• Be a First Nations (status or non-status), Métis, or Inuit person of Canada
• Provide proof of Indigenous identity, including but not limited to, a Certificate of Indian Status or proof of registration, Métis card, letter from their community, letter from an Elder
• Be accepted into or registered in a College of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Master’s or PhD program
• Have a minimum GPA of 75%
• Demonstrate leadership through active community engagement and/or involvement (see examples below)
• Hold the award within the first 36 months of a Master’s program or within the first 60 months of a PhD program

• Band counselling or other positions
• Community involvement
• Entrepreneurial achievement
• Impactful involvement and achievement in Indigenous and non-Indigenous professional or academic programs/associations, such as sports, arts, science, business
• Internships, apprenticeships, or other experiential learning programs
• Involvement in student government or in an academic community, including committees, teams, senate, boards, ethics committees
• Leadership roles in an Indigenous community or family roles or cultural roles
• Mentoring/teaching/supervisory experience
• Organization of conferences, meetings, courses, community events
• Project management, capacity building, collaborative initiatives
• Roles in academic/professional societies
• Travel and study among Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities and countries

• Leadership: this could be in any community, such as Aboriginal, academic
• Grade point average
• Research Productivity

A complete application must include:

• A completed Indigenous Graduate Leadership Award online application
• A written submission (maximum one page), explaining how you meet the eligibility requirements
• An oral submission (maximum 5 minutes: audio or video), expanding on how you meet the eligibility requirements. In respect for and to honour the oral traditions of Indigenous communities, the oral submission can include, but is not limited to, drumming, dancing, singing, talking, or presenting cultural objects
• Proof of Indigenous identity, including but not limited to, a Certificate of Indian Status or proof of registration, a Métis card, a letter from community, a letter from an Elder
• Two letters of reference (one community reference letter and one academic reference letter)
• A one-page summary of your contributions to research and/or scholarly work
• Official transcripts, except for the University of Saskatchewan

All written submissions must follow the formatting requirements below:

• Maximum of one page in length, no larger than 8 ½” x 11”
• All text must be in 12 pt. Times New Roman font (condensed fonts will not be accepted)
• Margins must be set at a minimum of 1”

Reference letters can be submitted confidentially by email to gradstudies.awards@usask.ca or provided to the applicant in a sealed envelope signed across the flap. All written submissions must follow the guidelines as outlined in the application package.

Incomplete application packages will not be accepted or considered.

The oral submission must be formatted as an mp4 (video submission) or as an mp3 (audio submission) and can be submitted either as a YouTube link or on a USB drive brought to our office in Room 112 in the Thorvaldson Building.

If you have any questions, contact us at gradstudies.awards@usask.ca.