Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program: Information for OISE Faculty
The Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program at the University of Toronto is a prestigious opportunity for early-career scholars to develop and expand their research expertise at one of the world’s most distinguished public research universities. The program will empower postdoctoral scholars with the autonomy to pursue an ambitious research program, while benefitting from close collaboration with leading faculty and access to tailored professional and career development supports. The program is designed for exceptional postdoctoral scholars eager to contribute to an innovative, vibrant and inclusive academic community. This program specifically seeks to bridge the critical gap between doctoral training and independent academic careers by providing postdoctoral fellows with the resources, autonomy, and mentorship necessary to establish themselves as independent researchers.
OISE will award up to three of these fellowships, which require nomination by an OISE faculty member willing to serve as the postdoctoral fellow’s supervisor. Fellows are expected to develop and lead their own research agenda, distinct from but complementary to their supervisor’s work, positioning them for future faculty appointments or leadership roles in research-intensive environments.
Each award will support a postdoctoral salary of $80,000 per year, plus benefits, for two years. In addition, fellows will be provided with $10,000 per year in funding for independent research. The two-year fellowship must begin within 12 months of the date of offer.
Costs of the program are shared by the University of Toronto (60%) and the supervisor (40%), with departmental and/or divisional supports possible. Total supervisor costs amount to $41,840 in year 1 and $42,521 in year 2. It is expected that the supervisor will provide all or most of the 40% share of postdoctoral costs. Supervisors who are unable to fully fund their share of the postdoctoral fellowship out of grant funds may be able to partially offset costs in three ways:
- With the agreement of the postdoctoral fellow and approval of the department Chair, the fellow may teach up to one course (1 HCE) per year as part of their postdoctoral duties, offsetting salary costs by approximately $10,000 per year.
- Supervisors who are unable to fully fund their share of postdoctoral costs through grant funding and teaching are encouraged to discuss with their department Chair whether any departmental funds are available to make up the difference.
- If supervisors (particularly those who are early-career faculty members) are unable to fully fund their share of postdoctoral costs through grant funding, teaching, and departmental support, limited funds may be available from OISE for exceptional candidates. Please contact oise.research@utoronto.ca.
Anticipated total costs of the co-funded postdoctoral fellowship are outlined:
| Funding Breakdown | Year 1 Total | Year 1 UofT (60%) | Year 1 PI (40%) | Year 2 Total | Year 2 UofT (60%) | Year 2 PI (40%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postdoctoral Salary | $80,000 | $48,000 | $32,000 | $80,000 | $48,000 | $32,000 |
| Salary increase in year 2 (1.8%) | — | — | — | $1,440 | $864 | $576 |
| Benefits (10.5%) | $8,400 | $5,040 | $3,360 | $8,551 | $5,131 | $3,420 |
| PDF Levy (7.75%) | $6,200 | $3,720 | $2,480 | $6,312 | $3,787 | $2,525 |
| Independent Research Funding | $10,000 | $6,000 | $4,000 | $10,000 | $6,000 | $4,000 |
| Total Funding | $104,600 | $62,760 | $41,840 | $106,303 | $63,782 | $42,521 |
These costs are based on the current CUPE collective agreement and include an annual salary increase payable at a rate of 1.8%, the Standard Benefit Rate (SBR) at 10.5%, and the PDF Levy at a rate of 7.75%. Supervisors will be responsible for covering any additional employer costs that may be applicable as a result of future collective agreements.
Supervisor eligibility: supervisors supporting a nomination must hold a tenure stream, budgetary appointment in an OISE department, with a graduate faculty membership that extends for the two-year duration of the appointment. Supervisors may support a maximum of one applicant for consideration for the postdoctoral fellowship. While it is expected that the supervisor’s area of research is complementary to that of the postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral fellows are expected to develop and lead an independent research agenda distinct from that of their supervisor.
Procedures for OISE Faculty Members
Should an applicant reach out to you, please consider the quality and fit of their research and consider supporting applicants of promise or referring them to a colleague. Procedures for applicants are outlined.
If you would like to support an applicant for this award, establish a firm deadline for them to submit their application materials to you (CV, independent research proposal, learning statement, and teaching statement (if teaching will be part of the postdoctoral duties)) that will allow you to prepare the supervisor materials, outlined below, in time to meet the OISE nomination deadline of April 1, 2026.
Faculty supporting an application and willing to serve as supervisor will need to prepare the following materials as part of the application:
- A supervisor statement (max. 2 pages) from the primary faculty supervisor. The statement should:
- describe the complementarity between the research interests/background of the supervisor and candidate, how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects and/or new research directions, and the anticipated mutual benefits; this includes how the collaboration will support the candidate’s transition to research independence and long-term career success;
- 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 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, resources (e.g., funding, facilities, personnel) that will be available to support the candidate as they carry out their proposed research; and how these resources will enable the candidate to establish a sustainable, independent research program; and
- 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/or mentoring activities that are available through the learning environment to support career development.
A detailed budget outlining how the supervisor’s share of the postdoctoral costs will be paid over the two-year period. Please work with your department’s business officer on this budget, using the template (add lines as necessary, 1 line per funding source). If the supervisor’s department or OISE will be providing any funds to help offset the supervisor’s costs, written confirmation from the Chair or Dean must be included.
Year 1
Funding Source Amount CFC/CC PI Funds (specify grant sponsor, e.g. SSHRC IG) Teaching (specify course) Department Funds (department name) Other (specify source) Total Must total $41,840 Year 2
Funding Source Amount CFC/CC PI Funds (specify grant sponsor, e.g. SSHRC IG) Teaching (specify course) Department Funds (department name) Other (specify source) Total Must total $42,521 Grand Total (Year 1 + Year 2): Must total $84,361
- If the postdoctoral fellow will be teaching one course (1 HCE) per year as part of their postdoctoral duties and as part of the plan to pay the supervisor’s share of the postdoctoral salary, a teaching plan is required (max. 1 page), including the following elements:
- Course code, academic year, title, and description of the course proposed for the postdoctoral fellow to teach during the two-year fellowship;
- A description of the applicant’s preparedness to teach the course, based on their application materials including a teaching statement;
- A description of how the teaching integrates with the applicant’s research agenda and how it will advance their professional development;
- Written confirmation from the department Chair indicating their commitment to and approval of the teaching plan.
Supervisors are responsible for submitting all application materials (both applicant and supervisor documents) as a single PDF file by April 1, 2026, using this application form.
An OISE selection committee will evaluate eligible applications according to selection criteria outlined and select up to three outstanding nominees for the award. If three nominees are not selected in the first intake, a second intake may be conducted in 2026-27.
Final results of the competition are expected to be known by late April 2026, and supervisors will be notified of the outcome of their nomination.
Further Informaton
Program details may be found on the SGS website: Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program. Questions on OISE procedures may be directed to oise.research@utoronto.ca.