Description
The Fellowship is a central tool in the Foundation's 2025–2028 mission to support academic excellence, societal engagement, and increased intellectual outreach. The award is a public recognition of the Fellows' outstanding academic achievements and a promise of future transformative contributions.
Eligibility
Fellows of the Foundations:
- are senior academics in Canada who are leaders in their field. They are academics holding a full-time tenured appointment in a Canadian university at or near the rank of Full Professor with a national or international reputation.
- tackle important current issues in social sciences and humanities intersecting with one or more of the four themes of the Foundation (Human Rights and Dignity; Responsible Citizenship; Canada and the world; People and their natural environment).
- propose a research project that is innovative and socially significant, pushing research and thinking in new directions.
- have a demonstrated commitment to supporting graduate students.
- have a proven record of academic excellence, as established by their prior success in obtaining research grants.
- are effective communicators willing to engage with a range of actors in society.
- The Foundation nominates up to four (4) Fellows per year, chosen among professors at Canadian universities, for a mandate of three (3) years. Candidates must be nominated by their home universities. Direct applications are not accepted.
- Each university is permitted to submit up to three nominations.
Prize
The Fellowship is of a total value of $300,000 per Fellow:
• $70,000 as prize;
• $50,000 as research grant;
• Up to $100,000 as possible additional research grant;
• Up to one (1) year of teaching buy-out, with $80,000 in compensation paid to the university.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | If you wish to be considered for VPR nomination:
Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed. | |
External Deadline | A complete package must be submitted by the home university to the Foundation by email: nominations@trudeaufoundation.ca. |
How to Apply
The Vice-President (Research) encourages nominations for this prestigious award and will serve as nominator for up to a maximum of three nominees recommended by the Honours and Awards Advisory Committee. If you wish to nominate a colleague or to be considered for VPR nomination:
- We recommend discussing your interest in this award with your College Research Manager and Associate Dean (Research).
- Complete the Expression of Interest document.
- Send the completed Expression of Interest document and a CV to ailsakay@uoguelph.ca and copy your College Research Manager by the internal deadline.
Career interruptions due to parental leave, family care, extended illness, or community responsibilities will not negatively impact the committee’s assessment of a candidate’s research productivity. These will be taken into consideration when EOIs are assessed.
If your nomination will be submitted by a nominator other than the VPR, please submit the nomination directly to the sponsor by the external deadline. Please also submit a copy of the full nomination and OR-5 to research.services@uoguelph.ca.
For More Information
Please contact ailsakay@uoguelph.ca or visit the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation website.