Deadline: April 7, 2025
Global Affairs Canada (GAC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), is pleased to announce the eighth edition of the International Policy Ideas Challenge. The objective of the program is to draw on the network of talented Canadian graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career civil society researchers to identify concrete, innovative solutions to emerging international policy challenges faced by Canada.
The program offers applicants a chance to test their skills at translating academic expertise into policy language and insights. Applicants are invited to submit brief proposals. GAC will select between 5 and 10 winning proposals and provide coaching/mentoring to researchers as part of further developing their proposals into full policy briefs. Winners will present their briefs to Government of Canada officials as part of the virtual Ideas Symposium, taking place in late 2025.
Benefits
- Between 5 and 10 awards will be granted. For each winning proposal, $4,000 will be provided to the lead (or sole) researcher upon submission of the final brief and formal presentation to GAC and SSHRC.
- In addition to the financial award, all winners will receive mandatory coaching/mentoring as a team on their research, policy analysis and presentation skills. The coaching/mentoring will include group and one-on-one sessions for which each winner will be paired with a subject-matter expert. Instruction will be provided in the official language of the application, and all sessions will be delivered online.
- By the end of the program, winners will have a deeper understanding of GAC, SSHRC and Canada’s international policies relevant to their areas of specialization. During the program, winners will also learn how to prepare a policy brief, develop policy recommendations and present their ideas in a compelling manner.
Eligibility
- The International Policy Ideas Challenge invites applications from current graduate students (Master’s or PhD level) and post-doctoral fellows at a recognized Canadian post-secondary educational institution.
- Researchers affiliated with a Canadian non-profit organization (example, a non-governmental organization or a think tank) who are within 6 years of graduation from a graduate program at a recognized post-secondary institution will also be considered.
- Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
- Indeterminate and term employees of the Government of Canada are not eligible to apply. Additionally, employees of GAC, including students and casuals, are not eligible to apply.
- Team applications, with a maximum of 3 members, are permitted; however, a lead researcher must be identified. A team application that includes collaborators from other universities is permitted. In the case of a team application, all members are expected to meet the above requirements.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals should demonstrate your ability to present ideas clearly and succinctly. Challenge winners will be required to outline how they gathered relevant evidence and conducted a rigorous analysis to develop their policy recommendations in the final policy brief.
Proposals should:
- Not exceed 750 words
- Identify which research theme(s) will be the focus of the final policy brief.
- Explain how the proposed analysis will complement and build on existing research and analysis related to the chosen research theme(s).
- Briefly describe the proposed research methodology (primary and secondary) for gathering and evaluating evidence, emphasizing original perspectives and innovative solutions.
- Explain why the proposal topic is important to Canadian foreign policy and/or Canada’s role in the G7.
- Sketch out preliminary policy recommendations to address the challenge.
- Identify actors and locations relevant to the policy idea, such as international organization(s), forum(s), partnership(s), and country(ies)/region(s) involved in the idea’s successful implementation.
- For inspiration and insight, visit the International Policy Ideas Challenge winners’ pages to learn about previous winners and their work.
Application
To apply, send the following items as PDF file attachments to [email protected].
- Proposal (not to exceed 750 words) signed by the lead researcher and saved as a separate PDF file; the lead applicant’s first and last names should be indicated in the upper right-hand corner of the proposal
- Curriculum Vitae for the lead researcher, including contact information
- University-issued enrolment verification or most recently completed graduate degree (GAC reserves the right to request an official transcript)
- One confidential letter of reference (academic or professional) from a supervisor familiar with the lead applicant’s research skills, to be sent directly by the referee to [email protected]
- Biography of lead researcher and, if applicable, short biographies of collaborators
For more information, visit International Policy Ideas Challenge.
