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Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund

About the Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund

Established in 2013, the purpose of the Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund is to support residents of the Northwest Territories and Kitikmeot Region pursuing a career in mining or resource development. Three scholarships will be awarded in three streams.

  1. The first scholarship (Mining) will be available for students whose area of study has a focus on mining, mineral, geological or geomatics engineering and/or mining related trades.
  2. The second scholarship (Mining Support) will be available for students whose area of study has a focus on geology, environmental or earth sciences, communities, communications, finance or procurement.
  3. The third scholarship (STEM) will be available for female students whose area of focus is in fields related to science, technology, engineering or math.

Application process

Individuals interested in applying must create a profile on our scholarship application portal. Once your profile is created, you will need to complete our eligibility quiz and then submit a scholarship application to the Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund.

Applications will be made available during our scholarship intake season, in April/May 2024.

2024 key dates

2 April, 12.01am

Scholarship application portal opens. 

31 May, 11.59pm

Scholarship application portal closes. Late applications not accepted.

Mid- to late July

Funding distributed to scholarship recipients. 

Please find the application process below, including some frequently asked questions. 

Established in 2013 by Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mines Inc., this Fund was established to assist individuals pursuing a career in mining or resource development.

Each stream awards $2500.

Please note that award amounts vary year by year.

In order to be eligible to apply for the Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund, you must be:

  • Residents of the NWT or Kitikmeot Region enrolled in or accepted to a college diploma or University degree in a mining or resource development programme or trade certification in a related field.
  • For the mining scholarship: enrolled in or accepted to a post-secondary course in mining or resource development or a trade-related field. Courses include, but are not limited to, Mine Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geomatics, Metallurgy, or a mining-related trade.
  • For the mining support scholarship: enrolled in or accepted to a post-secondary course in geology, environmental or earth sciences, communities, communications, finance or procurement program with an interest in seeking employment in the mining sector.
  • For the STEM scholarship: women enrolled in or accepted to a post-secondary program that focuses on the sciences, technology, engineering or math. Preference will be given to those with an interest in seeking employment in the mining sector after graduation.

Preference may be given to Indigenous applicants; however non-Indigenous NWT and Kitikmeot residents are encouraged to apply.

In the event there are no suitable applicants for one of the scholarship streams, the selection committee may decide to recommend two awards in the same category.

Applicants can reapply for the scholarship in successive years.

All of our scholarship application forms and additional materials need to be submitted on our scholarship application portal

  • You will complete a questionnaire describing the benefit you will obtain from the scholarship, your community involvement and contribution, your genuine desire to work in the mining and resource industry, and how your chosen field is related to mining or resource development or a mining related trade.

  • Proof of acceptance in a recognized post-secondary institution or trades program.

  • Indigenous status may be confirmed through acceptable government or Inuit, Dene, or Metis identification documents.

You must be an eligible resident to apply for a scholarship.
As such, YKCF requires you to make a residency declaration and have a witness sign off.
However, you do not need to print out any forms!
Each residency declaration is a one-click question embedded within the application process.
You just need to provide the email address of your residency witness, and they will be emailed directly.

You can only apply through our online application portal. In 2024, the application portal opens on April 2nd.

Access it here: https://www.grantinterface.ca/Home/Logon?urlkey=yellowknifescholarship

Mailed and emailed applications will not be accepted barring extreme circumstances.

If you have more questions, check back to our FAQs on our scholarship page!

  • 2023 Alison Devitt, Monique Chapman
  • 2022 Allan Vickers, Cassie Rogers, Zoe Clark
  • 2021 Hillary Huynh, Trisa Ngo & Stephanie Bourgeois
  • 2020 Patrick Adzin Jr., Kelvin Kotchilea, Gillian McNaughton, Allana Nakashook-Zettler, Nancy Ngo and Jada Xie Doctor
  • 2019 Trisa Ngo, Lily Allison & Nancy Ngo
  • 2018 Stéphane Careen & Johanna Stewart
  • 2017 Sabrina Lakhani & Monique Chapman
  • 2016 Julianna Neudorf & Jessica Norris
  • 2015 Jessica Norris & Stephen Giovanetto
  • 2014 Martha Hamre, Monique Chapman, Bryana Matthews & Sydney Friesen
  • 2013 Jeff Rosnawski

For more information

If you require assistance or have questions about the Rio Tinto Diavik Diamond Mine Community Scholarship Fund, please do hesitate to contact the Yellowknife Community Foundation office at grants@ykcf.ca or by phone at +1-867 446 4527.