Canada $20,000 UBC Public Scholar Awards - University of British Columbia

The UBC Public Scholars Award is part of the UBC Public Scholars Initiative (PSI), which aims to build connections, community, and capacity for doctoral students whose work explicitly links to an arena of public benefit and integrates broader, career-relevant forms of scholarship into doctoral education. The award provides support of up to $10,000 for innovative/collaborative scholarship that the student would otherwise be unable to pursue.

Funding is available for doctoral students at UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan, with eligibility covering UBC Vancouver doctoral students (PhD, EdD, DMA, including part time PhD students) in years 1–5 and UBC Okanagan doctoral students in years 1–5. The initiative also includes a renewal pathway for PSI Scholars in good standing to apply for a one-time award renewal of up to $10,000.

Funding is offered for up to approximately 30 new students from all faculties at UBC, and approximately 5 scholars from all faculties at UBC Okanagan. The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies uses a multi-disciplinary adjudication committee to review eligible applications and select recipients. Evaluation criteria include past accomplishments and future promise, fit with PSI goals, the quality of the proposed scholarship, and need for alternative funding sources.

Funded students are required to submit a report at the end of their first (and if applicable, second) year of funding, attend and engage with PSI events and the network of scholars, and present their work at a Network event (“PhDs Go Public”). After funding/involvement ends, students, faculty, and collaborators complete a questionnaire, and student dissertations plus completion and career outcomes are reviewed as part of assessment of the initiative.

• Citizenship: Canadian, Permanent Resident, or InternationalDegree level: DoctoralUBC campus and program: UBC Vancouver doctoral students (PhD, EdD, DMA, including part time PhD students) in years 1–5; and UBC Okanagan doctoral students in years 1–5Doctoral study limit: completed no more than 48 months of doctoral studyEnrolment status: registered in a UBC doctoral program6th-year applicants (48 to 60 months of doctoral study) are accepted only in exceptional circumstances and should receive approval from PSI before submitting applicationsRequirements for all funded students: submission of a report at the end of their first (and if applicable, second) year of funding; attendance at and engagement with PSI events and the network of scholars; presentation of work at the “PhDs Go Public” Network event; completion of a questionnaire by students, faculty, and collaborators at the end of funding/involvement; student dissertations and student completion and career outcomes reviewed as part of assessment

• Awards of up to $10,000Research allowance (including allowance for professional development or travel relevant to the scholarly work)Student stipend, if the student’s current funding source would not allow the alternative project(s)One-time award renewal of up to $10,000 for PSI Scholars in good standing (separate application)

1. Files and links become available when applications open and remain available until the application end date.Download the two files: “PSI Fellowship Application 2026-2027” and “PSI Fellowship Application Instructions 2026-2027” (available at the bottom of the “Further Information” section).For the CV upload requirement: if the applicant already created a Vanier-Banting CV, it can be uploaded; otherwise, PSI requires a new Tri-agency CV, with guidelines depending on which Tri-Council Agency best represents the applicant’s department/research area.Rename the downloaded application form as “LastName_FirstName_PSI”.Complete the application form following the instructions, including that each section (“Outline of Proposed Scholarly Work” and “Relationship of Proposal to PSI Goals”) is individually capped at 4000 characters and 1 page.Upload the completed PSI Fellowship Application 2026-2027 form and the Tri-agency CV (or an existing Vanier-Banting CV) as one pdf file using the Qualtrics form on the page, which requires completing the form after documents are ready to be uploaded.Submit the mandatory supervisor letter of support and optional letter(s) of support from collaborators by having letter writers complete the separate Qualtrics form linked on the page.Complete the application submission.

• PSI Fellowship Application 2026-2027 formTri-agency CV (or an existing Vanier-Banting CV, if already created)Mandatory supervisor letter of supportOptional letter(s) of support from collaboratorsOne pdf upload combining the completed PSI Fellowship Application form and the CV