2024 - 2025 Scholarships for Graduate Study in Transportation

CTRF encourages students to apply and submit work in either English or French

The CANADIAN TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH FORUM (CTRF) encourages graduate students to specialize in the transportation or logistics field through its scholarship program. CTRF encourages students to apply and submit work in either English or French. The mission is to develop highly qualified personnel who will eventually join and contribute to the transportation or logistics profession in Canada. Therefore, CTRF, in cooperation with other organizations, is offering scholarships, worth $6,000 each for the academic year 2024-2025. Preference is given to (but not limited to) students applying for and entering Master’s or PhD programs and current graduate students in the process of choosing research topics for theses or graduating essays.

A candidate may only receive one CTRF scholarship but may apply more than once. The educational institution that the student seeks to attend or is attending, need not have a specialized transportation program for the student to qualify. The Scholarship Committee determines whether the student’s proposed program of study qualifies for the scholarship. Field of study may be in business, engineering, economics, geography, law, planning, or related fields.

To be considered for a CTRF Scholarship sponsored by Transport Canada, the applicant's research or study must be focused on one of the following three areas: Economics, Efficiency, and Competitiveness in Transportation; Transportation Safety and Security; or Sustainable Transportation. Applicants are encouraged to review details of the Transport Canada program at the bottom of this webpage (https://ctrf.ca/?page_id=1206).

Scholarship recipients will be given an opportunity to present their research at a CTRF event (either by webinar or at the Annual Conference).

Scholarship recipients will be offered a complimentary registration for the CTRF Annual Conference held in the year of their scholarship. (For Example: a 2024-2025 Scholarship recipient will receive a complimentary registration to the 2025 Annual Conference.)


Deadline for Submission: January 31, 2024

Announcement of Awards: CTRF 2024 Annual Conference

Eligibility: Full-time graduate student at an accredited Canadian University

Criteria: Awards will be decided by a Selection Committee, based on academic achievement, relevant work experience, clear transportation research focus in the program of study, stated career objectives, and supporting letters of reference.

Submission Requirements: Combine the following 3 items into a single PDF file named Surname_Application, and submit in a single email to info@ctrf.ca. The email subject line should read: CTRF Scholarship Application.

The applicant is responsible for ensuring all submission requirements are met.

1. A cover letter, including name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address; degree program and institution, along with current year in program and expected year of graduation; name and email address of faculty supervisor

2. Official transcripts, which include the universities’ stamp and/or seal and signature of the registrar. International transcripts can be submitted if signed/stamped as ‘official’ by the Canadian university that the applicant is attending. Do not submit unofficial transcripts.

3. A 300-word summary outlining graduate research project or field of study

DO NOT INCLUDE / SUBMIT A CV OR RESUME, ONLY PROVIDE THE THREE ITEMS LISTED ABOVE

References: Two letters of reference are required. Do not submit more than two. References should be confidential assessments of the candidate's intellectual abilities and background, research abilities and record, work habits, commitment to career, leadership qualities and any other personal attributes which indicate that the candidate is worthy of an award. Please have referees send their letters by email directly to info@ctrf.ca by January 31, 2024.

After a student has been named to receive a scholarship, eligibility requirements including proof of full-time registration must be met before the scholarship can be confirmed.


Transport Canada Sponsorship

To be considered for a CTRF Scholarship sponsored by Transport Canada, applicant's research or study must be focused in one of the following three areas.

Economics, Efficiency and Competitiveness in Transportation

  • Competition and the use of market forces, both within and among the various modes of transportation, as the prime agents in providing viable and effective transportation services;
  • Appropriate use of regulation and strategic public intervention to achieve economic or socially efficient outcomes that cannot be achieved satisfactorily by competition and market forces without unduly favouring, or reducing the inherent advantages of, any particular mode of transportation;
  • Rates and business conditions that do not constitute an undue obstacle to the movement of traffic within Canada or to the export of goods from Canada;
  • Solutions where governments and the private sector work together for an integrated transportation system;
  • Integration of physical and electronic connections between modal systems to reduce logistic time and costs;
  • Improving modal efficiency and availability of intermodal services in support of Canada's gateways and trade corridors and global supply chains;
  • Increasing efficiency at major trade gateways including ports, airports and border crossings;
  • Improving intercity and commuter connections to facilitate the seamless movement of public;
  • Improving knowledge of modal choice by shippers, travelers, and commuters;
  • Innovative business practices to improve efficiency, productivity and competitiveness in transportation.

Transportation Safety and Security

  • Appropriate use of regulation and strategic public intervention to achieve safety and security that cannot be achieved satisfactorily by competition and market forces without unduly favouring, or reducing the inherent advantages of, any particular mode of transportation;
  • Increasing safety and security in a transportation system that is also accessible without unduly limiting the mobility of persons, including persons with disabilities;
  • New  technologies, as well as better ways of using existing technologies in transportation safety and security;
  • Innovation in research and development (R&D), business practices, policies and regulatory approaches, and skills and capacity building related to transportation safety and security;
  • Reducing delays and costs associated with increased security measures by advancing new technologies;
  • Integrated approach to safety and security among modes;
  • Understanding human factors in accidents;
  • Measuring the safety and/or security of the transportation system.

Sustainable Transportation

  • Appropriate use of regulation and strategic public intervention to achieve   environmental or social outcomes that cannot be achieved satisfactorily by competition and market forces without unduly favouring, or reducing the inherent advantages of, any particular mode of transportation;
  • Innovative solutions in transportation to support environmental sustainability in freight and passenger movements;
  • Improving knowledge in transportation demand management that lead to environmental sustainability;
  • Managing and/or reducing congestion in urban areas;
  • Measuring sustainability in transportation;
  • Improving knowledge pertaining to transportation externalities;
  • Development of tools to integrate environmental considerations in decision making in transportation;
  • Developing means of reducing the impact of transportation on human health and the environment.