CFGR Robert Bertram Doctoral Research Awards for International Students in Canada

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Applications are now accepted for the Bertram 2020 scholarship

Deadline for applying: May 28, 2020

In order to highlight the growing importance of good governance for all Canadian organizations, the Canadian Governance Research Foundation (CGF) is offering one-year Bertram scholarships worth $ 15,000 to doctoral students enrolled in Canadian universities. The scholarship is used to support the work of students who do research on governance as part of their doctoral research projects.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the doctoral research project must relate to a subject directly related to governance, such as:

• The importance of effective advice to promote good decision-making and better functioning of Canadian organizations;
• Governance issues of particular interest to Canadian boards of public, private, government and not-for-profit organizations
• The role of organizational governance to achieve positive impacts on society
• Best practices in governance from a Canadian perspective

The following are examples of appropriate topics which are by no means an exhaustive list:

• Role of counsel in a force majeure situation (eg, pandemic, financial crisis)
• Diversity beyond gender
• Monitoring of corporate culture
• Cybersecurity, IT governance, data governance and confidentiality
• The role of consulting in innovation
• Council’s understanding of political risk
• Role of the council in defining public policies

To apply for the Bertram scholarship, provide the following documents before  May 28, 2020  :

1. Please complete  the form
2. A one page summary of your doctoral research project highlighting its application in the pursuit of good governance. Your abstract should clearly indicate the link between your research and the development of knowledge about organizational governance.
3. A sample of your academic writings (not necessarily on governance)
4. A letter of appreciation signed by your thesis director (who must himself be a researcher and a member of the faculty of a recognized Canadian university) attesting to the overall quality of your doctoral work (the letter can be sent directly to the FCGR by the thesis director)
5. A letter of recommendation from another professor (the letter can be sent directly to the FCGR by the professor)
6. A curriculum vitae detailing your university career, your publications, your scholarships and awards and your teaching positions
7. A short biography (approximately 100 words) and a short description of the research (approximately 100 words).
8. A letter signed by a recognized authority within the scholarship and awards service of your university signifying their consent to manage the scholarship on behalf of the FCRG. For the management of the scholarship, we ask the university to:
   • Check that the student is currently enrolled at the university
   • Check that funds from the CGF have been received by the university and paid to the student
   • Notify the FCRG of any student leave request

Please note that your name must appear in the body of all documents (not just in the file name). Please use 8 1/2 x 11 paper format and a PDF file format.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Bertram scholarship, you must be registered in September 2020 as a full-time student at a recognized Canadian university. You must be in doctoral studies and have completed at least one year of your program. In addition, your study program must include independent and original research work that leads to the completion of a thesis or the publication of an important article in a specialized journal. You must not have completed more than the number of years of doctoral studies authorized according to the prescriptions of your university or have already received a Robert Bertram doctoral research grant or a Bertram grant.

Fellows

Scholarship recipients may use the designation “Bertram Scholarship” to signify that they are holders of the Bertram Research Fellowship.

In return for the $ 15,000 scholarship, the recipients must submit a  dissertation (1000 words maximum) describing their doctoral research project  written in simple, non-technical language accessible to the layperson. The dissertation must be completed before January 22, 2021 and highlight how doctoral research relates to the governance of companies or other organizations and how it may be relevant to Canadian directors.

Reasonable research dissemination activities may be required on the part of scholarship recipients, such as the presentation of research results to the CGFF board or at  the annual National Congress of the Institute of Corporate Directors  or at local events, writing an article for  the IAS Director Journal or any other activity requested by the board or management of the FCRG. The medjouel.com team informs you that the normal travel costs relating to activities to disseminate the research of the FCRG will be reimbursed.

Language preference

Applicants can submit their proposal and the required documents in French or English.

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be evaluated by the CGF leadership team based on their content and relevance to research on governance in Canada. The final decision will be made by  the FCRG board of directors .

Announcement of results

The recipients of the Bertram 2020 scholarships will be announced in July 2020. The FCRG will award the scholarships to qualified recipients in September 2020.

Submission

Scholarship requests can be sent electronically to  cfgr@icd.ca  (due to the current situation, only electronic submissions are accepted)

Additional information

For further information about the Bertram scholarship program, please contact:

Executive Director
Canadian Governance Research Foundation
cfgr@icd.ca

Faq

1. 1. Can requests be submitted electronically?

Due to the current situation, only electronic submissions are accepted.

1. 1. Can letters of recommendation be sent separately or necessarily with the application package?

Letters can be sent separately. The name of the candidate must be entered in the Subject section of the email to facilitate the administration of the file.

1. 1. Is there a required resume format?

All resumes in professional formats are acceptable.

1. 1. Is there a length required for university writing samples?

No, there is no limit or minimum required for samples of academic writing. However, we encourage students to submit samples of academic writing that illustrate their ability to communicate their research projects to the general public.

1. 1. Can we attach a list of sources to the summary of a page of our research project?

Yes.

1. 1. Can we present co-authored works as samples of university writings?

No. University writing samples must illustrate the candidate’s written communication skills, so only papers written by the candidate will be considered.