Killam Grand Challenges Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Research

• Valued at $45,000 per year for up to four years
• Recipient will receive an additional $10,000 per year to help cover tuition and fees
• Recipients will receive a certificate acknowledging their scholarship
• Scholarship start dates must be either May 1, 2026 or September 1, 2026
• This scholarship may be held concurrently with other scholarships, including major external scholarships such as tri-council scholarships
• Funding for the subsequent years is subject to meeting eligibility requirements, and submission and approval of the renewal request via the GSMS Awards Portal six weeks before the end of the first year of funding

• No restrictions on citizenship
• Offered to outstanding student registered full-time in, or eligible for admission into a PhD program at the University of Alberta
  • applicants must have completed at least 12 months of graduate work (master's or doctoral level) before December 31, 2025
  • applicants must have completed no more than 48 months in their doctoral program as of December 31, 2025
  • as this scholarship is offered for up to 4 years (subject to annual review), applicants must have at least 18 months of full-time registration remaining in their doctoral program after the scholarship start date (May 1 or Sept 1)
  • for students who transferred from a master’s program to a doctoral program, the number of months completed during the master’s program will count towards the doctoral Program
• Applicants proposed studies and research must clearly show it is interdisciplinary, bringing two or more diverse fields together, as determined by an adjudication committee including tenured professors with interdisciplinary research expertise.
• Applicants must have first class academic standing (equivalent to a 3.5 GPA or greater). The GPA for current graduate students is calculated using the current graduate program graded course work. For newly admitted graduate students or current graduate students who have no graded course work to date, the admission GPA (AGPA) will be used
• This award may only be held once and cannot hold simultaneously with Izaak Walton Memorial Scholarship
• Qualifying students, students on academic probation, or students registered in cost-recovery/non-standard fees programs are not eligible

This scholarship is awarded to an outstanding doctoral student undertaking research which combines two or more diverse disciplines, to resolve ‘wicked problems’ and as-yet-unknown grand challenges.

Applicants must complete the following, and ensure any requirements are submitted to their Department by the Departmental deadline to be considered. Applicants are to refer to the 2026 Killam Grand Challenges Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Research Department Memo for information on their department's nomination quota.

Once nominations have been submitted to GPS, revisions will not be permitted. Incomplete nominations, including those submitted with missing transcripts, will not be considered. It is both the student’s and Department’s responsibility to ensure that the application package is complete in every respect before such is nominated to GPS via GSMS.

A complete application includes:

1. Department Appraisal Letter: The nominating department must submit a one-page letter on official letterhead, signed and dated, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the nominee’s research. It may be a joint letter from all relevant departments.
2. Killam Grand Challenges Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Research Application Form: completed application form signed by the student; additional attachments will not be accepted.
   • Students are encouraged to review GPS’s Scholarship Application Tips and How to Write a Strong Research Proposal guidance on scholarship applications and research proposal writing.

3. Two Letters of Reference: Must be from the applicant’s intended joint supervisors, which must address the interdisciplinary nature and expected contributions of the student’s proposed research.
   • 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.
   • All letters should be on official letterhead, signed, and dated.
   • As reference letters are confidential, these must be submitted by the referees directly to the student's nominating department.
   • It is highly recommended students give their referees 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.
   • Students are encouraged to review GPS’s Preparing Your Reference Letters tips on how to request reference letters for a successful scholarship application.

4. Up-to-date transcripts: of all undergraduate and graduate studies must be included with the application (includes all transfer credit, even if transferred to the U of A, and incomplete work/non degree study/qualifying years, etc). With the exception of the U of A, all other institutions must be copies of the official transcripts. Missing or illegible transcripts may deem students' applications as incomplete and will not be reviewed. Applicants are encouraged to order required transcripts as soon as possible, where required. Up-to-date transcripts include (but is not limited to):
   1. U of A Transcripts: U of A unofficial transcripts (printed from BearTracks) will be accepted:
      • Unofficial U of A transcripts must be up-to-date and show current full-time registration (courses/thesis in progress) if the applicant is currently registered (i.e. both Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 terms).
      • Applicants are responsible for providing a current transcript with their application for departmental review. Nominations submitted to GPS with outdated U of A transcripts will not be adjudicated and will be rejected.
      • For newly admissible students (i.e. recommended for admission to a doctoral degree program starting May 1 or September 1, 2026) and who have no prior U of A record, refer to step b).
      • Newly admissible students with a prior U of A record may also provide an unofficial transcript. Students who no longer have access to BearTracks are to contact their admitting department.
      • GPS will not generate an updated U of A transcript for applicants, nor for a department nomination submitted incorrectly.
       
   2. Other Institution Transcripts: copies of official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies from other institutions attended are required (must show all completed coursework and grades, and conferral of any degrees). Opening and scanning a paper transcript, or providing a copy of an official e-transcript will not render the transcript unofficial:
      • Transcripts must be up-to-date; students are responsible for obtaining official transcripts and appending a copy to their application by their department deadline
      • GPS does not provide copies of transcripts from student records held at the U of A (includes transcripts from other Canadian/international post-secondary institutions, and transcripts included in former, recent, or in progress admission/award applications).
      • One copy of the legend (reverse of each transcript) must be included.
      • Self-produced transcripts or mark sheets from institutions’ self-served student systems are considered unofficial and will not be considered.

Eligible applications are reviewed by an adjudication committee consisting of a broad range of tenured professors with interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary team research experience, past or present Killam laureates, Canada Research Chairs, and, as appropriate, community, enterprize or governmental leaders will review the application and evaluate the candidate based on their academic achievements and how innovative their proposed interdisciplinary research is.

Each Department sets its own internal deadline for receipt of applications; applicants must contact their Department directly for the Departmental deadline and nomination quota. Applicants are encouraged to apply early and order required transcripts as soon as possible.

GPS Nomination Deadline: the Deadline for Departments to submit nominations to GPS (via the GSMS Awards Portal) for university review and final adjudication is Wednesday, May 6, 2026. Departments are to review the 2026 Killam Grand Challenges Scholarship for Interdisciplinary Research Department Memo for complete details and instructions.