Graduate Students' Exchange Program (GSEP) - CANADA

Deadline: 22 May 2009
Open to: see eligibility criteria

Graduate Students' Exchange Program (GSEP) *Awards available to international students from eligible countries to conduct graduate research under an exchange program in Canada*

The Government of Canada offers scholarships as part of the *Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program (CCSP)* and *Government of Canada Awards (GCA)*. These scholarships are tenable at recognized Canadian publicly funded universities that meet the requirements below.

The goal of the *Graduate Students' Exchange Program (GSEP)* is to encourage Canadian universities to develop or expand their exchange programs. The objective is to provide opportunities for students of the eligible countries listed below to participate in exchange programs for a period of 4 to 6 months.

The GSEP is funded by *Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT)*. The agency responsible for financial and administrative matters is the *Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)*.



Criteria for Eligibility

*NOTE: *Students must be citizens in one of the countries listed below who are enrolled in full-time studies at the Master’s or PhD level and paying tuition fees at their home institution for the full duration of the exchange. More than one exchange program at a given university may apply.

Anyone who has obtained Canadian citizenship who has applied for permanent residency in Canada is not eligible for this award.

An existing exchange agreement between the Canadian institution and the student’s home university is desirable. If there is no existing graduate exchange, please note that we will consider graduate research applications which involve a new or established collaboration between professors from a Canadian and foreign university that may develop into an institutional partnership.

Students already participating in an exchange program in Canada are not eligible.

A scholar cannot normally hold any other scholarship or award.

Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously participated in GSEP.

*Eligible countries include:

**Asia-Pacific region**: **Bangladesh, Fiji, India, Kiribati, Malaysia, Maldives, Nauru, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

**Latin America and the Caribbean region:* *Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Helena, Saint Kitt's, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, Venezuela

**Sub-Saharan Africa region: **Botswana, Cameroon, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe *

*Eligible themes/fields: *

*Under the Canada-Caribbean Community Leadership Scholarships and the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarships:
Good governance, rule of law, democratic development, pure and applied sciences (such as environmental science and information technology), economic and trade policy issues, teaching and commerce.

*For all other countries:*
Open to all disciplines including interdisciplinary programs. Projects with a scientific research component will be prioritized.

*Eligible expenses: *

The GSEP will cover exclusively the expenses related to the visit to Canada of one eligible student per grant. The grant available per student is as follows:

- Grant of $7,500 CAD available per student for an exchange of 4 months
- Grant of $10,000 CAD available per student for an exchange of 5 to 6 months
- Grant is not taxable for either the institution of the student

Financial reporting is not required.

Funds will be provided in the form of a grant to host institutions which must commit to distribute funds exclusively for the purposes outlined in the agreement to be signed by the host institution and CBIE. Payment will be made in two installments: 90% of the grant will be paid following the receipt of the students’ visa (by fax or e-mail). The remainder 10% will be paid upon receipt of the proof of health insurance coverage.

Please note that the cheque will be made out and mailed to the Canadian university and not to the student. The university may issue the money to the student either in a lump sum, few installments or on a monthly basis. We also recommend that the student is made aware of the International Students Office or equivalent at your university --- staff will be able to help and answer his/her questions upon arrival, dealing with health insurance, everyday expenses and how to budget accordingly.

* Mandatory expenses include:*

- Visa and immigration expenses
- Economy, round-trip airfare
- Health insurance
- Monthly living allowance of CAD $1,200 (prorated for partial months)
- Required books, supplies and equipment – not computers

*Eligible expenses include:*

- Ground transportation to the airport in the home country and from the
airport to the host institution in Canada
- Administration fee (Maximum CAD $300) for the Canadian university to
cover expenses associated with the GSEP
- Telecommunications (long distance) for research purposes
- Conference participation within Canada (conference fees; if applicable,
travel and accommodation in a city outside the host institution locale)

Note that *tuition is NOT an allowable expense*, as it is expected that exchange students continue to pay tuition to their home institution.

Also note that no student services fees are payable. Institutions have already put in place systems for the hosting of exchange students. All
moneys paid under this project are to cover direct expenses incurred by the student in order to participate in the exchange.

Timeframe

*Students must arrive in Canada and begin research no later than March 15, 2010. The exchange may last up to a maximum of six (6) months and a minimum of four (4) months.*

Results will be announced by the end of June 2009 by e-mail to the supervisor and/or the person responsible for the exchange program listed in the online application.

The number of scholarships available each year is determined by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT).

Application Instructions

Please complete the online application.

*CBIE does not accept applications submitted directly by students or exchange partner institutions (foreign institutions) .*PLEASE NOTE: the *Canadian institution* must apply on behalf of the student. Awards are conditional on receipt of the appropriate visa for the
student's stay in Canada.

*Required Supporting Documentation *

Please provide the following:

- *Curriculum vitae *of supervisor of the student during the research
exchange visit (Maximum 5 pages).

- *Proof of citizenship *of GSEP candidate (passport copy).

- *Current proof of full-time enrolment *in exchange partner (home)
institution of GSEP candidate (a short letter from the department or
university, on letterhead, dated in the last 6 months stating that the
student is currently enrolled in a full time Master’s or PhD program). Copy
of student card is not acceptable.

- *Itemized Budget* of up to CAD $10,000 - only student
expenses can be included. Please include how the grant money will be
spent. See list of mandatory and eligible expenses above. An optional
administration fee is accepted (up to a maximum of CAD $300) for the
Canadian university to cover expenses associated with GSEP.

- *Declaration* signed by both the Director of the Exchange program and
the supervisor of the student at the Canadian institution (Available at the
end of the online application) .

Additional information

For more details on the program including eligible expenses and the application process, please contact: bmolerio@cbie.ca This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*Mailing Address **for Supporting Documents*

Please send the above required supporting documents by the deadline either by regular mail to:

Graduate Student Exchange Program
Canadian Bureau for International Education
220 Laurier W/O, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9

Or if supporting documents are sent by e-mail, please indicate *2009 GSEP Application* in the Subject Line and direct to: bmolerio@cbie.ca This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

*Please note that, for email attachments, only the following formats will be accepted: Word, Adobe PDF or JPG.*

*Deadline*

The deadline for online application and all required supporting documents is *16:00 EST Friday, May 22, 2009.*

SOURCE: CLICK HERE