Guidelines

The goal of the Faculty Leadership Program is to support international collaboration between Canadian postsecondary institutions and those in the Caribbean through professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.

Canadian post-secondary institutions

Canadian institutions are:  

• responsible for submitting applications on behalf of each candidate; and
• encouraged to promote the opportunity to faculty and staff, as well as to partner institutions abroad.

Canadian institutions with successful candidates:

• should identify a single person responsible for the administration of the contribution agreement as well as the person with the proper signing authority; and
• will receive a financial contribution from Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) to disburse scholarships to recipients.

Non-Canadian candidates

Candidates interested in this scholarship program should contact their home institution to:

• make their interest known; and
• request information about the application process and selection criteria specific to the Canadian institution.

 Candidates are encouraged to:

• apply for a study permit (for course work) or a work permit (for research) in order to ensure a smooth entry to Canada; and
• contact alumni of the program through their home institution for advice and a local perspective on the experience.

Non-Canadian institutions

Non-Canadian institutions are encouraged to:

• communicate with partner institutions in Canada to confirm or explore new exchange agreements;
• promote the program through their international offices; and
• identify excellent candidates and provide their names to the Canadian partner institution, which is responsible for submitting the scholarship applications.

Scholarship Value and Duration

The Canadian institution will receive funding for all successful candidates in the form of a contribution agreement and will be responsible for providing the funds to scholarship recipients.

The scholarship value varies depending on the duration. The scholarship value for recipients is:

• $9,700 CAN for faculty members for a period of five to six months of study or research at the graduate level;
• $2,700 CAN for faculty members for a period of two to three weeks of course work or research as part of their professional development; or
• $2,700 CAN for international directors, managers or administrators for a period of two to three weeks of course work, or for a practicum in the area of internationalization of postsecondary institutions or student mobility as part of their professional development.

Canadian institutions will disburse funds to the scholarship recipients to cover costs including:

• visa and/or study/work permit expenses;
• funding for the most economical round trip economy class ticket;
• funding for health insurance;
• monthly living allowance; and
• required books, supplies, and equipment, not including computers.

The Canadian institution receives $300 CAN per recipient to cover administration fees once the scholarship recipient arrives in Canada.

Payment Procedure

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Contribution Agreement, funding will be disbursed by cheque to the Canadian institution following receipt of the following supporting documents:

• Contribution Agreement signed by both the designated signing authority at the Canadian institution and the designated authority at DFAIT; and
• Cash Flow Statements submitted by the Canadian institution as per the arrival of selected recipients to Canada.

Scholarships will be disbursed to the recipients according to the Canadian institution’s internal processes and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contribution Agreement.

All funds, including the administrative fee, must be returned to the scholarship program administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE), if the candidate does not take up the scholarship.

Eligibility

Candidates must be citizens of one of the following eligible countries:

Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago or Turks and Caicos.

Candidates:

• must be employed full-time as faculty or as international managers/administrators at a recognized higher education institution in an eligible country for the full duration of the exchange;
• already participating in an exchange program in Canada are not eligible;
• who have obtained Canadian citizenship or who have applied for permanent residency in Canada are not eligible;
• already enrolled in a degree or diploma program at a Canadian university or college are not eligible; and
• must be proficient in the language of instruction at the Canadian institution (English or French).

Terms and Conditions

An application submitted that does not meet the following terms and conditions may not be considered for a scholarship.

The Canadian postsecondary institution:

• must be recognized by its provincial or territorial government;
• may submit more than one application and may be asked to rank their applications based on its strategic priorities at the time of the selection process; and
• will be required to provide qualitative and quantitative reports during the scholarship period.

Selected candidates:

• must arrive in Canada no earlier than August 1, 2013 and no later than February 3, 2014. Failure to arrive during this time will result in the cancellation of the scholarship; and
• may not normally hold any other major scholarship granted by the Government of Canada.

Important information:

• Applications submitted directly by a candidate or his/her home institution will not be accepted.
• Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable.
• Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously received a Government of Canada scholarship.
• The duration of the scholarship does not include travel days.
• Scholarship recipients must continue to be employed at the home institution for at least one full academic year following the period of the award.
• Scholarships are not taxable for either the institution or the scholarship recipient.

Arrival in Canada

Scholarships recipients undertaking study or research for five to six months must arrive in Canada for the uptake of their award between July 2013 and the first week of the January 2014 academic term.

Deadline for candidates and non-Canadian institutions

The deadline for candidates will vary with each Canadian institution. Canadian institutions are advised to establish an earlier deadline with candidates and their home institution to ensure timely receipt of supporting documents.

Interested candidates are encouraged to check with both their home institution and the Canadian institution for their respective internal deadlines.

Deadline for Canadian institutions

The deadline for Canadian institutions to submit online applications on behalf of candidates is 11:59 p.m. EDT, April 17, 2013.

It is the responsibility of the Canadian institution to ensure that supporting documents are received by the deadline. Supporting documents, other than those requested, will not be accepted.

Notification

Canadian institutions will be contacted in May 2013 by the scholarship administrator regarding the status of their application(s).

Canadian institutions with successful applicants will receive a contribution agreement for the administration and disbursement of scholarships to recipients.

Application Process

Instructions

Applicants are encouraged to read the instructions below carefully before beginning the online application.

Canadian institutions must:

• identify a single person responsible for the administration of the program and who will be informed of results of the program;
• complete the online application form on behalf of each candidate. Canadian faculty or staff members who are submitting applications must notify the person responsible for the administration of the program at their respective institution as institutions may be requested to rank their applications;
• enter the information directly into the field or copy and paste it from another source. Applicants should refrain from using the tab keys when entering the information directly. Certain web-based special characters such as HTML tags may cause unpredictable results in the text, or prevent successful submission of an application. The information will appear as plain text;
• enter data in the fields provided, following instructions for each item (the official name of the candidate’s home institution must be provided in their national language);
• verify the data prior to submission and check the declaration and permission box; and
• click SUBMIT for the online application. A confirmation page and reference number will appear after submission.

Supporting Documents

The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the online application form in one of the following formats: .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt or .gif. Each document must be smaller than 5 Mb in order for the application to upload successfully.

• Letter of intent: a short letter in English or in French from the candidate describing the nature and objectives of their research, studies or practicum to be undertaken and explaining the rationale for study in Canada and for the choice of institution, program or practicum, and supervisor. The candidate must also indicate how the proposed program of study or research will relate to their career (maximum one page).
• Privacy Notice Statement: a copy of the Privacy Notice Statement for non-Canadian participants signed by the candidate.
• Proof of citizenship: a copy of the candidate’s passport or national identity document with valid dates; a baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of citizenship.
• Proof of full-time employment: a short letter in English or in French from the home institution, on official letterhead, dated within the last six months. This letter must confirm that the candidate is currently employed full-time at the institution and will continue to be employed for at least one full academic year upon their return (maximum one page).
• Letter of support from the home institution: a short letter in English or in French from the candidate’s instructor, professor or international director at the home institution explaining the nature of study or research and how the candidate and the home institution will benefit from this program (maximum one page).
• Memorandum of Understanding or agreement between the Canadian and candidate’s home institutions: for graduate studies, if the exchange is made under a signed agreement, it is strongly suggested that a copy be included with the application.
• Letter of invitation: applications for graduate studies must include a letter from the Canadian supervisor indicating their willingness to support and mentor the candidate (maximum one page).

Selection Process

All online applications received by the deadline that meet the eligibility requirements will be reviewed and evaluated for a scholarship. Should there be a larger number of applications than funding available, the Canadian institution may be asked to rank its eligible applications based on its institutional strategic priorities. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• academic merit of the proposed research or study that the candidate will undertake in Canada;
• benefit to the home institution, supervisor and peers;
• benefit to the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers; and
• strength of the linkages to be created through the proposed exchange.

Priority will be given to faculty members registered in a program at the graduate level in their home institution who wish to undertake study or research for a period of five to six months.

Conditions

The scholarship administrator is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful applications. These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding from the Government of Canada.

Background

In 2007, Prime Minister Harper announced the launch of the Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program created to promote institutional linkages and provide scholarship opportunities for students from the CARICOM. The program has been expanded to provide professional development opportunities for faculty and staff wishing to upgrade their knowledge and skills in Canada, and for international managers/administrators who are responsible for promoting international student mobility between their home country and Canada.

The goal of the Faculty Leadership Program is to support international collaboration between Canadian postsecondary institutions and those in the Caribbean through professional development opportunities for faculty and staff.