Expanding the Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program to Advanced Scholars

Barriers to education in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) limit the development of human capital, leading to significant skills gaps. Barriers to the transition of young researchers from academia to productive work settings present a further challenge. In Canada, while there are greater opportunities for doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, and early career scientists, exposure to experience from developing and emerging economies remains limited and in turn this limits their future contributions as leaders in a globally competitive work environment. This project will expand the reach and deepen the impact of the original Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program (QES) through a new component supporting advanced scholars (AS). This component of the QES program will invest in people with skills to develop solutions to increasingly complex national and global challenges. Specifically, the new QES-AS component will identify, support, and accompany tomorrow's leaders in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and Canada through support for doctoral and post-doctoral fellows and early career scientists in universities and leading businesses. It will focus broadly on areas in IDRC's programming priorities (agriculture and environment, inclusive economies, technology and innovation) and reach out beyond Commonwealth countries to a broader group of LMICs. IDRC's investment of $10M is expected to leverage between two and three times this amount over the life of the program, from university contributions, donations from the philanthropic and private sectors, and other public agencies. The new QES-AS component will involve two calls, with the first in the fall 2016. This will enable research grants to be awarded in time for Canada's 150th anniversary. This component will create a new generation of highly skilled scholars in Canada and internationally. Through their applied research, creative leadership, and professional networking, they will contribute to stronger economies and more prosperous societies, as well as significantly enrich the body of knowledge in their respective fields of expertise. The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships program is a joint initiative of the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and Universities Canada (UC). It was created through contributions from the Government of Canada, provincial governments, the private sector and individuals worldwide.