Award Overview
- Notice of Intent deadline: October 11, 2023 (5PM) via Microsoft Form
- Application deadline: November 1, 2023 (5PM)
- Value and Duration: $45,000 (plus benefits)* per year, for two years. *Both fully funded and partially funded scholarships are available.
- Required Legal Status: Domestic or International postdoctoral scholars
- Results: mid-February
- Fellowship start date: between May 1, 2024 and January 8, 2025
Purpose
The University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program (UTSC PFP) is designed to provide outstanding recent doctoral students advanced training in their field of study. These scholarships are not discipline-specific, but rather can be held in any department or research unit across U of T Scarborough. New recruits are encouraged to apply.
Postdoc scholars must secure sponsorship of a supervisor (or supervisors) from the professoriate at U of T Scarborough. UTSC supervisor(s) must nominate their prospective postdoc scholar following the timeline and processes outlined below.
Eligibility to Apply
1. Applicants must have recently (normally within three years) been awarded a PhD or equivalent degree. Any special circumstances including sick or parental leaves will be taken into consideration.
2. Applicants must not hold a tenure-track or tenured faculty position, nor can they be on leave from such a position.
3. Applicants can be citizens of any country, and from any university. Successful international candidates must meet all Canadian immigration requirements.
4. Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents must have completed all of the requirements for their doctoral degree no later than six months after their start-date of the Scholarship. International applicants must have completed all of the requirements for their doctoral degree before the start date of the Scholarship.
Note: Completion does not mean convocation, but rather the completion of all the requirements necessary to receive their doctorate.
5. The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
Value and Duration
Each award will provide $45,000 (plus benefits)* per year for a maximum of two years and are tenable only at U of T Scarborough.
*Both fully funded and *partially funded scholarships are available. Fully funded scholarships will provide $45,000 (plus benefits) per year. Partially funded scholarships require supervisors and/or units to contribute half of the stipend ($22,500) plus benefits per year. Supervisors can supplement the fully funded and partially funded scholarship stipends with additional funding, so the total amount paid to the postdoctoral scholar may exceed $45,000 (plus benefits).
While U of T Scarborough Postdoctoral Scholars may not concurrently hold another postdoctoral fellowship, Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent resident applicants are strongly encouraged to apply for the appropriate NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR postdoctoral fellowship in addition to applying for a U of T Scarborough Postdoctoral Fellowship.
Application Process
Submit a notice of intent by October 11, 2023 (5PM) via Microsoft Forms.
The complete application deadline is November 1, 2023 (5 PM), with start dates for the postdoctoral scholars no earlier than May 1, 2024, and no later than January 8, 2025.
Given the competitive nature of the program, faculty can only nominate ONE UTSC Postdoctoral Scholar application each year. Incomplete applications or late submissions will not be considered.
Decisions will be made in mid-February, and successful applicants will have two weeks from the time the decisions are announced to accept or decline the scholarship.
Application Components
All documents are to be submitted by the nominating supervisor by November 1, 2023 (5 PM) to postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca. Please include the Award and Postdoctoral scholar's name on the email's subject line.
UTSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program application package checklist:
- UTSC Postdoctoral Fellowship Program - Nomination Form – by the supervisor
- Nomination letter of support - by the supervisor (maximum two pages)
- Statement of research intent (maximum two pages)
- Nominee information form – completed by the postdoc scholar
- Nominee’s C.V. (no page restrictions)
Note to applicant:
Postdoctoral scholar should collaborate with their potential supervisor for the application for this award and are responsible for submitting their CV and a completed Nominee information form to them. Applicants must also meet the award eligibility criteria.
Notes to supervisors:
Supervisor(s) must have a tenure-track or tenured (primary) appointment at U of T Scarborough.
The primary research site for the Postdoctoral Scholar is on the UTSC campus.
Fully funded fellowships or a combination of fully and partially funded scholars awarded will normally be dedicated to applicants from each of the disciplines including the physical and life sciences, social sciences and humanities disciplines.
The nominating supervisor should indicate on the Nomination Form if the nominee is to be considered for a fully funded fellowship, a partially funded fellowship, or indicate a willingness to accept either. Partially funded fellowships require supervisors and/or units to contribute half the stipend ($22,500) plus benefits per year. Supervisor and/or unit contributions to a partially funded fellowship must be paid from an account held at UTSC, as the primary research site for the Postdoctoral Fellows is on the UTSC campus.
Nomination letter of support - Please comment in clear, non-specialist language suitable for an interdisciplinary audience on the nominee's research potential, the quality of the proposed research environment and resources available to the applicant, and how the fellowship will advance the nominee’s career development.
Nominee information Form - The form must be signed by the Chair or Director of the supervisor’s unit. Co-supervision requires signatures of the Chairs and/or Directors from the units of all supervisors.
Statement of Research Intent - Should describe the proposed research project the postdoc scholar will engage on in clear, non-specialist language suitable for an interdisciplinary audience, highlighting the importance and impact of the research and how it fits into their academic/professional goals. Reference lists or bibliographies are not necessary for the proposal.
Any questions regarding the UTSC Postdoctoral Fellowship program should be directed to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, UTSC (postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca).
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be assessed based upon the following criteria:
1. Excellence of the applicant:
- Experience of the applicant relative to career stage and discipline
- Quality, quantity and significance of past research activity and published output relative to career stage
- The ability of the fellowship to advance the applicant’s career development
2. Quality of the proposed research project:
- Significance and expected contributions to research
- Appropriateness and feasibility of the approach
3. Environment for the Research
- Suitability/sufficiency of the research environment and available resources at UTSC
Other Important Information
1. Please consult the information regarding postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto on the website of the School of Graduate Studies.
2. Employment as a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of Toronto is governed by the terms of the CUPE Local 3902, Unit 5 Collective Agreement. As such, the U of T Scarborough Postdoctoral Fellowships are posted in accordance with the CUPE Unit 5 Collective Agreement.
Competition Results
Results of the competition will be made available in mid-February. Successful applicants will have two weeks from the time the decisions are announced to accept or decline the fellowship.
Post-Award Details
Acknowledgment: The UTSC affiliation of researchers and “support from the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean should be acknowledged in any research outputs arising from this award.
Contact & Resources
For information regarding the selection process, please contact postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca.