Postdoctoral Fellows are valued members of the University community. As trained researchers making the transition from graduate student to independent scholar, they have the opportunity to make significant contributions to the research environment of the University as well as their chosen field.

Postdoctoral Handbook (PDF)

Newsletter for Postdoctoral Fellows

- Spring 2009

Definition of a Postdoctoral Fellow

The University defines a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) or Postdoctoral Associate (PDA) 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.

Steps to Becoming a Postdoctoral Fellow

  1. As a rule, you must first contact a researcher at Western who shares your research interests and can thus serve as your research supervisor.
  2. You need financial support. Typically, you have three options:
    1. a fellowship from an external agency;
    2. a fellowship or salary paid through a professor's grants or contracts;
    3. a fellowship or salary paid by a research unit of the University.
  3. You also need a formal letter of offer from the research supervisor, outlining the nature of the research planned, confirming how you will be paid (fellowship, salary) and providing other relevant details.

For information about our experts use Contact Western, an online index that will help direct you to any of the 850 listed researchers and scholars at the University of Western Ontario. You may search by name, subject, or faculty/department.

Recruitment

Faculty members may recruit PDFs directly by whatever method they deem appropriate, e.g. personal contacts, response to inquiries, advertisement in local, national or international press. When recruiting, faculty members must comply with all relevant legislation including the Human Rights Code, the Employment Standards Act and Canadian Immigration Act. Faculty members must also be sensitive to employment equity issues at the University.

Appointment

For details about the appointment process please read the following information very carefully.

Welcome to Western

Funding Agencies

The following websites offer PDFs information about fellowship opportunities:

Government Funding

Associations, Societies, Councils and Institutes

Current Funding Competitions

Canada Research Chair in Social Statistics and Family Change, Department of Sociology, McGill University

Candidates with a strong background in the analysis of family changes in Western societies are invited to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Canada Research Chair in Social Statistics and Family Change. The candidate’s research program could focus on topics such as the transformation of conjugal life, the impact of family changes on fertility, balancing family and work, family life around retirement age, as well as family policies. Research projects should make extensive use of recent large Canadian surveys, and incorporate other foreign data sets for comparative analyses. Read More.

Government of Canada Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships (PDRF)

As part of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program (CCSP) and the Government of Canada Awards (GCA), the Government of Canada offers one-year post-doctoral research fellowships tenable at recognized public Canadian universities and affiliated research institutes only. The Canadian Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Program (PDRF) is designed to provide research opportunities to promising recent doctoral graduates in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and engineering. Details and Application.

MITACS Accelerate
This is a national internship program managed by MITACS Inc. which connects companies and other organizations with the vast research expertise in Canada’s universities. The conduit between the partner company and the university is a graduate student or post-doctoral fellow. The intern brings a new perspective and the latest knowledge to a research challenge faced by the partner.

The project undertaken by the intern is defined by the partner company. Projects can be undertaken in a wide range of areas: manufacturing, IT, technical innovation, business processes, social sciences and much more. They can involve any university faculty or department. Four, eight and twelve-month internships are possible.
More Details

International Postdoctoral Fellows

Please note the following important information:

Health Insurance

As a Temporary worker of Canada , you will be covered by Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) only from the fourth month of your arrival to Canada. So, you are required to purchase a health insurance plan for first three months through University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). Please click here for information about how to apply and access to the application form.

Work Permit

As a general rule, anyone who is not a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident must have a Work Permit for all work in Canada. Please be aware that in most cases, you have to apply for a work permit from outside Canada. You must submit your application to the visa office responsible for the country or region where you live, and you must have legal status in your country of residence.

Postdoctoral Fellows who already have a valid CIC work permit and who wish to extend their stay in Canada should submit a CIC ‘Application to Change Conditions, Extend My Stay or Remain in Canada form’.  This should be submitted at least 30 days before the expiry date.

Income Tax

Unless you are paying income tax in your home country, you must pay income tax on your earnings here in Canada. Canadians are required to pay taxes which support health care, education systems, and infrastructure such as roads, street lighting, signage, water service and maintenance, law enforcement, and more. It is the responsibility of the individual to remit all taxes to Canada Revenue Agency.

Postdoctoral Associates are University employees and are coded as such in the Human Resources system.  Accordingly, these individuals will receive a T4 form from Western reporting their annual income.  The University is required to withhold income tax, Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI) from the monthly income of all its employees.

Postdoctoral fellows are independent contractors at the University.  Their income is reported on a T4A form as research grant income.  As such, their income is subject to income tax but it is the responsibility of the individual Postdoctoral Fellow to remit all taxes owing to the CRA.   As these individuals are not employees, no deductions for CPP and EI are withheld by Western.

Resources

Health Care

As a postdoctoral fellow, you and your family may opt-into the Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) health plan. The SOGS health plan has grown to include basic dental care and expanded vision coverage. Please note that proof of status is required. A special premium has been arranged with the insurance provider consisting of the regular premium plus a small opt-in fee.

Campus Services

Postdoctoral Fellows receive Western ID Cards (obtained in The Office of the Registrar, Room 190 Stevenson-Lawson) and are entitled to access of the following services:

Other Resources

Teaching

With the prior approval of the mentor, Postdoctoral Fellows are eligible to apply to teach up to one full course or equivalent per fiscal year for which they would be separately compensated.

Information for Faculty Mentors

For details regarding working relationships, appointment letters and checklist, other forms, etc. please visit Human Resource Services.

Please be aware that, depending upon the appointment situation, either a Postdoctoral Fellow Agreement or an Employment Contract must be completed prior to the commencement of the appointment.

Conflict Resolution

In the event of a work related problem which requires resolution, it is expected that the PDF or PDA will arrange an informal discussion of the matter with the faculty mentor as soon as possible following the identification of the problem.   In most instances, the concerns will be resolved at this juncture.  If the problem remains unresolved, PDFs or PDAs are encouraged to request a meeting with the Department Chair or Dean.  Any decisions of the mentor, Chair or Dean shall be timely and in writing.  At the request of any participants, assistance from Human Resource Services may be obtained at any point in the process.

July 24, 2009