The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship Program will help shape researchers into engaged leaders who are conscious of the impact of their research, connected to the realities of the communities in which they work, and open to non-conventional forms of knowledge. Up to 15 Trudeau Scholars are selected each year nationally to support outstanding doctoral candidates pursuing research in social sciences and humanities, touching upon one or more of the four themes of the Foundation: (1) human rights and dignity; (2) responsible citizenship; (3) Canada in the world; and (4) people and their natural environment.
The Foundation takes all measures to ensure that universities from all regions of the country, as well as doctoral students from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, are represented in its selection.

Value

Trudeau Doctoral scholarships can be up to $210,000 in total, including:

• Up to $50,000 per year for three years to cover tuition and living expenses during their doctoral research.
• Up to $20,000 per year for three years to cover the costs of research travel, networking, participation in Foundation events, and to improve their knowledge of Canada’s official languages.

Eligibility

• Please review the complete details on eligibility and selection process on the .

Deadline

• November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST.

How to Apply

All applicants should apply directly to the Foundation using the .

Please review the complete details of the application process on the .

In order to apply, applicants must:

•  on the Foundation’s new application portal (click “Register Here” button)
• Once registration is complete, create an application for the competition, complete and submit the application before the deadline.
• Referees will be asked to complete and submit a predetermined referral form directly on the Foundation’s application portal. All candidates are strongly advised to follow up with their referees to ensure they complete and submit the form well before the November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST deadline.

Results

All eligible candidates who submit a completed application by November 17, 2025 at 4:00 PM EST will go through a rigorous selection process. Shortlisted candidates (Round One) will be contacted in February and invited to group interviews. Finalists (Round Two) will then be invited to meet for individual interviews with members of the ANRC in March.

Resources

For complete details and instructions on the application process, please review the  and the .

Detailed information on the program is available on the Foundation’s website.

If you require further assistance, please contact our Research Officer by visiting our FGS Staff Directory.

Support

Contact

• Trudeau Foundation
  E-mail: leadership@trudeaufoundation.ca

_{Cristina Wood}

More than 600 scholars applied, and only 15 were selected to receive this year’s scholarship based on their academic excellence, leadership and engagement, willingness to engage with a plurality of perspectives, agility and resilience. These students, from 13 different universities in Canada and abroad, will be supported by the foundation to achieve meaningful impacts in the world, becoming a part of the diverse community of Trudeau Scholars.

The scholarship includes up to $40,000 per year for three years to accommodate tuition and living expenses, with up to an additional $20,000 per year for research, networking and travel expenditures. In addition to this financial allowance, each student becomes a member of a vibrant community of scholars, mentors and Fellows. Moreover, successful applicants receive leadership training, which includes unique experiential learning opportunities that enrich and complement their academic experience.

Wood's innovative research practices and community engagement are truly characteristic of an outstanding Trudeau Scholar. Her proposed dissertation research, titled “Enchanting the Ottawa: An Affective Environmental History of the Ottawa River,” will follow the waterway’s transition from a transit and trade thoroughfare to a regulated, recreational place. Through archival research, oral histories and material culture, Wood will bring alive environmental pasts and futures of the water, land and air surrounding the area.

The project emphasizes the dynamic history of the Ottawa River, from the migration patterns of settlements to the boat traffic that was present. Wood has developed a novel method for communicating information through sound, called data sonification. The historical data of the Ottawa River is translated into sounds through this distinctive process. Her project presents an experiment in digital history through its unique auditory presentation.

Furthermore, Wood displays outstanding leadership skills through her involvement with the community. She was the 2018-19 Garth Wilson Fellow for Public History at Ingenium: Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation. During her work at the museum, Wood presented tools for digital curation to the staff.

“As part of an interdisciplinary cohort of Pierre Elliott Trudeau Scholars, with guidance from mentors, I hope to sharpen my skills as a public historian in understanding and communicating stories of complex pasts,” said Wood.

Her project is truly befitting of the leadership program for the 2021 cohort, which will centre on the theme of Language, Culture and Identity, due to her interest in the narrative that the Ottawa River presents by its fusion of diverse communities and histories.

The Foundation

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is an independent and non-partisan charity established in 2001 as a living memorial to the former prime minister by his family, friends and colleagues. By granting doctoral scholarships, awarding fellowships, appointing mentors and holding public events, the foundation encourages critical reflection and action in four areas important to Canadians: human rights and dignity, responsible citizenship, Canada’s role in the world, and people and their natural environment. For more information about the foundation, visit .