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International Policy Ideas Challenge 2025 - Call for proposals

Global Affairs Canada (GAC), in collaboration with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), is pleased to announce the eighth edition of the International Policy Ideas Challenge. The objective of the program is to draw on the network of talented Canadian graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-career civil society researchers to identify concrete, innovative solutions to emerging international policy challenges faced by Canada.

The program offers applicants a chance to test their skills at translating academic expertise into policy language and insights. Applicants are invited to submit brief proposals. GAC will select between 5 and 10 winning proposals and provide coaching/mentoring to researchers as part of further developing their proposals into full policy briefs. Winners will present their briefs to Government of Canada officials as part of the virtual Ideas Symposium, taking place in late 2025.

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Eligibility

The International Policy Ideas Challenge invites applications from current graduate students (Master’s or PhD level) and post-doctoral fellows at a recognized Canadian post-secondary educational institution. 

Researchers affiliated with a Canadian non-profit organization (example, a non-governmental organization or a think tank) who are within 6 years of graduation from a graduate program at a recognized post-secondary institution will also be considered.

Applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.

Indeterminate and term employees of the Government of Canada are not eligible to apply. Additionally, employees of GAC, including students and casuals, are not eligible to apply.

Team applications, with a maximum of 3 members, are permitted; however, a lead researcher must be identified. A team application that includes collaborators from other universities is permitted. In the case of a team application, all members are expected to meet the above requirements.

Financial award

Between 5 and 10 awards will be granted. For each winning proposal, $4,000 will be provided to the lead (or sole) researcher upon submission of the final brief and formal presentation to GAC and SSHRC.

Coaching

In addition to the financial award, all winners will receive mandatory coaching/mentoring as a team on their research, policy analysis and presentation skills. The coaching/mentoring will include group and one-on-one sessions for which each winner will be paired with a subject-matter expert. Instruction will be provided in the official language of the application, and all sessions will be delivered online.

By the end of the program, winners will have a deeper understanding of GAC, SSHRC and Canada’s international policies relevant to their areas of specialization. During the program, winners will also learn how to prepare a policy brief, develop policy recommendations and present their ideas in a compelling manner.

Winners are expected to fully participate in all 4 coaching/mentoring sessions. These will be delivered online during spring and summer 2025:

  1. A 2-day group session on Global Affairs Canada and Canadian foreign policy 101.
  2. A 1- to 2-hour one-on-one coaching/mentoring session with a coach/mentor with relevant subject-matter expertise to discuss policy brief content and potential recommendations
  3. A 1- to 2-hour follow-up coaching/mentoring session with a coach/mentor to discuss the completed draft policy brief
  4. A half-day group session to practice presentations

Winners will also receive a course package with key readings. The package will include guidelines on writing a persuasive policy brief and delivering an effective presentation.

Themes

Canada will host the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15-17, 2025, marking half a century of the G7. This year’s International Policy Ideas Challenge, coinciding with Canada’s G7 presidency, presents a unique opportunity to introduce fresh perspectives and actionable strategies that will shape Canada’s role on the global stage. 

As the G7 agenda and priorities continue to take shape, proposals should explore Canada’s role in tackling pressing global challenges, emphasizing innovative, collaborative solutions and how Canada’s membership in the G7 can advance these issues.

Submissions may focus on areas such as foreign policy, international security, development, or trade. Proposals that take an integrated and crosscutting approach, linking foreign policy, trade, and development considerations, will receive greater value.

To strengthen their proposals, applicants are encouraged to:

Below, we have included examples of potential themes to help guide proposal development. These topics reflect issues that have appeared in recent G7 agendas at both the leaders’ and ministers’ levels, and are by no means comprehensive:

1. Economic Security and Prosperity

2. Climate Change and Energy Security

3. Transformative Digital Technology

4. Transnational Threats

Proposal requirements

Proposals should demonstrate your ability to present ideas clearly and succinctly. Challenge winners will be required to outline how they gathered relevant evidence and conducted a rigorous analysis to develop their policy recommendations in the final policy brief.

Proposals should:

Note:

Guidance on the use and disclosure of generative AI in the preparation of proposals

Proposals must be the original work of the applicant. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that information included in their proposals is accurate and complete and that all sources are appropriately acknowledged and referenced, including AI-generated content*. Applicants must state if and how AI has been used in the development of their application. Submissions, as well as the final policy briefs, may be subject to review using AI detection software to ensure compliance. Submissions and policy briefs that rely excessively on AI, failing to meet the originality requirement, will be disqualified. 

* AI-generated content refers to text or other materials produced by AI tools, such as large language models or automated writing software.

To Apply

To apply, please send the following items as PDF file attachments to IPIC-CIPI.POR@international.gc.ca.

Only complete applications will be assessed. Proposals will be evaluated by a selection committee on a combination of quality, relevance, feasibility, and originality of the idea, as well as the capability and qualifications of the individual(s) to carry the idea to research and policy brief phases.

Only successful applicants will be contacted. The names of the winners will be announced on the GAC website.

If you have other questions about this call, please send them to IPIC-CIPI.POR@international.gc.ca. Please note however that GAC cannot provide personalized advice to applicants on their individual situations or the relevance of their research to the themes of the competition. We are only able to offer general clarification of the information contained in the call for proposals.

Process and timeline

DescriptionDate
Call for proposals launchMarch 10, 2025
Application deadlineApril 7, 2025
Assessment of applicationsApril - May 2025
Selection of the 5 to 10 winning entriesMay 2025
GAC and SSHRC announce winnersMay 2025
Four coaching/mentoring sessions (roughly 3 days in total; see “Coaching/mentoring,” above)June-September 2025
Policy briefs dueLate Summer-Early Fall 2025
Virtual Ideas Symposium to present final research products to Government of Canada officials at GACSeptember or October 2025

Partnership

Global Affairs Canada is pleased to acknowledge the partnership of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in this initiative.

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