direct and economical route and return airfare upon completion of the scholarship;
• health insurance;
• living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food;
• ground public transportation, 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 a cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) issued 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 to coincide with the arrival of the scholarship recipients in 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 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; or
• South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Candidates:

• must be enrolled as full-time students at post-secondary institutions in the eligible countries/territories and paying any tuition fees required by these institutions at the time of application and for the full duration of the exchange;
• who hold Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, or who have a pending application for permanent residency in Canada are not eligible;
• already participating in an exchange scholarship program funded by the Government of Canada are not eligible; and
• already enrolled in a program at a Canadian post-secondary institution are not eligible.

Terms and conditions

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

The Canadian post-secondary institution must:

• be a Designated Learning Institution (DLI);
• waive tuition and/or administrative fees for scholarship recipients, as selected students must be registered full-time and paying tuition to their home institution;
• 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;
• 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, High Commission or Canadian Trade Office in their home country/territory and by DFATD in Canada, or for promotional and statistical purposes; and
• submit qualitative and quantitative reports during the scholarship period.

Scholarship recipients:

• 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;
• may not hold any other scholarship granted by the Government of Canada;
• carrying out a semester-based study exchange 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 June 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;
• enrolled in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry or other health fields are excluded from clinical training or clinically-oriented research involving direct patient-care;
• must ensure that they have appropriate health insurance for the full duration of the scholarship, as per the policies of the Canadian institution;
• must focus primarily on full-time studies or research during their stay in Canada; and
• are expected to return to their home institutions after the scholarship period in order to complete their studies.

Important information:

• Applications at the college or undergraduate levels must be accompanied by a valid student exchange agreement between the Canadian institution and the candidate’s home institution.  The agreement must state that tuition fees are waived for scholarship recipients. College or undergraduate applications for research traineeships or internships at Canadian institutions with no exchange agreements or MOUs with the candidates’ home institutions are also accepted.  Such applications must be accompanied by a letter issued by the Canadian institution’s international office or equivalent, linking the application to a specific international research collaboration, naming the Canadian supervisor who has agreed to mentor the student during the scholarship period, and confirming that tuition fees, if any, will be waived for the recipient.  Such a letter must be uploaded in lieu of an inter-institutional agreement. 
• 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.
• Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously received a scholarship under the Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program, the Canada-CARICOM Faculty Leadership Program, the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship or the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program.
• Scholarships are not taxable 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 22, 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 non-Canadian institutions

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

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

Arrival in Canada

Scholarship recipients may commence their studies or research as early as June 1, 2021 but no later than February 1, 2022.

Notification

Canadian institutions will receive a preliminary update on the eligibility status of their respective applications in May 2021. The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), the Scholarship Administrator, will communicate the updates and results to the previously identified staff member responsible for the administration of the program at the Canadian institution.

Canadian institutions will be informed of the final selection and results in June 2021 following approval from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). Home institutions in the eligible countries/territories 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 are invited 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

Roles and responsibilities

Candidates:

• interested in this scholarship program should first contact their home institution;
• must provide a letter of intent explaining the nature of studies or research to be undertaken, the rationale for study in Canada and for the choice of institution, program and supervisor, and how the proposed program of study or research relates to their future career; and;
• do not apply on their own behalf, as all applications are submitted by the Canadian institutions on behalf of the candidates.

Home institutions:

• are responsible for identifying strong academic candidates who meet the admission requirements of the Canadian partner institution and for 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 will be required to rank their applications, based on their strategic priorities; and
• should identify one staff member responsible for the administration of the program.

Canadian institutions are encouraged to carefully read the instructions below before beginning the online application. Further information is available on the International Scholarships Canada Application Tool Help webpages.

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 that do not have an account will first need to Register an account.
   • Once the account is created and activated, they will need to log in. Under the “For Non-Canadians” section, scroll down to the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program 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; and
   • the official name of the candidate’s home institution must be provided in their national language.
3. Upload all required supporting documents.
4. Upon completion, verify the data prior to submission.
5. Click SUBMIT to send their form electronically to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). 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.

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 card with valid dates and photo. Note: a driver’s license, permanent residence card, work permit, student card, health card, birth certificate or baptism certificate are not accepted as proofs of citizenship. Candidates from countries/territories that do not issue national identity cards must provide copies of their valid passports. The country/territory of citizenship selected in the online application form must be the same as the country/territory 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 (maximum one page). Note: copies of transcripts, a student card or a letter of admission are not acceptable.
• Letter of intent from the candidate: a letter in English or French from the candidate explaining the nature of studies or research to be undertaken; the 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 (maximum one page).
• 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 to be undertaken in Canada and how the candidate and the home institution will benefit from this scholarship program (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 in French, and be signed. It must describe the nature and scope of the research collaboration with the student’s home institution, the support they will receive during the exchange period and how the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers will benefit from the exchange (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 indicated. For college or undergraduate applications involving research at Canadian institutions with no MOUs with the candidates’ home institutions, please upload a letter issued by the Canadian institution’s international office or equivalent, linking the application to a specific international research collaboration, naming the Canadian supervisor who has agreed to mentor the student during the scholarship period, and confirming that tuition fees, if any, will be waived for the recipient.  For graduate applications, if the exchange takes place 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:
  • 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; and
  • strength of the linkages to be created through the proposed exchange.
• The Canadian institution will be required to rank its eligible applications based on its institutional strategic priorities.

Conditions

Only applications submitted directly by Canadian institutions 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

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.