PSSAR Network

What PSSAR Network does

PSSAR Network is a federally incorporated Canadian non-profit, established around 2024, that connects high-achieving Palestinian graduate students and early-career scholars with fully funded research, master's, and PhD opportunities at Canadian universities. The organization operates as a volunteer-led, community-driven platform-plus-modules service. Its core product is PSSAR Match, which handles academic placement through a curated database of Canadian professors, supplemented by four specialized programs: PSSAR EnPath (guided matching for students with 90%+ cumulative GPA), PSSAR Twin Labs (faculty-to-faculty research partnerships), PSSAR Assist (settlement and transition support), and PSSAR Care (mental health services delivered in partnership with Ruh Care). The technology stack is intentionally lightweight, comprising a Wix-based website, JotForm intake forms for professors, and a self-serve application portal (applicants.pssar.ca), with no proprietary AI or matching algorithms; all admissions and funding decisions are made by host institutions.

PSSAR's business model is donation-based, processing charitable contributions through the Zeffy zero-fee fundraising platform. The organization serves two primary segments: Palestinian graduate students (primarily from Gaza and West Bank, requiring minimum 85% cGPA, English proficiency, and graduation within 3-4 years) seeking thesis-based programs, and Canadian professors and research institutions seeking vetted candidates for their labs. Services are free to students, with PSSAR covering application and visa fees and facilitating connections to pro-bono lawyers and RCICs. The organization is governed by a board of academics from Canadian universities including Toronto, Sherbrooke, Calgary, and Waterloo, and is supported by a broader network of active collaborators spanning at least 18 Canadian institutions. PSSAR also pursues an active advocacy agenda, headlined by the #IRCCLetThemStudy campaign and a joint faculty association open letter calling on Canadian officials to expedite study permit processing for over 70 matched students currently stuck in background checks.

Name

PSSAR Network

Legal name

PSSAR Network

Website

https://pssar.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

PSSAR Network is a Canadian non-profit that connects high-achieving Palestinian graduate students with fully funded research and PhD opportunities at Canadian universities, providing academic matching, settlement support, and mental health services through five integrated programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Academic placement services
• Graduate student matching
• Educational advocacy
• Settlement support services
• Research partnership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakville

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: PSSAR relies on charitable donations to fund operations, including website maintenance, part-time administrative assistance, and facilitating application fees and visa costs for students. The organization uses Zeffy, a zero-fee fundraising platform, to process donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

PSSAR Network is a Canadian federally incorporated non-profit that identifies high-achieving Palestinian graduate students and scholars and matches them with fully funded research, master's, and PhD positions at Canadian and other world-class universities. Beyond academic placement, the organization delivers a coordinated suite of non-academic support covering application and visa fees, settlement and housing referrals, mental health services, and faculty-to-faculty research partnerships. All admissions and funding decisions are made independently by host institutions.

Product overview

PSSAR Network is a non-profit organization operating as a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing a suite of programs that connect Palestinian graduate students with fully funded academic opportunities in Canada. The core product is PSSAR Match, which handles academic placement, supplemented by specialized modules: PSSAR EnPath for high-GPA students requiring intensive guidance, PSSAR Twin Labs for institutional research partnerships, PSSAR Assist for settlement and logistical support, and PSSAR Care for mental health services. The programs work together to provide end-to-end support from academic matching through post-arrival integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PSSAR Match: Graduate matching program connecting Palestinian students with professors and graduate programs in Canada
• PSSAR EnPath
• PSSAR Twin Labs
• PSSAR Assist
• PSSAR Care

Products and services

• PSSAR Match Graduate matching program that connects high-achieving Palestinian students with Canadian professors and academic institutions for fully funded research positions. The program provides academic matching, application guidance, and pre-departure support for students seeking thesis-based and research-stream master's and PhD programs primarily in Canada.
• PSSAR EnPath Guided academic matching program designed for high-achieving students with a minimum 90% cumulative GPA who demonstrate strong academic potential. Provides step-by-step guidance, university support, and English proficiency testing assistance including fee coverage.
• PSSAR Twin Labs Program facilitating peer-level research partnerships between Palestinian and Canadian labs at faculty and research levels. Enables joint research projects, co-authored publications, virtual seminars, co-development of curricula, and collaborative supervision between partnered labs.
• PSSAR Assist Essential support network ensuring successful transition, settlement, and thriving in Canada. Provides financial support for visa and application fees, weekly webinars, pre- and post-landing support, housing referrals, and financial consultation sessions for placed students.
• PSSAR Care Mental health support and referral service designed to be safe, private, and culturally responsive for students from Gaza. Offers support for war-related trauma, loss, grief, stress, anxiety, and ongoing 1:1 sessions in collaboration with partner Ruh Care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70 Palestinian students accepted into Canadian graduate programs but facing visa delays requiring advocacy intervention.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and flagship.

• Humaniti FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumaniti Foundation is a registered charity in Canada and the United States that focuses on collaboration to address world challenges including poverty, education, and access to clean water, while providing mental health support through initiatives like PSSAR Network.
• Ruh CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuh Care is an online therapy platform providing culturally responsive mental health support aligned with Islamic values. They provide licensed Muslim therapists offering support in numerous languages including Arabic. PSSAR Care refers students to Ruh Care for comprehensive mental health services.
• National Zakat FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Zakat Foundation assists Canadian Muslims experiencing financial hardship. For PSSAR Network students, the Foundation provides crucial post-arrival support to ensure smooth transition into new communities, including financial assistance and settlement support.
• Refugee Girls Worldwide - CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRefugee Girls Worldwide (RGW) is a registered North American non-profit that protects vulnerable youth from systemic barriers and educational gaps by delivering life-saving necessities, primary medical care, and safe housing to foster community resilience.
• Justice For All CanadasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice For All Canada is a non-profit human rights advocacy organization defending persecuted Muslim and Indigenous communities through education, community mobilization, public policy, and campaigning. They support PSSAR advocacy efforts.
• Taawon's ISNAD ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSSAR collaborates with Taawon's ISNAD Program to support university students and staff in Gaza via distance learning and scholarships, helping maintain educational continuity during conflict.
• University Faculty Associations CoalitionflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCoalition of major Canadian university faculty associations including University of Ottawa, McGill, Waterloo, Dalhousie, Memorial, Toronto, Western Ontario, and Trent have issued joint statements endorsing PSSAR's advocacy efforts for Palestinian student visa processing.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IIE Scholar Rescue Fund: Institute of International Education program that provides fellowships and placement for threatened scholars worldwide; closely comparable mission to PSSAR's scholar-at-risk mandate but with much larger institutional backing and global footprint.
• World University Service of Canada (WUSC): Canadian non-profit focused on equitable education access for refugees and displaced youth, including the Student Refugee Program; operates in the same Canadian higher-education ecosystem as PSSAR with overlapping faculty and institutional networks.
• Scholar Fund (Palestinian): US-based organization funding scholarships for Palestinian students at universities worldwide; directly comparable constituency (Palestinian graduate students) and similar scholarship-funding mechanism, though US-anchored rather than Canadian.

Regional players

• SPARK (Supporting Postgraduate Researchers): European program supporting higher-education access for refugees and conflict-affected students through scholarships and university partnerships; closely comparable model to PSSAR but anchored in European host institutions rather than Canada.
• Canada-Africa Community Foundation: Canadian foundation channeling educational access and scholarship support to African and conflict-affected students; relevant Canadian-context peer operating in the same immigration and post-secondary pathways as PSSAR.

Broad incumbents

• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's primary academic exchange organization running scholarship and refugee scholar programs (e.g., Hilde Domin Programme); a much larger incumbent with comparable mandate to support at-risk scholars via placement and funding.
• Scholars at Risk Network (SAR): Global network hosted at New York University that arranges temporary academic positions for scholars facing threats; directly comparable to PSSAR's core matching function but broader in scope across many countries and threat contexts.

Others

• Ruh Care: Culturally responsive online mental health platform referenced by PSSAR Care; an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, illustrating adjacent service providers in PSSAR's wrap-around model.
• Humaniti Foundation: Canadian/US registered charity partnering with PSSAR on poverty, education, and clean water initiatives including PSSAR Network; ecosystem partner rather than direct peer.

Emerging players

• Jusoor: Non-profit founded by Syrian diaspora focused on education access for Syrian refugee and conflict-affected youth, including scholarship programs; serves a similar scholar-at-risk constituency in the broader Middle East conflict context and overlaps in advocacy + matching approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PSSAR Network