Action Canada Fellowship (Fully Funded), 2025-2026

The Action Canada Fellowship offers a transformative opportunity to explore Canada while sharpening your understanding of public policy, enhancing your leadership abilities, and forging lifelong connections with fellow emerging leaders. This program is uniquely designed to immerse you in an environment where learning, community engagement, and policy debate go hand in hand.

Every year, the Fellowship welcomes applications from a diverse array of candidates—those with varied personal and professional backgrounds who are driven to influence public policy in their communities and across Canada. The program is built on the belief that inspired leadership can create lasting change, and it provides an intensive, hands-on learning experience that challenges you to grow and think critically.

Whether you are passionate about civic engagement or keen to develop collaborative leadership skills, the Action Canada Fellowship is your gateway to impactful public service. In addition, the initiative places special emphasis on including Indigenous leaders and ensuring that a broad spectrum of perspectives is represented.

Program Details

• Host Institution(s): Action Canada Fellowship, coordinated by the National Selection Committee.
• Study Field: Public policy, leadership development, and civic engagement.
• Duration: Approximately 10 months, from late May 2025 to early March 2026.
• Number of Scholarships: Limited spots awarded annually.
• Target Group: Emerging Canadian leaders, including citizens and permanent residents from all sectors and regions, with a focus on those under 35 (no strict age cap).

Action Canada Fellowship Benefits

The Fellowship provides an all-inclusive, cost-free learning experience designed to empower you as a future public policy leader. Benefits include:

1. No participation fees – all program-related expenses such as travel, accommodation, and meals during study tours are fully covered.
2. Access to immersive study tours and virtual sessions that bring you face-to-face with thought leaders and policy experts across Canada.
3. Opportunities for hands-on projects, including task force assignments, policy report development, and media contributions such as op-eds, blogs, and podcasts.
4. A supportive network of peers and mentors dedicated to fostering leadership and innovative public policy solutions.

Action Canada Fellowship Eligibility

Candidates interested in the Action Canada Fellowship should demonstrate:

• An eagerness to learn about CanadaCanada’s public policy landscape and a strong desire to contribute to positive change.
• A record of emerging leadership, marked by civic engagement, professional achievement, or community impact.
• Curiosity, open-mindedness, and the willingness to explore diverse perspectives on complex policy issues.
• The ability to commit to an intensive, immersive experience that includes four week-long study tours, multiple virtual sessions, and an independent research project requiring 8-10 hours per week.
• For Indigenous candidates: a demonstrated commitment to elevating Indigenous perspectives in public policy, supported by our dedicated partnership with Indspire.
• Canadian citizenship or permanent residency, with no formal upper age limit, though the program primarily targets emerging leaders (typically under 35).

How to Apply for the Action Canada Fellowship

Eligible candidates who would like to apply for this North America scholarship program must follow the steps below to submit their applications:

• Online Submission: Complete and submit your written application online by the deadline. Click the “Apply” button below to begin.
• Alternate Submission: If you have limited internet access, download the PDF version of the application form, complete it, and email it along with all required documents (including your CV/Resume, letter of recommendation, and transcripts) to [email protected].
• Review and Confirmation: Ensure that you have thoroughly read the application guidelines and met all eligibility requirements before submitting your application.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the FAQ section, please contact the Action Canada team via email for further assistance.

Selection will be based on leadership potential, a demonstrated passion for public policy, and a commitment to fully engaging with all program activities. Applicants must be prepared to participate in intensive study tours, virtual sessions, group projects, and personal reflections throughout the Fellowship year. The program is structured to develop your skills as a public policy leader, and full commitment to the schedule and requirements is expected.

The deadline to submit applications for the 2025-2026 Action Canada Fellowship program is March 11, 2025. For more details on this Canada Fellowship program, please visit the university’s website. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.