Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship: Eligibility, Deadline & How to Apply

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s scholarship program is exclusively for students enrolled in a Ph.D. program. The Foundation does not provide funding for undergraduate, master’s, or postdoctoral studies. 

• Receipt of up to $50,000 per year for three years to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses to focus on your doctoral studies.
• Receipt of an additional $20,000 per year for three years for research, networking and travel expenses related to your doctoral research.

Schooling 

At the time of application, candidates must be: 

• In the first year of a doctoral program, or 

• In the second year of a doctoral program. 

Due to the high volume of applications, starting in 2026, the Foundation will only accept applications from students in the first or second year of their doctoral program. You are no longer eligible to apply if you are in the final year of your master’s program. 

Citizenship

At the time of application, candidates must be: 

• A Canadian student in a Canadian university
• A Canadian student in an international university or
• An international student studying in a Canadian university. 

International students studying at an international university are not eligible. 

Four themes

The Foundation recognizes that doctoral students often pursue interdisciplinary research projects that fall within the humanities and social sciences, regardless of their department or faculty affiliation. Applications from fields such as engineering, business, health sciences, or the natural and applied sciences are also welcome, provided the research clearly relates to one or more of the Foundation’s four themes. 

Candidates’ research must clearly align with one or more of the Foundation’s four themes: 

• Human Rights and Dignity
• Responsible Citizenship
• Canada and the World
• People and their Natural Environment 

• Referees will be asked to submit a formal letter of recommendation. The specifics will be shared in the application form.
• Three, your thesis supervisor, another academic referee and a non-academic referee.