Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program

Guidelines

The Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program aims to increase the number of institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between Canadian and non-Canadian institutions eligible under the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP). These agreements are created between colleges, technical or vocational institutions and universities in Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Program will award grants to faculty members to teach or conduct research for a short term in ELAP-eligible countries (Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico). The primary objective of the projects is to create new agreements with host institutions and/or to strengthen existing agreements.

Grant value and duration

Funding for the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program is made available by Global Affairs Canada through its legal title: the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

The Canadian postsecondary institution will receive funding in the form of a grant from DFATD and will be responsible for disbursing the funds to its successful candidates.

The maximum grant value per project is CAD 7,000. Recipients may seek additional funding from other sources (private or public).

The duration of the mobility is three (3) weeks minimum and eight (8) weeks maximum. Successful candidates may extend their stay with funds from other sources.

All funds provided by DFATD related to the project must be spent by March 31, 2022. The actual project end date may extend beyond March 31, 2022.

Eligible expenses

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

• Transportation (economy fare, by the most direct route);
• Lodging, meals, incidentals (according to Treasury Board guidelines);
• Insurance costs; and
• Expenditures related to securing visas or work permits.

Note: The purchase of equipment (computer, tablet, phone, printer, etc.) is not an eligible expenditure.

Payment procedure

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Grant Agreement, funding will be disbursed by cheque or electronic transfer to the Canadian postsecondary institution upon receiving the Grant Agreement signed by both the designated authority at the Canadian institution and the designated authority at DFATD. 

Funds will be disbursed to successful candidates according to the Canadian postsecondary institution’s internal processes and in conformity with the Grant Agreement concluded between DFATD and the Canadian postsecondary institution.

Eligibility

The following conditions must be met to ensure eligibility for the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program:

• Candidates must be full-time faculty members at Canadian postsecondary institutions (part-time professors, lecturers and public servants (federal, provincial/territorial, municipal, or Crown corporations are not eligible);
• Canadian postsecondary institutions will have to designate and provide contact information of the official coordinator responsible for submitting applications on behalf of eligible candidates to the scholarship administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE);
• Host institutions must be at the college level and above;
• Host institutions will have to provide an invitation letter expressing their support and confirming that the proposed teaching or research project will indeed take place.

Grant recipients must teach or conduct research in the following eligible ELAP countries:

• 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.

Any questions?

Please direct all inquiries regarding the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Deadline for Canadian post-secondary institutions

The deadline for Canadian postsecondary institutions to submit applications is February 25, 2021.

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

Notification

The scholarships administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), will communicate results to the main contact at the Canadian institution.

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

Candidates are advised to contact their institution regarding the status of their application.

Application process

To be considered for the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program, the Canadian postsecondary institution must apply on behalf of the candidate(s) by completing and submitting the online application form and providing the supporting documents as requested.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. Applications submitted by email and not through the online application form will not be considered.

Candidates must clearly address the following points in the application form:

1. Explain briefly teaching and/or research activities to be undertaken and whether they will involve direct collaboration with faculty and students at the host institution. For research, give a brief summary of your project. For teaching, describe the content, level, and approximate number of hours and students involved.
2. Describe any existing institutional agreements or MOUs between your home and host institutions, including scope and expiration date.
   1. If the institutional agreement or MOU enables the implementation of ELAP (incoming short-term student mobility with tuition waiver), how will your teaching/research project strengthen or expand this partnership?
   2. If the current agreement does not involve student mobility, will your project contribute to ELAP implementation between the home and host institutions? If not, how will it further the existing institutional relationship?
   3. If there are no formal agreements or MOUs between your home and host institutions, how will your project lead to one and in which area of collaboration?

In addition, the Canadian institution’s International Office (or equivalent) must provide a letter of support explaining how the intended or expanded partnership fits within the institution’s broader internationalization priorities (maximum 2 pages).

Online application

Canadian postsecondary institutions are encouraged to carefully read the instructions below before filling out the online form. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting the form, they should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Instructions

Canadian postsecondary institutions must:

• complete the online form;
  • If they do not have an account, they will first need to Register an account.
• Once the account is created and activated, they will need to log in. Under “For Canadians” section, they will need to go to the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program and click on Apply Now.
  • download the Privacy notice statement for the candidate to sign and attach under the "Supporting Documents" section at the end of the application form;
  • download and complete the Budget form;
  • 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 the form electronically to Global Affairs Canada. The Canadian postsecondary institution will receive a confirmation message and reference number once their form is submitted.

NOTE: Canadian postsecondary institutions will have the possibility to save their application and complete it at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the Canadian institutions’ profile homepage. Once an application is submitted, it can only be viewed or printed. The online application system does not allow it to be modified at this stage.

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. All supporting and additional documents must be submitted in English or French.

1. Completed Budget form outlining how the scholarship will be used to cover the eligible expenses of the candidate with respect to the proposed project.
2. CV of the candidate of no more than six pages, listing professional experience, the most recent and relevant publications, knowledge dissemination activities, and other achievements. CVs longer than six pages will not be accepted.
3. Letter of invitation from the host institution explaining the potential for the project to create or advance institutional partnership between both institutions.
4. Letter of support from the Canadian institution’s International Office explaining how the intended or expanded partnership fits within the institution’s broader internationalization priorities (maximum 2 pages).
5. Signed Privacy Notice Statement.

Note – for all applicants: Applications and documents that are not submitted in English or French and/or do not respect the maximum number of pages specified will result in the disqualification of the applicant.

Post-award requirements

Within 30 days of the termination of the project, grant recipients must produce a narrative report of maximum 5 pages, describing:

• The summary of undertaken activities, their results and number of beneficiaries
• The impact of mobility on creation or advancement of a partnership between the host and home institutions
• Plans to formalize the collaboration through an institutional agreement (if applicable)
• Plans to publicize the project (if applicable) and/or to acknowledge Global Affairs Canada support

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:
  • Potential for the project to advance institutional partnership between the home and host institutions of the candidate;
  • Quality and feasibility of teaching or research activities undertaken;
  • Accuracy of the budget;
  • Qualifications of the participant relative to the planned activities.

Only applications submitted directly by Canadian postsecondary institutions will be considered.

The Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program grants are subject to the availability of funding from the Government of Canada.

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Frequently asked questions about the Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program

1. Is the program funding only for creating new partnerships or can it be used to strengthen existing partnerships?

The aim of the program is to increase the number of institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between Canadian and non-Canadian institutions eligible under the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP). Projects based on existing partnerships will be considered eligible as long as they advance and enhance the ongoing collaboration.

2. How will applications be evaluated?

The applications will be evaluated according to the criteria listed in the selection process tab. The most important criterion is the project’s ability to create or advance a partnership with the host institution.

3. How many projects can a Canadian postsecondary institution propose as part of this competition?

There is no maximum number of projects. However, the maximum grant value per project is CAD 7,000.

4. Can multiple trips be undertaken under the same grant?

Yes, they can. However, the funding amount per project will not exceed CAD 7,000.

5. Can the project take place in more than one country?

Yes, but only in ELAP eligible countries. Furthermore, the maximum amount per project remains the same regardless of the number of countries.

6. If the Canadian faculty participating in the project travels to the partner institution before the results are announced, is the project still eligible for funding?

There is no guarantee that a project will receive funding before the adjudication is completed. Funding is retroactive for successful candidates who have incurred eligible expenses in relation to their projects.

7. I am a full-time faculty member on sabbatical. Am I eligible for this program?

Yes.

8. I am a part-time course lecturer at a Canadian postsecondary institution. Am I eligible for the program?

No. Only full-time researchers and professors are eligible to apply.

9. I am a non-Canadian professor at a Canadian postsecondary institution. Am I eligible for the program?

Yes. All full-time researchers and professors at Canadian postsecondary institutions are eligible to apply, regardless of their citizenship or permanent resident status.

10. Can the project combine teaching and research?

Yes.

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. These short-exchange scholarships are awarded to students from eligible countries to undertake studies or research in Canada.

The Faculty Mobility for Partnership Building Program was created in 2017 to further expand and diversify institutional collaborations for the purpose of ELAP implementation. The program supports short-term research and/or teaching activities of Canadian faculty in ELAP-eligible countries as a means of exploring, creating, and advancing institutional partnerships between the home and host institutions.