Scholarship Value $25,000

Number of Scholarships 5

Program overview

Fulbright Canada Student Awards enable Canadian graduate students, prospective graduate students, and early-career professionals to study or conduct research in the United States. Awards support residential exchanges at universities, research centers, think tanks, or government agencies and are intended to be taken up in person. Virtual programs are not endorsed; grantees are expected to reside in the United States for the duration of the grant. Applicants are responsible for securing an appropriate host affiliation and documenting it in their application.

Description: Residential, competitive awards for Canadian citizens to pursue graduate study or research in the United States during a specified academic year.

• Supports in-person academic exchanges at U.S. host institutions.
• Intended for graduate students and promising young professionals.
• Applicants must secure and document a U.S. host affiliation.

Award details

The Traditional Fulbright Canada student award provides funding for one academic year (eight months) and is intended to cover necessary academic and living expenses. For awards to be taken up in 2027–2028, grants begin in September 2027 and the value is US$25,000 for the academic year. Fulbright enrichment opportunities are available on a competitive basis to supplement the core award. Program staff oversee recruitment and can provide guidance on the competition process.

Award Value: US$25,000 for one academic year (eight months), intended to cover housing, travel, tuition-related costs, and other academic expenditures.

• Core grant: US$25,000 for an eight-month academic year.
• Funds intended to support living, travel, and academic costs.
• Additional enrichment opportunities may be available competitively.

Eligibility

Applicants must be Canadian citizens and not hold U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or have been born in the United States. Candidates must not be living, enrolled, or working in the United States during the 2026–2027 academic year, and undergraduate degrees must be completed by June 2027 for the specified competition. Applicants who will already hold a Ph.D. at the time of award should apply to the Fulbright Scholar Program instead. All grantees enter the U.S. under a J‑1 Exchange Visitor Visa and are subject to the two‑year home‑country physical presence requirement and other U.S. governmental regulations.

Eligibility: Key applicant requirements include Canadian citizenship, absence of U.S. citizenship or residency status, completion of degree requirements by specified deadlines, and compliance with J‑1 visa obligations.

• Must be a Canadian citizen; no U.S. citizenship, permanent residency, or birth.
• Not residing, enrolled, or working in the U.S. during the specified prior academic year.
• Ph.D. holders at the time of award should pursue the Scholar Program.

Ways to take up the award

Canadian students may use the award in one of three formats depending on their academic status and objectives. Formal enrolment awards support students who plan to begin graduate study at a U.S. university with admission sought concurrently with the Fulbright application. Research awards support students enrolled in Canadian graduate programs who will conduct U.S.-based research that contributes to their Canadian degree. Independent research awards are for those who have completed an undergraduate or master’s degree and seek one academic year of independent research in the United States.

• Formal enrolment: Supports the first eight months of a U.S. graduate program; admission must be sought concurrently with the Fulbright application.
• Research awards: For Canadian graduate students conducting U.S.-based research tied to their Canadian degree.
• Independent research: For post-baccalaureate or post-master’s independent research in the U.S.

Affiliation

All grantees must secure an approved affiliation with an appropriate U.S. host institution (university, research-oriented institution, or equivalent) and document this affiliation in their application. Applicants are encouraged to establish contact with the intended host early in the process and to have a fallback host identified. The intended host institution(s) must be listed in the Statement of Grant Purpose. Responsibility for securing and verifying affiliation rests with the applicant.

• An approved U.S. host affiliation is required and must be documented in the application.
• Establish contact with your intended host early and identify backup options.
• List potential host institution(s) in the Statement of Grant Purpose.

How to apply

Full eligibility criteria, application instructions, and award conditions are available at www.fulbright.ca. Applications for the competition are accepted until the November due date for awards to be taken up the following academic year. The next competition for awards to be taken up in 2028–2029 will open in May 2027. Once an application is submitted, it cannot be changed, so review carefully before final submission.

Application Timeline: Applications accepted until the November deadline; the next competition opens in May 2027 for awards beginning in 2028–2029.

• Find full instructions and conditions at www.fulbright.ca.
• Adhere to the November application deadline for the specified intake.
• Next competition cycle opens in May 2027 for the 2028–2029 awards.

Helpful tips

Follow application instructions closely and complete all fields in English using standard alphanumeric characters. Use proper capitalization and spell your name correctly without diacritical markings, and ensure supporting documents use a font size of at least 11 points. Pay attention to character limits and required fields; use the CONTINUE button to save progress as you work through the online form. Keep copies of all materials and verify that text entered into form fields displays completely before submission.

• Use upper and lower case; avoid ALL CAPS and diacritical marks.
• Complete all required fields; you cannot submit until the application is complete.
• Save progress by pressing CONTINUE on each page; submission is final.