Funding, News and Announcements

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has issued a call for proposals from organizations for its International Youth Internship Program (IYIP).  The IYIP is an employment program for Canadian post-secondary graduates aged 19-30, who are un- or underemployed.  It offers graduates the opportunity to gain international development work experience as part of the Government of Canada's Youth Employment Strategy.  Universities, NGOs and other organizations can submit institutional proposals for a program of specific individual internship positions, to be hosted by partner organizations in developing countries.

As in previous years, International Research and Development (IR&D) in Dalhousie Research Services will coordinate Dalhousie’s IYIP proposal (as GAC will only accept one proposal per organization).  Parameters of this program are as follows:

• The proposed length of Dalhousie’s initiative will be four years (the maximum allowable). For each year of the initiative, a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40 individual internship placements may be proposed.
  
• Placements are expected to be 6.5 to 7 months in duration (subject to a maximum of 12 months). Each intern must spend a minimum of 6 months in-country. Also, at least two interns must be sent at any given time to each host organization or locality.
  
• Interns must be placed in a developing country, eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA). Note, however, that China, India and Brazil are excluded for the purposes of this call.
  
• GAC  will fund each internship placement to a maximum of $16,000 in direct costs, plus an additional 12% for overhead. Each applicant must contribute at least 5% of total direct costs over the life of the project, in-cash and/or in-kind.
  
• The activities of interns in-country must be aligned with at least one of DFATD's five priorities for international assistance: increasing food security, securing the future of children and youth, stimulating sustainable economic growth, advancing democracy, and ensuring security and stability.        

This internship program provides an opportunity for recent graduates, or students about to complete degrees, to gain hands-on overseas work experience, and can enable our international partners to benefit from educated, motivated labour.

Full details of this call are available on the GAC website.

The deadline for submission of Dalhousie’s institutional application is 7 February 2017.

Any Dalhousie faculty or unit with international partners, who would be interested in serving as potential hosts for Canadian interns, may find this opportunity to be of interest.  If so, please contact the International Research Facilitator (jennifer.morawiecki@dal.ca), to signal your interest as soon as possible, and no later than Friday 25 November.