Guidelines

There are two types of OAS scholarships available:

• Self-placed: an applicant applies directly for admission to a university or educational institution of their choice and applies separately for an OAS scholarship. The scholarship is contingent on receipt of a proof of admission to the university by the application deadline; or
• OAS-placed: an applicant applies for an OAS scholarship. The OAS seeks a placement for the scholarship recipient at a postsecondary institution within the OAS consortium of universities. Applicants must refer to the list of the OAS Consortium of Universities. The OAS will take into consideration the candidate’s preferred countries of study, as well as the field and level of study to the fullest extent possible.

The academic placement or research must be:

• undertaken in the following disciplines: natural sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences or arts. Scholarships are not offered for studies in the medical sciences nor for language studies; and
• carried out on a full-time basis and may be pursued on-site, by distance education or a combination of both.

In the distribution of scholarships, at least two-thirds of the funding will be allocated to OAS-placed scholarships. Thus, applicants who select the self-placed scholarship option have a smaller chance of receiving an OAS scholarship.

Scholarship Value

The value of the scholarship is $30,000 US^* (maximum) per academic year, which includes:

• a round-trip economy-class airfare ticket;
• tuition fees and mandatory expenses for the academic program;
• a fixed monthly allowance;
• medical insurance; and
• a fixed annual book allowance.

The benefits will vary according to the terms and conditions as well as the length of the scholarship. OAS scholarships do not include benefits for dependants nor do scholarships cover the totality of awardees’ expenses. Candidates selected for a scholarship will have to demonstrate proof of access to the availability of additional funds.

Scholarship Duration

Scholarships are tenable for one academic year, which must begin between January 2014 and March 2015.

The scholarship can be renewed once for a total of two academic years. The renewal for the second academic year is subject to:

• the availability of funding;
• good academic standing during the first academic year; and
• the confirmation by the academic institution that the award renewal is necessary for the student to complete their program of study.

Eligibility

Applicants:

• must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents in Canada;
• must have completed the prerequisite degrees for the proposed program of study at the time of submitting an application;
• must be in good physical and mental health; and
• must possess the linguistic competences necessary to undertake studies in the  language of the institution.

In addition, OAS-placed applicants:

• who intend to pursue studies in Spanish, Portuguese, or French and who are not native speakers must complete the following form: Certificate of Language Proficiency Form (Word, 64.5 kb)^* This form must be filled out and signed by a language institute or competent authority;
• whose native language is not English and who wish to study in the United States or English speaking Caribbean are required to complete the academic TOEFL English language test;
• who wish to study in the United States in business, management, and related fields may be required to complete the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT); and
• who wish to study in the United States in economics and related fields, should note that some universities require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions are as follows:

• applicants are not eligible for a scholarship in the country of their citizenship or permanent residency;
• OAS staff members, OAS consultants, staff members of the Permanent Missions to the OAS, as well as their relatives (as defined in the Application tab), are not eligible for OAS scholarships and must wait six months after the termination of their employment or contract before being considered eligible once again;
• candidates selected to receive an OAS scholarship must agree to return to Canada for a period of no less than 24 months after completing the program. Candidates for distance education programs must agree to the same terms;
• candidates selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship will be required to submit original documents and notarized/stamped copies of their diploma for placement purposes;
• candidates selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship to study in a country where the curriculum is taught in a language other than the one in which they completed previous studies will be required to submit official translations of their transcripts and of the diploma of the highest degree obtained; and
• candidates selected to receive an OAS scholarship will be required to submit a Medical History Form (Word, 133 kb)^*. The candidate is responsible for all costs associated with the medical examination requirements.

Deadline

The deadline for the online application form is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 18, 2013. Applications received late or incomplete will not be considered.

All inquiries regarding this scholarship should be directed to: admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all documents required by mail and email are received by the deadline. The Selection Committee will not accept incomplete files. Supporting documents, other than the ones requested, will not be accepted.

An acknowledgement of receipt will not be provided.

Notification

Pre-selection

Applicants will be contacted by April 30, 2013 by the scholarship administrator regarding the status of their application.

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in their application.

Final Selection

Notification will be sent out to successful candidates in October 2013 by the OAS.

The final selection of scholarship recipients is made by the Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee chosen by the Secretary General of the OAS.

Application Process

To be considered for the OAS Academic Scholarships an applicant must complete and submit the online application form available on the website of the Organization of American States.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Supporting Documents

Documents to submit online

The following documents must be uploaded and attached to the online application form:

• Copy of diploma: for the highest degree obtained.
• Copy of transcripts: a transcript of all post-secondary studies to date (complete academic record(s) including colleges and CÉGEP(s) with the cumulative grade point average (GPA) for each degree or certificate. Applicants enrolled in a program of study at the time of application must submit the current transcript.
• Curriculum vitae: the curriculum vitae must not include photographs or any personal information such as a date of birth (maximum four pages).
• Admission letter: for self-placed students, a letter of admission from the host institution or copy of correspondence testifying that you have requested it or that you will have access to the facilities needed to complete the proposed research project.
• Three completed recommendation forms:
  • Use only the OAS Recommendation Statement Form (Word, 91 kb)^* to obtain two recommendations, one of which must be from a current or former professor.
  • Use only the Employer Recommendation Form (Word, 62 kb)^* to obtain one recommendation from a current or previous employer. 
  • If unemployed or never employed, obtain a third recommendation using the Recommendation Statement Form (Word, 91 kb)^*.

Letters of recommendation:

• must be properly signed by the referee; and
• may not be submitted from relatives of the applicant.

Relatives are defined as: spouse, son or daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother, brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.

Documents to submit by email

The following documents must be sent as PDF documents to the scholarship administrator at admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca:

• Copy of the complete OAS application form (including digital documents): once applicants submit the application, a copy of the completed application in PDF format will be sent to their email address. 
• Proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent residency in Canada: copy of a birth certificate, citizenship card, passport or permanent resident card; a baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
• Certificate of Language Proficiency Form (Word, 64.5 kb)^* (if applicable).
• TOEFL English language test (if applicable).
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) (if applicable).
• Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (if applicable).

Document titles must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format: OAS-last name-first name.

Documents to submit by mail

Applicants in fine arts, music and architecture must submit three sets of artwork samples. Artwork samples required are as follows:

• Applicants in the fine arts¹ (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit copies or photos of three pieces of their work. Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
• Applicants in music¹ must submit a USB key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces totalling no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included.
• Applicants in architecture¹ must submit up to 10 reproductions of drawings, provided on a USB Key, CD or DVD.

All artwork samples must be sent to the scholarship administrator at:

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Organization of American States Scholarships Program
220 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9

Only artwork samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee.

Applicants in the history or theory of art, of music, or of architecture are not required to submit samples.

Review Procedures and Conditions

All applications received by the deadline that meet the eligibility requirements are evaluated by the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee:

• is made up of individuals from the academic community representing all regions of Canada, both official language groups and a wide variety of academic disciplines; and
• reviews, evaluates and ranks candidates to recommend a list of pre-selected candidates.

Applications will be reviewed using the following criteria:

• the adherence to the objectives and the priorities established in the OAS Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development 2006-2009 (PDF, 5.4 mb)^* which takes into account individual country and hemisphere-wide developmental needs;
• potential and commitment of the candidate to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of Canada;
• the merits and overall credentials of the applicant, including academic and/or professional experience:
  • the quality of the written essays and how well candidates explain a) the impact they believe their studies will have on their institution, community and country; and b) their five‐year plan upon return to Canada;
  • the candidate’s university grade point average (GPA);
  • the scores obtained in the standardized tests, if applicable;
  • the level of completeness and detail put into the preparation of the application; and
  • the quality of the recommendation letters which attest to the candidate’s ability to perform and to succeed as a scholarship recipient and describe what contribution and impact the referee believes the candidate will have on the institution/community/country.

The following criteria are also taken into account:

• a geographic distribution that takes into account the greater needs of smaller and emerging economies; and
• gender equality and equity as an important element in all partnership‐for‐development programming.

Conditions

All recommendations of the Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee and decisions made by the OAS are final and are not open to appeal.

The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the OAS through the Department of Human Development, Education, and Culture.

Background

The objective of the Organization of American States (OAS) Program of Scholarships and Training is to assist the member states with their domestic development goals by supporting human resource development in the priority areas established by the Summits of the Americas, the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development, and the OAS General Assembly.

The scholarship program is one of the mechanisms for cooperation within the Organization of American States. Its fundamental objective is to promote the economic, social, scientific and cultural development of the member states in order to strengthen ties and achieve a stronger bond and better understanding among the peoples of the Americas through the advanced training of its citizens in priority areas.

Each year, the OAS will award at least one scholarship to Canadians for study or research.