Call for Proposals: International Policy Ideas Challenge 2026 – YOA

Deadline: March 2, 2026

Applications are open for the International Policy Ideas Challenge 2026. Global Affairs Canada (GAC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), is happy to announce the ninth version of the International Policy Ideas Challenge (IPIC). The goal of this system is to attract on the community of proficient Canadian graduate college students, publish-doctoral fellows, and early-profession civil society researchers to establish concrete, modern options to rising worldwide coverage challenges confronted by Canada.

The program gives candidates an opportunity to check their expertise at translating educational experience into coverage language and insights. Applicants are invited to submit transient proposals. GAC will choose between 5 and 10 submissions and supply teaching/mentoring to the successful candidates for additional creating their proposals into full coverage briefs with actionable suggestions. Winners will current their briefs to Government of Canada officers as part of a digital session that may happen in December 2026.

Benefits

• Between 5 and 10 awards will likely be granted. For every successful proposal, $5,000 will likely be supplied to the lead (or sole) researcher upon formal presentation and submission of the ultimate transient to GAC and SSHRC.
• In addition to the monetary award, all winners will obtain obligatory teaching/mentoring as a staff on their analysis, coverage evaluation and presentation expertise. The teaching/mentoring will embrace group and one-on-one classes for which every winner will likely be paired with a topic-matter professional. Instruction will likely be supplied within the official language of the application, and all classes will likely be delivered on-line.
• By the tip of this system, winners could have a deeper understanding of GAC, SSHRC and Canada’s worldwide insurance policies related to their areas of specialization. During this system, winners may also learn to put together a coverage transient, develop coverage suggestions and current their concepts to policymakers in a compelling method.

Eligibility

• The International Policy Ideas Challenge invites functions from present graduate college students (Master’s or PhD degree) and publish-doctoral fellows enrolled at a acknowledged Canadian or worldwide publish-secondary establishment.
• Researchers affiliated with a Canadian non-revenue group (e.g., a non-governmental group or a suppose tank) who’re inside 6 years of commencement from a graduate program at a acknowledged publish-secondary establishment may also be thought of.
• Applicants have to be Canadian residents or everlasting residents of Canada.
• Indeterminate and time period workers of the Government of Canada should not eligible to apply. Additionally, workers of GAC, together with college students and casuals, should not eligible to apply.
• Team functions, with a most of three members, are permitted; nevertheless, a lead researcher have to be recognized. A staff application that features collaborators from different universities is permitted. In the case of a staff application, all members are anticipated to satisfy the above necessities.

Application

To apply, ship the next objects as PDF file attachments to [email protected].

• Proposal (to not exceed 750 phrases) signed by the lead researcher and saved as a separate PDF file; the lead applicant’s first and final names must be indicated within the higher proper-hand nook of the proposal
• Curriculum Vitae for the lead researcher, together with contact info
• University-issued enrolment verification or most just lately accomplished graduate diploma (GAC reserves the fitting to request an official transcript)
• One confidential letter of reference (educational or skilled) from a supervisor accustomed to the lead applicant’s analysis expertise, to be despatched instantly by the referee to [email protected]
• Biography of lead researcher and, if relevant, brief biographies of collaborators

Only full functions will likely be assessed. Proposals will likely be evaluated by a variety committee on a mix of high quality, relevance, feasibility, and originality of the thought, in addition to the potential and {qualifications} of the person(s) to hold the thought to analysis and coverage transient phases. A better weighting will likely be awarded to proposals that discover a subject with an built-in and crosscutting method, combining overseas, financial, and worldwide help coverage dimensions of the subject.

For extra info, go to International Policy Ideas Challenge.