About the Summer 2024 Fellowships

The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness (SCSC) Social Connectedness Fellowship empowers young people and people with a variety of different types of lived experience to carry out innovative research on social isolation and belonging.  Social Connectedness Fellows are an invaluable part of the global movement to create a world where everyone belongs. 

From May to September, Fellows work alongside partner organizations, conducting research to address issues related to social isolation and belonging. Through this program, Fellows have the opportunity to connect with experts, grow as researchers and community leaders, and be part of a international cohort of changemakers. The main output of the Fellowship is a final, original report authored by the Fellow and detailing their collaborative work and findings.  

At the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, our mission is to build connectedness within and between communities through partnerships, research, programming, and mobilizing knowledge. Belonging is central to our work, and the Social Connectedness Fellowships offer the opportunity to apply the lens of belonging to intersectional issues, writing, and problem solving.  

 Through the Social Connectedness Fellowship, SCSC offers:  

• Competitive wages  
• The opportunity to work with national and international community partners  
• Capacity building, skills development, and mentorship 
• Connection to an international cohort of other Fellows 
• Meaningful research opportunities where your work has an impact  

To learn more about the partners, the projects, and for links to apply, please visit the 2024 Application Portal.

For 2024, we’ve partnered with several incredible organizations who, in addition to working closely with the SCSC team, will help guide the Social Connectedness Fellows’ research, their work and provide 1-1 support. 

Coastal Research, Education, and Advocacy Network (CREAN)
Data-Driven Envirolab
HelpAge Canada
Human Rights Watch
Indigenous Climate Action
Inside Out Prison Exchange Program
Partners in Health
Qmunity Camp NWT
Special Olympics International
Synergos South Africa
The Relationships Project
Seeds of Peace 

Visit the 2024 Application Portal for complete information about each partner organization, its project description, location and key applicant information. 

Yes! 

These are paid positions, starting on May 6, 2024 and ending on September 27, 2024. The Social Connectedness Fellowship offers a competitive wage range adjusted according to each Fellow’s geographic location and experience.  

Applicants located in Canada can expect a range of $22-27 per hour.  Applicants in the Northwest Territories, Canada, can expect a range of $26-28 per hour. 

Many of our 2024 partners are based outside of Canada, including in the USA, UK, South Africa and India, and many have various international offices. We welcome international applicants and will generally be offering a wage of $15 –28 per hour. All compensation is calculated in Canadian dollars.

The positions are full-time, 35 hours per week, from May 6 – August 31, 2024, and then will transition to part-time positions, 10-20 hours per week, from September 1 – September 27, 2024, while the Fellow is revising, editing, and completing their final report. 

Applications are open for three weeks, from February 19 until 11:59 pm EST on Sunday, March 10, 2024.

The 2024 Fellowship starts on May 6, 2024, and runs until September 27, 2024.  

From May to August, Fellows can expect to engage in research, attend regular meetings, meaningfully connect with communities, write blogs, and participate in workshops. In September, the SCSC team will provide research revisions, edits and recommendations for the Fellow to incorporate into a final report.  

To learn more, and to apply, please visit: the 2024 Application Portal

The location of the work for each 2024 project is different, depending on the needs of our partners. All of our projects involve a some remote work with the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness team, and much of the day-to-day activities will be conducted remotely.  

However, as seen below, some projects have geographic requirements and will prioritize applicants who live and work in that area. Projects labeled ‘Fully Remote’ do not require applicants to work in a specific geographic area. 

Following are the geographic requirements from each partner organization: 

Coastal Research, Education, and Advocacy Network – Canada, Opportunity to work in the Victoria, B.C., Office
Data-Driven Envirolab – USA, Opportunity to work with in the UNC Chapel Hill Office
HelpAge Canada – Canada, Opportunity to work with the Ottawa or Toronto teams.
Human Rights Watch – Fully Remote
Indigenous Climate Action – Canada
Inside Out Prison Exchange Program – USA
Partners in Health – Information coming soon!
Qmunity Camp – Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Special Olympics International – Fully Remote
Synergos South Africa – South Africa
The Relationships Project – Fully Remote
Seeds of Peace – Mumbai, India 

The Social Connectedness Fellowship provides an opportunity for young people, students, new graduates and people with a variety of lived experience to carry out innovative research that will inspire local and global action to build community and belonging. Anyone from any part of the world who fits that broad description can apply.  

Fellows are required to: 

• Have a passion for building a more inclusive, and connected world. 
• Be ready to engage in regular online meetings, check-ins, capacity building sessions and work remotely. 
• Commit 35 hours per week to the program from May – August, and 10-20 hours per week during the month of September. 
• Be able to work a minimum of 4 hours per day in Eastern Standard Time to ensure overlap with the Toronto based team. 
• Be interested in supporting communities and research! 

Applications are open from Feb. 19 – March 10, 2024. All applications are online at the 2024 Application Portal here.

To apply you will need:  

1. Up-to-Date Resume/CV 
2. A cover letter  
3. Writing sample.* There are two options for the writing sample: 
   1. Provide a pre-written piece; this can be formal, informal, a college or university assignment, an essay or research paper, a story, a blog, published or unpublished.  
   2. Provide an answer to the following question: “In your own words, tell us about the barriers and opportunities to building belonging and social connectedness in the world today.” We recognize everyone communicates differently. Please aim for 500 words, and do not feel the need to write more than 1,500 words. 

*Applicants interested in working with Qmunity Camp and Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, will not be required to submit a writing sample. They will be invited to respond to two or three short-answer questions. The writing sample will be optional for Qmunity Camp.

** Older applicants, people aged 60 and over, who apply to work with Helpage Canada will not be required to submit a writing sample, and will be invited to respond to two or three short answer questions. 

On or after February 19, please follow these four steps to apply for a 2024 Social Connectedness Fellowship:

1. Review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 
2. Browse the research projects listed on the 2024 Fellowship webpage at https://www.socialconnectedness.org/fellowship-program/2024-application-portal/
3. Fill out the online application form and upload your documents.  
4. Applicants can apply for a maximum of 2 projects each.  

NOW EXTENDED! The deadline to apply is 11:59 p.m. EST on March 10, 2024.

All applications submitted after this date and time will not be considered. 

Check out our 2023 Social Connectedness Fellowship program webpage where you’ll find last year’s reports, community engagement initiatives and a profile of each Fellow.  

We recommend reviewing the 2023 Social Connectedness Fellows’ work to see the impact of this program for Fellows and our partners!  

The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness is an equal-opportunity employer, and we encourage applicants to apply even if they do not meet all the criteria. We believe all candidates have something to bring to the organization and the role. If you have skills outside the job description that you think can benefit the project, let us know in your cover letter. We know everyone can make an impact in their community and the field of belonging and social connectedness. 

We encourage all equity-seeking groups such as newcomers and immigrants, Black people, Indigenous people, racialized individuals, women, young people, 2SLGBTQ+ community members, low-income, and people with disabilities to apply. Please let us know if you need any accommodation throughout the application and interview process and we will be happy to support you. 

We know applying for something when you’re worried about meeting all the criteria is challenging, but please do it anyway – we’d love to read your application! 

You can email any accommodation requests to scfellowship@scscglobal.org