Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship

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Value | Eligibility | Selection Criteria | Application Procedures | Nomination Procedures | Adjudication Procedures | Deadlines

The University of Alberta has received funding from the Government of Global Affairs Canada to support strategic research partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. Awardees must be pursuing research in the area of Technological Innovation through Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Mechatronics Applications via a research partnership at one of the following Indo-Pacific Institutions:

  • University of Queensland (Australia)
  • Tohoku University (Japan)
  • Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
  • Seoul National University (South Korea)
  • Taiwan University

The five aforementioned strategic partner institutions represent the pinnacle of AI and engineering research in their respective countries.

Approximately 25 graduate scholarships and 10 postdoctoral fellowships are anticipated to be awarded over a 3 year period. A research abroad period involves 4 months for graduate students and 2 months for postdoctoral scholars.

Value

  • $13,200 (graduate students) – 4 month research period abroad
  • $11,200 (postdoctoral scholars) – 2 month research period abroad
  • Scholarship/Fellowship award tenure dates (research period abroad) must be between the period of October 1, 2026–March 31, 2027 for this cohort (year 1)

Eligibility

  • Graduate Students: Canadian citizens or permanent residents enrolled in thesis-based master's or doctoral programs at the University of Alberta
  • Postdoctoral Scholars: Canadian citizens or permanent residents holding postdoctoral positions at the University of Alberta within 5 years of doctoral completion

**Research must be in the area of Technological Innovation through Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Mechatronics Applications within our Colleges of Natural & Applied Sciences, Health Sciences, Social Sciences & Humanities, Native Studies or Campus St Jean.
*Only Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply

Selection Criteria

A multidisciplinary Selection Committee will evaluate applications using weighted criteria:

Research Excellence & Innovation (35%)
  • Quality and originality of AI and/or Mechatronics research proposal
  • Potential for breakthrough contributions
  • Alignment with cutting-edge developments in the field
  • Feasibility and clarity of research objectives
Academic Excellence/Research Productivity/Other Successes (35%)
  • Academic record/performance
  • Publication record/conference presentations
  • Letter of support from supervisor indicating competitiveness in academic standing, research productivity, personal attributes/successes
Strategic Alignment (15%)
  • Relevance to Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy priorities
  • Contribution to U of A's AI and robotics leadership
  • Potential for economic or societal impact
  • Alignment with partner country priorities

Equity and Access (15%)

  • Contribution to diversity in AI and/or Mechatronics fields
  • Addressing underrepresentation in technology research
  • Inclusive research design and approaches
  • Potential to inspire diverse future researchers

Application Procedures

It is highly recommended that applicants give their U of A supervisor and host institutions/supervisors at least one week prior to the application deadline to allow sufficient time and to avoid any possible delays/changes. Applicants are to check with their department regarding their internal application deadline.

Applicants must complete the following, and ensure any requirements are submitted to their department by the departmental deadline to be considered for the Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship. Applicants are to refer to the 2026 Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship Department/Applicant Memo for complete information.

A complete Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship Application includes:

1. Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship Application Form: completed application form signed by the applicant; additional attachments will not be accepted. A French version of this application is available here.

2. Letter of Support from current U of A Supervisor: The letter from the U of A supervisor should address academic excellence and competitiveness, research productivity, publication record and comment on expertise in the relevant field. This letter is mandatory and must be on letterhead and signed.

  • If the applicant has joint supervisors, each joint supervisor must provide a one-page letter, and the supervisors must be from different departments; letters from supervisors within the same department are not allowed.
  • As reference letters are confidential, these must be submitted by the referees directly to the student's/postdoctoral scholar’s nominating department.
  • It is highly recommended students/postdoctoral scholars give their referee(s) a deadline at least one week prior to any application deadline to allow sufficient time and to avoid any possible delays/changes.
  • Letters exceeding the 1 page maximum will not be considered.

3. Letter of Invitation from the host institution (Indo-Pacific institution). This letter must include the full name of the host supervisor, dates of proposed research abroad (between October 1, 2026-March 31, 2027), nature/purpose of the research visit and details on available research connections (ie research teams, faculty connections, integrations) and facilities (ie laboratories) etc. In addition, this letter should address the host supervisor’s experience in supervising graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars. The letter must be on official letterhead, signed and dated.

4. U of A transcript (graduate students ONLY): must be included with the application. Postdoctoral applicants are NOT required to provide any transcripts.

U of A Transcripts: U of A unofficial transcripts (printed from Bear Tracks) will be accepted:

  • Unofficial U of A transcripts (from Bear Tracks) must be complete and up-to-date. Transcript must show current full time registration (courses/thesis in progress) if the applicant is currently registered at the time of nomination (i.e. Spring/Summer 2026 terms).
  • Applicants are responsible for providing a current transcript with their application for departmental review. Nominations (of graduate students) submitted to GPS with no U of A transcript, an outdated transcript, or an unofficial transcript (not printed from Bear Tracks) will not be adjudicated and will be rejected.
  • GPS will not generate an updated U of A transcript for applicants, nor for a department nomination submitted incorrectly.

Nomination Procedures

Departments are to review the 2026 Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship Department/Applicant Memo for complete details and instructions.

Graduate Students: Departments must submit eligible nominations to GPS via the GSMS Awards Portal by GPS's nomination deadline of Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Postdoctoral Scholars: Departments must email eligible nominations to GPS via grad.awards@ualberta.ca by Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Adjudication Procedures

Ensuring comprehensive expertise and diverse perspectives, the selection committee will be comprised of a minimum of five members drawn from the following list:

  • Associate Dean, Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Chair)
  • Representative from Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute)
  • Representative from Alberta Robotics
  • Faculty members with AI and/or Mechatronics expertise
  • Industry representative from AI/robotics sector
  • Indigenous scholar or Knowledge Keeper
  • EDI specialist from Office of the Vice-Provost (Access, Community and Belonging)

Deadlines

Application Deadline: each Department sets its own internal deadline for receipt of applications; applicants must contact their department directly for the departmental deadline. Applicants are encouraged to apply early.

GPS Nomination Deadline: The deadline for departments to submit nominations to GPS for university review and final adjudication is Tuesday, August 4, 2026. (Graduate student nominations to GPS must be made via the GSMS Awards Portal).

Postdoctoral Scholar nominations must be emailed to grad.awards@ualberta.ca. Departments are to review the 2026 Indo-Pacific Scholarship/Fellowship Department Memo for complete details and instructions.

GPS will notify winners directly. Final decisions will not be released to students/postdoctoral scholars and departments until after the adjudication meeting in September 2026.