Laidlaw Leadership and Research Program
“The purpose of the scholarships is to encourage and develop future leaders in any field of activity. Looking around the world’s business and political leaders I can’t recall a time when better leaders were more urgently needed.” – Lord Laidlaw
The Laidlaw Scholars Undergraduate Leadership and Research Programme, also known as the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, provides students with funding to pursue research in any area of interest at U of T, or anywhere in the world. It aims to develop a new generation of leaders who are skilled researchers and believe it is a moral imperative to lead with integrity. The program invests in talented and motivated undergraduate students, giving them the knowledge, skills, and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders. To date, more than one thousand passionate change-makers have completed the program all over the world.
The Laidlaw Scholars Programme funds up to 25 academically strong and motivated undergraduate students per cycle and provides 16 months of programming that begins in the winter term of your first scholarship award year and ends in the fall term of your second scholarship award year.
During the first summer of the program, scholars will focus on an Independent Research project, and during the second summer, they will participate in a “Leadership-in-Action (LiA)” project that builds upon leadership skills they develop throughout the program. During the Leadership Development component of the program, scholars will receive bespoke leadership training during the semesters leading up to the second summer, as well as during the months of their summer research.
Please note that it is also expected that all students have one global/overseas experience for 5 weeks minimally at some stage during the program.
Benefits of Becoming a Laidlaw Scholar
Students who are selected to participate in the program will:
- Conduct a research project of your choice under the supervision of a leading academic while receiving mentoring and developing your academic potential;
- Receive bespoke leadership development training to become a next-generation leader;
- Explore potential meaningful career options while developing transferrable skills, building confidence, and expanding breadth of knowledge;
- Grow as a leader in a real-world setting with the Leadership-in-Action project while working with communities for shared progress and long-term impact;
- Complete an international experience, be it through your research or the Leadership-in-Action experience;
- Develop your character and master the arts of ethical leadership with a certification from Oxford University;
- Connect with extraordinary peers from world-leading universities; and
- Receive generous funding for all of the above!
The history
Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay used his vision and commitment to create this program, which is now offered at 19 universities around the world. The long-term vision for the Laidlaw Scholarship is to create a wide-reaching and diverse international network of leaders who will reinvest their skills, knowledge, and experience to help students, peers and colleagues.
For more information about the history and vision of the program, please visit the Laidlaw Foundation website.
Eligibility
Applicants will be assessed for their passion, enthusiasm, plans, potential, and ambition for becoming a global future leader who is committed to ethical leadership, while also keeping in mind their academic background and achievements.
You are eligible if you are:
- A first or second-year undergraduate student (working towards your first bachelor’s degree) at the University of Toronto;
- Maintaining full-time status for the entire duration of your enrolment as a Laidlaw Scholar;
- Studying at any of the three campuses; and
- Enrolled in any field of study, from any background (i.e. all majors, specialties, and minors are eligible).
You are not eligible if you are:
- You are a visiting student or an exchange student;
- You are a graduate student; or
- You have fewer than two summers left before graduation. Note that you must have at least two summer periods left at U of T before graduation to be eligible to participate in this program.
Funding
The Laidlaw Scholars Programme selects and funds up to 25 academically strong and motivated undergraduate students annually. If you are selected as a Laidlaw Scholar, here is what to expect:
- Summer 1: up to $5000.
- Summer 2: Funding will be determined based on the student’s opportunity during the Leadership-in-Action summer period, but no more than $5000.
This stipend will cover your accommodation and living costs while you complete the independent research or the Leadership-in-Action experiences for 6 weeks.
You are also eligible to apply extra funds for up to $2,500. This funding can be applied to travel expenses, which are dependent on global travel restrictions and all University of Toronto guidelines, as well as extra lab funding (up to $1000 out of the $2500 mentioned above) that cannot be covered by the main research amount. This extra fund covers the entirety of a scholar’s engagement in the program.
Application Options
You can choose one of the application streams to apply for the Laidlaw Scholars Programme:
- Self-proposed research projects
- Faculty-defined research projects – earlier deadlines
Please refer to the 2024 – 2025 Laidlaw Scholars Programme Application Guidelines for further information about each application option and how to prepare a complete application package.
How to Apply
Applications for the 2025 cohort will be available on Folio in October 2024. Log onto Folio and
- To apply through the faculty-defined research project stream, enrol in the “2024-2025 Laidlaw Scholars Programme – Apply for Faculty-defined Projects” workflow.
- To apply through the self-proposed research project stream, enrol in the “Laidlaw Scholars Programme – Cohort 2025” workflow.
Faculty-defined Projects
All the faculty-defined projects will be listed here after October 10, 2024, once available.
Important Dates
How to Register
The following events are open to prospective Laidlaw scholars from all three campuses.
- UTSG students should register using the Folio event link below.
- UTM and UTSC students can email laidlaw.scholars@utoronto.ca to be added to the registration list.
Laidlaw Scholars Research Symposium
Hear the current scholars’ research projects and outcomes and learn about joining this global community of changemakers.
Laidlaw Scholars Programme Info Session
Learn more about the Laidlaw Scholars Programme and apply to be a Laidlaw Scholar Cohort 2025 by attending the following info sessions.
Virtual Info Session
In-Person Info Session
- St. George Campus – Wednesday, November 6, 2024 – 12 PM – 1 PM ET
Office Hours for Prospective Laidlaw Scholars
Attend virtual office hours to learn more about the program and start preparing the Laidlaw Scholars Programme application package. You will get to hear directly from the current Laidlaw Scholars on their application process and ask them questions.
- Thursday, November 14, 3 PM – 4 PM ET
- Wednesday, November 20, 3 PM – 4 PM ET
- Thursday, November 28, 2 PM – 3 PM ET
- Tuesday, January 21, 3 PM – 4 PM ET
Application and Selection Timeline
- Thursday, October 10, 2024 – Faculty-defined project options available
- Friday, November 1, 2024 – Faculty-defined project application opens for students
- Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – Initial deadline for students applying through the faculty-defined project stream
- Friday, December 6, 2024 (Approximately) – The top 3 candidates for the faculty-defined project stream will be notified of being shortlisted for the next round
- Monday, February 3, 2025 – Final Application deadline for all students applying for the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, including both faculty-defined project stream (shortlisted candidates) and self-proposed research project stream.
- March 3 to March 14, 2025 – Interview and selection period
- March 17 to April 1, 2025 (Approximately) – Candidates notified of acceptance
Key Dates for Selected Laidlaw Scholars Cohort 2025
- Wednesday, March 26, 2025 – Laidlaw Scholars Cohort 2025 Welcome Event
- Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Leadership Session #1
- April 1 to April 15, 2025 – Initial Research Proposal Check-in Meetings
- June 16 to July 27, 2025 – Research Summer 1
- September 2025 to April 2026 – Leadership Development Training Sessions. The finalized schedule will be shared in September 2025.
- Summer 2026 – Leadership-in-Action (LiA) Summer
Laidlaw Scholars Bios
2024 Scholars
2023 Scholars
2022 Scholars
2021 Scholars
2020 Scholars
2019 Scholars
The work of current and former Laidlaw Scholars can be found on the Laidlaw Scholars Network. For more information, please visit:
Laidlaw Scholarship – Laidlaw Scholars Network (https://laidlawscholars.network/)
Arts & Humanities (https://laidlawscholars.network/channels/2072-arts-humanities)
Medicine & Health (https://laidlawscholars.network/channels/2075-medicine-health)
Social Sciences (https://laidlawscholars.network/channels/2073-social-sciences)
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications
Eligibility & Funding
How the Programme Works
For any questions about the scholarship or to discuss any specifics of your research idea, please contact us at laidlaw.scholars@utoronto.ca. You can also book 1-1 advising appointments with the International Scholarships Advisors through Folio.
UTM and UTSC students can email laidlaw.scholars@utoronto.ca to be added to the event registration or to book an appointment.
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