The Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program at FIFSW

Overview

• Application deadline: May 1, 11:59 p.m. 2026
• Level of Study: Postdoctoral
• Required Legal Status: Domestic or International
• Value and Duration: $80,000 annually for two years
• Results: June 2026
• Start date: Between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027

Apply to the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program

Candidates must:

• Be engaged as or seeking a position as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto (postdocs at teaching hospitals arenot eligible for this fellowship as they are not employees of the university).

• Have demonstrated academic excellence, the ability to design and execute independent research, and evidence of intellectual leadership in their chosen field.

• Proven capacity to conceptualize and execute independent research beyond their doctoral work.

• Not have previously engaged in more than one postdoctoral appointment.

• Must have completed a PhD before the selected start date.

• Have a fellowship start date between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027 for a one or a two year term.

• Have completed the PhD within five years of the fellowship start date.

• Availability and willingness to teach at the graduate level in research or in their subject area. 

• Be within the locality of the Greater Toronto Area and meet in person at the St. George Campus of the University of Toronto for team meetings, research activities, teaching, and community partner committees.

The candidate is responsible for engaging with prospective supervisors for their postdoctoral fellowship. You can visit each individual graduate unit and review the faculty members by research area, or you can also visit the directory of U of T scholars as a starting point.

Award recipients must:

• Have completed all doctoral degree requirements prior to the start of the fellowship.

• Be engaged as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto (postdocs at teaching hospitals are not eligible for this fellowship as they are not employees of the university).

• Be hired by a U of T supervisor appointed to a graduate unit who commits to provide the supervisor component of the postdoctoral funding.

• Register and remain registered with the Postdoctoral Office at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).

• Not concurrently hold another major fellowship.

• Not hold a faculty position or be on leave from a faculty position.

• Establish an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and submit it to the Postdoctoral Office at SGS within the first three months of the fellowship.
  • The IDP should be reviewed annually and the revised copy sent to SGS.

• 1. Candidate’s Independent Research Proposal 

  Maximum 2 pages, plus up to 2 additional pages for references/citations

  Clearly explain:

  • How the proposed work represents a significant departure from or advancement beyond your doctoral research.
  • The anticipated long-term impact of the research, including how it contributes to the field and aligns with U of T’s strategic research priorities.

• 2. Candidate’s Statement

  Maximum 1 page

  • Describe your professional, academic and extracurricular experiences and achievements, and how these contribute to your success and ability to develop and implement an independent research plan. (1/2 page)
  • Describe how the knowledge and skills you expect to acquire will contribute to your productivity and to the research goals you hope to achieve, why you decided upon the supervisor and research group and what you expect to learn from the experience. (1/2 page)

• 3. Supervisor’s Statement

  Maximum 2 pages

  • Describe the complementarity between the research interests and background of the supervisor and candidate, how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects or new research directions, and the anticipated benefits.
    
    These benefits include how the collaboration will support the candidate’s transition to   research independence and long-term career success.

  • Provide information specific to the field of study (e.g., benchmarks of excellence, publication norms, standards and practices, impact factor of research contributions) that would otherwise not be known outside the discipline and that will help clarify the candidate’s background and proposal.
    

  • Provide details regarding the candidate’s proposed research environment, clearly stating the supervisor’s and graduate unit’s commitment.
    
    Examples of commitment include (but are not limited to): mentorship; opportunities for collaboration, dissemination, and/or knowledge translation; and resources (e.g., funding, facilities, personnel) that will be available to support the candidate as they carry out their proposed research.
    

  • Indicate how these resources will enable the candidate to establish a sustainable, independent research program.

  • Illustrate the supervisor’s commitment to the applicant’s academic and professional trajectory and development of an independent research program, clearly indicating the resources and mentoring activities that are available through the research environment to support career development

• 4. Candidate’s C.V.

  No page restriction

• 5. Completed application form

  Fill out the application form, compile your documents in a single PDF file and email to vesna.bajic@utoronto.ca by May 1, 2026 11:59p.m. deadline.

All documents must:

• Use Times New Roman, 12-point font (including citations if applicable).
• Have 2cm margins.
• Be single spaced.
• Be compiled into a single PDF file with the naming convention: Lastname_Firstname_Supporting Documents

Be emailed to vesna.bajic@utoronto.ca by the May 1, 2026 11:59 p.m. deadline.