We have received information from the Trudeau Foundation concerning the Trudeau Scholarship competition for 2010. In the next competition, the Trudeau Foundation will award "up to" 15 new scholarships in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Each scholarship is valued at $40,000 per year for up to three years plus up to an additional $20,000 annually to support research-related travel.
The Scholarship Program will identify and support up to fifteen outstanding doctoral students selected in a national competition. Students may be applying for the first year of doctoral study or may be registered in the first or second year of such a program.
Universities are asked to nominate up to six candidates. Candidates are evaluated based on their academic achievement, ability to engage in lively exchange with other researchers and scholars, and intention to work in an area related to one or more of the four themes of the Foundation. Finally, they must have an expressed desire to contribute to public dialogue. The four themes are: human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada in the world, and people and their natural environment. The Foundation "strongly encourages universities to consider submitting a slate of nominees that includes students from the full range of disciplines within the humanities and social sciences." Students must be nominated by a university.
Students eligible to apply through Dalhousie University must have completed or be enrolled in a degree program at Dalhousie (and may intend to take up the award for doctoral studies at Dalhousie or at another university), or may be applying to a doctoral program here. Nominations to the Foundation of current or new Dalhousie doctoral students can be made only by the President, applications by students directly to the Foundation will not be considered. Completed application files consisting of the application form and supporting documents specified in the guidelines, and including original transcripts of all postsecondary studies, and three reference letters (two from academic referees and one from a non-academic referee) must be received in the Faculty of Graduate Studies on or before December 4, 2009.
Application forms and guidelines are available online at the Trudeau Foundation website: www.trudeaufoundation.ca
The Dalhousie University selection committee, consisting of the Dean of Arts and Social Sciences and the Dean of Law, and chaired by the Dean of Graduate Studies, will recommend a slate of candidates to President Traves, who will submit Dalhousie's nominees to the Foundation by its deadline of January 8, 2010. It should once again be possible for Dalhousie University to nominate a strong slate of candidates.
Please announce the Trudeau Scholarship competition through the appropriate channels in your unit, and encourage qualified students to apply to this very prestigious scholarship program. In identifying possible candidates for nomination, it will be of interest to look at the profiles of successful Trudeau scholars on the Foundation's website. Your assistance in mentoring possible candidates for nomination as they are preparing their application files would be highly appreciated. Students are also very welcome, and indeed encouraged, to contact my office to discuss their applications.
For further information on the Dalhousie selection & nomination procedure please contact Stephanie Theriault at Stephanie.theriault@dal.ca or 494-6246.