Find Funding

Get the latest information about external and internal funding opportunities to support your research program, including funds that support the recruitment of research trainees.

Internal Funding Opportunities

Funds for Recruiting Research Trainees

Pivot Funding Opportunities Database

External Funding Opportunities

Internal Funding Opportunities

The Arts & Science International Research Events Fund is a matching funds program, designed to facilitate hosting research-related events that contribute to increasing the international research profile of A&S research. Faculty members who have full-time faculty appointments in A&S units (i.e., St. George campus faculty) are welcome to apply to the fund in support of events they are organizing/co-organizing on campus. Faculty and researchers who hold graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, or are emeritus faculty, are not eligible.

Submit applications to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca

Deadline: Any time

Value: up to $7,500

Arts & Science International Research Events Fund Application Form

The Arts & Science Tri-Council Bridge Funding Program is designed to help bridge research funding gaps for full-time A&S faculty members (i.e., St. George campus) whose Tri-Council grant applications have been unsuccessful. The program is designed to allow researchers to continue their work and become more competitive on their next application. Faculty members and researchers who hold graduate-only appointments, other types of cross-appointments, or are emeritus faculty, are not eligible. While we accept requests for bridge funding for all of the below listed programs, first priority will be given to applicants in the SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, and NSERC Discovery Grant competitions. The CIHR and NSERC RTI programs will require some vetting depending on the quantity and magnitude of the requests.

The Tri-Council Bridge Fund is a 1:1 matching funds program. Principal Investigators must first apply for funding through their Department Chair or Director. Matching fund requests are to be submitted by the Unit Chair or Director to the A&S Research Services Office for review and approval by the Vice-Dean Research.

Opportunity & Deadlines

SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, and NSERC Discovery Grant Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $15,000, for one year.

  • Deadline: Any time before August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).
CIHR Project Grant Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $20,000, to PIs on CIHR Project grants that were unfunded in the Spring or Fall competition.

  • Deadlines:
    • Fall competition: apply for Bridge Funding by April 15 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).
    • Spring competition: apply for Bridge Funding by August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application).

Note: Principal Investigators who are awarded a Bridge Fund after an unsuccessful grant application in either the SSHRC Insight, SSHRC Insight Development, NSERC Discovery, or CIHR Project grant competition must submit a proposal to the same funding program in the next competition cycle (Fall or Spring round for CIHR applicants).

NSERC Research Tools & Instruments (RTI) Bridge Funding

A&S will match unit contributions, up to $50,000.

  • Deadline: any time before August 1 (immediately following an unsuccessful application)
Eligible sources of matching funding from Academic Units
  1. Operating reserves within an Academic unit.
  2. Available funding within an individual Principal Investigator’s (the applicant) PI Fund Centre.
  3. Funding for graduate students from an Academic Unit’s Graduate Program Account*

*Note: Graduate Program Account funding cannot be transferred directly to a PI account and must be transferred directly to the student via a ROSI/Acorn Award.

Arts & Science Tri-Council Bridge Funding Program Application Form

Program temporarily on hiatus.

Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) funds are intended to build research capacity in high-priority areas of strategic importance, with the goal of securing significant funding and/or realizing transformational impacts on issues of societal importance. ISI proposals articulate a grand challenge and associated research themes/questions at the convergence of multiple fields and disciplines, with the potential for impact in the research field and/or community, and a path to securing external funds.

Overview

Value: $50,000 to $300,000/year
Duration: Six months to three years
Matching Funds: Secured matching funds are required from internal and external sources (1:1 match is normally required)
Theme Areas: Open to all areas of research and scholarship
Deadline: Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis

Two-stage Application process

  1. brief Prospectus presented for early review and feedback
  2. full Proposal to follow early review
  • Only Proposals approved by the lead applicant’s Academic Division with matching cash support from at least three Academic Divisions will be considered.
  • Prospectuses and Proposals are reviewed and considered for approval by a subcommittee of the Research Advisory Board. The Divisional Vice Principal/Dean Research lead brings forward the Prospectus and Proposal to the subcommittee; the Academic lead(s) will be invited to present the final Proposal to the subcommittee.

Faculty members who are interested in leading or participating in an Institutional and Strategic Initiative should be in touch with the Arts & Science Research Services Office for a preliminary consultation.

A&S Contact: Lisa Rumiel, Director Research Services, lisa.rumiel@utoronto.ca
For a direct link to the New Initiatives Program Guidelines & Materials, please visit the Launch a New Initiative webpage.
For complete details about existing initiatives, visit the Institutional and Strategic Initiatives webpage.

The Research Catalyst Funding Competition is a competitive seed funding program for multidisciplinary teams forming a Collaborative Research Team (CRT). Funding from this program supports CRTs focused on the development of new data science methodology, or the use of existing methodology in innovative ways to address questions of major societal importance. Data Sciences is defined as the science of collecting, manipulating, storing, visualizing, learning from and extracting useful information from data in a reproducible, fair and ethical way. A proportion of the Research Catalyst Funding is prioritized for research projects related to the University of Toronto Data Sciences Institute’s (DSI) Thematic Programs.

Value: Up to $100,000

Arts & Science Allocation: While there is no set allocation for the Faculty of Arts & Science, A&S has set aside funding for up to two additional Catalyst Grants earmarked for projects with at least one A&S co-PI.

Please visit the Catalyst Program website for complete details on the program requirements, including the Notice of Intent and Full Application Deadlines.

XSeed is an interdivisional research funding program led by the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering (FASE), which is designed to promote multi-disciplinary research and to catalyze new innovative partnerships between a coPI from FASE and a coPI from another University of Toronto division. Funding is available for a maximum of seventeen (17) new collaborative projects, four of which will be allocated to the Faculty of Arts & Science. Two Arts & Science projects will be earmarked for coPIs from either the Humanities or Social Sciences.

For complete details, visit the FASE Call for Proposals page, where you can also view past recipients.

Deadline: The current application period has closed. Congratulations to the 2023 XSeed Award recipients. Please check back in early December 2023 for the launch of the next competition.

Value: $60,000/year for a maximum of 2 years. $15,000 each from the collaborating Faculties and home unit of each co-PI.

$1 million annually will be awarded to support approximately 4 team initiatives of up-to $250,000 each. The program aims to heighten U of T’s contribution to important issues facing society through the advancement of knowledge, and the transfer and application of solutions. Global Challenge teams will represent new collaborations involving leading U of T researchers and students from multiple disciplines, along with innovators and thought leaders from other sectors. The program objective is to enhance U of T’s capacity to achieve meaningful outcomes and impact, including but not limited to: major new external funding to further develop solutions to the global challenge, important new partnerships, and/or new research oriented academic programs.

Visit U of T's Research & Innovation website for complete program details and materials.

Value: $250,000 (over two years)

The Connaught Innovation Fund was created to accelerate the development of promising technology and promote commercialization and/or knowledge transfer. Connaught applications will be at or above Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 as defined by Science and Economic Development Canada (SEDC) to support evolving the innovation to the next level with potential commercial partners. Information regarding SEDC TRL Scale can be found here. Successful projects will have strong socioeconomic and/or commercial potential, and will strive to have a positive impact on society.

Visit U of T's Research & Innovation website for complete program details and materials.

Deadline: Fall

Value: $50,000

The purpose of this program is to help new tenure stream faculty members establish competitive research programs. Up to $1 million awarded: support for approximately 50 awards of up to $20,000 will be provided to the highest ranked proposals (no matching required). These awards are intended to establish a strong research program, thereby increasing the faculty member’s competitiveness for external funding.

Visit U of T's Research & Innovation website for complete program details and materials.

Deadline: December

Value: $20,000

The Major Research Project Management (MRPM) Fund is an initiative of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation to enhance the competitiveness of U of T-led research funding applications, and to ensure the effective administrative oversight of the project, enabling faculty members to focus on research.

To be eligible for MRPM, an application will be multi-PI, multi-departmental, and/or multi-institutional, led by full-time faculty members whose research is campus-based and administered through the University. Other sponsors/programs that attract indirect costs will also be considered on a case-by-case basis where all other eligibility criteria are met. The budget request from the sponsor for these large, complex projects are typically in excess of one million dollars (total project cost) at the level of hundreds of thousands per year.

The MRPM program comprises two potential funding streams that may be applied for separately or in combination. In both streams, MRPM funds must be matched dollar-for-dollar by cash contributions from the supporting division(s).

MRPM Stream 1 funding is provided to support proposal development for submissions at the full proposal stage. Up to $10,000 will be provided by the MRPM fund, which must be fully matched by the applicant’s division/department (up to $20,000 total when matched).

MRPM Stream 2 funding is provided specifically to support the administration of large, complex research projects, normally as compensation for project management. PI’s may request up to $50,000 per project year, which must be fully matched by the applicant’s division/department (up to $100,000/annum – total when matched).

Visit U of T's Research & Innovation website for complete program details and materials.

Deadline: Any time

Joint workshops help lay the groundwork for future international collaborative research. They allow faculty and students to leverage complementary research strengths and increase their access to the unique capabilities of other international institutions. The Office of the Vice-President, International will provide up to $5000 to help facilitate a joint research workshop. Please note: workshop organizers must demonstrate a match of $10,000 in order to be eligible for the full $5000.

For complete details, visit the VPI Call for Proposals page.

Deadline: Rolling

Value: Up to $5000 (matching commitments required)

Through engagement in meaningful research collaborations with international partners, U of T faculty and students contribute to solving complex global problems. One way the Office of the Vice President, International helps support this work is through various joint calls for research proposals with select international institutions. The collaborations supported through this seed funding leverage each institution’s unique research strengths, foster the mobility of researchers, and accelerate discovery.

Each call varies with respect to project length, allocated funding, and prioritized field depending on the nature of the partnership.

For complete details on current opportunities, visit the VPI Call for Proposals page.

 

Funds for Recruiting Research Trainees

Arts & Science is strongly committed to diversity in research and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Postdoctoral Fellowship Opportunities

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, 2021;
  • 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 must be submitted to the Arts & Science Research Office by the primary supervisor’s department/unit chair or director’s office.

Each application should be submitted as one single PDF file, containing all application materials in the order as listed below (including 1. the components completed by the postdoctoral applicant and 2. the supervisor applicant components, respectively).

Submit applications to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca.

Required email subject line: APPLICANT NAME: A&S PDF APPLICATION:
  • Components completed by the postdoctoral applicant:
    • 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.
    • (NEW) Applicant Demographic Survey to be completed and submitted separately.
      Note: All survey answers will remain confidential and will not be used as part of the evaluation of your application or any other future application. Gathering demographic data supports our ability to evaluate the diversity of our pool of applicants in each competition and allows us to contextualize our adjudications processes and inform our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion reporting and best practices.
  • 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
      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 Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (OVPRI) has developed a tips and resources best practice guide for honours & awards nominations with a Best Practices in Peer Review Guide that may 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.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

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

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. PDF iconA&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:

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 (2023–24): 16

Arts & Science Application Deadline: August 1 (20:00 EDT)
Note: When a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, the next business day will be considered the deadline date.

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).

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants to the 2023–24 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program must fulfil or have fulfilled* all degree requirements for a PhD, PhD equivalent or health professional degree:

  • between September 15, 2020 and September 30, 2024 (inclusively) and;
  • before the start date of their award.

*Fulfilment of all degree requirements refers to the date you complete all the steps required for obtaining your degree, not the convocation date.

Arts & Science Submission Instructions

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 chair or academic director.
  • If an academic unit is submitting more than one application, the submission must include a ranked list of nominees.
  • Each nomination package should be submitted as a single Adobe PDF file, containing all application materials in the order as listed below:
    • ResearchNet Application Form
    • Curriculum Vitae (CCV format)
    • Significance of Research Contributions
    • Significance of Leadership Contributions
    • Project Overview, including Lay Summary
    • Research Proposal
    • Supervisor Statement
    • Referee Assessments
  • Please use file naming convention of: Last name-First name-Banting 2023-24.
Roles and Responsibilities of Applicant and Proposed Supervisor

Below is a breakdown of who is responsible for which piece of the application before it is submitted to the academic unit for final review, approval, ranking and submission to the Arts & Science Research Office.

Applicants

Applicants must complete the following:

  1. Curriculum Vitae. (see Application Guide Task 4)
  2. ResearchNet Application Form (see Application Guide Task 5)
  3. Significance of Research Contributions (see Application Guide Task 7)
  4. Significance of Leadership Contributions (see Application Guide Task 7)
  5. Project Overview, including Lay Summary (see Application Guide Task 10)
  6. Research Proposal (see Application Guide Task 10)
  7. Referee letters (at least one from an arm's length assessor). (see Application Guide Task 8)

*Applicants should direct their referees to submit a confidential copy of their assessment report directly to the supervisor's attention. These letters are required for the university’s review process. Choose carefully, ensuring that they are prepared to write supportively and in detail.

Proposed Supervisors

Proposed supervisor(s) must have a tenure-track or tenured appointment in Arts & Science (i.e., primary budgetary appointment in Arts & Science, at the St. George campus), and complete the following:

  1. Supervisor's statement (see Application Guide Task 10)
  2. Supervisor collects the applicant referee letters and submits the complete nomination package to the department chair.
Department Chairs & Academic Directors

Department chairs/academic directors must submit the completed nomination package(s) with a ranked list of nominees.

Important Links

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.

 

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

The University of Toronto Excellence Award (UTEA) provides opportunities for research experience at the undergraduate level in the natural sciences and engineering (NSE), social sciences and humanities(SSH), or health and life sciences (HLS); to augment the formal research courses offered by the University of Toronto; to provide undergraduate students opportunities to gain direct research experience on a faculty-led project; to help students learn and appreciate the investigative methodologies of areas of particular interest; and to foster interest in and knowledge of careers in research.

Arts & Science Application Deadline: March 31 (20:00 EST)

Arts & Science Application Process

For each respective Department/Unit (of the Proposed Supervisor), the Undergraduate office (or delegate) must submit all UTEA applications packages as single PDFs (one per application) to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca.

Complete applications include: 1. Part 1 – Student Personal Data] 2. Part II – Proposed Supervisor and Research Project 3. Student Official Transcript (ROSI or e-transcript)

Arts & Science 2023 Allocation: 38 UTEAs in NSE, 40 UTEAs in SSH, and 15 UTEAs in HLS

Award Value

UTEA awards are valued at a minimum of $7,500. Of this minimum total, $5,250 is provided by the University and must be matched by a minimum of $2,250 from the student’s supervisor or the academic unit. Any supplement above this level may be set at the supervisor's or department's discretion.

Award Duration

The award period is 14 full weeks during the summer term, beginning no earlier than May 1, 2023, and ending no later than September 30, 2023.

Eligibility of Students
To be eligible to hold a UTEA, a student must:
  • be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident of Canada, or foreign student with valid student visa for the full summer work term;
  • be registered in a Bachelor’s degree program at the University of Toronto either as 1) a full-time student, or 2) a part-time student only if the UTEA will be held during the student’s final session and the student requires only a part-time course load to complete their degree;
  • be registered either at the time of application or in the term immediately before the award start date. Graduating students may hold an award in the term immediately following the completion of their undergraduate program, as long as they have not started a graduate program; and
  • have obtained a cumulative average of "B+" or higher. For students in higher years, this average can be applied to the best two years of study.

Eligible students may already hold a Bachelor's degree in any discipline and be studying towards a second Bachelor's degree in NSE, SSH, or HLS.

A student is ineligible to hold a UTEA if they:
  • are currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, DDS, BScN);
  • hold a degree above a Bachelor’s in NSE, HLS, or SSH; or are currently enrolled in graduate studies
Please also note:
  • A student may only apply for one UTEA opportunity per year.
  • A student may not concurrently hold a UTEA and an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (USRA) or other equivalent summer research award.
  • Preference will be given to second- and third-year students
  • A student may hold a maximum of 3 UTEAs throughout their university career, with priority given to first-time applicants.
Eligibility of Faculty Supervisors
  • To be eligible as a UTEA supervisor, a faculty member must hold an active NSERC, SSHRC, or CIHR research grant, either as principal investigator or co-investigator, at the start date of the UTEA (May 1), or be a principal investigator or co-investigator on a pending application.
  • For all Arts & Science applications, all Faculty Supervisors must hold primary budgetary appointments in Arts & Science (St. George campus).

A faculty member can be the supervisor on a maximum of 2 UTEA awards per year.

Research Expenses and Fieldwork

The entire UTEA funding is to be awarded to the student as a stipend. Any additional costs, e.g. supplies, services, fieldwork (travel expenses) are the responsibility of the supervisor or the department.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The University of Toronto recognizes that diversity is essential to the creation of a vibrant intellectual community that allows our researchers to maximize their creativity and their contributions. We are strongly committed to diversity in research and especially welcome applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal Peoples of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Divisions are expected to post opportunities widely to attract a broad/diverse pool of students. Academic divisions/units must establish a peer review committee to make award decisions. Academic units make award decisions through their own competitive, peer-review process. In the absence of such a committee, academic divisions can rely on their executive committee or other existing committee of faculty members.

Review committees are expected to demonstrate a strong commitment to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion, and to adopt equitable and consistent peer review processes. Committees must develop and consistently apply predetermined selection criteria that align with information found in the posting and account for and not penalize academic interruptions/leaves/extenuating circumstances.

Activity Report

It is the responsibility of the student to submit a Research Report no later than October 1, 2023, to Cheryl Nash (cheryl.nash@utoronto.ca), Research Funding Officer. The report template will be distributed with the UTEA award letters.

Visit the University Registrar's Office website for complete program details and materials.

Program Guidelines and Application Procedures

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) have each introduced their respective Black Student Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRAs) program. Modelled on NSERC’s USRA program, the goal of both CIHR’s and SSHRC’s program is to provide research experience that complements the degree program that undergraduate students are pursuing, which may lead them to consider graduate studies in the fields of health and life sciences (CIHR) or the social sciences and humanities (SSHRC).

  • CIHR and SSHRC’s Black Student USRA awards are only for Black Students.
  • When students are completing their portion of the USRA application, they will confirm that they self-identify as Black, and confirm their awareness that this declaration will be shared with the institution and the funding agency.
  • For 2023, the University of Toronto can select 9 CIHR Black Student USRAs and 4 SSHRC Black Student USRAs.
  • As a result of the allocation provided to U of T, an internal selection process will be used.
Overview of the USRA program:
  • Duration: 16 full consecutive weeks in the summer term (between May 1st and September 1st)
  • Value: $6,000 from the funding agency with a mandatory match from the university (usually from the supervisor’s other research funds) of a minimum of $1,500.
  • Any supplement above this level may be set at the discretion of the department or the USRA supervisor.
  • Travel allowances are not permitted under the USRA program. Any costs of fieldwork and related expenses (including travel) are ineligible.
  • USRAs do not include provision for paid vacation days.
  • Awards cannot be deferred to the following summer term.
  • Tenure: Both the USRA Awardee and their Faculty Supervisor must be located at the same university during the tenure of the award. USRAs cannot be transferred to another university.
Eligibility
Eligible Students:
  • Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, or a Protected Person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada), as of the deadline date for applications at the institution.
  • Self-identify as Black on the online application form.
  • Registered either full-time or part-time (at the time of application) in a bachelor's degree program in at least one of the two terms immediately before holding the award. (A student is still eligible if they already hold a bachelor’s degree, as long as they are currently studying towards a second bachelor’s degree.)
  • Obtained, over the previous years of study, a cumulative average of at least second class (a grade of B or B-, if applicable).
  • Has completed, at the time of application, a minimum of two academic terms/semesters. (First year students are not eligible.)
  • If graduating, is in the term immediately following the completion of their undergraduate program requirements and has not started a program of graduate studies (at U of T, students can hold a USRA in the summer immediately following their final spring term).
  • Will be engaged on a full-time basis in research and development activities during the award tenure. (USRA award holders are permitted to take up to a maximum two courses during the award term. Thesis research during the award term is not permitted.)
  • Will not receive academic credits for research done during the USRA term.
Ineligible Students:
  • Foreign or international students.
  • Currently enrolled in an undergraduate professional degree program in the health sciences (e.g., MD, BScPhm, DDS, BScN) (is not applicable to CIHR USRAs).
  • Cannot be currently registered or have been previously registered, at any time, in a graduate program in the same field of study.
Eligible Supervisor:
  • Can independently supervise students, as per their appointment with the university.
  • Meets CIHR or SSHRC eligibility to hold research grants (CIHR eligibility, or for SSHRC eligibility, see “Applicant”).
Ineligible Supervisor:
  • Postdoctoral fellows and graduate/PhD students are not eligible USRA supervisors.
Eligible Project:
  • Research proposed for the SSHRC or CIHR USRA must fall within the respective agency’s mandate.
Ineligible Project:
  • Research that falls outside the respective agency’s mandate.
Application Completion & Submission Instructions
  • CIHR and SSHRC Black Student USRA applications are completed on NSERC’s online system. Applicants need to choose either CIHR or SSHRC when completing the application.
  • The application comprises:
    • The student application (Form 202 Part I) and the student’s transcript (which need not be an official copy and can be an electronic copy of academic history from ACORN), which is attached to their portion of the application; and
    • The faculty supervisor application (Form 202 Part II).
    • Both Form 202 Part I and II and the student transcript must be exported into a single PDF by the supervisor to be submitted to the correct administrative contact in the supervisor’s home academic unit.
  • TIP: The faculty supervisor will need to input a reference number into their application that is automatically generated in the student’s application. For this reason, the student must complete their application portion first and send the reference number to the faculty supervisor. Once the supervisor inputs the reference number into their application, the student and faculty applications will be linked together.
Useful resources for applying:
Questions?
For Students:
  1. Complete the latest version of the application form (Form 202, Part I) online. Follow the instructions and adhere to NSERC’s General Presentation Guidelines. Handwritten applications are not accepted.
  2. Identify whether this application is for CIHR or SSHRC based on the field of study that most closely aligns with either agency’s mandate.
  3. Be sure to complete the self-identification section in Part I of Form 202.
  4. Attach a PDF copy of your transcripts (or the university e-transcripts or the most recent academic history report from ACORN) to the application form (Part I).
  5. Once Form 202 Part I has been completed, provide your supervisor with the reference number generated by the system so that they may complete Part II of the form.
  6. Once both parts of the form have been completed and verified by the supervisor, the supervisor exports a copy to PDF format.
  7. Submit the application to the Department or Academic unit contact that corresponds to where the supervisor is based (the supervisor’s home academic unit where their primary appointment is held).
  8. If any additional changes are made by either the student or the supervisor, the one not making the change will need to go back online and verify in the online system in order to re-submit the edited application. Please ensure your supervisor exports the modified application into a PDF file to submit to the correct administrative contact in the supervisor’s home academic unit.
For Supervisors:
  1. Once the student has completed Form 202 Part I online on NSERC’s system, they must provide you with the reference number generated by the system. You will not be able to complete Part II of Form 202 online without the reference number.
  2. Log on to NSERC’s online system or create a new account and complete Part II of Form 202.
  3. Once all the modules of Form 202 have been completed, you must go back to the ‘My Portfolio’ page and select Verify, which will assess whether all required information has been entered. Once verification is complete, the status of the application will change to "Completed".
  4. No changes should be made to the form after it has been “Completed.” If you need to update any information, contact the NSERC On-Line Services Helpdesk. Once both parts of the form have been completed and verified, any additional changes made by either party—you or the student—will require the other party’s verification and confirmation in the online system.
  5. Export the application to PDF and submit it to the correct administrative contact in the supervisor’s home academic unit.
For Departments:
  • All applications must be submitted by academic units (Undergraduate Office or delegate) to the A&S Research Office.
  • Each application must be accompanied by the eligibility checklist signed by the Chair (or delegate) confirming eligibility.
Submission Instructions for the Undergraduate office (or delegates):

All USRA applications must be submitted to the Arts & Science Research Office. Each application must include a single PDF file, containing all application materials (Form 202 Part 1, Form 202 Part 2, student transcript) as well as the completed and signed eligibility checklist.

Arts & Science Deadline: Thursday, March 30, 2023
Submit applications to: research.artsci@utoronto.ca

The purpose of the Research Opportunities Program is to provide an opportunity for degree students in their second and third year in the Faculty of Arts & Science to work on the research project of a professor in return for 299Y or 399Y course credit. The Program is completely voluntary and serves to enhance the fundamental connection between teaching and research in a research intensive university.

Timeline: Fall/Winter and Summer term course offerings.

Learn more about the Research Opportunities Program.

The Research Excursions Program (REP) provides small groups of second- and third-year students the opportunity to contribute to faculty research in an off-campus setting, in Canada or abroad. These group projects are based on experiential learning and are supervised by an Arts & Science faculty member.

Timeline: Applications accepted in the Fall

Value: $5,000 - $15,000

Learn more about the Research Excursions Program.

 

Other Trainee Research Opportunities

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:

Hayley McKay
Advisor — Toronto
Business Development
hmckay@mitacs.ca

Christopher Dixon
Senior Advisor
Strategic Partnerships
cdixon@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.