The University of Toronto Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides funding to Graduate Faculties to increase opportunities for hiring postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups, specifically Indigenous and Black researchers. These fellowships will enable postdoctoral researchers to grow their scholarly profiles, undertake academic work at the University of Toronto, and strengthen the research environment at the University with diverse perspectives.
This funding is designed to help the University compete with peer institutions for top-tier candidates, and to support the University in meeting its institutional goal of fostering increased diversity and representation at all levels of teaching, learning and research. Nominees must be nominated by their prospective Faculties/divisions following the timeline and processes outlined below. While the nomination/application process will normally begin with faculty advisors/mentors, funding for the successful nominees will be provided to their respective Faculty Research Office for administration.
Read about the recipients of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows on the SGS PPFP webpage.
UTSC nominees for the 2022 Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program will automatically be considered for the UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides funding to UTSC departments to increase opportunities for hiring postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups, specifically Indigenous and Black researchers.
Funding will be available to engage seven new postdoctoral fellows annually. Each award will provide $70,000 per year to Faculties to support up to two years of postdoctoral salary and benefits. This level of funding exceeds the median postdoctoral salary at the University of Toronto, and is in keeping with Canada’s most prestigious postdoctoral awards. At UTSC the fellowship is used to fund both the postdoctoral fellow’s gross salary (approximately $62,000) and employer costs (10% Standard Benefit Rate, and $50/month postdoctoral levy). Successful postdoctoral fellows will also receive a start-up (salary) fund of $5,000 per year, funded through the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean.
The award is open to both domestic and international post-graduates.
Nominees must:
Recipients must:
At the University of Toronto, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive community, rich with diversity, protecting the human rights of all persons and based upon understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person. We seek to ensure to the greatest extent possible that all students and employees enjoy the opportunity to participate as they see fit in the full range of activities that the University offers, and to achieve their full potential as members of the University community.
Nominations received by the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:
In selecting Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellows, preference will be given to nominees who have not yet held a postdoctoral fellowship. In addition, the School of Graduate Studies will be seeking to balance diversity of the candidates and distribution of Postdoctoral Fellows across academic divisions to ensure that program goals and objectives are met.
Potential nominees interested in the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship should contact potential supervisors. Supervisors wishing to support a candidate's application must contact their UTSC Department Chair.
Applicants must be nominated by their UTSC department Chair to the Vice-Dean Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Departments should submit the complete nomination packages along with the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Nomination Form, to the Vice Dean Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies at postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca by 5:00pm on March 7, 2022.
The nomination package for each nominee should contain the following material:
Please provide the requested documentation as five separate files using the following naming conventions:
All nominees for the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program at UTSC will be notified in early April whether their nomination has been selected to go forward to SGS for the university-wide competition.
Results of the University-wide Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship program competition at SGS and the UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship will be made available during the summer term.
Consult the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program on the School of Graduate Studies website
For information regarding the selection process, please contact Sarah Pickering, Postdoctoral Administrative Officer, Postdoctoral Office, School of Graduate Studies: sgs.postdoc@utoronto.ca or 416-946-5254