Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)
Note that the competition is closed. A new competition is expected to be announced in February 2010.
Scholarships
Canadian Institutions
Application Process
Scholarships
Scholarships are for student exchanges and research at the college, undergraduate and graduate levels.
In addition, study tours will be offered to selected graduate students to expose them to Canadian governance, business and civil society in key priority areas.
- For a college or undergraduate exchange of 4 months, a scholarship of $7,500 CAD available per student. (*see exception)
- For a graduate exchange of 5 to 6 months, a scholarship of $10,000 CAD available per student.
- Grant is not taxable for either the institution or the student.
* Where agreements between the post-secondary institutions warrant, CARICOM college and undergraduate student exchanges may be awarded for an academic year (i.e. two semesters). A scholarship of $15,000 is available per student for two semesters.
The Government of Canada offers scholarships to Canadian publicly funded universities or colleges as part of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program (CCSP) and Government of Canada Awards (GCA).
The goal of the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) is to support the development of human capital and a next generation of Leaders in the Americas while strengthening the linkages between Canadian post-secondary institutions and the ones in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- The Canadian institution must apply on behalf of the student.
- CBIE does not accept applications submitted directly by students or exchange partner institutions (foreign institutions).
- At the college and undergraduate levels, an exchange agreement between the Canadian institution and the student's home university/college MUST be in place at the time of application.
- At the graduate level, an existing exchange agreement between the Canadian institution and the student's home university is desirable. However, if there is no existing graduate exchange, graduate research applications which involve a new or established collaboration between professors from a Canadian and foreign university will be considered.
- More than one exchange program at a given university or college may apply.
- Students must be citizens of one of the ELAP eligible countries.
- Students must be enrolled full-time at a foreign institution in an ELAP eligible country and paying tuition fees at their home institution for the full duration of the exchange.
- Anyone who has obtained Canadian citizenship or who has applied or is planning to apply for permanent residency in Canada is not eligible for this scholarship.
- Students already participating in an exchange program in Canada are not eligible.
- Students already enrolled to a degree program at a Canadian university or college are not eligible.
- Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously participated in the College and Undergraduate Students Exchange Program (CUSEP) or the Graduate Students’ Exchange Program (GSEP).
- Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitt's, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos
- South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela
- Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
- North America: Mexico
Eligible themes of study or research are in disciplines that promote good governance, prosperity, peace and security and economic development.
- Awards are conditional on receipt of the appropriate visa for the student's stay
in Canada.
- Students must arrive in Canada and begin their college or undergraduate studies no later than first week of January 2010 or their graduate research no later than March 15, 2010.
- A scholar cannot normally hold any other major scholarship or scholarship.
- The scholarship will be paid by cheque made out and mailed to the Canadian university
or college and not to the student.
- Payment will be made in two installments: 90% of the scholarship will be paid following the receipt of the students' visa (by fax or email). The remainder 10% will be paid upon receipt of the students' proof of medical coverage in Canada.
Canadian institutions must complete the CBIE online application form by submitting it electronically. Paper application will not be accepted.
- Enter your data in the fields provided, following the instructions for each item.
- Upon completion, verify your data prior to submitting.
- To obtain a hard copy for your records, prior to submitting, you may print the form
using the print function of your browser. Note that CBIE does not require a hard
copy.
Canadian institutions must submit the following required documents to CBIE, prior
to the deadline.
- Curriculum vitae of Dean/Director of exchange program (Maximum 5 pages).
- Proof of citizenship of ELAP candidate (passport copy).
- Current proof of full-time enrolment in exchange partner (home) institution of ELAP candidate (a short letter from the department or university, on letterhead, dated in the last 6 months stating that the student is currently enrolled in a full time degree program). Copy of student card and letter of admission are not acceptable.
- Declaration signed by both the Director of the Exchange program and the supervisor of the student at the Canadian institution (Available at the end of the online application).
- Itemized Budget - only student expenses can be included. Please state how the scholarship money will be spent.
Mandatory expenses include:
- Visa and immigration expenses
- Economy, round-trip airfare
- Health insurance
- Monthly living allowance of at least CAD $1,200 (prorated for partial months)
- Required books, supplies and equipment – not computers
Eligible expenses include:
- Ground transportation to the airport in the home country and from the airport to
the host institution in Canada
- Optional administration fee (Maximum CAD $300) for the Canadian university or college
to cover expenses associated with the CUSEP
- Telecommunications (long distance) for research purposes
- Conference participation within Canada (conference fees; if applicable, travel and
accommodation in a city outside the host institution)
- Student services fees such as library card, access to on-campus medical facilities
Tuition is NOT an allowable expense; it is expected that exchange students continue
to pay tuition to their home institution.
Financial reporting is not required from the institution or the student.
Note that the competition is closed. A new competition is expected to be announced in February 2010. Be sure to identify the name of the scholarship
program for which you are applying on all documentation sent by post to CBIE.
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)
220 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9
If supporting documents are sent by e-mail, please indicate 2009 ELAP Application
in the Subject Line and direct to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Please note that,
for email attachments, only the following formats will be accepted: Word, Adobe
PDF or JPG.
Results will be announced by the end of July 2009 by e-mail to the supervisor and/or the person responsible for the exchange program listed in the online application.