The majority of students admitted to the programs based at the Balsillie School receive some form of financial assistance. Graduate students at the Balsillie School are eligible for a variety of scholarships. One of the goals of the School is to have all doctoral students receive some form of outside funding at some point in their PhD experience. To assist students, the PhD program conducts a “Grant Writing Seminar” at the beginning of each academic year.
Graduate Fellowship Program
The Graduate Fellowship is an award granted to select students of the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) enrolled in either the Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) or the Master’s of Arts in Global Governance (MAGG) programs. The program complements the unique graduate studies experience at BSIA. It is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain mentorship and guidance from senior scholars as they advance their own policy research and writing skills. Since 2015, the Graduate Fellowship program has been run in partnership with Global Affairs Canada. For more information see Global Affairs Canada on our Program Partnerships page.
Under the program, clusters of three to four students are selected to participate in projects led by BSIA faculty that engage them in both independent and collective research and policy analysis. The program is divided into three phases. The first is the research phase, during which Fellows will develop a high degree of substantive expertise on the subject matter of the project. This phase will typically be completed in mid-January. Individual themes and outputs will be developed in consultation with the project mentor(s). During phase 1, mentors will be expected to meet on a regular basis with their teams to discuss the project, and to provide feedback on the research outputs. The principal purposes of the feedback are to assist Fellows in developing their research and analytical skills, and assist them in making the transition from phase 1 to phase 2 of the program.
The second phase is the policy brief stage, which typically runs from mid-January to early May. For this phase, Fellows will co-author a briefing note that draws on their collective research from the first phase. Briefing notes are to be 4 to 5 pages in length. Mentors are expected to work with their teams throughout this process and assist them in formulating policy recommendations. Students will present their briefing notes at a symposium at BSIA in April.
The third phase is the presentation phase, which since 2015 has included a day of oral briefings at Global Affairs Canada in Ottawa. Following the presentation in Ottawa, students will be invited to revise their briefing notes based on the feedback they received prior to submitting them for publication. This year’s anthology is entitled “Cracks in the Liberal International Order: 2018 Global Trends Report”, and can be accessed on this page. To access individual briefs and last year’s report, “Turbulent Present, Uncertain Future: 2017 Global Trends Report”, please click here.
Other Internal Scholarships and Awards for Master’s Students
The Andrew and Agnes Siklos Master’s in International Public Policy Award
This endowed award was established by Dr. Pierre Siklos in honour of his parents, Andrew and Agnes Siklos. The scholarship is awarded to one full-time graduate student entering the Master’s in International Public Policy program through Wilfrid Laurier University on the basis of academic excellence. For more information on this award, please visit the Laurier website or contact Kelly Brown, Program Officer for the MIPP
John W. Weir Graduate Scholarship in Public Policy
This scholarship was established by family, friends and colleagues of John W. Weir. John Walter Weir (1957-2011) was a major contributor to public policy development in Canada for more than 30 years and recipient of the Award of Distinction from the Public Affairs Association of Canada. The John W. Weir Graduate Scholarship in Public Policy will be granted annually to an applicant to the Master of International Public Policy program at the School of International Policy and Governance who is a Canadian citizen, has a record of outstanding academic performance, and receives the recommendation of the graduate coordinator for the Master of International Public Policy program in consultation with the associate dean of the School of International Policy and Governance.
The Rotary Peace Award
Subject to available funds, a scholarship of $5,000 will be awarded annually to a full-time student entering their first year in the Master’s of Arts in Global Governance program at the University of Waterloo. The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic excellence; candidates must be intending to conduct research that focuses broadly on questions of peace and they must have a demonstrated record of service to the cause of peace. Recipients will be selected based on their application for admission to the program by the program Director following consultation with the admissions committee. This fund is made possible by a donation from the KW Cluster of Rotary Clubs.
Briarhurst Travel &
Research Award
This award for $1,500 will be provided annually to a full-time graduate student registered at the University of Waterloo in Global Governance or Environment and Resource Studies to assist with travel costs associated with conducting research for his/her final dissertation. Selection will be based on academic excellence and on the estimated travel costs associated with the field research. This award is made possible by a donation by Drs. Thomas Homer-Dixon and Sarah Wolfe. For more information on this award, please visit the UW website.
University of Waterloo International Experience Awards
Several awards, valued at $2,500 and in some cases more, are available annually to full-time graduate students who participate in an international experience, including a minimally-paid or volunteer international co-op work placement, a volunteer placement, an academic exchange or a study term related to academic requirements. Students in any Faculty, in satisfactory academic standing, who are planning to participate in an international experience are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students with financial need who will be travelling to an unfamiliar country where they will experience a different culture in a new learning environment. For more information, please see International Experience Awards.
Internal Scholarships and Awards for PhD Students
Wilfrid Laurier University
Requires at least an 80% average in previous graduate degree
- Balsillie Fellowships (valued at $25,000 per year)
- Graduate Teaching Assistantships
- Research Assistantships
- Laurier Graduate Scholarships (valued at up to $10,000)
- Dean of Graduate Studies Scholarship (valued at $5,000)
- Laurier Ontario Graduate Fellowships (valued at $15,000)
- Faculty of Graduate Studies International Student Scholarship (one award per year – variable)
- Dean of Graduate Studies PhD Dissertation Award (one per year, for research costs – variable)
University of Waterloo
Requires at least an 80% average in previous graduate degree
- Balsillie Fellowships (valued at $25,000 per year)
- President’s Graduate Scholarship (additional $10,000 to OGS and SSHRC recipients)
- University of Waterloo Entrance Scholarship ($3,000 and above)
- Provost’s Doctoral Entrance Award for Women ($5,000, one award per year)
- International Experience Awards ($2,500 and above, one award per experience)
- Arts Graduate Enhancement Scholarship (variable)
- Briarhurst Travel & Research Award ($1,500, one award per year)
- Limited number of teaching and research assistant positions may also be available
External Scholarships for BSIA Students
- Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship*
- Cadieux-Leger Fellowship*
- The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Dissertation Fellowships
- International Development Research Council Doctoral Research Awards
- John Humphrey Fellowship in International Human Rights and International Organization*
- McConnell Fellowships*
- OAS Professional Development Scholarships
- Ontario Graduate Scholarship*
- Ontario Trillium Scholarship* – Laurier students, UW students
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Scholarship*
- Traditional Fulbright Canada Student Awards for American Students
- Trudeau Foundation Fellowships*
- Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship*