The Canadian Oil Sands Network for Research and Development Scholarship recognizes the accomplishments of students in their final year of study at the undergraduate and graduate level and who are involved in projects that show commercial potential and/or relevance.

This scholarship is funded through the Alberta Heritage Scholarship Fund.

Value

Two scholarships of $5,000 each are available.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

  • be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident of Canada or Protected Person under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, (Visa students are not eligible).
  • be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
    • one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
    • Alberta is the last place the student has lived for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
    • the student’s spouse/partner is an Alberta resident.
  • be attending a post-secondary institution in Alberta.
  • be currently enrolled full-time in their final year of study in a diploma, undergraduate degree, or graduate level program at a post-secondary institution in Alberta.
  • be enrolled in a program of study relevant to oil sands technology development from mine or reservoir to tailings and remediation such as but not limited to Natural or Biological Sciences and Engineering.
  • achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 grade point scale.

How to Apply

Applicants must submit to Alberta Student Aid:

  • a completed application form
  • an official post-secondary transcript

Your transcript(s) must have an official signature or seal indicating that the transcript paper is issued by your school/institution. Photocopies and/or faxed copies are not accepted. Post-secondary students must contact their school to request their official transcripts.

You must also submit the following supporting documentation:

  • a one page summary of the project and its commercial potential
  • a letter of support from at least one supervising professor or instructor, and if applicable a supporting letter by a sponsoring company

Apply online

All students must have a verified account to access the Alberta Student Aid system. For help creating your account, see Create your Student Aid Account and check out the step-by-step instructions and video.

Your personal data also stays better protected with 2-Step Verification in place on your provincial government Alberta.ca Account. Learn more at Alberta.ca Account Security.

Keep access to your account information:
Student Aid recommends you use your personal email address, rather than your school email address, to create and verify your Alberta Student Aid account.

Apply with a paper application

Deadline

Apply for this scholarship between August 1 and October 31.

The scholarship will be issued after Alberta Student Aid confirms the recipient’s full-time enrolment at a post-secondary institution.

Selection Process

Alberta Student Aid will review transcripts and applications and determine which students have developed and are working on technologies, innovations or processes with the highest probability of being commercially deployed within a reasonable time frame.

Other Resources

Many other scholarships and awards are offered by other organizations – we encourage you to visit Alberta’s public university and college websites to research the scholarships they offer.

For more information, see Alberta post-secondary institutions.