Post-doctoral fellows
As a post-doctoral fellow (PDF) at UVic, you make a vital impact by contributing to research and the broader academic landscape while growing professionally in UVic's dynamic and cutting-edge academic environment. PDFs are an integral part of Aspiration 2030, UVic's vision for a bold and inclusive future driven by curiosity, engagement and innovation.
Post-doctoral Fellow Handbook
The Post-doctoral Fellow Handbook is the primary source of information for PDFs at UVic. It contains information about getting started at UVic, moving to Victoria, campus resources, and university policies. It compiles both on- and off-campus resources that you may find helpful as you begin at UVic and while you are here. If you have any questions about anything in the handbook, or about something not in the handbook, please contact the PDF administrator at postdocadmin@uvic.ca.
Postdoc Appreciation Week
Postdoc Appreciation Week (PAW) is an annual global event to recognize the key contributions of postdocs to research and innovation. This year, PAW is from September 21-25.
UVic will be hosting three events during PAW:
Resource Fair and Welcome
September 22nd from 10:00-11:00am
Digital Scholarship Commons (Library A308)
Come by for an informal chat over coffee and snacks with offices from around campus that might be helpful to you during your postdoc. This is a great opportunity to meet people in person and ask any questions you may have. This year, the following offices will be present: Postdoc Admin, Immigration, Libraries, Learning and Teaching Innovation, Ethics, Innovation Centre, Research Computing, and Equity and Human Rights.
Postdoc Social
September 23rd from 4:00-6:00pm
The Grad House
Come by to meet other postdocs over drinks + snacks to start off the year.
Mitacs Information Session
September 24th from 10:00-11:00am
Online, register here.
Join Mitacs Business Development Advisor Anastasiya (Ana) Boika for an informative session on Mitacs program offerings. Mitacs is a national not-for-profit which offers co-funding for collaborative research and innovation projects with eligible partners both in Canada and abroad, as well as funding for international academic collaborations. The session will cover how Mitacs funding works, what the eligibility criteria is for each program, and what to expect from the application process. This event is online and you must register here.
Outside of UVic, the Canadian Association of Postdoctoral Scholars (CAPS) is hosting a full week of events the week prior (September 14-18), and the Graduate and Postdoctoral Development Network (GPDN) has again put together a list of events happening across the country that are free to attend from any institution. Check your email for that list.
Events and workshops
You can find selected events, trainings, and workshops from across campus that may be of interest in the calendar below. If you want to view the events in a calendar format, go to the calendar page and click "Subscribe," and then "Subscribe to all Postdoctoral Fellows events" to add the events to your own calendar.
The events below are a curated list offered by UVic Libraries, the Digital Scholarship Commons, Research Computing, Learning and Teaching Support and Innovation, and Research Security. In addition to these events, the Equity and Human Rights office runs workshops throughout the year and the Innovation Centre runs events for those looking to take their research to industry (see their LinkedIn).
Postdoc Research Day
Postdoc Research Day is the largest postdoc event of the year at UVic. It is a great opportunity to meet other postdocs, build community, and practice communicating your research through short 5-minute talks. It is an annual event held in early May, with cash prizes for best presentations and dedicated time to build community with other postdocs.
Postdoc Research Day 2026
The second annual Postdoc Research Day was held on May 6th, 2026, More than 30 postdocs from 7 faculties gathered from across campus to build community and share their research. Congratulations to the top presenters! 1st place, James Clay; 2nd place, Pawel Kudzia; 3rd place, Maria Kuruvilla; and the Postdoc's Choice Award, Giuliana Berden. You can find the full schedule online.
Postdoc Research Day 2025
UVic's first Postdoc Research Day was May 6th, 2025, and was attended by nearly 1/3 of all post-doctoral fellows at UVic. Congratulations to the top three presenters, Zachary Gould, Alex Hare, and Maria Laura Sosa Ponce!
Funding
The most common post-doctoral fellowships in Canada are the CPRA fellowships from the Tri-Agencies (NSERC, SSHRC, and CIHR). Outside of that, there are a few post-doctoral fellowships with more requirements. The list below can support your search and includes the most common supports for post-doctoral fellows at UVic, but is not comprehensive.
If you are looking for grants for research expenses, see the resources for finding and applying for external grants. If you are applying for funding, you can contact your faculty grant officer for help with your application and to find out if an RASF is required.
The Aspiration Post-doctoral Fellowship program is an internal fellowship that provides competitive match-funding for faculty to recruit outstanding new post-doctoral fellows to conduct the highest quality research at UVic.
The deadline to submit for the 2026-2027 call for applications is November 19th, 2026. We will announce results for the competition in February 2027. Please find all the details on the website.
Canada Postdoctoral Research Awards are available from each of Canada’s three federal research funding agencies, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). Note that although the link is an NSERC website, it applies for awards from all three agencies. These awards are for two years and valued at $70,000 per year.
Mitacs is a national nonprofit that promotes innovation by partnering researchers with public and private sector organizations. Mitacs offers a variety of post-doctoral funding opportunities that are open to researchers from all disciplines; most require a partner organization. The most common is Mitacs Accelerate, a research internship program in collaboration with a partner organization that is variable in duration and salary. For more information about Mitacs programs, you can contact the UVic Mitacs Advisor Nolan Beise.
There are a variety of opportunities specific to different areas of health and medical research.
- BC Women’s Health Research Institute Fellowship Research Award
- Alzheimer Society Research Program
- Arthritis Society Canada Training Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Brain Canada Trainee Award
- Canadian Cancer Society Research Training Award
- Cancer Research Institute Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN) Trainee Scholarship
- CIHR Health System Impact Fellowship
- endMS Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Kidney Foundation KRESCENT Program: Post-doctoral Fellowship
- Molly Towell Perinatal Research Foundation Fellowship
- Mustard Postdoctoral Research Award in Work and Health
- Parkinson Canada Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
- TRIANGLE Postdoctoral Award in GI and liver research
In addition to the opportunities listed here, we encourage you to investigate further funding options by discussing with researchers in your area, and, if you are international, with funders from your home country.
- Burroughs Wellcome Fund. A variety of awards aiming to support diverse researchers in biomedical sciences.
- Liber Ero Fellowship Program. Two-year fellowship program for emerging leaders in conservation-relevant research in either the natural or social sciences.
- Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Postdoctoral Fellowships. The European Union’s flagship funding programme for postdoctoral training. Provides up to 3 years of support for researchers who wish to carry out their research abroad and develop their careers. Note that Canada is a Horizon Europe Associated Country.
- MEOPAR Postdoctoral Fellowship Award. For research addressing challenges in the ocean sector (including social sciences and humanities, STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, health sciences) in areas aligned with federal priorities.
- Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) Postdoctoral Fellowship. For researchers in the mathematical sciences. Candidates must be nominated by a mathematical scientist.
- WorkSafeBC Ralph McGinn Postdoctoral Fellowship. For researchers in occupational health and safety or work disability.
Hiring post-doctoral fellows
This page is for current PDFs. If you are looking to appoint a PDF, see How do I hire a post-doctoral fellow?
Need help?
Contact the PDF administrator at postdocadmin@uvic.ca or 250-853-3188 if you need help finding a resource or have any questions during your time at UVic.
The resources below may also be helpful:
- Benefits: Consult the Post-Doctoral Fellows Guide to Benefits and Premiums, which has information on BC MSP, Pharmacare, extended health and dental plans, and EFAP. You can also contact benefits@uvic.ca.
- Immigration: Contact immigration@uvic.ca.
- Policy: Consult the Post-Doctoral Fellows Policy and Procedures.
- Questions within your department: Contact your supervisor or the administrative assistant who supports postdocs in your lab, department, faculty or research centre.