Award Search

• Master's $20,000 for up to 2 years
• PhD $25,000 for up to 4 year

The applicant must be a graduate student currently registered at or applying for admission to the University of Saskatchewan. To be eligible, the applicant must:

• Be a First Nations (status or non-status), Métis, or Inuit person of Canada
• Be accepted into or registered in a College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Master’s or PhD program
• Have a minimum GPA of 75%
• Demonstrate leadership through active community engagement and/or involvement (see examples below)
• Hold the award within the first 36 months of a Master’s program or within the first 60 months of a PhD program

Leadership may include

• Band counselling or other positions
• Community involvement
• Entrepreneurial achievement
• Impactful involvement and achievement in Indigenous and non-Indigenous professional or academic programs/associations, such as sports, arts, science, business
• Internships, apprenticeships, or other experiential learning programs
• Involvement in student government or in an academic community, including committees, teams, senate, boards, ethics committees
• Leadership roles in an Indigenous community or family roles or cultural roles
• Mentoring/teaching/supervisory experience
• Organization of conferences, meetings, courses, community events
• Project management, capacity building, collaborative initiatives
• Roles in academic/professional societies
• Travel and study among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and countries

The University is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and are proud to support academic opportunities for Indigenous students. We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous students provide to strengthen these relationships. Only Indigenous candidates will be considered for this award.  Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapewin: Indigenous Truth policy and Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship with documentation is a condition of receiving this award.  

Please visit: https://indigenous.usask.ca/indigenous-initiatives/deybwewin-taapwaywin-tapwewin.php to proceed through the verification system. If you have any questions or require additional information about deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin please contact: indigenoustruthpolicy@usask.ca 

A complete application must include:

• A completed Indigenous Graduate Leadership Award online application
• A written submission (maximum one page), explaining how you meet the eligibility requirements
• An oral submission (maximum 5 minutes: audio or video), expanding on how you meet the eligibility requirements. In respect for and to honour the oral traditions of Indigenous communities, the oral submission can include, but is not limited to, drumming, dancing, singing, talking, or presenting cultural objects
• Two letters of reference (one community reference letter and one academic reference letter)
• A one-page summary of your contributions to research and/or scholarly work
• Photocopies of official transcripts from all universities attended (unofficial transcripts from the University of Saskatchewan will be accepted)

Membership in an Indigenous community will be verified through the procedures of the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy.

All written submissions must follow the formatting requirements below:

• Maximum of one page in length, no larger than 8 ½” x 11”
• All text must be in 12 pt. Times New Roman font (condensed fonts will not be accepted)
• Margins must be set at a maximum of 1”

Reference letters can be submitted confidentially by email to gradstudies.awards@usask.ca. All written submissions must follow the guidelines as outlined in the application package.

Incomplete application packages will not be accepted or considered

The oral submission must be formatted as an mp4 (video submission) or as an mp3 (audio submission) and can be submitted as a YouTube link on the application. You can also contact us at gradstudies.awards@usask.ca and we will provide you with a link to a secure document-sharing website.

If you have any questions, contact us at gradstudies.awards@usask.ca.