Scholarships and Awards
MIPP and MAGG Students
Search the scholarships and awards below and explore the External Scholarships page for even more funding options.
Graduate Fellowship
The Graduate Fellowship is an award granted to select students of the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) enrolled in either the Master of International Public Policy (MIPP) or the Master’s of Arts in Global Governance (MAGG) programs. The program complements the unique graduate studies experience at BSIA. It is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain mentorship and guidance from senior scholars as they advance their own policy research and writing skills. Since 2015, the Graduate Fellowship program has been run in partnership with Global Affairs Canada.
Under the program, clusters of three to four students are selected to participate in projects led by BSIA faculty that engage them in both independent and collective research and policy analysis. The program is divided into three phases. The first is the research phase, during which Fellows will develop a high degree of substantive expertise on the subject matter of the project. This phase will typically be completed in mid-February. Individual themes and outputs will be developed in consultation with the project mentor(s). During phase 1, mentors will be expected to meet on a regular basis with their teams to discuss the project, and to provide feedback on the research outputs. The principal purposes of the feedback are to assist Fellows in developing their research and analytical skills, and assist them in making the transition from phase 1 to phase 2 of the program. Students will present their initial research findings to the BSIA community at the end of phase 1.
The second phase is the policy brief stage, which typically runs from mid-February to early May. For this phase, Fellows will co-author a briefing note that draws on their collective research from the first phase. Briefing notes are to be 4 to 5 pages in length. Mentors are expected to work with their teams throughout this process and assist them in formulating policy recommendations. Students will present their briefing notes at a symposium at BSIA in April.
The third phase is the presentation phase to policy and governance experts. Following the presentation, students are invited to revise their briefing notes based on the feedback they received prior to submitting them for publication. The briefing notes are then published in an annual Global Trends Report.
After phase three, BSIA will select one policy brief for an Award of Excellence, valued at $500 per masters student and $500 for the PhD student mentor(s). The policy briefs will be adjudicated by a committee made up of BSIA faculty and fellows. Policy briefs will be evaluated based on the depth of research, feasibility of recommendations, and clarity of writing. The results of the competition will be announced by no later than the release of the Global Trends Report.
BSIA Global Technology Initiative Internships
Through the new Global Technology Initiative, the BSIA will fund several four-month internships with organizations working at the intersection of technology and international affairs.
BSIA Internship Travel Grant
All MIPP and MAGG students doing an unpaid or underpaid international internship can apply for this $1,500 grant by completing the BSIA Graduate Student Research/Travel Support Application Form and sending it to Andrew Thompson, asthompson@balsillieschool.ca
BSIA Experiential Learning Award
All MIPP and MAGG students who are participating in an unpaid or underpaid domestic or international internship can apply for this $1,000 grant by sending Andrew Thompson an email indicating that they would like to be considered for this award.
Dispatches from the Field
All MIPP and MAGG students doing an unpaid or underpaid international internship are eligible to contribute to the “dispatches from the field” blog series. Participating students must first receive permission from the host agency/organization and then complete three dispatches from the field before the end of their internship. When the three dispatches have been received by the Program Manager, the student will submit an invoice for $750.
Briarhurst Travel & Research Award (MAGG)
This award for $2,000 will be provided annually to a full-time graduate student registered at the University of Waterloo in Global Governance or Environment and Resource Studies to assist with travel costs associated with conducting research for his/her final dissertation. Selection will be based on academic excellence and on the estimated travel costs associated with the field research. This award is made possible by a donation by Drs. Thomas Homer-Dixon and Sarah Wolfe. For more information on this award, please visit the UW website.
University of Waterloo International Experience Awards (MAGG)
Several awards, valued at $2,500 and in some cases more, are available annually to full-time graduate students who participate in an international experience, including a minimally-paid or volunteer international co-op work placement, a volunteer placement, an academic exchange or a study term related to academic requirements. Students in any Faculty, in satisfactory academic standing, who are planning to participate in an international experience are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to students with financial need who will be travelling to an unfamiliar country where they will experience a different culture in a new learning environment. For more information, please see International Experience Awards.
The Andrew and Agnes Siklos Master in International Public Policy Award (MIPP)
This endowed award was established by Dr. Pierre Siklos in honour of his parents, Andrew and Agnes Siklos. The scholarship is awarded to one full-time graduate student entering the Master of International Public Policy program through Wilfrid Laurier University on the basis of academic excellence. For more information on this award, please visit the Laurier website or contact Maureen Ferraro, Program Officer for the MIPP
John W. Weir Graduate Scholarship in Public Policy (MIPP)
This scholarship was established by family, friends and colleagues of John W. Weir. John Walter Weir (1957-2011) was a major contributor to public policy development in Canada for more than 30 years and recipient of the Award of Distinction from the Public Affairs Association of Canada. The John W. Weir Graduate Scholarship in Public Policy will be granted annually to an applicant to the Master of International Public Policy program at the School of International Policy and Governance who is a Canadian citizen, has a record of outstanding academic performance, and receives the recommendation of the graduate coordinator for the Master of International Public Policy program in consultation with the associate dean of the School of International Policy and Governance.