UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Award Overview

Value & Duration

Each award will provide $70,000 per year to UTSC departments to support up to two years of postdoctoral salary and benefits. The Fellowship funds the postdoctoral fellow’s gross salary (approximately $62,000) and employer costs (10.25% Standard Benefit Rate, and $50/month postdoctoral levy). Successful postdoctoral fellows will also receive a start-up fund of $5,000 per year.

Purpose

The University of Toronto Scarborough’s UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides funding to UTSC departments to increase opportunities for hiring postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups, specifically Indigenous and Black researchers.

Postdoc fellows must secure sponsorship of a supervisor (or supervisors) from the professoriate at U of T Scarborough. UTSC supervisor(s) must nominate their prospective postdoc fellow following the timeline and processes outlined below.

Eligibility

The award is open to both domestic and international candidates.

Nominees must:

  • Demonstrate academic excellence and high potential for success in their chosen fields;
  • Identify as Indigenous to Turtle Island and/or Black;
  • Have obtained a doctoral degree, normally within the last five years from the start date of the funding, or will have obtained the degree at the time the fellowship commences; and
  • Not have held a UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship or a Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, previously.

Recipients must:

  • Begin the fellowship sometime between May 1, 2024 and January 8, 2025;
  • Be a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto – Scarborough campus;
  • Be associated with a supervisor appointed to a graduate unit;
  • Not hold concurrently another major fellowship;
  • Not hold a faculty position or be on leave from such a position;
  • 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 Fellowship. International applicants must have completed all of the requirements for their doctoral degree before the start date of the Fellowship.

Application Process

Submit a notice of intent by October 11, 2023 (5PM) via the Microsoft FormsOpens an external site and may open a new window.

All documents are to be submitted by the nominating supervisor by November 1, 2023 (5PM) to postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca. Please include the Award and Postdoctoral fellow’s name in the email’s subject line.

Decisions will be made in mid-January, and successful applicants will have two weeks from the time the decisions are announced to accept or decline the fellowship.

UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Program application package checklist:

Note to applicant:

Postdoctoral fellows 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:

1. Supervisor(s) must have a tenure-track or tenured (primary) appointment at U of T Scarborough.

2. The primary research site for the Postdoctoral Fellows is on the UTSC campus.

UTSC Inclusive Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowship Program – Nomination 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 fellow 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.

Nomination letter – Please demonstrate complementarity between the research interests/background of the supervisor and applicant, and the anticipated mutual benefits. Provide specifics about how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects and/or new research directions, and provide details concerning the applicant’s proposed research environment, clearly stating the supervisor’s and laboratory/departments’ commitment;

Be sure to clearly state in the letter, with which underrepresented group (Indigenous and/or Black) the nominee identifies.

Results

Results of the competition will be made available in mid-January. Successful applicants will have two weeks from the time the decisions are announced to accept or decline the fellowship.

Additional Info

Selection Criterias:

Nominations will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:

  • Excellence of the research proposal and nominee’s CV;
  • Nomination letter from the supervisor, demonstrating the complementarity between the research interests/background of the supervisor and applicant, and the anticipated mutual benefits. Provide specifics about how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects and/or new research directions, and provide details concerning the applicant’s proposed research environment, clearly stating the supervisor’s and laboratory/departments’ commitment;

Award Holder Information

Post-Award Details:

Acknowledgment: The UTSC affiliation of researchers and support from the Office of the Vice-Principal Academic & Dean, UTSC should be acknowledged in any research outputs arising from this award.

Contacts & Resources

For information regarding the selection process, please contact postdoc-awards@utsc.utoronto.ca.