麻豆传媒

Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF): an individual in training who has completed a doctoral degree within the last 5 years and is engaged in research and training at the University under the supervision of a faculty member. The time period may be extended by circumstances requiring an interruption in a research career (e.g. maternity/parental/adoptive leave). Requesting an appointment of a PDF prior to completing a doctoral degree will only occur in exceptional cases and require the PDF to demonstrate their plan to complete all degree requirements within a reasonable time period (less than six months) and that the guidelines of the funding agency permit such appointments.

Faculty Sponsor: a member of faculty responsible for supervising a Postdoctoral Fellow during the duration of the appointment. The Faculty Sponsor must have an academic appointment under the UWFA-RAS collective agreement.

Below are the steps to hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow:

1. After contacting your Human Resources Consultant, complete the Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment Request Form below by placing an (X) in the appropriate boxes and filling in the blanks. Please ensure you are using the current form to date.
2. Forward the completed form, CV, and award/authorization letters (if applicable) to your Chair and Dean to obtain signature approval.
3. Once the signatures have been obtained, please attach CV and all applicable documents to the form, and forward to the office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation for final approval and a Letter of Invitation to be issued.

NOTE: The Letter of Invitation is not an offer of employment.  The Letter of Invitation will be used by Human Resources to issue the official letter offer.

• Postdoctoral Fellow Appointment Request Form (Revised: February 10, 2025)

All questions related to hiring an international Postdoctoral Fellow should be directed to:

Kareem Alkhaldi
Immigration Consultant, Human Resources
204.988.7672
immigration@uwinnipeg.ca

Faculty Sponsors will advise their Chair of their intent to hire a PDF, outlining any requirements for departmental and/or institutional resources (e.g., space, equipment and access to facilities). The Dean shall advise the Vice-President Research and Innovation (VPRI) of the pending appointment and that Departmental or other resources are in place. The VPRI will issue the formal Letter of Invitation to the PDF. A Letter of Invitation is not an employment offer. The Letter of Invitation will welcome the candidate to the University of Winnipeg and instruct them to work with Human Resources on the final offer letter.

In cases where a Faculty Sponsor wishes to advertise a PDF in an open competition, they shall follow University of Winnipeg hiring procedures and policies, and work with a Human Resources Consultant.

The length of a Postdoctoral Fellow (PDF) appointment is normally not less than one year and not longer than three. Appointments exceeding three years will require renewal. For appointments less than one year, a rationale for not considering a Research Associate or Senior Research Associate will be required. Appointments under twelve months may be considered in cases where funding from a funding agency stipulates shorter durations.

PDF appointments are expected to be full time and based on 35-hour work week.

A formal request for a Renewal of an Appointment is required by the Faculty Sponsor. The Faculty Sponsor must provide written justification to the Dean and Vice-President Research and Innovation (VPRI) requesting an extension, citing the reasons and that funding is available. Normally, not more than one extension will be granted. Human Resources and Payroll will be notified by the VPRI on the extension and any financial implications of the extension.

Prior to requesting a PDF at the University of Winnipeg, please contact your Human Resources Consultant to discuss salary and benefits options for the appointment.

**Note:** When a Faculty Sponsor is preparing a budget for a grant submission to hire a PDF, it is recommended to factor in a minimum salary of $45,000 per annum.  Additionally, the Faculty Sponsor should account for Mandatory Employment Related Costs (MERCs), which should be calculated on top of the salary.

Costs:

MERCS + benefits (with paid vacation days) = 16%

MERCS + benefits + pension (with paid vacation days) = 22%*

MERCS (Mandatory Employment Related Costs, i.e.; CPP, EI, Payroll Tax):  10%

 *PDF appointments 2 years and over are also eligible for pension.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) announced that postdoctoral fellows holding awards in Canada will be paid through their Canadian host institutions after April 1, 2022.

This means that all Tri-Agency postdoctoral fellows will hold Postdoctoral Fellowship appointments and will be deemed as UW employees.

As employees, Postdoctoral Fellows are entitled to benefits:

Costs:

• MERCS + benefits (with paid vacation days) = 16%
• MERCS + benefits + pension (with paid vacation days) = 22%

MERCS (Mandatory Employment Related Costs, i.e.; CPP, EI, Payroll Tax):  10%

Full-time appointments of 8+ months are eligible for benefits (excluding pension). Appointments 2 years and over are also eligible for pension.

Supervisors and the Postdoctoral applicants must discuss prior to the application submission about benefits to determine whether the researcher will cover the benefits through another grant or other eligible funds.

Please note that in an email from the Tri-Agencies to the Postdoctoral Administrator Liaisons, it stated that “no portion of the fellowship can be withheld by a host institution without prior consent of the award holder, except for taxation purposes”.

Sunsetting Banting program

The current Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (results released in mid-February 2025) will be the final competition.

In alignment with the and as announced in , the three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are working to offer a harmonized and streamlined suite of research training support programs that is responsive to the needs of the research community.

The agencies will share additional updates with the community once they are in a position to confirm. Information sessions will be offered this spring where we will provide more details about competition processes on the updated suite of talent programs.

Should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the agencies:

CIHR: support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca 

NSERC: schol-slo@nserc-crsng.gc.ca

SSHRC: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca 

You may also email Dylan Jones if you have any questions.

SSHRC Exchange Grant (for SSHRC PDFs only)

麻豆传媒 has received institutional funding from SSHRC to support an internal grant for UW Postdoctoral Fellows in the Social Sciences and Humanities. The SSHRC Exchange/Explore Grant will provide funding opportunities for UWinnipeg PDFs to support their career development while working and training with a UW supervisor. See the Funding Opportunities–Internal Research Grants page for more information on deadlines and for the application form.

The UWinnipeg Postdoctoral Fellow Services Guide has been created to assist you with getting the most out of your experience at 麻豆传媒.

If you have any questions, please consult with the contacts listed in the booklet, or with your faculty sponsor and / or department assistant.

If there are any sections in this handbook requiring updates or clarification, please contact Dylan Jones (researchoffice@uwinnipeg.ca) or 204.258.3065 in the Office of the VP, Research and Innovation.