This bursary focuses on four main types of work-integrated learning:

1. Community and Industry Research & Projects – Research that occurs primarily in workplaces including consulting projects, design projects, community-based research projects.
2. Entrepreneurial WIL – Early-stage development of business start-ups with the support of a community partner.
3. Field placement – Intensive part-time/short term intensive hands-on practical experience in a setting relevant to their subject of study.
4. Community Service-Learning WIL – Working in partnership with a community-based organization to apply disciplinary knowledge to a challenge identified by the community.

If you have an unpaid project for a course where you are doing hands-on work and partnering with a Canadian-based industry or community partner, but it does not fit into these four categories, please contact us at experiential@brocku.ca to see if your project is a fit. Please note: Co-op work terms do not qualify for this funding.

The funding for this program comes from CEWIL Canada, who is funded through Employment & Social Development Canada (ESDC). The iHub Bursary program is only available to domestic students (defined as Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or persons to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and are legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with the relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations).

In order to create a funding opportunity to reduce barriers to WIL for International Students, Co-op, Career and Experiential Education (CCEE) dedicated internal funding to create a parallel funding program that did not have the limitations imposed by CEWIL & ESDC. Due to Brock University’s challenging financial situation, CCEE was asked to make spending cuts to help the university meet its budget mitigation targets, and the result was this funding was not renewed for the 2024 year.

The Government of Canada has introduced new rules for this program, where certain community partners are no longer eligible for funding. The list of ineligible organizations is the following:

• Post-secondary institutions are not eligible with the exception of entrepreneurial WIL only;
• Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Municipal Government;
• Members of the House of Commons and the Senate;
• Organizations that engage in partisan political activities;
• Financial sector employers with 500 or more employees (includes all branches); and
• Organizations for which you are paying for a service (i.e., software or training) are typically not considered as eligible partners in a WIL experience.

If your community partner is one of the above listed organizations, unfortunately you will not be eligible for funding through this bursary for 2024.

Last year, our Experiential Education team received over 760 applications that required adjudication. Given the volume of applications and the clustering of submissions at the opening and closing of the bursary application window, there may be delays in adjudicating your application. Rest assured, someone will be in touch with you as soon as possible, however please expect a delay in response. Here are some things you can do to make sure your application experiences as few delays as possible:

• Ensure the accuracy and completeness of your application.
• Ensure your application is completed fully and any details requested are submitted during your initial application.
• If you don’t have all the details of your WIL experience available right away, do not submit an application until you do have all the details.
• Ensure you are applying for the appropriate tier of funding based on your incurred expenses amount and the guidance provided.

No. We will only be accepting and reviewing applications during the term in which the work-integrated learning experience is occurring.

No. All work-integrated learning experiences for this round of funding must start no earlier than September 1, 2024 and end no later than December 31, 2024.

Applications will be assessed to evaluate:

• Student eligibility as outlined by CEWIL Canada
• Confirmation of enrollment in a course with an embedded WIL component
• Partner eligibility as outlined by CEWIL Canada
• Tier qualification based on intensity of the WIL component and estimated costs incurred

To increase participation in WIL programming amongst under-represented groups, students who identify within one or more of these categories will be prioritized for funding:

• LGBTQ2S+
• Living in a rural or remote location
• Low socioeconomic status
• Mature student
• Indigenous
• Black Canadian
• Racialized person / Person of Colour
• Newcomer to Canada
• Student from refugee pathways
• Student with a disability
• Female-identifying or non-binary person studying STEM

For the purposes of this bursary program, full-time work-integrated learning experiences are defined as a minimum of 30 hours/week over the course of a minimum of 14 weeks in duration per semester.

Yes! Graduate students are eligible for this funding as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements for the bursaries.

Receipt of this bursary may affect your OSAP eligibility. For more information please visit https://brocku.ca/safa/ or contact Brock Central at the Registrar’s Office.