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Organization of American States (OAS) Fellowships Programs

Award

Award Types

Academic scholarships are awarded to persons to undertake graduate studies that lead to a degree (Master’s or Ph.D.) and/or graduate research at a university or higher learning institution in a Member State. Studies may be carried out by on-site or by distance education or a combination of both.

Scholarships are not offered for studies in the medical sciences.

OAS scholarships are awarded for full-time study or research in any OAS member state except the one nominating the candidate for the OAS scholarship.

There are two types of academic scholarships:

Self-Placed: Candidates apply directly for admission to the universities or educational institutions of their choice and apply separately to the OAS for scholarships to assist in financing those studies. Consideration for a scholarship is contingent on receipt of proof of admission to the university by the deadline established by the OAS General Secretariat.

OAS-Placed: Candidates do not apply directly for admission to universities or educational institutions. Instead, candidates apply to the OAS only for a scholarship. The OAS seeks admission for those candidates selected for scholarships to recognized and reputable universities or educational institutions determined by the OAS, taking into consideration the preferred countries, language(s), and the intended fields and levels of study stated by the candidates in their applications to the fullest extent practicable. Depending on the individual case, the OAS may negotiate additional resources with these institutions which often results in the scholarship recipient receiving a full scholarship.

The number of self-placed scholarships the OAS will award is more limited than OAS-placed scholarships, averaging one (1) self-placed scholarship per country. Thus, applicants who elect the Self-placed Scholarship option only will have less of an opportunity to win an OAS scholarship.

Award Value

The total financial award from the OAS may not exceed US$30,000.00 per academic year which includes tuition, benefits, and administrative costs. No benefits are paid to family members of the OAS scholar.

The total financial award from the OAS may not exceed US$30,000.00 per academic year which includes tuition, benefits, and administrative costs.

The funds provided by the OAS are intended to serve as a complement to those funds which the scholarship recipient may already be receiving from other sources or to assist the recipient with general costs to make the completion of her/his studies feasible. Applicants, who would like to learn about additional scholarship opportunities, please go to http://www.educoas.org.

Duration

Scholarships are awarded for an initial period of one academic year and may be renewed subsequently for up to one additional year if funds remain available and if the renewal is necessary to complete the program of study or research for which the scholarship was initially awarded.

The scholarship is awarded for up to two academic years.

Background

The objective of the Organization of American States (OAS) Program of Scholarships and Training is to assist the member states with their domestic efforts in pursuit of integral development goals by supporting human resource development in the priority areas established by the Summits of the Americas, the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development of the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI), and the OAS General Assembly.

The OAS is committed to promoting and supporting human capacity development and the strengthening of bonds among the peoples in the Hemisphere by maximizing the number of scholarships awarded in reputable educational institutions in its member states with the resources available. To achieve this goal, the OAS Scholarship Program will place more scholarship recipients in universities which belong to the OAS consortium of universities or with which the OAS will make written agreements for the placement of students. Accordingly, the number of scholarships which will be awarded to individuals who have obtained their own admission to a university will be seriously reduced.

The Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) is the "National Liaison Office" or ONE, from the Spanish "Oficinas Nacionales de Enlace" for the OAS fellowships programs and, as such, is responsible for conducting the Canadian competitions for the OAS Graduate Fellowships and promoting Canada as a country where applicants from other OAS Member States could do graduate study or research.

The Scholarships Program is one of the instruments of development cooperation of the Organization of American States. Its fundamental objective is to promote the economic, social, scientific and cultural development of the Member States in order to achieve a stronger bond and better understanding among the peoples of the Americas through the advanced training of its citizens in the priority areas requested by the countries. The fellowships are awarded to individuals, and not to institutions.

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Student

Eligibility

Applicants:

must be citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
who are permanent residents of Canada are not eligible for a scholarship tenable in the country of which he/she is still a citizen or permanent resident.
must possess the educational background and, if required, professional experience to be accepted into the requested academic program.
who are current OAS staff members, OAS consultants, staff members of the Permanent Missions to the OAS, as well as their relatives are not eligible for OAS academic scholarships and must wait until six months have elapsed after the termination of the employment relationship or contract before they may apply for an OAS scholarship.
must be in general good health as to complete the program successfully. . If that condition is not satisfied, the Scholarship may be withdrawn or cancelled. Thus, if awarded a scholarship, and at the timely request of the OAS/DHD, selected candidates will be required to submit a Medical History Form that attests to the sound mental and physical health of the candidate to undertake and complete the program of studies. Please note that applicants do not need to include this form in the application package to be submitted to the ONE during the application process. All costs associated with complying with the medical examination requirement are the responsibility of the selected candidate.
must be endorsed by the National Liaison Office (ONE) or its designated equivalent of the sponsoring OAS member country.
must possess the language competency to undertake studies in the country of study.
for an OAS-placed award to study in the United States will be required to take and provide satisfactory scores for any and all admission and standardized tests (GRE, GMAT, and/or TOEFL), if required by the institutions, at their own cost. We strongly recommend that these tests results be included in the application package. Candidates should check admission requirements for the program of studies that they are interested in.

Conditions

If you are selected for an OAS-placed scholarship to study in a country where the curriculum is taught in a language other than the one in which you completed your studies, the OAS will request an official translation of your diploma and transcripts at the time the award is announced.
No fellowships will be awarded retroactively.
Monthly living allowances generally cover approximately 60% of the expenses. Selected individuals are encouraged to identify other sources of financing (other scholarships, educational loans, or, with permission from the OAS, part-time work, etc.) and should be prepared to show that they are able to support themselves for the duration of the scholarship.
The scholarship must be executed during the academic cycle for which the scholarship announcement is issued.
There can be no postponement of the award and no retroactive awarding of the scholarship.
Universities identified by applicants for possible placement must be accredited by the country in which they are located.
The OAS-placed scholarship award will be withdrawn from any candidate for whom, after a reasonable period, admission cannot be gained to a reputable university offering the program and level of studies sought, with no right of appeal.
The OAS publishes on its website the names and nationality of scholarship recipients. An applicant must agree in writing on the scholarship application form to having his/her name published if he/she is awarded an OAS scholarship.

Obligations

Scholar must agree to return to reside in the nominating country for a period of no less than twenty-four months after completing of the program of study covered by the scholarship if they are awarded an OAS scholarship.
If an awardee has been accepted for admission to an educational institution (self-placed option), the OAS will provide the awardee with a contract specifying the terms of the scholarship. At the same time, the sponsoring country will enter into a separate contract with the awardee to ensure reimbursement of the scholarship cost to the OAS if the awardee fails to return to reside in his/her sponsoring country after completion of the program of study covered by the scholarship, or violates any of the terms and conditions set forth in the Scholarship Contract and the Manual of Procedures.
If an awardee will be placed by the OAS (OAS-placed option), a preliminary placement agreement will be issued by the OAS. The OAS Scholarship contract and accompanying materials and the contract agreement with the sponsoring country will be issued once the placement in the institution of higher learning has been completed and approved.

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Application Process

Evaluation Criteria

The objectives and priorities established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Integral Development 2006-2009 which takes into account individual country and hemisphere-wide developmental needs;
The training priorities of the member States;
The merits and overall credentials of the applicant, including academic and/or professional experience which will be judged by:
- the quality of the written essays and how well candidates explain a) the impact they believe their studies will have on their institution, community or country, and b) their five-year plan upon return to the sponsoring country.
- the candidate’s university grade point average (GPA) and class ranking which should be considered superior by the country/institution from which the candidate is graduated which will facilitate the placement of an awardee in a reputable university
- the scores obtained in the standarized tests, if applicable
- the level of completeness and detail put into the preparation of the application is and how complete the required documentation is. This will indicate the academic aptitude of the awareness that the OAS Academic Scholarship Program is one that is internationally-recognized and very competitive
- The quality of the recommendation letters which attest to the candidate’s ability to perform and to succeed as a scholarship recipient and describe what contribution and impact the recommender believes the candidate will have on the institution/community/country.
A geographic distribution that takes into account the greater needs of smaller and relatively less developed economies;
Potential and commitment of the candidate to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of the sponsoring country;
Gender equality and equity as an important element in all partnership-for-development programming; and,
The financial need of the applicant, as established by the ONEs and National Commissions.

How to apply

Applicants apply for an OAS scholarship through their nominating country National Liaison Office (ONEs).

Read the instructions carefully before beginning to complete the OAS Application Form. In the event that you experience difficulties filling out or sending this application electronically, please send an e-mail to: scholtechassist@oas.org.

Once you have completed the online application form, uploaded the required language proficiency, and submitted it, a copy of the application will be sent automatically to your e-mail account. Print and sign the copy of the application form.

Submit to ONE (National Liaison Office) one (1) original and two (2) hard copies of the following:

Signed OAS online application form
Three completed recommendation forms:
- Use only the Recommendation Statement Form to obtain two (2) recommendations, one of which must be from a current or former professor. Each of the referees must prepare and sign the recommendation in 3 original sets.
- Use only the Recommendation Form for Employer/Institutionto obtain one (1) recommendation from a current or previous employer. The recommender must prepare and sign the recommendation in 3 original sets.
- If unemployed or never employed, obtain a third recommendation using the Recommendation Statement Form.

Note: Recommendation letters may not be submitted from relatives of the applicant. Relatives are defined as: spouse, son or daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, father or mother, stepfather or stepmother, brother or sister, half-brother or half-sister, stepbrother or stepsister, father- or mother-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law, and brother- or sister-in-law.

Certificate of Language Proficiency Form: Complete this if you intend to study in a language other than your native language. If you intend to study in an English-speaking country, the TOEFL test scores replace this certificate.
Standardized test results, if required by the academic institution for OAS-placed candidates (See deadlines for due dates). If intending to study in the U.S., the OAS institutional code for the GRE is 2354. The OAS institutional code for the TOEFL is 9358. Be advised that if you are selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship, you will be required to submit 2 additional original tests scores for placement purposes.
Certified copy of the diploma (notarized by Notary Public or stamped by the university that issued it) for the highest degree obtained. Be advised that if you are selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship, you will be required to submit 2 additional notarized/stamped copies of your diploma for placement purposes.
Official transcript (one) of ALL post-secondary studies to date (COMPLETE academic record(s) including College of Applied Arts and Technology-CAAT and CEGEP) must be sent directly from the issuing institution(s) or you may include your transcript(s) in your application package provided they are in a sealed envelope. Be advised that if you are selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship, you will be required to submit 2 additional original transcripts for placement purposes.
Original transcript of grades (or a copy stamped by the university) for the current academic program in which enrolled, if applicable (1 original). Be advised that if you are selected to receive an OAS-placed scholarship, you will be required to submit 2 additional original transcripts for placement purposes.
Curriculum Vitae (must not exceed 4 pages; do not attach copies of publications, diplomas or certificates).
For self-placed students: a certificate of admission to the host institution or copy of correspondence testifying that you have requested it or that you will have access to the facilities needed to complete the proposed research project.
For Canadian citizens: one certified copy of the following: birth certificate, citizenship card or passport (do not include original documents); a certificate of baptism is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
For Permanent residents: one certified copy of their record of landing (do not include original documents).
Two sets of artwork samples for applicants in Fine Arts, Music and Architecture. Applicants in the history or theory of art, music, or architecture are not required to submit samples. Artwork samples required are as follows:
- Applicants in the Fine Arts* (painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography) must submit up to 20 slides of 20 original works. Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on CD/DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant’s name.
- Applicants in Music* must submit CDs of three works totaling no more than 30 minutes. The recordings of singers and instrumentalists must be chosen from three different musical periods, except in the case of Baroque musicians, who must include movements from three different types of pieces. Piano accompaniments may be included. Composers must submit scores and recordings of three different types of works composed by them. All recordings must begin with a spoken declaration by the applicant's music professor that the samples on the recording were performed or written by the applicant and are unedited.
- Applicants in Architecture* must submit up to 10 reproductions of drawings, provided on CD/DVD.

*Only samples as specified above will be presented to the selection committee. Samples can be returned following the competition; please indicate the return address. However CBIE, while taking all reasonable care, cannot be held responsible for the loss or damage of artwork samples.

Deadline

Complete application packages (Steps 1 and 2) must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. EST April 12, 2010.

It is the responsibility of the applicants to ensure that supporting documents are submitted by the deadline. The Canadian Scholarship Selection Committee will not accept incomplete files. Résumés cannot be accepted. All required information must appear in the space provided. Attachments other than those SPECIFICALLY requested will not be accepted.

We strongly recommend that you collect all the required supporting documents in sealed envelopes and mail them to ONE (National Liaison Office) in one package by a method, which will provide you with confirmation of its delivery (i.e. courier, registered mail, etc.).

If you are unable to collect all the required supporting documents, please ensure that your referees and issuing institution(s) submit the documents to ONE by the deadline. Be sure the name of the scholarship program for which you are applying is identified on ALL documentation sent to ONE.

Submit all of the required supporting documents to:

ONE (National Liaison Office) for Canada
ATTN: OAS Academic Scholarships
Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
220 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, ON K1P 5Z9 CANADA

We are unable to acknowledge receipt, by letter or telephone, but you can e-mail us at: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Pre-selection

All applications which are complete, received on time, and which meet the eligibility requirements stated in the scholarship announcement are evaluated and ranked by the nominating country’s Selection Committee, made up of individuals from academia, who recommends a list of pre-selected candidates to the OAS.

The ONEs forward the application files of sponsored pre-selected candidates to OAS Headquarters which then reviews them for completeness, deadlines and eligibility requirements.

Final Selection

The OAS presents only complete applications of pre-selected candidates to an international committee - the Academic and Technical Studies Scholarship Selection Committee (ATSSSC) - chosen by the Secretary General of the OAS. This Committee reviews, evaluates and ranks candidates to recommend for OAS scholarships to the Secretary General of the OAS.

Based on available financing and using the ranked, selected candidates list prepared by the ATSSSC, the OAS determines how many scholarships can be financed and awarded, and presents the list of these to the OAS Secretary General for his approval.

The OAS notifies the awardees, the Permanent Mission of the Member States to the OAS, the OAS Country Offices, and ONEs of the OAS scholarships awards, which in turn will notify the awardees of the selection results.