Organization of American States (OAS) Professional Development Scholarships
2012 competition is now open
Important information:
- Application deadline: varies depending on the course selected
- Eligible applicants: citizens or permanent residents of Canada
- Notification of pre-selected results: varies depending on the course selected
Background
The Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) of the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS)1 offers opportunities for professional development through short-term courses in specialized areas of training. Awards are organized through programs of cooperation with OAS Member States1, OAS Permanent Observer States, other non-member states, regional and international organizations, public and private agencies, philanthropic and commercial institutions, as well as institutes of higher learning. Scholarships may also be organized in coordination with other areas of the OAS General Secretariat.
Professional development courses may be carried out on-site, by distance education or a combination of both.
Description
These unique training and educational opportunities help to meet the domestic development goals of OAS member states by providing a vital investment in human resource training.
Each year, the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) publishes a list of all professional development courses for which scholarships are available and detailed individual announcements for each course. The course announcement contains pertinent information including the content and duration of the course, the institution offering the course, eligibility and application requirements, the benefits offered, and the deadline for applications to be submitted to the DHDEC in Washington, DC.
Courses Available
Course announcements are available through the following links. Announcements are only posted in the language in which the courses are delivered.
Partial On-Site and Online Courses1
Scholarship Value
Professional development scholarships may provide funds for tuition and course fees, international travel, and health insurance. The benefits will vary according to the type and length of the professional development course. Individual course announcements specify what benefits are offered by the institution and/or sponsoring agency.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- be citizens or permanent residents of Canada;
- meet the requirements indicated in the course announcement; and
- be proficient in the language of course instruction.
Terms and Conditions
The terms and conditions are as follows:
- applicants are not eligible for a scholarship for study in Canada; scholarships are only available for study in another OAS member state;
- a scholarship for study in another country in which the applicant also holds the status of citizen or permanent resident is subject to approval;
- applicants may be granted a scholarship for a distance education course where the participant remains in Canada for all or most of the duration of the course; and
- recipients of an OAS Professional Development Scholarship in the past 12 months and current scholarship recipients are not eligible to apply for another Professional Development Scholarship.
Application Process
To be considered for an OAS Professional Development course an applicant must complete and send the complete course application to the National Liaison Office (ONE) in Canada. The ONE is the official channel for processing OAS scholarships. The deadline for applications to be received by the ONE will be earlier than the deadline in the course announcement.
Instructions
Applicants must:
- fill out the preliminary online application for the Professional Development Scholarships Program available at the end of the OAS course announcement;
- upon completion of the online application form, print a hard copy, sign the application form; and
- submit it with all required documentation to the ONE.
Deadline
The application form and all required documentation must be received by the ONE at least seven business days before the deadline in the specific course announcement. The ONE will send the completed application form to the Department of Human Development, Education and Culture (DHDEC) in Washington, DC.
The ONE in Canada is:
Canadian Bureau for International Education
Attn: OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program
220 Laurier Ave. W., Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9
Phone: 613-237-4820
Review Procedures and Conditions
To be considered for the OAS Professional Development Scholarship program, applications must have the official endorsement of the designated ONE of the member state in which the applicant is a citizen or permanent resident. Applications submitted directly to the OAS will not be considered.
Notification
Applicants will be contacted directly by the OAS regarding the status of their application. Permanent missions to the OAS, ONEs and Offices of the General Secretariat in the respective countries will also be informed of the names of scholarship recipients.
Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in their application.
Conditions
All decisions made by the OAS are final and are not open to appeal.
Documents submitted to the ONE will not be returned.
These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding provided by the OAS through the Department of Human Development, Education, and Culture (DHDEC).
