Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships

» Summary of Responsibilities • Eligibility • Other Sources of Funding • Application Forms and Procedures • Information for Successful Candidates • Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Recipients

Important Note: Changes to the UBC endowment policy and the recent turmoil in world markets have had a significant impact on the budget available for the UBC Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship program. As a result, the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowships competition will not be able to be held in fall 2009. This decision is required to allow us to meet our commitments to current fellows and stabilize the program for future years. The Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship competition will resume in fall 2010.

Summary

The Killam Scholarship and Prize Programmes were established in memory of Izaak Walton Killam through the Will of his wife, Dorothy Johnston Killam, and through gifts made during her lifetime. Their primary purpose is to support advanced education and research at five Canadian universities and the Canada Council for the Arts.

The UBC Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are provided annually from the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Fund for Advanced Studies and are available for most fields of research.

It was Mrs. Killam's desire that those selected to receive fellowships:

"Be likely to contribute to the advancement of learning or to win distinction in a profession. A Killam scholar should not be a one-sided person... Special distinction of intellect should be founded upon sound character."

Eligibility

Postdoctoral applicants are selected based on academic achievement, personal qualities, and demonstrated aptitudes. Consideration is also given to the applicant's proposed programme of study.

Duration and Value

The fellowships are awarded for a maximum of two years, subject to review at the end of the first year, and include a stipend of CAD $46,000 per annum and a maximum research and travel allowance of CAD $6000 for the tenure of the award. The number of awards varies between six and 12 per year.

Prominence

In this very prestigious competition, the adjudication committee at the Faculty of Graduate Studies receives some 60-75 nominees each year (pre-screened by individual departments and units from a much larger number of applications).

The search is for candidates whose work is beyond "excellent" and whose research is compellingly innovative and ground-breaking. It is crucial to assert distinctiveness and to demonstrate to the committee how the applicant's work is exceptional.

Guidelines and Application Forms

Guidelines and Forms for Applicants (MS-Word format)
Guidelines and Forms for Applicants (PDF format)
Guidelines and Procedures for Departments and Units (MS-Word format)
Guidelines and Procedures for Departments and Units (PDF format)

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Updated:	10/6/2009