StudyDesk Scholarships
About the scholarship
The Canadian International Development Scholarships 2030 (BCDI 2030) is a Canadian government programme designed to use higher education as a lever for development. It is funded by Global Affairs Canada and co-administered by Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) and Universities Canada (UnivCan) — the two national bodies representing Canadian colleges and universities. The programme supports students, researchers and professionals from 26 eligible partner countries across Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and small island states, funding study and training at Canadian institutions in fields tied to sustainable development: STEM, health sciences, agriculture and food security, climate action, governance, education and more.
The defining feature of BCDI 2030 is that it has no central application. Canadian institutions design projects with partners in eligible countries, each approved project publishes its own call, and candidates are nominated by their institutions. Around 600 scholars will benefit over the programme’s life, with at least 51% of awards reserved for women. Application fees do not exist anywhere in the process — any request for payment is a sign of fraud.
Eligibility
- Nationality: be a citizen of one of the 26 eligible partner countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia).
- Institutional affiliation: be affiliated — as a student, teaching/research staff or administrator — with a higher-education institution that is eligible for, or part of, an approved BCDI 2030 project; candidates can also be recruited externally through a project’s own selection.
- Intent to return: your primary objective must be to study or train in Canada and then return to your home country — the programme is explicitly about building change-makers at home, not immigration.
- Clean slate with Canadian funding: you must not have previously participated in a Canadian-government-funded scholarship programme, must not already be enrolled at a Canadian higher-education institution, and must never have applied for Canadian permanent residence or citizenship.
- Project-specific rules: eligible levels, fields and academic requirements vary by individual project — always check the specific call.
Benefits
- Full tuition fees for the duration of the programme at the participating Canadian institution.
- Monthly living allowance covering accommodation, meals and daily expenses.
- Round-trip economy airfare between your home country and Canada.
- Health insurance for the duration of the stay, plus immigration and medical-examination fees.
- Study costs: mandatory books, installation and clothing allowances, and local transportation.
- Access to labs, libraries, mentorship and professional-development activities, depending on the project.
Documents required
No program-wide document list is published — “not published in the official notification”. Each project call publishes its own requirements. Trackers consistently report that candidates should have recommendation letters, proof of achievements or project work, and academic records ready; English test requirements vary by project (several calls do not require IELTS).
How to apply
- Find an active project: check the official BCDI 2030 project listings and the announcements at universities in your country — for example, the University of Limpopo’s call for a January 2027 research stay at Toronto Metropolitan University.
- Contact your institution: apply through your home or the partner university running the project, following that call’s own process and deadlines.
- Prepare a strong file: academic record, recommendation letters, evidence of community involvement or development work — selection weighs academic merit and project relevance.
- Selection and nomination: your institution’s selection committee nominates candidates, reviewed jointly with the Canadian partner. There is no fee at any stage.
FAQs
No. There is no single program-wide application deadline or timezone. Each approved scholarship project sets its own application period and deadline, so you must watch the individual project calls.
No. Students do not apply centrally — you apply through the home or partner institution that is running an approved BCDI 2030 project, and institutions nominate their selected candidates.
Not necessarily. Language requirements vary by project, and several published calls do not require IELTS. Check the specific project call rather than assuming a test is mandatory.
No. There is no application fee, and candidates are never asked to pay to apply, receive the scholarship, or access support. Payment requests are a fraud signal.
26 partner countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, DR Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo and Tunisia.
Verified 17 Oct 2026 via McMaster University’s official Global page (funded by Global Affairs Canada; co-administered by CICan and Universities Canada; 2026 Egypt partnership call deadline 30 Oct 2026), University of Limpopo’s official BCDI 2030 research-stay call (funded, benefits list), and 9scholarships/edugist/scholarshipwire trackers (26-country list, ~600 scholars with ≥51% women, no single program-wide deadline, affiliation and return-home rules). Document lists are project-specific and not stated program-wide.
