Guelph GIDS Graduate Scholarships

What you will need

• ✓ For Lila Engberg Scholarship applicants: application materials for admission to the University of Guelph submitted by May 30
• ✓ For H. H. Harshman Foundation Doctoral Scholarship applicants: application materials for admission to the University of Guelph submitted by February 1
• ✓ For Bill Graf and David Knight Scholarship applicants: you must meet the government-mandated terms for an OSOTF award
• ✓ For O.P. Dwivedi Graduate Prize applicants: a formal nomination from your home unit
• ✓ For O.P. Dwivedi Graduate Prize applicants: completed degree requirements, including a successful thesis defence

About this award

No fixed dollar amounts are posted for these awards — contact Guelph Institute of Development Studies to confirm the value for your specific scholarship before you apply. As these are scholarships and prizes, they are grants, not loans, so you do not have to pay them back. This collection is for you if you are a graduate student focusing on global development, poverty alleviation, or the strengthening of Canadian families. Deadlines depend on the award: you must submit materials by May 30 for the Lila Engberg Scholarship and by February 1 for the H. H. Harshman Foundation Doctoral Scholarship. For other awards, no deadline is posted publicly — before you start the application, check Guelph Institute of Development Studies's program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close this year. You should ask the administration how and when you will be notified of a decision. Selection varies by award. Some are based on your experience in poverty alleviation or your personal plans to improve lives in developing nations, while others rely on academic achievement, financial need, or a nomination from your home unit. Selection criteria aren't published in full — ask Guelph Institute of Development Studies how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Guelph Institute of Development Studies during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Guelph Institute of Development Studies whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

Eligibility depends on the specific award you choose: For the Lila Engberg Scholarship: you must be a full-time master's student entering the collaborative program in International Development Studies with a research agenda focused on poverty alleviation, economic empowerment of women, or improving livelihood security for women and families in developing countries. A preference is given to students from a developing country. For the Alastair Summerlee Scholarship: you must be a graduate student registered full-time with a minimum 80% average who is contributing to civil society through international field work as part of your studies. A preference is given to students working in Africa. For the H. H. Harshman Foundation Doctoral Scholarship: you must be a full-time student entering or enrolled in any PhD program in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, and your thesis research must be devoted to strengthening the family unit in Canada. For the Richard and Sophia Hungerford Graduate Scholarships: you must be a graduate student in financial need whose research interests relate to developing countries. For the Bill Graf International Development Scholarship: you must be a graduate student in political science with a focus on international development or IDS (International Development Studies), have a minimum 80% average, show financial need, and meet the government-mandated terms for receiving an OSOTF award (see the University of Guelph's General Statements on Awards). For the David Knight Scholarship: you must be a graduate student in the collaborative program in International Development Studies entering your second or later semester of a master's degree in Geography, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology & Anthropology, with a minimum cumulative average of 75%, demonstrated financial need, and meet the government-mandated terms for an OSOTF award. For the O.P. Dwivedi Graduate Prize: you must have completed your graduate degree from the International Development Studies Collaborative specialization, successfully defended your thesis, and produced research applying social science theory or method to development issues in the Global South or Global North. A preference is given to students who conducted research in the Global South.

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen, permanent resident or international student
• ✓ Open to graduate students
• ✓ Studying International Development Studies, poverty alleviation, economic empowerment of women, livelihood security for women and families, civil society, strengthening of the family unit in Canada, political science, Geography, Psychology or Sociology & Anthropology

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Research StatementAvoid writing a generic goal. Instead, describe your specific plans to improve everyday lives in a local community of a developing nation. Detail the exact region or population you intend to serve.
• SupportAvoid providing vague references. Instead, for the O.P. Dwivedi prize, make sure your home unit knows your work, because the unit nominates candidates.
• StrategyAvoid ignoring external options. Instead, look into funding from SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council — the federal agency for research grants), OGS (Ontario Graduate Scholarship — a provincial award for high-achieving students), and IDRC (International Development Research Centre — a crown corporation that supports research in developing regions).
• RealismAvoid assuming you qualify for every award. Instead, match your specific research focus—such as the Canadian family unit or African field work—to the specific scholarship requirements. Check if your current average meets the 75% or 80% thresholds before applying.

Questions students ask

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