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The Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to provide outstanding recent doctoral students advanced training in their field of study. These fellowships are not discipline specific, but rather can be held in any department or research unit across the Faculty of Arts & Science (A&S) at the University of Toronto. Applicants must secure sponsorship of a supervisor, or supervisors, from the professoriate (tenure stream) within the Faculty of A&S (St. George Campus).

Nomination deadline: December 1 (20:00 EST)

Note: When a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be considered the deadline date.

Required Legal Status: Domestic or International

Results: March

Value and Duration
Each award will provide $48,000 per year for a maximum of two years. There are two types of funding for the fellowships. One is fully-funded, where A&S contributes the full stipend of $48,000 and benefits. The other is match-funded, where supervisors and/or units contribute half the stipend ($24,000) and benefits, the second half of which is matched by A&S. A section of the Supervisor Postdoctoral Fellowship Form requires the supervisor to specify which funding type applies to their application.

Eligibility to Apply
The award is open to both domestic and international post-graduates. Successful international candidates must meet all Canadian immigration requirements.

Fellowships are only tenable within the Faculty of Arts & Science at the University of Toronto. Proposed supervisor(s) must have a tenure-track or tenured appointment within the Faculty of Arts & Science (primary budgetary appointment in Arts & Science, St. George campus).

Nominees must:

• Demonstrate academic excellence and high potential for success in their chosen fields;
• Have completed all requirements for their doctorate degree no earlier than May 1, 2020;
• Not hold a faculty position or be on leave from such a position;
• Not hold concurrently another major fellowship;
• Begin the fellowship between May 1 and December 1 in the year of award;
• Be associated with a supervisor appointed to the Faculty of A&S, St. George campus.

Application Process
Applications should be submitted to the A&S Research Office: research.artsci@utoronto.ca
Email subject line (for both applicant and supervisor): APPLICANT NAME: A&S PDF APPLICATION

Postdoctoral Applicant Components (please submit as one PDF file):

• A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form
  Note: The form includes a one-page research proposal where you should describe your proposed research project, highlighting the importance and impact of the research and how this research fits into your academic goals. *Reference lists or bibliographies are not necessary for the proposal.
• Applicant’s CV

Supervisor Application Components: Proposed supervisor(s) must have a tenure-track or tenured appointment in A&S (i.e., fully appointed at the St. George campus).

• A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship Supervisors Form (submitted by the supervisor)
  Notes:
  • This form must be signed by the Chair or Director of the supervisor’s unit before being submitted. Co-supervision requires signatures of the Chairs and/or Directors from the units of all supervisors.
  • In the space provided please comment on the applicant’s research potential, the quality of the proposed research, the research environment and resources that will be available to the applicant, and how the fellowship will advance the applicant’s career development.

Evaluation and Selection Process

The Vice Dean Research Chairs the A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship Selection Committee, which meets each competition year to evaluate and recommend top candidates. The Selection Committee reflects the broad diversity of individuals and disciplines within the Faculty of Arts & Science, St. George and includes equal representation by academic leaders from the Humanities, Social Sciences and Science sectoral units in Arts & Science. Members of the Selection Committee are expected to reinforce standards of rigor, fairness, respect and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the adjudication process. The OVPRI Best Practices in Peer Review Guide shall serve as a resource for members of the Selection Committee.

The single criteria for A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship applications is demonstrated academic excellence and high potential for success in the chosen field. The multidisciplinary selection committee members assess this through their evaluation of each applicant’s 1) proposal, 2) CV, and 3) the postdoctoral fellowship supervisor’s statement.

Important Information

• Please consult the information regarding postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto on the website of the School of Graduate Studies.
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents must have completed their PhD requirements no later than six months after their start-date of an A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship. International applicants must have completed their PhD requirements before the start date of an A&S Postdoctoral Fellowship. In each instance, proof of PhD completion must be provided within three months of completion if the applicant did not have it in hand at the time of application. Degree completion does not mean convocation, but rather the completion of all the requirements necessary for the PhD.
• A&S Postdoctoral Fellows may not concurrently hold another postdoctoral fellowship. Canadian citizens and permanent resident applicants, however, are strongly encouraged to apply for the appropriate CIHR, NSERC, or SSHRC postdoctoral fellowships in addition to their Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. To provide further incentive to apply to such funding agencies, if an applicant is awarded both an A&S Fellowship and a CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC Fellowship, A&S will provide an additional $10,000 stipend to the CIHR/NSERC/SSHRC stipend for each year of the fellowship.
• Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE Unit 5 Collective Agreement. The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.
• Requests for award interruptions for reasons that are not outlined within Article 11 (Leaves) of the CUPE Unit 5 Collective Agreement will not normally be considered.  
• The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from visible minority group members, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

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.

Contact & Resources
For information regarding the selection process, please contact:
Faculty of Arts & Science Research Office research.artsci@utoronto.ca

• ​​Faculty of Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form (PDF)​
• Faculty of Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Supervisor Form (PDF)

Past Recipients of Arts & Science Postdoctoral Fellowships

The University of Toronto Provost's Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides funding to increase opportunities for hiring postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups, specifically Indigenous to Turtle Island and/or 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.

Value: $70,000 CDN/year for a maximum of two years (plus $5,000/year in start-up funding)

Arts & Science Deadline: March 15 (20:00 EDT)

To start the process, interested applicants should be directly in touch with potential supervisors. Applicants must secure sponsorship of a full-time supervisor, or supervisors, from the professoriate (tenured or tenure-stream) within the Faculty of Arts & Science (primary budgetary appointment in Arts & Science, St. George Campus).

Visit U of T’s School of Graduate Studies website for complete program details, including information about: 

• Eligibility Criteria (Updated to specify Indigenous to Turtle Island)
• Selection Criteria (Updated for 2023 Competition)
• Evaluation Rubric

Submit applications to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca

Submission Instructions for Chairs and Academic Directors: The nomination package for each nominee should be submitted to the Arts & Science Research Office by the supervisor’s Department/Unit Chair. Each nomination package should be scanned as a single PDF file, containing all application materials in the order as listed below.

Please use file naming convention of: Last name, First name_PPFP2023

1. A&S 2023 PPFP Application Form (PDF)
2. A nomination letter from the graduate unit/department Chair (max. two pages). The letter should: 
   • address how the nominee meets the selection criteria, clearly state which underrepresented group (Indigenous and/or Black) the nominee identifies as, and confirm that the nominee intends to accept the offer if funding is made available;
   • illustrate the synergy between the research proposal and the research goals of the supervisor/unit/department, as well as the mission of the University; and
   • outline support of the nominee by describing how the applicant and Faculty/unit/department will mutually benefit from this engagement.
3. A supervisor statement from the faculty advisor/mentor (max. two pages). The statement should: 
   • describe the complementarity between the research interests/background of the supervisor and nominee, how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects and/or new research directions, and the anticipated mutual benefits;
   • reveal information specific to the field of study (e.g., benchmarks of excellence, publication norms/standards/practices, impact factor of research contributions) that would otherwise not be known outside the discipline;
   • provide details regarding the applicant’s proposed research environment, clearly stating the supervisor’s and department’s commitment. Examples of commitment include (but are not limited to) mentorship, opportunities for collaboration, dissemination, and/or knowledge translation, resources (e.g., funding, facilities, personnel) that will be available to support the nominee as they carry out their proposed research; and
   • illustrate the supervisor’s commitment to the applicant’s academic and professional trajectory, clearly indicating the resources and/or mentoring activities that are available through the training environment to support career development.
4. Research or scholarship proposal from the nominee (max. two pages, plus up to two additional pages for references/citations);
5. New: Training statement from the nominee (max. 1 page). The statement should describe: 
   • their professional, academic, and extracurricular experiences/achievements and how it will contribute to their training success (1/2 page); and
   • how the training they expect to acquire will contribute to their productivity and to the research goals they hope to achieve. Indicate why they decided upon the proposed training location and what they expect to learn from the training experience (1/2 page).
6. Nominee’s C.V. (no page restriction); and
7. A short personal biography written by the nominee (max. 1/3 page), which may be used on the SGS Postdoctoral Fellows website or other communications, should they be successfully selected as a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellow.

Important Links:

• A&S 2023 PPFP Application Form & Instructions (PDF)
• Full program details

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program is intended to attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally; develop their leadership potential; and position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow, positively contributing to Canada’s economic, social and research-based growth through a research-intensive career.

Value: CDN $70,000/year for a maximum of two years.

Arts & Science Allocation (2022-23): 16

Arts & Science Application Deadline: August 1 (20:00 EDT)

To start the process, interested applicants should be directly in touch with potential supervisors. Applicants must secure sponsorship of a full-time supervisor(s) from the professoriate (tenured or tenure-stream) within the Faculty of Arts & Science (primary budgetary appointment in Arts & Science, St. George Campus). Please consult the following documents for details about how to prepare the application.

•  2021-22 School of Graduate Studies Award Announcement (PDF)
•  2021-22 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Tip Sheet (PDF)
• ​ Arts & Science Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Nomination Form (PDF)​

The Arts & Science and Max Planck Institute for Religious & Ethnic Diversity Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to provide advanced training to outstanding recent doctoral students working at the intersections of ethics, law, religion and politics in relation to questions of citizenship, migration and diversity. Applicants must secure sponsorship of a full-time supervisor, or supervisors, from the professoriate within the Faculty of Arts & Science (St. George Campus).

Suspended until further notice.

The Data Sciences Institute (DSI) Postdoctoral Fellowships are designed to support multi/interdisciplinary training and collaborative research in data sciences that include faculty from the University of Toronto and funding partner institutions. Currently, DSI Partner institutions are: Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, University Health Network, and Hospital for Sick Children.

• To be considered for the Fellowship, applicants must pursue a research project that uses a data sciences focus to address major societal issues through the development of a novel methodology or the innovative application of existing approaches; and
• Applicants must identify at least two faculty members from complementary disciplinary backgrounds to serve as co-supervisors, who together can supervise the different multidisciplinary aspects of the research project.

Value: $60,000/year plus benefits

Arts & Science Allocation: While there is no set allocation for the Faculty of Arts & Science, A&S has set aside funding for up to five additional DSI Postdoctoral Fellowships earmarked for postdoctoral fellows who have at least one co-supervisor from A&S (a primary budgetary appointee within the tenured or tenure stream).

Please visit the DSI Postdoctoral Fellowships Program website for complete details on the program requirements.

Mitacs is a national, not-for-profit organization that supports the creation of research and training programs in Canada. Mitacs programs financially assist academic researchers in providing on-the-job research training opportunities for students and post doctorates. Support is available for collaborations with Canadian and international industry and not-for-profit organizations. Mitacs applications are pre-approved when included in successful Tri-Agency grant application budgets.

Learn more about Mitacs programs that can be utilized for recruiting trainees. Please also review the searchable database of current Mitacs Accelerate/Elevate opportunities.

A curated list of current Accelerate opportunities for A&S faculty has been prepared:

Mitacs curated list of Accelerate opportunities
 

Arts & Science Mitacs Contacts: 

Mitacs
Rhianna Malcolm
Director, Business Development
rmalcolm@mitacs.ca

Arts & Science Research Services

Glaucia Lima (Science Units)
Arts & Science Research Partnership and Business Development Officer
glaucia.lima@utoronto.ca 

Stephanie Fisher (Social Science & Humanities Units)
Arts & Science Social Science Partnered Research Officer
s.fisher@utoronto.ca

A joint partnership between the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and the Office of the Vice President International (OVPI), the program forms a foundational part of OVPI’s strategy for building Global Research Alliances with priority global peer institutions.

Value and Duration

• SGS and OVPI will provide one third of the budget, up to a maximum of $33,000 CAD/year (up to three years) for the associated mobility costs for U of T students, PDFs, and faculty.  
• The remaining 2/3rds of the budget must come from within and/or beyond the University (e.g. department, division, Tri-Agency, industry, philanthropy etc.).
• Subject to a successful internal review, SGS/OVPI funding may be renewed for a maximum of two further years.

Eligibility: U of T applicants must have a faculty appointment with U of T and be eligible to hold research funding.

Eligible Expenditures: IDCs are designed to support expenses related to the mobility and research collaborations of U of T graduate students, postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) and PIs. 

• Mobility expenses include costs incurred by U of T PIs, graduate students and PDFs for economy class flights, accommodation, meals, local transportation, etc.
• Collaboration expenses include the costs of hosting workshops at U of T, as well as online communication platforms, virtual workshops and lab group meetings, virtual journal clubs, and online open access lab notebooks.

Faculty of Arts & Science Review and Support Process

The Faculty of Arts & Science anticipates funding up to three A&S-led IDCs per fiscal year (up to a maximum Divisional contribution of $15,000 CAD/year per IDC). Requests for larger Divisional contributions will be considered on a case by case basis.

Proposals for partial IDC funding will also be considered for A&S matching funding (i.e. A&S led proposals where PIs have secured more than 1/3 of the funding from external funding sources, or proposals led in other U of T Divisions, on which A&S faculty members are co-PIs).

Important Information

In order to facilitate this for the Faculty of Arts & Science, the Vice Dean Graduate asks that interested faculty members, teams, and unit Chair(s) and Director(s) consult the A&S Office of Graduate Studies early in the application development process. Contact vicedeangraduate.artsci@utoronto.ca.

IDCs should be aligned with A&S Strategic Priorities and/or those of the host units and be undertaken in partnership with priority peer institutions (i.e. there is potential for a broad-based institution-institution partnership with globally recognized institution(s).

IDC proposals must have secured at least one third of its funding from a combination of unit funding (cash) and/or external funding (tri-agency funding, corporate, philanthropy) that directly supports eligible IDC expenses for U of T participants.

IDC proposals must have confirmation that the financial resources of participating PIs from partnering institutions are in place to support their travel costs and those of their graduate students and PDFs for coming to the U of T.

A&S will consider requests for additional top-up funding for IDC Proposals with peer-institutions in lower and middle-income countries (LMICs), where additional funding is needed to support the mobility and collaboration expenses of PIs and trainees at the partner institution. Where possible, PIs will be expected to leverage external funding sources (i.e. peer-reviewed grant funding, philanthropy, etc.) to support these costs.

To be considered for A&S funding, proposals must demonstrate plans for:

• Collaborative knowledge creation & transfer.
• Funding: Leverage larger sources of external funding to sustain partnership.
• Attracting top global talent (doctoral students, PDFs etc.).
• Enhancing the global exposure of the U of T community.
• Building sustainable multidisciplinary global knowledge networks.

To be considered for A&S funding, PIs must submit the completed IDC proposal for review no later than two weeks in advance of the corresponding VP International deadline. A&S proposals will be reviewed four times per year (i.e., February 1 for the February 15 competition, May 1 for May 15 competition, September 1 for September 15 competition, and December 1 for December 15 competition).

For complete program details and to access applications forms, please visit the International Doctoral Clusters program page.

Completed proposals must be submitted to vicedeangraduate.artsci@utoronto.ca prior to submission to the OVPI.