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Supports for Forcibly Displaced Students, Scholars, and Researchers

In our increasingly interconnected world, we recognize that the impact of conflict, violence and persecution is not confined within the borders of distant states but rather directly affects the research of our faculty, the learning of our students, and the community members and advocacy that staff, students, and faculty support.

For more information on eligibility, the application process and where to go for more details you can select the tabs below:

Overview

In close collaboration and consultation with McMaster faculty, staff, students, alumni and community, McMaster University’s six Faculties and the Office of the Provost have launched two new funds to support forcibly displaced students, scholars, and researchers.

This includes refugees, those displaced within their country of origin, or those living in conflict-ridden situations and at risk of violence. The establishment of the funds are a humanitarian response to address the growing forcible displacement of students and scholars globally and builds on McMaster’s commitment to global citizenship and increasing access to education for all.

Data and statistics on global displacement from the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR, 2022) below:

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82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide because of conflict, persecution, human rights violations, and violence.

Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Myanmar account for two-thirds of people displaced across borders.

Humanity is witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record, including 26.4 million refugees, 48.0 million internally displaced people and 4.1 million asylum-seekers.

In 2005, UNHCR worked with 6.6 million internally displaced persons, a number that grew to about 15 million by 2010 and stood at more than 43.5 million at the end of 2019-representing an almost 7-fold increase in only 15 years.

Scholars At Risk Program (SARP)

McMaster University is committed to supporting scholars at risk globally and has launched a new funding initiative in 2022 to provide support to McMaster faculty, departments and research centers for employing forcibly displaced researchers, and scholars remotely and locally. This includes refugees, those displaced within their country of origin, or those living in conflict-ridden situations and at risk of violence.

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Forcibly Displaced include those who:

  1. Have been displaced within their countries of origin (“Displaced”); Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are defined as “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.” (Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2.).
  2. Have left their countries of origin and are either in a second country without a durable solution or have made it to a second country and are claiming asylum or are seeking a durable solution to a third country (“Refugees”).
  3. Are Refugees who have demonstrated that they have the legal status of a convention refugee and qualify for the protective rights that flow from this designation (“Convention Refugees”); or
  4. Do not fall into the above-noted definitions but are persecuted, living in conflict ridden situations or are at risk of violence by virtue of belonging to a group that would otherwise fall within the definition of a Convention Refugee.

How to apply for the SARP Fund

Expression of Interest Learn More

If you are a forcibly displaced scholar/researcher interested in being matched with faculty/programs/research centers at McMaster, please fill out the Expression of Interest form below.

McMaster Faculty, Departments & Research Centers Learn More

McMaster faculty, departments and research centers who are connected to and interested in employing forcibly displaced scholars and researchers are invited to apply for SARP funding.

Students At Risk Bursary (SARB)

The McMaster Students At Risk Bursary (SARB) was launched in 2022 to support forcibly displaced students.

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Forcibly Displaced include those who:

  1. Have been displaced within their countries of origin (“Displaced”); Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are defined as “persons or groups of persons who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, in particular as a result of or in order to avoid the effects of armed conflict, situations of generalized violence, violations of human rights or natural or human-made disasters, and who have not crossed an internationally recognized State border.” (Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, E/CN.4/1998/53/Add.2.).
  2. Have left their countries of origin and are either in a second country without a durable solution or have made it to a second country and are claiming asylum or are seeking a durable solution to a third country (“Refugees”).
  3. Are Refugees who have demonstrated that they have the legal status of a convention refugee and qualify for the protective rights that flow from this designation (“Convention Refugees”); or
  4. Do not fall into the above-noted definitions but are persecuted, living in conflict ridden situations or are at risk of violence by virtue of belonging to a group that would otherwise fall within the definition of a Convention Refugee.