Becoming a Postdoctoral Scholar at Western

What is a Postdoctoral Scholar?

The University defines a Postdoctoral Scholar as an individual who meets the following criteria:

  • the individual completed his or her doctoral degree within three years of the appointment;
  • the appointment is time limited, for a period of up to four years, with the possibility of a one-year renewal (for a maximum of five years);
  • the appointment is viewed as preparatory for a full-time academic or research career;
  • the appointment involves full-time research and scholarship;
  • the individual will work under the supervision of a faculty mentor and often as part of a larger research team; and,
  • the individual is encouraged and expected to publish the results of his or her independent research during the period of the appointment.

Length of Term

The appointment of a PDF or PDA is time-limited and not ongoing. Generally, PDFs and PDAs are appointed for a term of one to four years, with the possibility of a one year renewal.

Postdoctoral Fellow or Postdoctoral Associate?

There are two types of relationships that a Faculty Supervisor and a Postdoctoral Scholar may enter into – Postdoctoral Fellow or Postdoctoral Associate. The faculty researcher and the Postdoctoral Scholar will determine the nature of their research relationship and therefore whether the Postdoctoral Scholar is to be appointed as a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) or a Postdoctoral Associate (PDA).

Postdoctoral Scholarship may take the form of scholarly training, with a view to preparing the Postdoctoral Scholar for subsequent full-time academic and/or research employment. In these circumstances, the Postdoctoral Scholar is referred to as a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) and will work in cooperation with his or her faculty research mentor while receiving scholarly training. One important goal for PDFs is often to strengthen their publication record and build their curriculum vitae in order to improve their prospects for securing a permanent faculty position or other research employment.

In some cases, the Postdoctoral Scholar is engaged primarily to support the faculty supervisor’s research. In these circumstances, the Postdoctoral Scholar is referred to as a Postdoctoral Associate (PDA), and he or she will work under the direction of the faculty supervisor. The PDA will be in an employment relationship with the University and the terms and conditions of his or her working relationship with the faculty supervisor will be governed by the collective agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

Before seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Scholar, faculty researchers must assess the type of research relationship they are seeking to engage in with the Postdoctoral Scholar. This assessment will then inform any subsequent discussion with the prospective Postdoctoral Scholar, and shape the research relationship as either being PDF or PDA.

Please note, however, that Postdoctoral Scholars who are funded directly by a granting agency and do not receive payment through the Western Human Resources system are not eligible for the PDA employment status.

Postdoctoral Fellows:

  • Receive a T4A for earnings (subject to income tax, but not taxed at source unless request made in writing to Human Resources)
  • Are not subject to statutory deductions for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) or Employment Insurance (EI) and are not eligible for the related benefits

Postdoctoral Associates:

  • Receive a T4 for earnings and will be taxed at source automatically
  • Are subject to statutory deductions for CPP, EI, and income taxes
  • Are represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) in their relationship with the University, are therefore are governed by that collective agreement and are subject to deductions for union dues

The Appointment Process

There are three critical steps that must be taken in order to register your postdoctoral appointment at Western:

  1. Reach an agreement in principle with a faculty researcher 
    • As a general rule, to become a postdoctoral scholar you must first contact a researcher at Western who shares your research interests and can therefore serve as your faculty supervisor or faculty research mentor.
      • Items for discussion: 
        • Compensation
        • Tme off (holidays, sick days)
        • Travel costs or moving expenses
        • Teaching opportunities
      • Be sure to discuss the different appointment types (PDF or PDA) with your supervisor/mentor and discern which is most appropriate  
      • You will also need financial support. Typically, there are three potential sources of financial support for Postdoctoral Scholars:
        • a fellowship from an external agency;
        • a fellowship or salary paid through a professor's grants or contracts; or,
        • a fellowship or salary paid by a research unit of the University.
  2. Complete the online appointment process 
    • Initiate an appointment by completing the Postdoctoral Scholar Appointment Form
    • Upon completing the form, your supervisor/mentor will be alerted to this proposed appointment via email and be prompted to confirm additional details (duration, salary etc.) 
    • An email will be directed to you upon your supervisor’s authorization summarizing the details of your appointment and delivering an official e-letter detailing your incoming appointment
  3. Sign and submit your contract
    • You are required to sign either a Postdoctoral Fellow Agreement or a Letter of Appointment depending upon the nature of your appointment. This must be completed prior to the commencement of the appointment.
    • Submit your agreement or letter, proof of your Ph.D. degree and, if applicable, your Canadian Work Permit, to SGPS (SSB 4180)
    • SGPS will validate and forward your appointment confirmation and supporting documents to Human Resources for processing. This process can take 1‐5 days.
    • Most services available to scholars at Western cannot be accessed until this process is complete

For an overview of the transition to this appointment process, please view Postdoctoral Appointment Process at Western (.ppt).

Reappointment

In order to renew your Postdoctoral Scholar appointment, you will need to complete the above appointment process. Please note, however, that the maximum period that an individual can be appointed as a Postdoctoral Scholar at Western is five years.

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