Are you eligible?

Are you ready to embark on a leadership development journey rooted in Brave Spaces?

To apply to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholarship, you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1) You must be already accepted into or in year one or two of a full-time doctoral program, and expected to complete your doctoral studies in 2026 or later.

2) Your field of study is broadly related to the humanities or human sciences of direct relevance to the future of Canada; (please refer to the FAQ for more details and read up on past scholarship recipients)

3) Your doctoral work must relate to at least one of the Foundation’s Four Themes: Human Rights and Dignity, Responsible Citizenship, Canada and the World, People and their Natural Environment.

4) Be a Canadian citizen studying at a Canadian or foreign institution, or a non-Canadian (permanent resident of Canada or foreign national) enrolled in a doctoral program at a Canadian institution.

Here’s what we’re looking for

Listen to Dr Mona Nemer, Chair of the Application and Nomination Review Committee and
Nathalie DesRosiers, 2020 Mentor, talk about talk about what the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation
expects from its Scholars and the type of leaders it aspires to select.

Mona Nemer

Nathalie DesRosiers

Commitment and openness to engaging with a plurality of perspectives

Are you willing to engage?

Are you willing to engage with a plurality of people, cultures, institutions, forms of knowledge, ideologies, and perspectives in the context of Brave Spaces? Are you able to collaborate respectfully across difference, including with those who hold different opinions and ideologies, in order to pursue your goals?

Academic excellence and intellectual capacity

Are you an original thinker able to engage in constructive critical thinking on society?

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

Leadership and engagement

Are you engaged in activities and organizations within and beyond academia?

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

Agility and tenacity

Are you resourceful, adaptable, and tenacious in the face of adversity?

Are you resourceful, adaptable, and tenacious in the face of adversity? Are you willing to be challenged and take risks in order to bring about meaningful impact in your community or institution(s)?

Other considerations:

Willingness to embark on a transformative leadership journey which will require commitment, humility, emotional investment, and self-reflection.

Young researchers who are at the beginning of their professional career will be given priority and special circumstances can be taken into consideration.
Willingness to embark on a transformative leadership journey which will require commitment, humility, emotional investment, and self-reflection.
Interest in learning more about Canada in the World: The Future of Foreign Policy, the scientific cycle for 2023-2026.
Commitment to participate fully in all mandatory activities of the program:
- Community Retreat in June 2023
- Institute of Engaged Leadership in – Spring 2024
- Institute of Engaged Leadership in– Autumn 2024
- Impact Conference, for which participation is required over years two and three to be presented to the public in Spring 2026
- Participation in different events (mandatory and optional) on an ongoing basis
Commitment to improving your abilities in the Canadian official language with which you are less familiar and an interest in becoming familiar with Indigenous Languages.
Commitment to volunteer service or community initiatives (requirements are flexible in the context of the pandemic)
Authenticity and integrity
Willingness to learn from peers, Fellows and Mentors

The Foundation is committed to selecting a diverse group of Scholars, including diversity in terms of gender, race, disability, language, socioeconomic background, Indigenous knowledge, and region of origin, as well as in terms of perspectives and disciplines.

By design, each cohort is selected to be diverse.

How to apply

The candidate

Candidates who are committed to a three-year leadership program and who meet the eligibility criteria can apply directly to the Foundation through the application portal.

Universities

Universities play an integral role encouraging candidates to apply, recommending candidates (academic referees) and later, confirming the status of their students and other details.

The Foundation

The Foundation reviews all applications. Shortlisted candidates are invited to group interviews. Finalists proceed to interviews with the Application and Nomination Review Committee (ANRC) who recommend their choices to the Board of Directors for final approval.

Step-by-step guide to applying
For Universities

Are you ready to embark on a leadership development journey rooted in Brave Spaces? : Before beginning, make sure to read more about the Foundation’s programs and Brave Spaces.
- Are you willing to learn from peers, Fellows and Mentors? The Foundation’s leadership curriculum, Brave Spaces: The Path to Engaged Leadership, is anchored by six key leadership concepts: audacity & resilience communication & sharing knowledge, creativity & innovation, diversity, collaboration and duty of service, and by fostering these key competencies and values, the leadership program seeks to develop three dimensions of Scholars’ leadership: leadership of self, leadership among others and leadership of systems. Fellows and Mentors support this leadership training as trainers, advisers and mentors.
- Are you interested to learn more about the Charter of Rights & Freedom? For the three-year leadership program starting in 2024, this scientific cycle will be focused on the 40 years of the Charter.
- Are you committed to improving your abilities in the Canadian official language with which you are less familiar and interested in becoming familiar with Indigenous Languages? The Foundation recognizes that knowledge of multiple languages is a hallmark of leaders and public intellectuals, and is a strength and advantage, both professionally and personally. The Foundation’s Policy on Language: BilingualismPlus outlines the Foundation’s support of its Scholars in Canada’s Official Languages – French and English – and in Canada’s Indigenous Languages. Read more about the Foundation’s BilingualismPlus policy here.
- Do you believe in academic freedom, respectful dialogue, and open debate? The Foundation fosters a community of bold, cutting-edge researchers and community leaders who hold strong views and stand out in their respective fields, who explore, ask difficult questions, and discover new horizons as they blaze new trails. The Foundation openly encourages the free transmission and dissemination of knowledge and has enshrined this in a Code of Community Engagement . The Code informs successful engagement with a plurality of perspectives and encourage academic and intellectual freedom and open speech, while providing a framework for a positive and healthy environment for such exchanges.
- Candidates are invited to join the Foundation for virtual information sessions on November 2nd, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. EST for the French session and at 12:30 p.m. EST for the English session. These information sessions will take place via Zoom, and you may attend by video or by phone if you prefer. Kindly let us know if you require ASL or LSQ sign interpretation by emailing leadership@trudeaufoundation.ca. We will be happy to provide this service. Kindly note the following connection details:
  - Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022 – 1.5 hour French session for Scholar candidates at 10:00 a.m. EST:
    https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_qa_BwJNNRlGCZcXq5y-ICw
  - Wednesday, November 2nd, 2022 – 1.5 hour English session for Scholar candidates at 12:30 p.m. EST:
    https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_g1VSkZtpT1yLgniqTDkUrw
Register for an account: When the competition opens, register for an account on the Foundation’s application portal. If you already have an account from a scholarship competition prior to 2021, you will need to create a new application.
Fill out the application: Once your registration is complete, you will be able to create an application for the 2024 Scholarship Competition. In order to complete your application, you will need to provide:
- Demographic information: The Foundation gathers demographic information for statistical purposes, in order to fulfill its commitment to diversity and inclusion. This information will only be used by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.
- Essay Questions: Provide answers (200 to 400 words) to four essay questions.
- Doctoral Projects and Themes: Provide information on your doctoral project, with answers ranging from 200 to 400 words in length.
- Referees: Enter the name and email address of two referees in the boxes provided. At least one of them must be an academic referee who is able to comment on your university academic performance. Refer to “Get recommendations” below for more details.
- Language Skills, Post-secondary Education, Achievements and Experience: Provide information on your language skills, your post-secondary education, your achievements – including scholarships, fellowships, awards, publications, conferences, extracurricular and volunteer activities – as well as your relevant work experience.
- Upload Transcripts: Upload transcripts for all your post-secondary education, except information related to CEGEP in Quebec, should you have attended CEGEP in Quebec.
- Read and understand the Foundation’s policies: All candidates are asked to acknowledge that they have read and understood key policies of the Foundation. Throughout the three-year program, all Scholars are asked to read, understand and comply with these policies: Policy on the Prevention of Harassment and Violence and Code of Community Engagement.
Get recommendations: Once you have entered the name and email address of your referees in the space provided in the application form, an email will automatically be sent to the referees, asking them to complete a predetermined referral form directly on the Foundation’s application portal. Referees must complete the predetermined referral form, which includes both narrative answers and numerical evaluations. We are no longer asking referees to upload their reference letter in PDF format on our application portal. We advise that you follow up with your referees to ensure they submit the completed form on time, by December 2nd, 2022 at 5:00 p.m EST.
PETF selection process: All eligible candidates who submit a completed application by December 2nd, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. EST will go through a rigorous selection process. Shortlisted candidates (Round One) will be contacted in February 2023 and invited to virtual group interviews. Finalists (Round Two) will then be invited to meet for individual interviews with members of the selection committee in person in March 2024.

The Foundation is asking all applicants to apply directly to via its application platform . Universities are not required to nominate their preferred candidates. All candidates who submit completed applications by the December 2nd, 2022 at 5 p.m. EST deadline will be reviewed and assessed by the Foundation. Despite this process, the Foundation remains committed to regional representation, linguistic representation, a plurality of perspectives and disciplines, as well as other forms of diversity.
Once the competition has launched, advertise the 2023 Scholarship competition in your university! Review PETF’s eligibility and selection criteria (as presented above on this page) as well as the Scholarship homepage on this site and encourage your best students to apply.
Award officers are invited to join webinars/Q&As to learn more about our Scholarship program on October 19th, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. EST for the French session and at 12:30 p.m. EST for the English session.

These information sessions will take place via Zoom , and you may attend by video or by phone if you prefer. Kindly let us know if you require ASL or LSQ sign interpretation and we will be happy to provide this service, by emailing leadership@trudeaufoundation.ca. Kindly note the following connection details:

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022– 1.5 hour French session for Awards Officers at 10:00 a.m. EDT:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sSZsz-PsQ8mwh6T3_kbbGA

Wednesday, October 19th, 2022 – 1.5 hour English session for Awards Officers at 12:30 p.m EDT:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_E87qYPZMRaybjH7ezYMBbA
Although the university does not have to hold an internal selection process and nominate candidates, the Foundation may reach out to the university officers to confirm that applicants are eligible students in good standing, as well as to confirm other relevant details of a candidate’s application during the months of January and February 2023.