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Becoming a Postdoctoral Fellow

Getting a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto
Getting a Postdoctoral Fellowship outside of the University of Toronto
Funding Sources 
   

Getting a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Toronto

Postdoctoral fellows (PDFs) are at a unique stage in their careers. The purpose of a PDF position is to aid in the transition from student to independent scholar. In collaboration with a U of T faculty member, a PDF engages in activities that will further his or her professional development. Since the PDF position is intended to be transitional, PDFs are not considered to be employees of the University of Toronto but are engaged by U of T and a faculty member.

PDFs must have recently (normally within 5 years) been awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent degree. The maximum initial term of engagement is three years. In special circumstances, a further extension of up to three years is permitted with decanal approval in multi-department faculties, and provostial approval in single-department faculties. The engagement shall expire, without any further payment obligations by the University, on the date specified in the letter of engagement.

Prospective PDFs arrange their engagements directly with a faculty supervisor and not through a central U of T office. PDFs can be based at a University unit or at an affiliated Hospital.

Prospective PDFs are encouraged to identify and contact faculty members who have similar research interests to discuss the possibility of becoming a PDF with a particular faculty member’s research team.

Occasionally both University units and affiliated Hospitals employ a variety of recruitment techniques including: advertisements in local or national publications, offers on a unit website or a faculty member's webpage, and the recommendations of colleagues.

How to Search for a Faculty member with similar research interests

1. Prepare a research proposal.

2. Contact a faculty member directly with your proposal. You can find a faculty member that shares your research interests by consulting the websites below.

3. Be prepared to be interviewed. Faculty supervisors are encouraged to interview and review the skills of prospective PDFs prior to engaging them in postdoctoral activities. PDFs and their faculty supervisors must ensure that professional growth and career advancement are achieved during your time at U of T. Faculty members are looking to select PDFs who will contribute to their research teams and, in turn, provide the resources needed for PDFs to contribute to their field of interest through publications, professional presentations, and teaching/mentoring the activities of junior researchers.

4. Secure at least $27,500 per year. You can secure funding from external granting agencies (government, health organization, etc.) or fellowship programs or you may be offered funding from your faculty supervisor’s grant or research resources, in the form of a stipend. Possible sources for securing your own funding are listed in the funding sources section.  You cannot be a PDF at U of T on your own personal funds. 

Getting a Postdoctoral Fellowship outside of the University of Toronto

The following organizations may have opportunities for postdoctoral fellowships for prospective PDFs looking to train at these organizations. Please note the following links will take you to external sites:

Associations, Societies, Councils and Institutes

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)
Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy (COSEPUP)
Canadian Health Services Research Foundation (CHSRF)
Canadian Hemophelia Society (CHS)
Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE)
Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE)
Canadian Arthritis Foundation (CAF)
Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (Heart & Stroke)
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowships in the Humanities and Related Social Sciences (Mellon Foundation)
Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS)
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada (MS Society)
Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA)
Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA)
Information Society Technologies Europe and Canada (ISTEC)
Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP)

Job Search Websites

PhDs - lists postdoctoral positions in the sciences, articles, and advice
Post-Docs - searchable database of posting listings
Postdoctorate - contains information on resources, and links to position listings
Science - search under "science careers" to access postdoctoral positions in the sciences
The Scientist - lists postdoctoral positions in the sciences
Townsend Centre for Humanities - UC Berkeley maintains this site with links to PDFs in the humanities

Funding Sources

Funding for PDFs

The University of Toronto has a minimum stipend for PDFs of $27,500. Funds for this can be drawn from a variety of sources, secured either by the PDFs themselves or their faculty supervisors. PDFs can secure funding from external granting agencies or fellowship programs or may be offered funding from their faculty supervisors’ grant or research resources.

Government Funding Websites

The following agencies and foundations have programs that fund postdoctoral research. Consult each agencies and foundations website for specific information on the programs that they offer to provide funding to PDFs. International PDFS are strongly encouraged to check first with agencies and foundations in their home country.

Please note the following links will take you to external sites:

Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHRwebsite)
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC website)
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC website)
National Research Council (NRC website)
Health Canada (website)
National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (NIH)
National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC)
Canada Council for the Arts (Canada Council)

Awards for Recognition of Outstanding Achievements

The Graduate Awards Office manages the nomination process for a number of dissertation awards and doctoral prizes. Announcements for these awards and requests for submissions are sent annually from the Graduate Awards Office to the University's graduate units, centres, and institutions. Finalists are selected by the School to represent the U of T at the provincial or national level.

Nominations are typically open to doctoral candidates or PDFs at the University. The conditions for eligibility of these awards may change from year-to-year so it is important that the eligibility qualifications are reviewed carefully on the sponsor's web site. Candidates interested in these awards should notify their graduate unit supervisor or principle investigator. For more information go to

Financial Awards and Information - Postdoctoral Fellows.