paris 2024
We are looking for outstanding students.
Students who are interested in pushing the academic questions of their time. Students who are involved in their communities. And students looking to connect with a community, senior academics, and eminent practitioners.

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship brings together remarkable individuals from various disciplines and backgrounds with a shared interest in making Canada and the world a better place into a life-changing community. It's about more than money.
What Makes a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar?

We are looking for students with exceptional qualities.

Academic excellence and intellectual curiosity

Do you have a record of strong academic performance attested to by your transcripts and other forms of educational achievement (e.g., publications, conference presentations)? Are you committed to excellence in research and knowledge dissemination? Are you an original thinker who can engage in constructive critical thinking about society?

Commitment and openness to engaging with a plurality of perspectives

Are you willing to engage with a plurality of people, cultures, institutions, forms of knowledge, ideologies, and perspectives? Can you collaborate respectfully across differences, including with those who hold different opinions and ideologies, to pursue your goals?

Leadership and engagement

Are you engaged in activities and organizations within and beyond academia? Do you aspire to take on more significant leadership roles in your community or organization(s)? Do you have the potential to take your research beyond academia to benefit the wider public?

Participation in Foundation community events

Are you committed to fully participating in all Foundation activities, whether conferences, masterclasses, or seminars, and to engaging respectfully and actively with all participants? 

Core values

We expect our community members to be interested in improving their capacities in both official languages.

We also encourage our members to learn from their peers, Fellows, and Mentors and act authentically and with integrity. 

The Foundation is committed to selecting diverse scholars based on perspectives and disciplines.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must meet the eligibility criteria.

1. You are: 

  • A Canadian student studying at a Canadian university
  • A Canadian student studying at an international university
  • An international student studying at a Canadian university

 

Please note: Students from international universities that are living outside Canada are not eligible. 


2. At the time of application, you must:

  • Be in the process of completing a Master’s program (completed no later than summer 2025)
  • Be in the first year of a doctoral program
  • Be in your second year of a doctoral program

 

3. Your field of study is broadly related to the humanities and social sciences or human sciences and is directly relevant to the future of Canada.

 

4. Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation's four general themes: 

  • Human Rights and Dignity 
  • Responsible Citizenship
  • Canada and the World
  • People and their Natural Environment.
Virtual Information Sessions

Information sessions are offered in English and French.

Session 1 for Scholarship Applicants

  • October 10, 2024 @ 10:30 a.m. EST (French)
  • October 10, 2024 @ 2 p.m. EST (English)

Session 2 for Scholarship Applicants

  • October 22, 2024 @ 10:30 a.m. EST (French)
  • October 22, 2024 @ 2 p.m. EST (English)

How to Participate in the Information Sessions

  1. The sessions will take place via Zoom. 
  2. You may attend by video or by phone. 
  3. If you require additional assistance to participate, contact us.
  4. Connection details will be shared only with those who register for the sessions. Please fill out the form to register.
Special Notes for Candidates

Applicants should apply directly through the Foundation’s platform by the deadline, with no university nominations needed, and universities are thanked for their support in promoting the scholarship.

The Foundation asks all applicants to apply directly via its application platform. Universities are not required to nominate their candidates. The Foundation will review and assess all candidates who submit completed applications by the specified deadline. 

We sincerely thank participating universities for any publicity, advertising, and encouragement for student applications they provide to the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholarship. 

Award officers are invited to join webinars/Q&As to learn more about our Scholarship program.

Do you have any more questions?

Interested candidates are encouraged to consult the FAQ section for more information.

For additional information, please consult our FAQ.

Applying to the Program

  1. Register for an account
    When the competition opens, register on the Foundation's application portal.

    Do not create a new account if you have previously applied for the Trudeau Foundation Scholarships.  Enter the email that you previously used and select "Forgot password."We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with our application portal. Our team is actively working to resolve the issue. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

  2. Fill out the application

  3. Respond to the questions
    After completing your registration, respond to the questions to create your application for the 2025 Scholarship Competition. 

  1. Basic demographic information 
    The Foundation gathers demographic information for statistical purposes. The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation will only use this anonymized information for reporting purposes. 

  2. Language skills 
    Your response will determine our language for your interview.

  3. Essay questions 
    Essay questions are important to us. They provide background information about your leadership experience and communication style.

  4. Doctoral project
    We are excited to learn about your PhD project! Let us know what you are working on. Please think about formulating your research questions and approaches using clear terminology for readers outside your specialty to understand.

  5. Post-secondary education, achievements, and experience 
    Our applicants are accomplished individuals. Please provide information about your post-secondary education and your applicable personal achievements. This may include scholarships, fellowships, awards, publications, conferences, extracurricular and volunteer activities, and your relevant work experience.

  6. Transcripts 
    Upload transcripts for all your post-secondary education. If you attended CEGEP in Quebec, exclude CEGEP-related information. 

  7. Foundation's policies 
    All candidates must acknowledge that they have read and understood key Foundation Policies. 

  1. Referees

    Please provide the names and email addresses of three referees. At least one must be an academic referee able to comment on your university academic performance. If you have started your PhD, we expect your supervisor to provide one of the reference letters.

    After you submit the name and email address of your referees, they will automatically receive an email asking them to complete a predetermined referral form directly on the Foundation's application portal.

    Referees must complete the predetermined referral form, including both narrative answers and numerical evaluations.

    We no longer ask referees to upload their reference letters in PDF format on our application portal. We strongly advise that you follow up with your referees to ensure they submit the completed form by November 20, 2024, at 9 a.m. EST. 

    Late reference submissions are not accepted. If we do not receive your reference letters on time, the application is considered incomplete and not eligible for further evaluation.

The Selection Process

Eligible candidates submitting a completed application by November 25, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. EST will undergo a multi-stage selection process.

Selection Process & Key Dates

2025 Competition
 

September 9, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. EST

2025 Application period opens

November 20, 2024

Deadline to submit references

November 25, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. EST

Deadline to apply directly to the Foundation.

January 27, 2025

Invitation to semi-finalists for Round One group interviews

February 10 to 12, 2025

Round One - Virtual group interviews and information sessions with semi-finalists

February 19, 2025

Invitation to finalists for Round Two individual interviews

March 10 to 12, 2025

Round Two - Final interviews with members of the Selection Committee

May 2025

Official announcement of the 2025 Scholars