Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP)

The Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program (ELAP) scholarships provide undergraduate and graduate students from institutions located in Latin America and the Caribbean with scholarship opportunities for short-term research or course-oriented exchanges at Brandon University.

ELAP Student Exchange

Interested students wishing to participate in a student exchange at Brandon University (Fall or Winter terms) must contact the study exchange coordinator/representative at their home institution to facilitate the application process. All applications must be submitted by the dates below for consideration. For questions, please contact international@brandonu.ca

Brandon University Online Application for Admission – Due March 20th, 2026
- Under “Application Details,” select: “A visiting student planning to take courses on a Letter of Permission.”
ELAP Student Exchange Application – Due March 20th, 2026
MOU (required) – An active MOU is required to participate in the student exchange. Please email the MOU between your institution and Brandon University to elap-study@brandonu.ca – Deadline March 13th, 2026

ELAP Student Research

Interested faculty and eligible candidates wishing to conduct research at Brandon University are encouraged to determine a mutually agreeable program of potential research interest before completing an application. Students interested in coming to BU as researchers must contact and secure a Brandon University faculty member who will act as their host and supervisor. All applications must be submitted to ELAP-Research@BrandonU.ca by March 6th, 2026. For questions, please contact international@brandonu.ca

ELAP Student Research Application

NOTE: all application submissions are final. Please ensure to review and confirm details and documents provided in the application are correct and accurate. No changes to the application will be permitted after official submission. *UPDATED* For the 2026-2027 competition year only, the deadline to receive proof of English proficiency documents for the Research stream has been extended to March 23, 2026.

Scholarship Requirements and Additional Information:

must engage in full-time professional development, studies, or research as defined by Brandon University;
must apply and be accepted to Brandon University as either an undergraduate or graduate student after receiving notification of scholarship approval;
must show proficiency in English:
- Provide evidence of meeting BU’s English Language Proficiency requirement: https://www.brandonu.ca/future-students/apply/english-proficiency-requirements/.
- Evidence must be submitted to the Office of International Activities by the application deadline.
must live in residence at Brandon University for the duration of their scholarship (exception faculty);
may not hold any other scholarship granted by the Government of Canada;
must arrive in Canada for the uptake of their award between June 1, 2026 but no later than February 1, 2027.
must ensure that they have appropriate health insurance for the full duration of the scholarship, as per the policies of Brandon University.
must focus primarily on full-time professional development, studies, or research during their stay in Canada.
The scholarship funds will be used exclusively to defray costs such as roundtrip travel to Canada via the most cost effective and direct route, visa expenses, living expenses in Canada (e.g. accommodation, health insurance, food, transportation and other expenses) as well as educational materials such as books, supplies not including computers and other equipment.
Recipients will be expected to pay for all travel to Canada, including round-trip flights, hotels, and other forms of transportation prior to arrival. Recipients should hold on to all receipts and submit to the Office of International Activities to be reimbursed. Any over expenditures will not be covered beyond the value of the scholarship. Additionally, for students, tuition will be waived for the term of your study.
- Please note: The scholarship is not intended to cover all of your costs while on exchange at Brandon University. Please ensure you bring at least $2000 Canadian Dollars to help offset any out of pocket expenses you might incur.

For undergraduate and graduate applications where the student intends to take courses at Brandon University, a student exchange agreement or memorandum of understanding between Brandon University and the candidate’s home institution must be in place at the time of application.
For undergraduate and graduate applications involving a research placement, an inter-institutional agreement is not mandatory.
Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable.
Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously received a scholarship under the Canada-CARICOM Leadership Scholarships Program, the Canada-CARICOM Faculty Leadership Program, the Canada-Chile Leadership Exchange Scholarship, or the Emerging Leaders in the Americas Program.
Scholarships are not taxable for either Brandon University or the scholarship recipient.
The Office of International Activities is responsible for ensuring that participating ELAP students have a positive interaction at Brandon University during their exchange by providing ongoing support. We encourage ELAP students to reach out to the OIA for any issues related to their overall student experience at Brandon University.

Deadline for Application

Deadline for Student Exchange Application: March 20, 2026

Deadline for Student Research Application: March 6, 2026

Funding Available

The scholarship value varies depending on the duration and level of study.
The funding amounts for ELAP scholarships are:
- $8,600 for 4 months or one academic term for study or research at the undergraduate level;
- $8,600 for 4 months or one academic term for study or research at the graduate level; or
- $12,400 for 5 to 6 months for study or research at the graduate level.