De Chastelain Scholarship Programme

Eligibility

Offering scholarships of up to CAD $16,500 / €10,275, supporting research visits ranging from 3 to 6 weeks.

The programme welcomes scholars at different stages of their careers. Through one unified application process, awards are made to both Emerging Scholars (within seven years of their PhD, following common European research-funding practice) and Established Scholars, with all recipients holding the title De Chastelain Scholar.  Applicants without a PhD are eligible where they demonstrate an established academic or research practice of equivalent standing.  To support the next generation of academic leaders, a substantial proportion of scholarships each year—up to half—will be reserved for Emerging Scholars.

Should You Apply for a De Chastelain Scholarship?

The De Chastelain Scholarships support substantive academic engagement between Canada and the island of Ireland, across two strands: early-career and established applicants. While the programme is open to a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds, it is designed for individuals who are already actively contributing to academic life — whether through research, teaching, scholarly leadership, or other forms of sustained academic practice.

Applicants will normally hold a PhD. However, the programme also recognises that many individuals have built significant academic careers or made substantial scholarly contributions without holding such a qualification.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to consider carefully whether this opportunity aligns with their current stage of development. The scholarships are intended for those with a clear track record of academic engagement and a well-defined proposal that can contribute meaningfully to the programme’s themes.

You should consider applying if:

• You have a well-defined research proposal suitable for a short visit
• You can identify a host academic partner in Canada or in Ireland who is willing to engage with and support your project
• You see the potential for your research to contribute to peace, reconciliation, and the sustainability of societies— in Ireland, in Canada, and in the wider world

Applications are open to individuals who meet all the following criteria:

1) Residency Requirements:

• Canadian applicants must hold either citizenship or permanent residency status, and be resident in Canada at the time of application. They must have been resident in Canada for a minimum of three consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline.
• Applicants from Ireland must be resident on the island of Ireland at the time of application, and must have been ordinarily and lawfully resident on the island of Ireland for a minimum of three consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline.

2)  Academic Qualification:
Applicants must hold a PhD, or demonstrate an established academic or research practice of equivalent standing.

3)  Institutional Affiliation:
Applicants must be employed, enrolled, or otherwise formally affiliated with a recognised university, publicly funded research centre, or equivalent non-profit research institution in Canada or the island of Ireland at the time of application.

Individuals whose primary employment is in the private or commercial sector are not eligible to apply unless their position is directly funded or administered through one of the above qualifying institutions. The affiliation must be verified by the host institution through a letter of confirmation included with the application.

4)  Programme Alignment:
Applicants must demonstrate how their proposed research or engagement activities will contribute to the goals of the De Chastelain Scholarship Programme, and will be required to outline how their proposal relates to one or both of the themes, Pathways to Peace, and Grounds for Hope.

5)  Previous Awards
In the interest of offering opportunities as widely as possible, individuals who have received an ICUF scholarship or fellowship within the past five years (2021 or later) are ineligible to apply for a De Chastelain Scholarship.

Summary

The De Chastelain Scholarships are designed to strengthen research links and academic exchange between Canada and the island of Ireland. At their core, the scholarships explore how Canada and Ireland can learn from one another in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation — and how, together, we can contribute to sustaining peace in the wider world.

This ambition honours General John de Chastelain, who played a pivotal role in negotiating and securing peace on the island of Ireland, and whose legacy inspires this programme.

The scholarships will enable researchers from Ireland to spend 3–6 weeks at a Canadian university, and Canadian researchers to spend the same period at a university on the island of Ireland.

We welcome proposals from all academic disciplines. Some projects may focus directly on the dynamics of conflict and reconciliation; others may address the wider conditions that enable societies to live in peace. Together, these form two broad but connected themes:

• Pathways to Peace – the processes of negotiation, mediation, reconciliation, and conflict resolution that build and secure peace.
• Grounds for Hope – the contexts and practices that help peace settle, grow, and become durable, including governance, law, economics, health, environment, culture, and identity.

Applicants are encouraged to be imaginative in connecting their discipline to these themes. For example, research might explore conflict mediation, the resilience of democratic institutions, environmental sustainability, health systems, cultural identity, or the perspectives of Indigenous peoples on land and community.

The programme recognises that Indigenous knowledge plays a central role in shaping peaceful and sustainable societies, and seeks to create space for these voices within the exchange between Ireland and Canada.

While the primary aim is to strengthen links between Canada and the island of Ireland, the research may also address challenges in other regions of the world, provided that the work involves genuine collaboration between Irish and Canadian academics and speaks to the wider goals of building and sustaining peace.

Ireland and Canada both have rich language traditions that are deeply tied to cultural identity, and we welcome projects that deepen understanding across languages, cultures, and traditions.

All De Chastelain Scholarships are awarded under a single system of payment and terms.

Each awardee will receive:

• CAD $3,000 / € 1,875 as a contribution towards all transport costs associated with the visit — including international flights, airport transfers, local transport.
• CAD $2,250 / €1,400 per week of scholarship (for up to 6 weeks), as a contribution to address accommodation, meals, meetings, and other incidental expenses during the visit.

To support environmental sustainability, the scholarship supports one single return journey only.  Multiple trips or divided visits are not permitted.  Scholars are responsible for arranging their own travel, accommodation, and insurance.

De Chastelain Scholars will receive their funding in three stages across the course of their visit, with an initial payment before travel, a second prior to beginning their research visit, and a final instalment once agreed programme requirements are completed.

Scholars will be required to submit a Report on completion of their research visit, summarising the objectives, outcomes, and insights gained during their visit.  This report may be published on the ICUF website to inspire and inform future research.  Scholars will also be invited to share a small number of photographs that illustrate aspects of their work and experience.

Application deadlines

Program application deadline