Government creates $125-million endowment in Trudeau’s honour

The Liberal administration has unveiled a major new research initiative with the ink barely dry on its new innovation strategy. The government has allocated $125 million to create the Advanced Research in the Humanities and Human Sciences Fund.

The endowment will be administered by the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation in honour of the late former prime minister. The Fund makes good on an innovation strategy recommendation to create a world class fellowship on “of the same prestige and scope as the Rhodes Scholarship”.

With a focus on issues of social and public policy facing Canadian society, the Foundation will provide up to 25 doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships annually, at a value of $50,000 per year for four years and include a stipend of $35,000 and an allowance of $15,000 for tuition, fees and travel expenses.

In addition, it will make five awards annually worth $50,000 a year to scholars at Canadian universities who are internationally recognized for their work in the humanities and human sciences.They will also receive a $25,000 annually for travel. Finally, up to 15 mentors will be appointed in any one year to provide counsel, advice and reflection to the fellowship winners, receiving a retainer of $20,000 a year plus $15,000 for travel expenses.

The Foundation will ensure that 75% of fellowships go to eligible Canadian citizens, with the balance going to international students studying “in fields relevant to the future of Canada”.

A high-profile, 15-member board of directors has been created to oversee the Foundation’s work. It includes ex-premiers and ex-Cabinet ministers of all political stripes, university and research institute presidents, influential business executives and Dr Marc Renaud, president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

The Foundation will report annually to the minister of Industry, providing detail on investment decisions, the number of applications or nominations for funding, actual funding activities and financial statements.

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