Awards Available:3, over the next 3 years
Value & Duration: $80,000 per year for up to two years, plus $10,000 annually in independent research funding
Eligibility: Open to domestic and international applicants
Deadline:April 1, 2026, 11:59PM EST
Purpose
The Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program (REPFP) 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 is a collaborative initiative between the University and its divisions designed to engage 100 exceptional postdoctoral fellows across the U of T over the next few years. Its goal is to attract the highest-quality researchers globally – top domestic and international emerging scholars who demonstrate exceptional promise in their fields and the potential to make a significant, positive impact at the University.
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. 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. 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. The program will support postdoctoral scholars who are eager to contribute to a dynamic, innovative, and inclusive academic community.
Eligibility
This award is open to both domestic and international candidates.
Candidates must:
- be engaged as, or seeking a position as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto (teaching hospital postdocs are not employees of the university);
- have demonstrated academic excellence, proven capacity to conceptualize and execute independent research beyond their doctoral work, and evidence of intellectual leadership in their chosen field;
- have a nursing-related academic background; RN or NP designation is preferred;
- have completed all doctoral degree requirements by the time the fellowship commences and normally be within five years from the completion of their degree; and
- not have previously engaged in more than one postdoctoral appointment.
Award recipients must:
- have a fellowship start date between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027;
- have completed all degree requirements prior to the start of the fellowship;
- be engaged as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto (teaching hospital postdocs are not employees of the university);
- be hired by a U of T supervisor appointed to the Faculty of Nursing;
- register and remain registered with the Postdoctoral Office at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS);
- not concurrently hold another major fellowship;
- not hold a tenure-stream faculty position, be on leave from one, or have previously held such position;
- indicate if they have an interest in teaching a course during the fellowship;
- establish an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and submit it to the Postdoctoral Office at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) within the first three months of the fellowship. The IDP should be reviewed annually and the revised copy sent to SGS; and
- provide proof of English language proficiency if they completed their studies at institutions outside Canada where English was not the primary language of instruction. Test results must be dated within the past 24 months at the time of application. Effective January 21, 2026, TOEFL is implementing a new scoring scale from 1 to 6. In alignment with TOEFL’s own comparison chart, the new minimum will be 4.5 overall, 4.5 in writing, and 4.0 in speaking, when the new scoring scale comes into effect.
Award Value and Duration
The Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing will recruit up to three (3) postdoctoral fellows across the next three years, with the first appointment(s) commencing in the 2026 round. Each award will provide the full cost of a two-year postdoctoral salary and associated employer costs, plus an additional $10,000 in annual independent research funding.
The structure of each award is as follows:
- The postdoctoral employee is hired at the salary rate of $80,000 per year for two years; and
- An additional $10,000 in funding is provided annually for independent research.
- 60% of total value is provided through institutional support.
- 40% of total value is funded via the Principal Investigator’s existing research funding held at the Faculty of Nursing
*Note: PIs will be responsible for any additional employer costs that may be applicable as a result of future Collective Agreements The fellowship must start between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027. Deferrals (up to six months) may be permitted.
Participating Faculty
Charlene Chu
Associate Professor
Kristin Cleverley
Associate Professor
Rossy Chair in Campus Mental Health
Lisa Cranley
Associate Professor
Cindy-Lee Dennis
Professor
Heather M. Reisman Chair in Perinatal Nursing Research
Lindsay Jibb
Associate Professor
Signy Hildur Eaton Chair in Paediatric Nursing Research
Kelly Metcalfe
Associate Dean, Research & External Relations
Professor
Monica Parry
Professor
Martine Puts
Professor
Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Care of Frail Older Adults
How to Apply
Candidates interested in holding the fellowship at the Faculty of Nursing should first contact the prospective supervisor(s) and co-supervisor(s) to confirm their ability to support the application and fellowship (if successful).
Notice of Intent, NOI (March 15, 2026, 11:59PM EST)
Applicants must complete this short form confirming their intent to submit an application, along with the name of their proposed supervisor at the Faculty of Nursing. NOIs are mandatory but are not adjudicated.
Final Application Package (April 1, 2026, 11:59PM EST)
For an application to be considered complete for adjudication, the candidate must:
- complete a submission form – download here.
- Upload the Application Package (review outline below) with the submission form as a single PDF file using the naming convention (Last name, First name_REPFP2026.PDF. )
- Deferrals (up to six months) may be permitted.
The Final Application Package must include:
- 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.
- 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.
The independent research proposal should clearly articulate how the proposed work represents a significant departure from or advancement beyond the candidate’s doctoral research. The proposal should also outline the anticipated long-term impact of the research, including how it advances scholarly knowledge within the field, aligns with U of T’s strategic research priorities, and builds upon the Faculty of Nursing’s established research and academic strengths.
The statement should describe:
- Their professional, academic, and extracurricular experiences/achievements and how these contribute to their learning success and ability to develop and implement an independent research plan (max 1 page).
- How the learning they expect to acquire will contribute to their productivity and to the research goals they hope to achieve. Indicate why they decided upon the proposed learning location and what they expect to learn from the learning experience (max 1 page).
- Candidates who wish to include a teaching component as part of their postdoctoral fellowship must clearly indicate this in their application, provide a teaching philosophy and teaching portfolio with evidence of effectiveness and/or sample course material, and describe how the teaching experience will contribute to their own scholarly and professional development (1/2 page).
Candidates who wish to include a teaching component in their postdoctoral fellowship must provide a comprehensive Teaching Portfolio that includes a teaching philosophy, evidence of teaching effectiveness, and sample course materials. Excellence in teaching should be demonstrated through documented accomplishments, a detailed teaching dossier with a teaching statement, evaluations and supporting materials, strong letters of reference. Other teaching related activities can include performance as a teaching assistant or course instructor, experience leading workshops or seminars, mentoring students, or delivering high-quality conference presentations or posters (no page restriction).
Sections 1 to 3 (Supervisor Statement, Independent Research Proposal, and Learning Statement) should be prepared using the following requirements: Spell out all acronyms and abbreviations the first time they appear.
- Spell out all acronyms and abbreviations the first time they appear.
- Use letter-size page (8.5 x 11 inches or 216 x 279 mm).
- Use single spacing.
- Use 12-point Times New Roman font for all text. (Do not use condensed fonts; they will not be accepted.)
- Use mainly black text. Colour images are acceptable.
- Set all document margins to at least 2 cm (0.79 inch).
- Font and size rules do not apply to text within tables and figures. However, the selected font must be clearly legible. Figures and tables count toward specified page limits.
Note: Font requirements do not apply to the CV or Teaching Portfolio (section 4). We also recognize and allow the use of different referencing styles. Candidates may choose their own formatting and citation style.
Selection Process
Candidates for the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program will be evaluated on the following general criteria.
If necessary, short-listed candidates may be invited for an interview during the selection process.
| Selection Criteria | Description |
|---|---|
| Research for Scholarship Potential | • Has the candidate identified a promising independent research agenda? • Does the research plan demonstrate clear intellectual independence from the candidate’s doctoral work and supervisor’s existing research portfolio? • Are the ideas put forward in the research plan innovative and/or original? • Is the research plan relevant to the candidate’s research career objectives? • Does the research plan have the potential of significantly advancing our understanding of the area? • Does the research plan clearly identify areas of cross-disciplinary collaboration? |
| Applicant Track Record | • Academic and research training received by the candidate • Awards or acknowledgments of academic achievement • Scholarly activity as relevant to discipline (e.g., publications, chapters, presentations, community-engaged work, public scholarship, creative practice and related scholarly activity) • Research accomplished to date – has the candidate started to demonstrate independence and originality? Contributions to team research? • Quality of candidate’s training, mentorship, and supervisory activities • Does the candidate demonstrate a strong academic foundation in nursing and health research, supported by relevant degrees, certifications (e.g., RN, NP), and scholarly training? |
| Scholarly Potential | • Scholarly potential in the field can be demonstrated through the candidate’s engagement as a mentor, their ability to manage research, to contribute novel ideas to their research program, to make decisions that are crucial to the success of a research program, to lead cross-disciplinary and collaborative research, and to have excellent working relationships with those around them, etc. • Will the candidate make meaningful contributions while a postdoctoral fellow at the U of T? Will the postdoctoral fellow be launched into a meaningful career trajectory? • Does the research or scholarship plan provide evidence of the candidate’s leadership in the design and conduct of the proposed research? |
| Feasibility and Impact | • How might the proposed research advance U of T’s excellence in the area over the longer term? • Has the supervisor demonstrated support for the scholarly development of the candidate and their independent research program? • What institutional arrangements or structures will be in place to support the candidate’s development of an independent scholarly program? • What space, operating funds, infrastructure and/or other resources will be available to the candidate and how will these supports set the research program up for success? • Does the graduate unit or supervisor demonstrate leadership in the candidate’s chosen field? • How will the candidate be set up for career success beyond the period of the fellowship? |
| Teaching Focus (if applicable) | • Has the candidate clearly articulated their interest in teaching and the role it will play within their fellowship? • Does the candidate’s teaching philosophy demonstrate thoughtfulness, coherence, and alignment with effective pedagogical practices? • Does the candidate explain how the teaching component will contribute to their own scholarly growth, professional development, and future career trajectory? • Do the materials in the Teaching Portfolio (e.g., sample course materials, teaching evaluations) demonstrate prior effectiveness or strong potential for excellence in teaching? • Does the proposed teaching align with departmental priorities, course offerings, or identified instructional needs? |
| English Language Proficiency (if applicable) | • Does the applicant meet the University of Toronto’s English-language proficiency requirements (e.g., minimum TOEFL iBT score of 93–100)? • If the applicant completed previous degrees in a non-English-language institution, have they provided valid, approved test results or documentation supporting an exemption? |
Note: Effective January 21, 2026, TOEFL is implementing a new scoring scale from 1 to 6. In alignment with TOEFL‘s own comparison chart, the new minimum will be 4.5 overall, 4.5 in writing, and 4.0 in speaking, when the new scoring scale comes into effect
The Faculty of Nursing Research Committee will be responsible for adjudicating applications and selecting postdoctoral fellows for this program.
| Descriptor | Range | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | 4.5-4.9 | • The application excels in most or all relevant aspects. Any shortcomings are minimal. • The application is innovative, fills an important critical gap in knowledge, has very few flaws, and the candidate (with support of supervisor/team) is well poised to perform the independent research program and have a very productive track record. • There is strong evidence of institutional support, including infrastructure, mentorship, and career development opportunities that will enable long-term impact and success beyond the fellowship. |
| Excellent | 4.0-4.4 | • The application excels in many relevant aspects and reasonably addresses all others. Certain improvements are possible. • The application is very interesting, makes important advances, the candidate (with support of supervisor/team) is excellent, but there are some minor limitations that need to be addressed or a clear description of impact is missing. • Institutional support is evident but may lack detail or long-term planning. |
| Good | 3.5-3.9 | • The application excels in some relevant aspects and reasonably addresses all others. Some improvements are necessary. • The application is compelling, but has limited scope or impact, is not structured as an independent research program, and/or raised some concerns about the feasibility of the candidate and/or team. • Support structures are present but may not be sufficient to ensure long-term success or independence. Fellowship will not be awarded. |
| Fair | 3.0-3.4 | • The application broadly addresses relevant aspects. Major revisions are required. • Institutional support is unclear or insufficiently described. • The application has merits but also has many limitations. Fellowship will not be awarded. |
| Poor | 0.0-2.9 | • The application fails to provide convincing information and/or has serious inherent flaws or gaps. • There is little to no evidence of institutional support or planning for long-term impact. • The application has significant flaws and is not ready to be funded. Fellowship will not be awarded. |
Contacts and Resources
For questions about the application process at the Faculty of Nursing, please contact Shefali Ram, Director of Research Administration at s.ram@utoronto.ca.
For questions about the process at other divisions, refer to the divisional contact list available on the University of Toronto REPFP page.