UM Postdoctoral Fellows

Tri-Agency Postdoctoral Fellowship Process (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC)

The Tri-Agencies run competitions for Postdoctoral Fellowships in Fall of each year.

Researchers who agree to supervise a successful Tri-Agency Postdoctoral Fellow will need to arrange for payment of their benefits (approximately 25%) from operating funds, internal grants, or non-Tri-Agency grants.

Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants should ensure their prospective supervising researcher is aware of this application submission and would be able to provide benefits support from any of the above-listed funding sources.

Researchers should also have a conversation with their prospective Postdoc Fellows to inform them that they will have an employment status at the UM and their pay will be subject to the mandatory deductions such as EI, CPP, and Income Tax.

Budget 2024 proposed increases to the value of postdoctoral researcher fellowships funded by Canada’s federal granting agencies. Government of Canada announces details of increase in award values for federal scholarships and fellowships  - Canada.ca These increases take effect for new and ongoing awards on September 1, 2024. The new award rate will not retroactively apply to any period of award prior to September 1, 2024. Notifications will be sent directly to postdoctoral fellows  from the tri-agency indicating the amount of increase with further information on the payment. 

• Postdoctoral fellows funded by one of the federal granting agencies and paid by University of Manitoba, please send your increase notification letter to your hiring unit. The hiring unit should provide a copy of the letter received by the Postdoctoral Fellow to the appropriate Office of Research Services Grants Specialist and then complete an amendment to the letter of offer and funding allocation form and submit to HRIS@umanitoba.ca For any other changes in addition to salary change, ie., change in appointment dates, a new letter of offer should be completed.
• For Postdoctoral Fellows paid directly by one of the tri-agencies, no action is required on your part. The increase will be automatically applied by the tri-agency.

PRE-AWARD PROCESS (prior to application)

CIHR: CIHR Fellowship applications require institutional approval prior to submission. These should be submitted for review by Research Services per standard grant process: all finalized documentation and a fully signed Funding Application Approval Form (FAAF) should be submitted to ResearchGrants@umanitoba.ca for review a minimum of 14 business days before the relevant external submission deadline.

Note that all forms and outlines for Research Services processes can now be found via UM Intranet.

NSERC and SSHRC: NSERC and SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship applications are submitted directly to the agency with no requirement for institutional review. ORS can advise if there are questions regarding the application process.

POST-AWARD PROCESS (activating a Tri-Agency Postdoctoral Fellowship and setting up benefits)

For CIHR awards:

1. Postdoc recipients: If the Fellowship application was successful, submit the Authorization for Funding (AFF) and Conditions for Funding documents – along with any required ethics approval(s) – to ORS. If the Postdoc recipient applied for funds prior to arriving at UM, all required documents – application, FAAF, AFF, and ethics approval(s) – must be submitted to ORS.
2. Supervising researchers: Contact Casey Gooch, Assistant Manager, Research and Special Funds (Financial Services), and Francia Esguerra, Supervisor, Research and Special Fund Accounting Office, to verify the payment of the Postdoc’s benefits using a non-Tri-Agency fund and to confirm that this would be an allowable expense under that fund. Once Financial Services approves this expense, researchers should liaise with their unit’s financial officer in setting up benefits funding from their non-Tri-Agency fund through payroll.
3. Grant accountants: Once all documentation has been received by ORS and Financial Services has verified that the researcher’s fund is eligible to disburse benefits, set up a FOP for the postdoc award and inform the researcher’s unit of the non-Tri-Agency funding source so that the researcher’s unit can use it to establish benefits funding in payroll.

For NSERC and SSHRC awards:

1. Postdoc recipients: All required documents (application, FAAF, Award Notice and Request for First Instalment or Reinstatement of Award Paid by Canadian Institution Form) must be submitted to ORS.
2. Supervising researchers: Contact Casey Gooch, Assistant Manager, Research and Special Funds (Financial Services), and Francia Esguerra, Supervisor, Research and Special Fund Accounting Office to verify the payment of the Postdoc’s benefits using a non-Tri-Agency fund and to confirm that this would be an allowable expense under that fund. Once Financial Services approves this expense, researchers should liaise with their unit’s financial officer in setting up benefits funding from their non-Tri-Agency fund through payroll.
3. Grant accountants: Once all documentation has been received by ORS and Financial Services has verified that the researcher’s fund is eligible to disburse benefits, set up a FOP for the postdoc award and inform the researcher’s unit of the non-Tri-Agency funding source so that the researcher’s unit can use it to establish benefits funding in payroll.

Notes:

1. The above changes only apply to Postdoctoral Fellows who are successful in receiving a Tri-Agency Postdoctoral Fellowship award. These changes do not apply to Postdoctoral Fellows funded through a Tri-Agency grant.
2. Postdoctoral Fellows who are eligible to receive a Tri-Agency Postdoctoral Fellowship maternity leave supplement must contact PDFellows@umanitoba.ca for details.

Postdoctoral Fellowships – External Agencies (Non Tri-Agency)

The following applies to Postdoctoral Fellows who are successful in receiving an external Postdoctoral Fellowship award.

Researchers who agree to supervise a successful Postdoctoral Fellow will need to arrange for payment of their benefits (up to 25% depending on the benefits subscribed to) from UM operating or research funds, or non-Tri-Agency grants only if the external agency stipulates that funding is solely for an employment stipend.

PRE-AWARD PROCESS (prior to application)

External Fellowship applications should be submitted for review by the Office of Research Services (ORS), per standard grant application process, as they require institutional review and approval prior to submission. The application package submitted to ResearchGrants@umanitoba.ca for review a minimum of 14 business days before the relevant external submission deadline should contain:

• all finalized documentation including a completed application form, if applicable, and
• a fully-signed Funding Application Approval Form (FAAF).

Note that all forms and outlines for Research Services processes can now be found via UM Intranet. ORS can advise if there are questions regarding the application process.

POST-AWARD PROCESS (activating an external Postdoctoral Fellowship and setting up benefits)

1. Postdoc recipients: If the Fellowship application was successful, submit the award letter/notice of award along with any required ethics approval(s) – to ORS. If the Postdoc recipient applied for funds prior to arriving at UM, all required documents (application, FAAF, and ethics approval(s), etc.) must be submitted to ORS.
2. Supervising researchers: Contact Casey Gooch, Assistant Manager, Research and Special Funds (Financial Services), and Francia Esguerra, Supervisor, Research and Special Fund Accounting Office, to verify the payment of the Postdoc’s benefits using a non-Tri-Agency fund and to confirm that it would be an allowable expense under that fund. Once Financial Services approves this expense, researchers should liaise with their unit’s financial officer in setting up benefits funding from their non-Tri-Agency fund through payroll.
3. Grant accountants: Once all documentation has been received by ORS and Financial Services has verified that the researcher’s fund is eligible to disburse benefits, set up a FOP for the postdoc award and inform the researcher’s unit of the non-Tri-Agency funding source so that the researcher’s unit can use it to establish benefits funding in payroll.

Research Manitoba – Research Postdoctoral Fellowship

Research Postdoctoral Fellowships support highly qualified postdoctoral trainees to prepare for careers as independent researchers. These exceptional trainees significantly increase the productivity of the research programs with which they are affiliated. Research Manitoba now provides awards for Postdoctoral Fellows without one of our funding partners.

All applicants funded by this award are in the Health, Natural Science & Engineering, and Social Sciences & Humanities categories.

All awards consist of an annual stipend for up to a maximum of one year.

PRE-AWARD PROCESS (prior to application)
Research Manitoba postdoctoral fellowship applications are submitted directly to the agency with no requirement for institutional review. UM Office of Research Services can advise if there are questions regarding the application process.

POST-AWARD PROCESS
Note that all forms and outlines for Research Services processes can now be found via the UM Intranet.

All required documents must be submitted to ORS in order to set-up the Award. Submit to researchgrants@umanitoba.ca.

Documents required:

• FAAF form (Supervisor is listed as the applicant and postdoc listed as the student. Must be signed by Supervisor, their Department Head, and Dean).
• Research Manitoba Postdoctoral Fellowship Application
• Research Manitoba Award Notice

Must have completed one of the following:

• PhD or equivalent such as a DSc, DPhil, DEng (will accept a signed letter from the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, stating all PhD requirements have been met)
• MD
• DMD

Timelines (start and end dates):

• Must be initiated less than five years from successful completion of the PhD degree (except if there is evidence of career disruption, e.g. medical necessity or parental responsibilities)
• Fellows appointed to the same supervisor and/or unit beyond three years MUST: Submit progress reports to Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (PDFellows@umanitoba.ca) that:
  • are no more than one page in length
  • include why training at same site is beneficial
  • are signed by the Fellow, their supervisor and unit head
• Must be terminated by the six-year anniversary date of the PhD degree completion.

Must have completed one of the following:

• PhD (or equivalent degree such as DSc, DPhil, DEng)
• Will accept signed letter from the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, stating all PhD requirements have been met
• Must have completed a PhD in order to obtain a postdoctoral work permit

Timelines (start and end dates):

• Appointments are full-time, with the exception of candidates with parental obligations and whose spouse is a student
• Should not be initiated more than five years from the PhD (or equivalent) degree (except if there is evidence of career disruption (e.g. medical necessity or parental responsibilities)
• Should not continue beyond three years from date of initial award
• Fellows appointed to the same supervisor and/or unit beyond three years MUST:
  • Submit progress reports to Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (PDFellows@umanitoba.ca) that:
    • are no more than one page in length
    • include why training at same site is beneficial
    • are signed by the Fellow, their supervisor and unit head
• All fellow appointments must be terminated by the six year anniversary date of the award of the PhD

The above time frames do not apply to fellows being paid/funded by an external agency, where the funds are not administered by UM.

All postdoctoral inquiries should be directed to the faculty/school/unit.

• Faculties, colleges and schools

• All postdoctoral fellows must be paid a minimum salary of $40,000 per annum (under review) in accordance with the Tri-Agency Use of Grand Funds Guidelines
• Researchers must account for approximately up to 25% in benefits in addition to the salary.