Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
Quick Facts
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. The fellowships are awarded for a maximum of two years, subject to review at the end of the first year. The number of awards presently varies between four and six per year.
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."
Mid-October to early November - check with the UBC department or unit of interest regarding internal deadline
Eligibility
Applicant
In keeping with the original spirit of the Killam Endowments, the goal of the fellowship is to bring outstanding junior researchers to the University of British Columbia. As such, applicants:
- should have shown outstanding ability in research
- should wish to pursue postdoctoral research at the University of British Columbia
- must have obtained a PhD no more than 24 months prior to the anticipated fellowship start date
- must not have pursued PhD-level studies at any campus of the University of British Columbia
- must not currently hold faculty positions at other universities or colleges
- must not currently be employed or have been employed at any campus of UBC prior to commencement of the fellowship
- must not have current or prior research or employment affiliations with a faculty or adjunct faculty member of any campus of UBC
- may be citizens of any country
Preference will be given to applicants who have not already held a postdoctoral award or fellowship. Though there are no restrictions regarding nationality of applicants, successful candidates must be able to meet all Canadian immigration requirements.
Fellowships are tenable only at UBC, and fellows are expected to make the UBC campus their base while holding the fellowship, apart from necessary research trips (no more than three months in each year of the fellowship).
Fellowships starting in the 2012-2013 cycle may not begin earlier than May 1, 2012 and no later than January 2, 2013. Most fellowships commence between May and October.
Prospective applicants who do not meet the requirements above may refer to the Killam Trusts for opportunities at the other Killam institutions or to the Post Doctoral Fellows Office and Office of the Vice-President, Research and International for other opportunities at UBC.
Proposed UBC Supervisor
The proposed supervisor must be a continuing faculty member with a tenure-track appointment at UBC. Proposed supervisors must make a commitment to supervise the applicant's research for the entire 24 months of the fellowship.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are judged on the basis of the candidate's demonstrated excellence in scholarly work and independent research and their potential for making substantial contributions to their field of endeavour.
The adjudication committee will also consider the following:
- the qualities of the research project (e.g., clarity, feasibility, suitability of location, proposed supervisor, and facilities)
- the strengths of the letters of reference
- the fit of the proposed research to the host department or unit
Preference will be given to applicants with no previous postdoctoral award. Fellowships will be distributed as evenly as possible among the various disciplines, though the primary criteria are academic excellence and research ability.
The search is for candidates whose work is beyond "excellent" and whose research is convincingly innovative and ground-breaking. It is crucial to assert distinctiveness and to demonstrate to the committee how the candidate's work is exceptional.
In this very prestigious competition, the adjudication committee at the Faculty of Graduate Studies receives some 35-40 nominees each year (pre-screened by individual departments and units from a much larger number of applications).
Procedures
An applicant completes an application form and submits all required documents to the UBC department or unit under whose supervision the applicant plans to complete their research. Each UBC department or unit sets its own deadline for receipt of applications.
The application process and requirements are explained in detail in the Guidelines for Applicants, which includes the application form.
Each UBC department convenes a committee to review and rank all the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship application packages received. Each department may nominate ONE applicant to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for consideration in the university-wide competition. The Faculty of Graduate Studies must receive completed nomination packages, including all supporting documents, by 4:00 PM on Friday, November 25, 2011.
The application procedures and nomination requirements are explained in detail in the Guidelines for UBC Departments and Units.
The adjudication committee presents the highest-ranked candidates to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and the Killam Trusts. Graduate Studies then makes offers to the top four to six candidates. Candidates deemed worthy of the fellowship, but ranked lower in the competition, are informed of their wait-listed status and may be presented with an offer if a higher-ranked candidate is either unable to accept the fellowship or is able to enter UBC with external funding. Unsuccessful nominees and their UBC nominators will also be notified of the status of their nomination.
All nominees will receive notice of the status of their nomination in March/April 2011.
Further Information
Detailed application process and requirements are explained in the Guidelines for Applicants and in the Guidelines for UBC Departments and Units. The application form is included in the Guidelines for Applicants. Please direct questions about the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship program to killam@interchange.ubc.ca.
Other Sources of Funding
Postdoctoral applicants are encouraged to apply for other research awards tenable at UBC (e.g. Banting, CIHR, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, NSERC, and SSHRC). Applicants may refer to the Post Doctoral Fellows Office and Office of the Vice-President, Research and International for other opportunities at UBC.
If applicants are successful in obtaining both a Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and other external postdoctoral awards, they are expected to accept the external funding. These applicants will be awarded Honourary Killam status, with an honourary stipend covering the difference between the regular Killam stipend and the other award (if the latter carries a lower dollar value), provided that this protocol is in keeping with the regulations of the agency granting the other award(s). Honourary Fellows will remain eligible for the Killam Travel and Research Allowance.
Killam Travel and Research Allowance
UBC Killam Postdoctoral Fellows receive a travel and research allowance that may be put towards the following items:
- travel for research to attend and/or present at academic meetings
- one-time relocation to Vancouver to commence the fellowship
- small, discretionary expenses for minor supplies and consumables required for research studies and presentations
All claims from the Killam Travel and Research Allowance are subject to UBC's financial policies and the approval of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Teaching and Other Academic Duties
Fellows are permitted to undertake either teaching or other academic duties such as sessional teaching for up to a maximum of six credits (i.e., one six-credit course in either of the two years or one three-credit course in each of the two years of the fellowship). Any teaching arrangements must be made with the department concerned and remunerated by the department as appropriate.
Killam Trusts and Other Killam Institutions
Applicants may refer to the Killam Trusts for opportunities at the other Killam institutions.
