ELIGIBILITY:

Q. Can students from all disciplines apply?

Students can be studying any discipline. However, the focus of the experiential learning journey must pertain to one of the following priority areas: earth, geology, environment, water, alternative energy, climate change, sustainability, or the social impact, social sciences or design sciences concerned with earth, sustainability or environmental issues,

Q. Are international students eligible to apply?

Any student registered at a Canadian post-secondary institution, either as a domestic or international student, is eligible to apply.

Q. I have been accepted into a graduate program at a Canadian University but don’t start until later in the year, am I eligible to apply?

No. You must be registered at a Canadian University as at the closing date of the application portal for fellowship applications in the year of application.

Q. I am in the last semester of my degree and will not still be registered at a Canadian University at the time of undertaking or concluding my Experiential Learning program, can I still apply?

Yes. While the Experiential Learning Fellowship is intended to be a complementary component to your graduate program, we recognize that learning must also be life-long. It remains a requirement that your experiential learning program be seen as  clearly extending the research and learning from your degree program.

Q. I am in a Professional Masters program, can I still apply?

Yes. Students in both professional and thesis based masters programs are eligible to apply.

TIMELINE FOR EXPERIENCE:

Q. How long can my experiential learning program be?

The Hugh C. Morris Experiential Learning Fellowship is intended to support activities that will unfold at some point during the period April 15, 2022 through August 31, 2023. However, the timeline will be unique to each application.

Q. Does the fellowship travel period have to be continuous or can there be multiple trips over the course of the fellowship?

You can have your fellowship experience consist of one continuous period of travel or you can take multiple trips over the course of the fellowship period, whatever makes most sense for your learning plan and the types of entities or sites to which you are visiting.

SUPPORT LETTERS:

Q. From whom do I need to obtain a Letter of Support?

You are required to obtain a Letter of Support from all universities, industry organizations and community partners you will visit during your Experiential Learning Program.

Q. What information needs to be in a Letter of Support?

A Letter of Support must include the name of the organization and key contact individual, the reason for, and nature of, your visit or the way in which you will engage with the organization, and an indication of their support for your visit / engagement. If they are contributing financially or in-kind to your overall Experiential Learning Program, an indication of this support must also be included. Financial contributions are NOT required. The Letter of Support must either be on the letterhead of the organization or if communicated in email, must be of a formal nature with clear details of the approving partner and contact information in the signatory to the email.  In either case, each support letter must be saved as a PDF document and uploaded with your submission. Support letters may be compiled into a single PDF document for your convenience if desired. Please do not include the informal back and forth communication between yourself and your partner organization as you develop your plans for your visit.

Q. Do my partners have to contribute financially to my Experiential Learning Program?

No. However, partners are expected to provide in-kind support such as access to facilities, expert advising, meetings with key personnel, knowledge sharing, tours, etc.

BUDGET:

Q. What is the difference between Research Related Expenses and Research Related Supplies?

Research Supplies are considered to be the tangible items that are needed to carry out your research such as slides, sample boxes, small equipment, etc., whereas Research Related Expenses are expenses that would be incurred to conduct your research such as visitor fees, equipment usage fees, translation services, etc. It is more important to provide a description and rationale in your application form of the need for research expenses and supplies rather than worry about having it in the right budget line.

Q. What is the Contingency line item in the budget form and how much can it be?

A. You may include a contingency line item of no more than 10% of your total budget request. Contingencies are intended to cover unforeseen changes to your budget requirements for reasons out of your control such as a change in currency exchanges which increases the cost of an aspect of your travel. It is not intended to replace careful and thorough budget planning. Any change to your budget which has a substantive impact to the learning program itself (ie. the addition/deletion of a planned visit, opportunity to attend a conference, etc.) must be pre-approved by the Kimberley Foundation and may not be considered an item to automatically be charged simply against the contingency line item.

Q. What documentation do I need to retain regarding my expenses?

A. You must retain (and submit at the time of the midterm and final reports) an original receipt for each and every expense over $100, excluding meal receipts which are covered solely by eligible per diem calculations. In addition, for all bus, rail, air travel you must also submit your boarding pass.

A JOURNEY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19:

Q. What happens if I can’t visit a place when originally planned due to travel restrictions arising from COVID-19?

We recognize that these are difficult and challenging times and that the best plans may get postponed due to travel restrictions. We will work with Fellows to change plans as circumstances dictate.

Q. Can I engage with Desired Partners Remotely instead of Visiting in person?

We believe that there is no replacement for the immersive, cultural and contextual learning that occurs by in-situ visits and travelling.  As a consequence it remains a requirement for ELPs to contain a significant travel component.  Additional, remote engagements may also be included in some circumstances but a plan that is shaped significantly by this form of engagement will not be successful in our competition.

Q. Can I travel solely within Canada instead of internationally?

One of the goals of the Hugh Morris Experiential Learning Fellowship program is to expose fellows to a diverse range of perspectives, contexts and practices so as to share learning globally and bring learning back to Canada.  It is an expectation that all fellowships have a global dimension.

Q. Can I include quarantine costs in my budget?

No. Please see details about eligible and ineligible budget expenses provided under the “About the Fellowship” tab.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS ???

Please email Sue Roppel, President, Kimberley Foundation at [email protected] with any additional questions.