Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development – Phase 2 (SEED-2)

Eligible expenses

Selected candidates may use scholarship funds towards:

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

Canadian institutions are eligible to receive:

• ✔ $500 per scholarship recipient to aid with administrative costs once the student arrives in Canada
• ✔ reimbursement of additional employer compliance fees paid to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in some cases

Tuition must be waived by Canadian institutions.

How funding works

Canadian institutions will receive funding from Global Affairs Canada, through its legal name, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) in the form of a non-negotiable contribution agreement and will be responsible for providing the funds to successful candidates. Should a selected candidate not take up the scholarship, Canadian institutions must return those funds, including the administrative fee, to DFATD.

Canadian post-secondary institutions must apply on behalf of eligible candidates before the deadline on March 24, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

Application instructions for Canadian institutions

1. Assign a program coordinator who will be responsible for completing the application.
2. To access My EduCanada, you must first sign in or create an account through Global Affairs Canada Single Sign-On Services. Creating a GCKey account is recommended for institutions. Login or Register to begin.
3. After creating your Global Affairs Canada Single Sign-On account, register your institution on My EduCanada. Be sure to select Institution for your account type.
4. Once your account is activated and you are logged in, select Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development – Phase 2 (SEED-2) and click Apply.
5. Enter data in the required fields and follow the instructions on the application form.
6. Click Validate and save as you progress through the application form.
7. Upload all required supporting documents. Each document must be smaller than 5 MB and in .jpg, .gif, .png, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt or .xlsx format.
8. Review all components of your application for accuracy and completeness.
9. Read and accept the conditions of the "Declaration and permission" statement. Click Submit. You will receive a confirmation message and a reference number for submitted applications.
10. Print or download the form for your records using the “Print|Download” function.

Visit Help with MyEduCanada for more information.

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

• Signed 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
  • Explains how undertaking study or research in Canada will empower the student to apply their learning to address the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
  • Explains how they intend to use their learning to help reduce poverty and narrow the development gap in their region in their future career
  • Identifies the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) their proposed study or research in Canada is aligned with and will contribute to (letters that do not identify an SDG will be deemed incomplete and not eligible)
  • Candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Vietnam must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help to reduce poverty in their home country
  • Candidates from Brunei or Singapore must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help to reduce poverty in one of the other nine ASEAN countries
  • Candidates from Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help to reduce poverty in their home country
  • Candidates from the Cook Islands must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help to reduce poverty in one of the other thirteen eligible Pacific Island Countries
  • Candidates from Mongolia must provide an explanation how their learning in Canada will help to reduce poverty in their home country

• Letter of proof of full-time enrolment from the home institution
  • On official letterhead
  • Dated within the last six months
  • Confirms that the candidate is currently enrolled in a full-time program (letters that do not confirm full-time student status will be deemed incomplete and not eligible)
  • 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
  • Dated 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
  • Assesses the candidate’s commitment and capacity to use the program of study or research in Canada to help reduce poverty and narrow the development gap in their country or region

• Letter of invitation from the Canadian supervisor (graduate students only, maximum one page)
  • On institutional 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

• A ranking of applications
  • Based on the institution’s strategic priorities must be sent to seed-bpeed@international.gc.ca
  • Must indicate the MyEduCanada application number of each candidate

Scholarship selection criteria

Applications are evaluated based on:

• 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 their proposed research or studies in Canada to help reduce poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region, the Pacific Island region or Mongolia
• 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
• rankings submitted by the Canadian institution

The types of institutional collaborations (and any related Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) or student exchange agreements) are determined by the Canadian institutions and their partner institutions in the eligible countries, and will not be evaluated by the SEED-2 program. Tuition fees must be waived by Canadian institutions.

Application deadline

The deadline for Canadian institutions to submit online applications on behalf of candidates and email the ranking of applications is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 24, 2026.

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

Notification of results

Canadian institution will receive successful results in the spring. Feedback will not be provided for unsuccessful applications.

Canadian institutions are responsible for notifying students of successful results.

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

Arrival in Canada

Selected candidates may arrive as early as August 1, 2026 and no later than February 1, 2027. Failure to arrive during this time may result in the cancellation of the scholarship.

Selected candidates should submit their visa or study/work permit application as early as possible to avoid delays.

Selected candidates agree to:

• engage in full-time studies or research as defined by the Canadian institution
• 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
• return to their home institutions after the scholarship period to complete their studies

Failure to meet these conditions may result in the cancellation of the scholarship.

Additional information

• 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

Questions?

Contact the SEED-2 program team at Global Affairs Canada at: seed-bpeed@international.gc.ca.