Queen Elizabeth Scholarships 2017 – FAQs

Yes, all previously funded projects are eligible to apply

This call for proposals will fund a) awards for Canadian students to undertake internships in eligible countries and b)  Awards for incoming international grad students from eligible countries to study or undertake research at a Canadian university

The program is open to all academic disciplines.

Activities may include, but are not limited to:

• Applying global experiences or knowledge to enhance the local community;
• Strengthening character and professional skills through public speaking, networking, problem-solving, and leadership activities;
• Participating in community events, such as roundtables, fora and panel discussions;
• Peer mentoring, knowledge sharing and networking between alumni and current scholars; and
• Volunteering within the local community.

Yes they are. Each university may manage this at their own discretion.  

The terms of reference do not need to be prepared as part of the proposal. Note, in the application form we ask how your university will help ensure the success of the partnership and how the interns will contribute to the objectives of the partner institution.

If you will be sending Canadian interns abroad, you need to identify specific partners, or a strategy to identify partners if you do not have them by the time of submission. If you are only receiving international students, you do not have to identify specific partners.

The incoming international student may complete an entire degree at a Canadian institution or can be funded to undertake short term course work or research, as long as they meet the program criteria.  In the case of incoming scholars undertaking short term study or research, QES funded activities must be directly linked to the Masters or PhD program in which they are registered in their home country.

Canadian universities are not required to have an existing partnership with the country as the program seeks to both encourage the development of new partnerships as well as build on existing partnerships.  We expect strong proposals to answer the questions clearly and succinctly in the application form. Note, the application form requires the Canadian university to describe their partnership approach and, for each partner referred to in the application form, you must describe their key objectives as an organization, the relationship they have with your university, and the roles and responsibilities they will play in implementing this project. Please note, a scanned letter of support is required from each partner. For any partners that have yet to be identified, the Canadian university is to describe their strategy to identify and develop effective partnerships that will ensure the success of the project.

The 50% contribution is the aim for the overall program. (2) There is no minimum recommended for each project proposal; a higher contribution will be viewed more favourably by the selection process. Note, as defined in the guidelines, the university contribution refers to the cash, in-kind and leveraged contribution(s) provided by the university, the partner institution/organisation and/or participant. This may include:

• Tuition paid by the students, tuition waivers or discounts; other discounts or waivers to academic, living or travel costs;
• Supervisory time, researchers’ salaries and/or research assistants’ stipends, publication costs, communication costs, technical costs, conference registration fees, costs for organizing an academic event/conference and interpretation. The partner institutions/organisations may also contribute toward airfares, ground transportation, per diems, etc.; and
• Financial contributions from other sources including foundations, community and/or industry partners and other funding agencies.

Note: overhead costs are not considered an eligible contribution.

As defined in the guidelines, internship is broadly defined as an opportunity for students to gain practical or professional skills, also often referred to as experiential learning. This does not include study abroad nor does it include conducting research related to the student’s Canadian university degree.  N.B. internships may include research undertaken for the host institution/organisation.

Internships may be paid or voluntary positions.

Medical residences in the field (outside of Canada) qualify as internships if they meet all the program requirements.

Universities are to apply for funding for one or more of the following:

• Internships for Canadian students to eligible countries.
• Scholarships for international students from an eligible country to study or do research at a Canadian university.

This application or ‘bundle’ of activities is what is referred to as a project. How these activities are linked together is at the discretion of the Canadian university. A university may choose to limit their proposals to outgoing Canadian internships or to incoming international students or do both, all of which are acceptable options. Diversity and innovation will be viewed favourably, as well as proposals that demonstrate a coherent vision and strategic project approach.

It is possible for an overseas partner to collaborate with multiple Canadian institutions on this program.

The overall program will ensure that at least 75% of Queen Elizabeth Scholars are Canadian (not that 75% of the program funds are awarded to Canadian students). The selection process will ensure that the overall program criteria are met; universities do not need to address these criteria in their proposal.

It is at the discretion of the Canadian university how to recruit international students from eligible countries.

Internships are broadly defined as an opportunity for students to gain practical or professional skills, also often referred to as experiential learning.  Conducting research related to the student’s Canadian university degree would not be considered an internship.  N.B. internships may include research undertaken for the host organisation.

Incoming international students do not have to come from a partner institution; they can come from any eligible country.

All internships must be with university partner organisations.

Incoming international students are not required to pursue their entire degree at the Canadian institution but are still required to meet all program requirements as described in the guidelines.

Canadian universities may seek QES project funding of up to $300,000 CAD.

Canadian universities which have recognized provincial degree granting powers, or their affiliates, may submit a proposal to the QES program. Universities may partner with one or more other Canadian university(ies) for a joint proposal; however, each university may only be the lead applicant in one submission to the program.

No, universities may submit projects that comprise of one or both of the program activities.

The deadline for Canadian universities to submit their proposal application is Wednesday October 18, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. EST. 

Results are expected to be emailed to all applicants in late 2017/early 2018.

Universities Canada will respond to all email inquiries sent to  [email protected] within one working day if received by Tuesday October 10, 2017 at 4 pm EST. All responses are posted on our FAQ page, which is updated weekly. The last update to the FAQ page will be on Friday October 13, 2017.

The letter of support would be from the partner organization (not the Canadian university). The letter may be from whoever is most appropriate from the partner organization; this is at the discretion of the Canadian university.

There is no restriction on the length of the letters of support, in which partners must indicate their support for the project. Yes, it is possible to submit some letters written in French and others written in English.

It is also possible to submit a bilingual proposal with some parts in English and others in French.

Letters of support are required for all identified partners.

Letters of support to confirm matching funds are not required; however, we expect strong applicants to provide a detailed explanation of where the funds are coming from in the Cost Effectiveness and Budget section of the application form.

Universities Canada will require that Canadian universities submit annual narrative reports and quarterly financial reports. Queen Elizabeth Scholars will be required to complete a pre-departure form as well as a scholar narrative report which will be due no later than 2 weeks prior to the end of their award. Universities will be encouraged to participate in program evaluation processes which may involve surveys, interviews and both summative and formative evaluations. The program will also collect data from alumni regarding the impact their participation in this program has had on their career and study paths.