2027 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellowship

Eligibility

Fellows of the Foundation: 

• are senior academics in Canada who are leaders in their field. They are academics holding a full-time tenured appointment in a Canadian university at or near the rank of Full Professor with a national or international reputation;
• tackle important current issues in social sciences and humanities intersecting with one or more of the four themes of the Foundation;
• propose a research project that is innovative and socially significant, pushing research and thinking in new directions;
• have demonstrated a commitment to supporting graduate students;
• have a proven record of academic excellence, as established by their prior success in obtaining research grants;
• are effective communicators willing to engage with a range of actors in society. 

Candidates’ research must be linked to one or several of the four Foundation themes (Human Rights and Dignity; Responsible Citizenship; Canada and the World; People and their Natural Environment) and must be integrated in the general field of humanities and social sciences.

Internal Selection (Mandatory):
Nominations must be endorsed by the University of Calgary. Universities may only endorse three nominations per year. Direct applications are not accepted.

See details below on the internal selection process.

Summary

The Foundation nominates up to four (4) Fellows per year, chosen among Full professors (or near the rank of Full Professor) at Canadian universities, for an active term of three (3) years. Candidates must be nominated by their home universities. Direct applications will not be accepted. 

The total value of the Fellowship is $300,000 per Fellow: 

• $70,000 as prize;
• $50,000 as research grant;
• Up to $100,000 as possible additional research grant;
• Up to one (1) year of teaching buy-out, with $80,000 in compensation paid to the university.

Fellows will join other community members (Scholars, Fellows, and Mentors). Involvement in the Foundation's programming is strongly encouraged. The Foundation requires Fellows to participate in the Foundation's annual summer schools and a second event organized by the Foundation each year; participation in Foundation conferences is encouraged but not mandatory; before the end of their term, all Fellows must give a presentation on their research (P.E. Trudeau Talks). During their term, Fellows will identify themselves as “Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Fellow”.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

A nomination package for the Fellowship must include the following elements:

• a presentation letter from the candidate, explaining their interest in the Foundation’s Fellowship program;
• a letter of nomination from the candidate’s home university;
• a three- to five-page presentation of the proposed Fellowship research project, including links to previous or ongoing research and the expected impact of the Fellowship research funding;
• the candidate’s academic curriculum vitae (max. 20 pages);
• three recommendation letters.

Internal Selection (Mandatory):
Nominations must be endorsed by the University of Calgary. Universities may only endorse three nominations per year. Direct applications are not accepted.

Due to condensed timelines, each Faculty seeking institutional endorsement(s) must submit the following documents to the Research Services Office, for review by the SUPPORT: Research Awards committee. Based on the committee’s recommendations, the Vice-President (Research) and President will select up to three candidates for institutional endorsement:

1. a presentation letter from the candidate, explaining their interest in the Foundation’s Fellowship program;
2. a three- to five-page presentation of the proposed Fellowship research project, including links to previous or ongoing research and the expected impact of the Fellowship research funding;
3. the candidate’s academic curriculum vitae (max. 20 pages);

Note that selected candidates will be required to obtain approvals for the course release they will receive, should they be awarded a Trudeau Fellowship

The Dean or representative must submit these documents to researchawards@ucalgary.ca by April 7, 2026

1. A completed SUPPORT: Research Awards review form.
2. A brief statement from the Dean or representative outlining how the Faculty considered equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in its nomination process (only one statement is required from the Faculty for all candidates).

Submission Instructions:
Complete submission instructions will be provided to candidates who have been selected for institutional endorsement. RSO will make the final submission to the Trudeau Foundation. 
Note that the Trudeau Fellowship involves a research leave, which must be approved by the Faculty and Provost prior to submission of the nomination. RSO will provide more details to the selected candidates.