IDRC offers these awards twice a year in April and October to Canadians, permanent residents of Canada, and citizens of developing countries pursuing doctoral studies at a Canadian university. These awards are intended for field research in one or more developing countries. Candidates must conduct their research in areas corresponding to IDRC program priorities. Since 1982, IDRC has helped graduate students undertake thesis research in the field of international development. IDRC Doctoral Research Awards are intended to promote the growth of Canadian and developing-country capacity in research on sustainable and equitable development from an international perspective.
Awards are provided in the field of Agriculture and Environment, Global Health Policy, Science and Innovation, Social and Economic Policy at Canadian university.
Eligibility:
To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:
- be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a citizen of a developing country
- be enrolled at a Canadian university at the doctoral level (when you submit your application, you must have completed several courses of the doctoral program but not necessarily all the courses)
- your research proposal must be approved by your thesis supervisor
- your proposed field research must take place in one or more developing countries and be conducted for a doctoral dissertation
- you must provide evidence of affiliation with an institution or organization in the developing region(s) in which the research will take place
- you must have completed coursework and passed comprehensive exams before taking up the award.
Scholarship Duration:
Award tenure corresponds to the period of field research. In general, it will be no less than 3 consecutive months in each developing country researched and no more than 12 months. IDRC is responsible for field research expenses occurring only after the announcement of the results and from the date indicated in the official letter to successful candidates. The award is not retroactive: field research expenses that took place before the results announcement will not be covered.
Scholarship Value:
The award will cover justifiable field research expenses up to CA$20,000 a year. The budget covers one return trip from Canada to the developing country or countries. It also covers housing, food, insurance, travel within the country (ies) of research, and several field research expenses. The award does not support expenses related to your relatives, spouse, or children.
Selection Criteria:
The following criteria will be used to evaluate applications:
- relevance to sustainable and equitable development
- fit with IDRC program priorities
- overall appropriateness, completeness, and clarity of the research proposal
- overall feasibility, duration, and timing of the research
- originality and creativity of the research
- gender dimensions of the research
- ethical considerations of the research
- benefit of the research to the communities where the research is taking place
- suitability of the affiliated institution
- budget
- the applicant’s capacity to conduct the proposed research, including academic training, local language capacity, and related experience
- whether the applicant has received another IDRC award. (Candidates cannot receive more than one IDRC award in a given year.)
Notification:
Awards will be announced in September 2014 (for April 2, 2014). Candidates recommended for an award will be advised by email.
How to Apply?
Complete the eligibility and application forms online, and upload scanned copies of the documents.
Application Deadline: April 2, 2014.
For further information: IDRC Doctoral Research Awards
