Application process
To be considered for an academic scholarship under the Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarships Program, an applicant must complete the following two-step process:
- Complete and submit the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) online application form available on this site and provide the supporting documents as requested.
- Complete and submit the OAS online application form for graduate studies and provide the supporting documents as requested. This application will be used in the final selection process.
Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.
All inquiries regarding this scholarship should be directed to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.
Step one: DFATD online application
Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the instructions below before beginning the online form. If students experience difficulty filling out or submitting the form, they should send an email to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.
Instructions
Applicants must:
- Complete the online form;
- Individuals who do not have an account will first need to Register an account.
- Once the account is created and activated, log into it. Under “For Canadians” section, students will need to go to the Organization of American States (OAS) Academic Scholarships Program and click on APPLY NOW.
- 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 their form electronically to DFATD. The candidate will receive a confirmation message and reference number once their form is submitted.
NOTE: Applicants will have the ability to save their application and complete it at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the applicant’s profile homepage.
Supporting documents to upload to the application form
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.
- Letter of admission: Letter of admission from the host institution or copy of correspondence testifying that the applicant has requested admission or will have access to the facilities needed to complete the proposed research project.
- Proof of Canadian citizenship: copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, passport or permanent resident card; a baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
- Official transcripts: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic records including colleges and CÉGEPs) with the cumulative grade point average for each degree or certificate.
- Study or research proposal: An essay describing your study or research plan (maximum two pages).
- Copy of diploma: for the highest degree obtained.
- Proof of registration for studies in progress: including courses being taken (if applicable).
Additional documents to submit by mail
Applicants in fine arts, music and architecture must submit three sets of artwork samples for the pre-selection process. Artwork samples required are as follows:
- Applicants in the fine arts1 (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit copies or photos of three pieces of their work. Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
- Applicants in music1 must submit a USB key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces totalling no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included.
- Applicants in architecture1 must submit up to ten reproductions of drawings, provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that these documents are received by the deadline.
All artwork samples must be sent to CBIE at:
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Organization of American States Academic Scholarships Program
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9
Only artwork samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee.
Applicants in the history or theory of art, of music, or of architecture are not required to submit samples.
Step two: OAS online application
Applicants must complete and submit the online Application of OAS Scholarships for Academic Graduate Studies 2020 and upload the requested supporting documents. Applicants are encouraged to review the full OAS Academic Scholarship Application Guidelines before proceeding with the application form.
In addition to submitting the OAS online application, the application and the supporting documents must be submitted by email to
scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that these documents are received at CBIE by the deadline. All questions related to the OAS online application form should be directed to the following email: scholarships@oas.org.
Supporting documents
- Copy of the OAS online application form.
- Copy of diploma: For the highest degree obtained (Bachelor or Master).
- Copy of transcripts: A transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic records including college and CÉGEP) with the cumulative grade point average (GPA) for each degree or certificate. Applicants enrolled in a program of study at the time of application must also submit their current academic transcript.
- Curriculum vitae: The curriculum vitae must not include photographs or any personal information such as a date of birth (maximum two pages).
- Two stamped and/or signed recommendation letters: Preferably from current or former professors (using the OAS Recommendation Statement Form) or from current or previous employers (using the Employer Recommendation Form). If never employed, a reputable member of the community (ex. a business leader) may attest to the applicant’s qualities as a student or professional (using the OAS Recommendation Statement Form).
- Letter of admission: if the applicant is not currently enrolled in graduate studies, this letter must indicate a start date of studies between August 2020 and December 2020.
- Identification Card (ID): A copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, passport or permanent resident card only.
Note: Recommendation letters must be written and signed by the referees and cannot be authored by relatives of the applicant. Relatives are defined as: spouse, son or daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother, brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.
Document titles must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format: OAS-last name-first name.
Review procedures
All applications received by the deadline and that meet the eligibility requirements will be evaluated by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee.
The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee:
- is made up of individuals from the academic community representing all regions of Canada, both official language groups and a wide variety of academic disciplines; and
- reviews, evaluates and ranks applications to recommend a list of pre-selected applicants.
Applications will be reviewed by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee using the following criteria:
- the merits and overall credentials of the applicant, including academic and/or professional experience:
- the quality of the written essays and how well the applicant explains the impact they believe their studies will have on their institution, community and country as well as their five‐year plan upon returning to Canada;
- the applicant’s university grade point average (GPA);
- the level of completeness and detail put into the preparation of the application; and
- the quality of the recommendation letters which attest to the applicant’s ability to perform and to succeed as a scholarship recipient and describe what contribution and impact the referee believes the applicant will have on the institution/community/sponsoring country.
- potential and commitment of the applicant to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of Canada; and
- the adherence to the objectives and the priorities established in the OAS Comprehensive Strategic Plan of the Organization.
Preselected applications will be nominated to the OAS Secretariat where the final selection of scholarship recipients will be made by the Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee appointed by the Secretary General of the OAS. Notification will be sent out to successful candidates by the OAS Secretariat.
Conditions
All recommendations of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee and decisions made by the OAS are final and are not open to appeal.
The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates.
These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the OAS through the Department of Human Development, Education, and Employment.
1Only samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee. Samples can be returned following the competition; please indicate the return address. However CBIE, while taking all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of artwork samples.
