Government of Canada International Scholarships

The Government of Canada offers 700+ short exchange scholarships in Canada for international students, faculty and professionals. These awards are available to international students to undertake research or study at SFU for a period of 4 to 6 months.

The information on this page is intended for graduate students who apply for these scholarships to conduct research under the supervision of an SFU faculty member. Undergraduate and/or graduate exchange students (taking academic courses) are managed by International Services for Students.

Canadian Graduate Scholarships

Deadline to Apply:
March 5, 2025

SFU Review + Nomination:
March 6 - 18, 2025

Global Affairs Canada Results:
May - June, 2025

Students apply for these funding programs through SFU.

SFU reviews applications and sends nomination packages to Global Affairs Canada.

Note: students visiting SFU to conduct research must apply for admission through the Visiting Research Student (VRS) process. International students must apply for VRS admission early - at least 3 months prior to your visit to allow for admission and permit processing time.

learn about programs

Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program

The scholarships provide students from Latin America and the Caribbean with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research in Canada.

Eligibility

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

Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos;
Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama;
North America: Mexico; or
South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Refer to for full eligibility.

Value

CAD $8,200 for undergraduate or graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research; or
CAD $11,100 for graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research.

Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Education Exchanges for Development (SEED)

The program provides students, from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with short-term exchange opportunities for study or research in Canadian post-secondary institutions at undergraduate and graduate levels.

Eligibility

Candidates must be citizens of an ASEAN member state:

Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos (Lao People鈥檚 Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)), Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam.

Refer to for full eligibility.

Value

CAD $10,200 for college, undergraduate or graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research;
CAD $12,700 for graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research;

Study in Canada Scholarships (SICS)

The provide students from post-secondary institutions located in the new eligible countires/territories with short-term exchange oppportunities for study or research in Canadian post-secondary institutions at the college, undergraduate and graduate levels.

Eligibility

Please refer to for full eligibility. Candidates must be citizens of one of the following eligible countries:

Asia: Bangladesh, Nepal, Taiwan
Europe: Turkey, Ukraine
Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia
Sub-Saharan Africa: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda

Value

Scholarships are tenable for a minimum of one academic year and up to a maximum of two academic years (up to 20 months total).

CAD 10,200 for college, undergraduate or graduate students for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research;
CAD 12,700 for graduate students for a period of five to six months of study or research

How to Apply

Check eligibility

Please check each program website for complete eligibility requirements.

Connect with an SFU faculty member

You must work with an SFU faculty member to create an Invitation from SFU Host Supervisor to upload with your application (see below for more information).

Gather all supporting documents

You must have the following information and documents scanned and ready to upload before you start the application:

Home Institution contact person: name, job title, department, phone number and email.
SFU Host Supervisor Information: name, title, department and email.
Privacy Notice Statement: , must be signed and dated
Proof of citizenship: copy of passport or national identity card with photo and valid dates. Students from Taiwan must also provide a proof of household registration in Taiwan.
1. Documents not accepted include driver鈥檚 license, permanent residence card, work permit, student card, health card, birth certificate or baptismal certificate.
Proof of full-time enrollment on official letterhead from your home institution, which MUST include:
1. Your degree including start and end dates;
2. Your field of study and discipline
3. Confirmation that you are a full-time student
A Letter of Intent (max 1 page) from the applicant explaining:
1. the research to be undertaken at SFU and why SFU was chosen
2. the start and end dates of the research
3. how the research will relate to your future career
4. If you are a SEED applicant, please answer the following questions in your letter:
  1. How will undertaking research in Canada empower you to apply the experience to address the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
  2. How will this experience help you combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region in their future career?
  3. Which Sustainable Development Goal(s) is the SFU research field aligned with?
  4. For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam: how do you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country?
  5. For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: how do you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries?
Letter of support from Home Institution (max 1 page): A letter from the candidate's instructor, professor, or international director on the institution's official letterhead explaining the research and how the applicant and the home institution will benefit from this scholarship program.
1. For SEED applicants: Please also include the institution鈥檚 assessment of the candidate鈥檚 commitment and capacity to use the research in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region.
Letter of invitation from SFU Host Supervisor (max. 1 page): on official letterhead, signed by the SFU Host Supervisor, which includes:
1. A description of the research collaboration with the student鈥檚 home institution;
2. Confirmation of willingness to support and mentor the candidate during the exchange;
3. Confirmation that tuition fees will NOT be charged by SFU;
4. Explanation of how the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers will benefit from the exchange.
History of collaboration (Max. 1000 characters), which includes:
1. A description of any established collaboration between your home institution and SFU. If no formal collaboration (MOU) exists, please describe the informal agreement between institutions or departments, research collaboration between professors, etc. This information will be taken into consideration in the rankings of the applications.
2. This document can also indicate that tuition fees will not be charged by SFU.

Complete the online application

Once your information and documents are ready:

NOTE:

If accepted to SFU, all international graduate students must purchase adequate medical insurance for the duration of their stay in Canada. Proof of medical insurance is required on arrival in Canada.
Delays in confirmation of external funding can occur. In recent years, results for this program have not been announced to academic institutions until the end of July. Flexible start dates are a good idea as the visa process can be lengthy in some countries.

If you are offered ELAP, SIC or SEED funding

If you are offered funding, the Graduate Studies Office will notify you by email. Please complete the following steps promptly:

1. Confirm Your Offer

Reply to the email confirming that you accept the award.
Confirm your planned visit dates in your response.

2. Apply as a Visiting Research Student (ideally 3+ months prior to your visit)

VRS applications can take up to 6 weeks to process AND you need to do this step before you can apply for your work permit.
Start your application here: SFU VRS Application Process
You can reuse the same Letter of Intent and Letter of Invitation from your SFU Host Supervisor in this application.
There is an application fee of $500 but you will not be charged tuition or ancillary fees.

3. Complete Immigration Requirements

Follow the steps outlined on the VRS page, including applying for the appropriate immigration documents. Most international VRS students require a work permit for a research visit to SFU.
International Student Advisors from the International Services for Students (ISS), are available to support you through the application process for your immigration document(s).
After your VRS application is approved by SFU, an International Student Advisor will reach out to you and guide your next steps.

4. Receive Award Payment

Your award will be paid by the Graduate Studies Office in the payment schedule closest to your start date.
go91泡芙 our student information system; you will receive an email with instructions on how to activate and login to your account.
Connect a Canadian bank account to your goSFU account to receive direct deposit. If you do not, a cheque will be issued to you for pick up.

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Faculty of Graduate Studies

TRI-Agency & Government Awards