Canadian Postdoctoral Research Fellowships for International Students

Government of Canada Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (PDRF)

Course(s) Offered: Several fields
Course Level: Graduate (postdoc fellowship)
Provider: Government of Canada
Country to Study in: Canada

Scholarship Description
As part of the Government of Canada Awards, the Government of Canada offers one-year Post-Doctoral Research fellowships tenable at recognized public Canadian universities and affiliated research institutes.

The PDRF is designed to provide research opportunities to promising recent doctoral graduates in the natural sciences and engineering, social sciences and humanities. Fellowships are not offered to professional artists or to those wishing to do clinical research and training involving patient-care.

Eligibility
Applicants must:

• be citizens of one of the following countries: Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russia and Switzerland.
  Applicants who have obtained Canadian citizenship or applied for permanent residency in Canada are ineligible
• must have completed all requirements for a doctoral degree no more than three years before the application deadline. Completion refers to the date on which all requirements of the degree have been met including successful defence. Consideration may be given to extend this period for applicants who have withdrawn from active research for maternity purposes; and
• must be invited to a post-doctoral position at a recognized public Canadian universities, affiliated research institute or college with a strong research mandate.

Priority will be given to candidates who have not previously studied in Canada under a Canadian government scholarship.

Eligible groups
Citizens of Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Republic of Korea, Russia, Switzerland

Participating Institutions
Any Recognized Public Canadian University, affiliated research institutes, and colleges with a strong research mandate. See the list of recognized public Canadian universities.

Fields of study
Postdoctoral studies in the fields of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Social Sciences and Humanities

Number of awards
Not specified, however, several will be given

Sponsorship duration
A fellowship is for 12 months and is not renewable

Scholarship benefits
The total value of the fellowship is $36,500 CAD and it is taxable in Canada.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) classifies these funds as a research grant but it is the responsibility of fellows to submit an income tax return to the Cana`da Revenue Agency who will make an assessment according to individual circumstances.

As no dependant allowance is payable, it is essential that fellows who plan to bring their family to Canada have sufficient financial resources for their support.

Method of Application
To be considered for a Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship (PDRF), an applicant:

• must complete and submit an online application;
• must ensure three letters of recommendation are sent to the scholarship administrator as well as the Embassy of Canada in the country of application; and
• must submit to the Embassy of Canada an electronic copy of all supporting documents before or by the deadline.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Applicants are encouraged to read the instructions on the official website (link to it is below) carefully before beginning the online application. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting the application, applicants should send an email to admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca

DEADLINES:
The deadline date for the current year is 15th November 2011.

For documentation required from institutions (i.e. letters of invitation and letters of recommendation), applicants are reminded that it may take time for these documents to be processed. It is advisable that applicants plan ahead and ensure sufficient time to gather the material prior to the deadline. Reference letters received past the deadline will not be accepted.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Applicants should refer to the "Terms and Conditions" for regulations about holding the award, such as the start date, holding other funding and employment.

The Government of Canada Awards are based on reciprocal agreements between Canada and foreign governments. The Government of Canada's objective in establishing the Post-Doctoral Research Fellowships is to attract promising, recent doctoral graduates to do research in Canada. The Government wishes to support research that clearly advances the scholar's own career and that is useful to Canada or to the research team within which the scholar proposes to work.

Application Deadline: 15 November 2011
Open to International students: Yes

Further Scholarship Information and Application

Related: Scholarships in Canada for International Students