International Research Linkages

CANCELLATION OF THE UNDERSTANDING CANADA - CANADIAN STUDIES PROGRAM

Please note that further to the announcements in the 2012 budget, the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) has decided to abolish the Understanding Canada-Canadian Studies Program. Therefore, there will be no further grants issued under this program.

Recipients who received a grant recently will have until January 31, 2013 to send to ICCS a final report in order to claim the second instalment of the award.

 

 

 

Objective

This program is designed to facilitate international collaboration within the academic community while fostering the development of permanent exchange networks by providing assistance to teams of researchers from Canada and one or more countries in order to organize seminars or other forms of research linkages.

The International Council for Canadian Studies through a contribution of the Government of Canada offers grants of up to CDN$ 10,000 to assist in the establishment or the development of international research networks in the area of Canadian Studies between Canada and other countries.

Definitions

Research team: a research team is defined as a group of at least two researchers with at least one having completed graduate studies (Ph. D. or equivalent).

Canadian Studies:

  1. Although we welcome applications from all disciplines lending themselves most readily to Canadian Studies we are particularly interested in projects that have policy relevance for Canada and Canada’s foreign policy. Topics that are highly relevant to Canada’s foreign policy include Democracy & Rule of Law, Economic Development, Environment, Managing Diversity, North American Partnership, Peace and Security.
  2. Interdisciplinary studies on Canada.
  3. Comparative studies with substantial Canadian content (33% or more).
  4. Aspects of Canada’s bilateral relations with the participating countries.

Notes: Priority may be given to projects that relate to Canadian foreign policy contemporary situations and issues which illuminate options for future developments, or which focus on Canada’s bilateral relations with the participating countries. 

(Purely scientific subjects such as physics, chemistry, medicine, engineering, etc. which would not lead to a better knowledge and understanding of Canada per se are not eligible, nor are proposals which focus exclusively on technological or methodological issues.)              

Eligibility

To be eligible, a proposal must meet the following requirements:

  1. be submitted by at least two research teams, one of which is based at a Canadian university.
  2. each team shall be actively engaged in a research related to the linkages project.
  3. show that this proposal's goal is to foster academic mobility and exchange of information and not to finance research.
  4. include a strategy to pursue linkages after the initial activity.
  5. application must be submitted in either English or French.

Note: Requests for renewing the grant are not eligible.

Deadline

November 24 of each year.

Application procedure

With the official endorsement of his/her institution, the designated principal researcher should submit an application to the local Canadian Mission in his/her home country, by the November 24 deadline.
Applications can be submitted either by conventional mail or e-mail. There is no specific application form to fill out, but an application dossier must include the following:

  1. project title.
  2. a summary of the proposed activity; emphasis should be on the objectives and the expected results (maximum two pages).
  3. for each team:
    • name and mailing address of project leaders  (including a brief c.v.).
    • short presentation of other research teams’ members.   
    • description of the state of the research work to date (maximum one page).
    • list of research grant(s) received for that research.
  4. a detailed budget including all sources of revenue. Eligible costs under this program include economy travel, accommodation and subsistence of teams’ members, communications (telephone, fax and postage), secretarial assistance, stationery and photocopying related to the linkages project.
  5. identification of the team that will, if applicable, administer the grant.

Note: The recipients are responsible for making all arrangements relating to the project including: international travel, visa, accommodation and travel within Canada, medical and life insurance, etc.

Note: The selection jury will expect application dossiers of candidates residing in a territory where a national or multinational Canadian Studies association exists to include a letter of support from the association, received DIRECTLY by the ICCS by the same deadline.

Selection

All applications will be peer reviewed by a jury established by the ICCS, which will include Canadian and foreign academics. This committee will meet once a year, in January or February. 

After reviewing the applications, the International Council for Canadian Studies in Ottawa will forward its recommendations to DFAIT, which will make the final decision.

All applicants will be notified in writing of the results of their application, normally within 90 days of the deadline for submission of applications.

Payment procedure

Successful applicants will be sent a Grant Agreement detailing the value and conditions of the award. It must be signed and returned to the Canadian Mission within thirty (30) days.
A first instalment of 70% of the award will be paid after receipt by the Canadian Mission of the signed Grant Agreement. The remaining 30% of the award will be paid upon receipt of a report of activities.

Report of activities

Within three months of the completion of the activities, a complete report must be submitted to the International Council for Canadian Studies. It will particularly be concerned with demonstrating how and to what degree the objectives and expected results were attained.

The assistance of DFAITF must be acknowledged during the linkages activities and, if applicable, in any publications resulting from the research.