Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships for Canadians – Proposal assessment criteria

On this page

• Section 1.0 – Project level information
  • Section 1.1 – Project description
  • Section 1.2 – Accountability and Management Framework
  • Section 1.3 – Project-level risks and mitigation strategies
  • Section 1.4 – Implementation of the project
  • Section 1.5 – IPSFC Logic model
  • Section 1.6 – Environmental sustainability
• Section 2.0 – Relevant applicant experience and capacity to deliver the project
  • Section 2.1 – Indo-Pacific experience
  • Section 2.2 – Financial management
  • Section 2.3 – Current or past project example

Section 1.0 – Project level information

Section 1.1 – Project description

Describe your proposed project in detail. Please elaborate on the number and value of scholarships and/or fellowships you anticipate awarding by year, as well as the duration of the awards. Describe how this project demonstrates good value for money. Include details on the anticipated host country, and regional contexts. Describe the areas of study or research that targeted populations of Canadian graduate students, academics and researchers are undertaking. Additionally, describe the steps your organization has taken, such as consultations with stakeholders, groups, and institutions in the planning and designing of the project. Indicate how your proposed project is not a duplication of existing initiatives.

Assessment criteria

• The project description is aligned to the activity category;
• The project is fully explained, clear, realistic and logical;
• The project’s number and value of scholarships and/or fellowships are reasonable within the context of the proposed project;
• The proposal demonstrates good value for money;
• The project’s anticipated host destinations are logical for the described initiative, and are appropriate given the national, regional and local context;
• The project’s target population of students, academics and researchers are well defined, and links logically given the project’s stated objectives, outcomes and activities.
• The applicant has undertaken some form of consultation or study in the project's design, which is fully described/explained and informs the project design;
• The proposed project is not a duplication of existing initiatives.

Section 1.2 – Accountability and Management Framework

Describe, in detail, the proposed process for the selection of awardees. Indicate how you propose to intake applications, evaluate them, and select successful graduate students, academics, and researchers and how that process will implement clear, transparent and open decision making. How will you ensure that the area of study/research of the awardees is in support of the Strategic Objectives of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy? Additionally, please describe how you intend to integrate Gender Based Analysis Plus (GBA+) into this process and how you will ensure diversity of awardees based on gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and /or sexuality.

Assessment criteria

• The selection process clearly explains each step from application to selection of awardees.
• The proposed process is logical for the proposed project objectives and draws on sufficient expertise in content (topics, regional) to determine awardees.
• The selection process integrates clear, transparent and open decision-making.
• The proposed selection process adequately integrates the Strategic Objectives of the Indo-Pacific Strategy into the areas of study/research.
• The process sufficiently integrates GBA+ and takes reasonable efforts to ensure diversity in awardees.

Section 1.3 – Project-level risks and mitigation strategies

Describe the key risks and associated mitigation strategies. These should be the greatest risks in terms of likelihood and potential impact on the achievement of results. A risk is a possible event that, depending on its management, can have either a negative or a positive effect on the achievement of results.

Assessment criteria

• There’s a clear description of risks that could have the greatest impact on the achievement of project outcomes;
• The proposed response measures are comprehensive, appropriate, and well designed to reduce the impact and/or likelihood of the identified risks;
• The proposed response measures are financially and technically feasible.

Section 1.4 – Implementation of the project 

• Outline your project plan, including the following details:
• List and describe the scholarship cycle your project proposes. Identify all events and activities including timelines (promotion and launches, application, selection process, disbursement, reporting, review)
• Describe how your organization will manage the award disbursements to Canadian graduate students, academics and researchers, on what timeline and how you will collect data for reporting?
• Describe how your organization will monitor and manage the project, including finances, personnel, and performance.
• Describe the project team’s organizational structure with key roles and responsibilities.

Assessment criteria

• Project plan is realistic and well described;
• The project’s scholarships/fellowships management cycle and timelines are clear, realistic and logical;
• The project’s management of the awards disbursement is clear, realistic and logical;
• There’s a strong monitoring plan for finances, personnel and performance;
• The project team is well developed and has the capacity to deliver on the proposed project.

Section 1.5 – IPSFC Logic model

Describe how the project contributes to the immediate and intermediate outcomes of the IPSFC logic model. You must Include the indicators you will use to measure the project’s performance to achieve these outcomes. For every indicator you provide, be sure to specify the data collection method and frequency. For projects that combine scholarships and fellowships initiatives, you must provide indicators for both immediate and intermediate outcomes. For projects that are only scholarships or only fellowships, you only must respond to the intermediate and immediate outcome which are aligned with your project. Please refer to Results-Based Management: A how to guide. (Note – the guide is targeted to International Assistance projects but the principles can be applied to this program).

• Identify at least one indicator (including data collection tool and frequency) for the ultimate outcome “Enhanced presence of the Canadian academic sector stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific Region and how will this project contribute to it.”
• Identify at least one indicator (including data collection tool and frequency) for the intermediate outcomes “Build competencies among Canadian academics and students in areas relevant to the Indo-Pacific Strategy” AND/OR “Increased linkages between Canadian researchers and graduate students with their Indo-Pacific counterparts, within the Indo-Pacific region”
• Identify at least one indicator (including data collection tool and frequency) for immediate outcomes “Increased graduate students' capacity through academic experience in the Indo-Pacific region” AND/OR “Increased academia and researchers' capacity through research activities in themes of interest to Canada in the Indo-Pacific region”
• Indicate the outputs and activities that your project will produce in relation to the immediate outcomes related to the intermediate outcome(s) of your project. You may identify as many outputs and activities as necessary.
  • Output
  • Activities

Assessment criteria

• The proposal identifies at least one indicator for the ultimate outcome, including data collection tool and frequency. The indicator is logical for the outcome;
• The proposal identifies at least one indicator for one or both intermediate outcomes (depending on project category), including data collection tool and frequency. The indicator(s) are logical for the outcomes;
• The proposal identifies at least one indicator for one or both immediate outcomes (depending on project category), including data collection tool and frequency. The indicator(s) are logical for the outcomes;
• The proposal identifies outputs and activities related to the immediate outcome(s). The outputs and activities are logical to achieve the outcomes identified.

Section 1.6 – Environmental sustainability

How does the proposed project address the environmental implication of planned activities? Please describe how the project integrates international best practices on environmental sustainability and minimizing carbon outputs.

Assessment criteria

• The proposal identifies any environmental implications that are a direct result of project activities;
• The proposal integrates environmental best practices and realistic steps have been taken to lower carbon output.

2.0 Relevant applicant experience and capacity to deliver the project

Section 2.1 – Indo-Pacific experience

Describe your organization’s current and/or planned research streams and program curricula relating to the Indo-Pacific. Describe the level of involvement of your organization in the region and how you will leverage your existing networks and/or develop new ones through the proposed project. Explain how your organization anticipates that this project will benefit your organization’s visibility in and expertise on the Indo-Pacific region.

Assessment criteria

• The proposal demonstrates that the applicant has strong current and/or planned research streams and program curricula relating to the Indo-Pacific.
• The proposal demonstrates that the applicant has strong existing engagement/partnership in the region, and that the project will leverage existing networks and/or develop new ones.
• The proposal explains clearly how the project will benefit the organization’s visibility in and expertise on the Indo-Pacific region.

Section 2.2– Financial management

Describe your organization’s financial management structure and practices, highlighting relevant senior positions involved in financial management (for example: Chief Financial Officer) and the financial management system your organization uses. Does your organization make annual financial statements publicly available?

Assessment criteria

• The organization has strong financial management practices, with appropriate oversight from senior financial managers;
• The organization uses a recognized financial system;
• The organization has a dedicated financial function;
• The organization publishes annual financial statements.

Section 2.3 – Current or past project example

Complete this table for the project example. Examples may be from a project that started from 2018 to present. Use a relevant example which demonstrates your organization’s capacity to deliver a scholarship/fellowship project. Projects do not have to have been funded by GAC or to have been publicly funded.

Description of the project must include:

• Relevance of the example to the proposed project (i.e. location, outcomes results, recipient, etc.);
• Key risks managed and response measures employed;
• Lessons learned and course corrections adopted;
• Project administration including financial management;
• Actual results and outcomes.

Assessment criteria

• The described project example demonstrates experience and capacity to successfully deliver a scholarship and/or fellowship project;
• The project example demonstrates actual achieved results, strong project administration, including risk management, and an integration of lessons learned.