Organization of American States (OAS) Professional Development Scholarship Program

Guidelines

The Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) offers professional development scholarships to citizens of OAS Member States. Each year, the OAS publishes a series of courses for which scholarships are available with a detailed description for each course. The description contains all pertinent information including the content and duration of the course, the institution offering the course, eligibility requirements, application procedures, benefits offered, and the application deadline.

Courses Available

Professional development courses may be carried out on-site, by distance education or in a combination of both. Course descriptions are available on the Organization of American States' Scholarships for Professional Development web page. Note that descriptions are only posted in the language in which the course is delivered.

Scholarship Value and Duration

Professional development scholarships may provide funds for tuition and course fees, international travel, and health insurance. The type of funding will vary according to the type and length of the professional development course. Individual course descriptions specify the funding offered by the institution and/or sponsoring agency.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• be citizens or permanent residents of Canada;
• meet the requirements indicated in the course description; and
• be proficient in the language in which the course is delivered.

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions are as follows:

• applicants are only eligible for a scholarship for study in an OAS member state other than Canada;
• a scholarship for study in another country in which the applicant also holds citizenship or permanent residency is subject to approval;
• applicants may be granted a scholarship for a distance education course where the participant remains in Canada for all or most of the duration of the course; and
• recipients of an OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program in the past 12 months and current OAS scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply.

Deadline

The application form and all required documentation must be received by the National Liaison Office (ONE) at least seven business days before the deadline in the specific course description available on the OAS website. The ONE is the official channel for processing OAS scholarships. The ONE will send the completed application form to the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) in Washington, DC.

Application Process

Applicants must:

• fill out the online application for the Professional Development Scholarships Program available in each OAS course description;
• upon completion of the OAS online application form, print a hard copy, sign the application form; and
• submit the signed OAS application form with all required documentation to the National Liaison Office (ONE) by mail or by e-mail.

The National Liaison Office (ONE) in Canada is:

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario  K1P 5Z9
Canada

Phone: 613-237-4820
Email: admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca

For documentation sent by mail, it is strongly recommended that the applicant collect the application form and all the required supporting documents in a sealed envelope and send it to the ONE by a method that provides confirmation of its delivery, such as a courier service or registered mail.

The ONE will acknowledge receipt of the documents by email.

Selection Process

Review Procedures and Conditions

To be considered for the OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program, applications must have the official endorsement of the designated National Liaison Office (ONE) of the OAS Member State in which the applicant is a citizen or permanent resident. Applications submitted directly to the OAS will not be considered.

Notification

Applicants will be contacted directly by the OAS regarding the status of their application. Permanent Missions to the OAS, the ONEs and the Offices of the General Secretariat in the countries concerned will also be informed of the names of the scholarship recipients.

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in their application.

Conditions

All decisions made by the OAS are final and are not open to appeal.

Documents submitted to the ONE will not be returned.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the OAS through the Department of Human Development, Education, and Culture (DHDEC).

Background

The Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) of the Organization of American States (OAS) General Secretariat offers opportunities for professional development through short-term courses in specialized areas of training. Awards are organized through programs of cooperation with OAS Member States, OAS Permanent Observer States, other non-member states, regional and international organizations, public and private agencies, philanthropic and commercial institutions, as well as institutes of higher learning. Scholarships may also be organized in coordination with other areas of the OAS General Secretariat.