Izaak Walton Killam & Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships

The University of Alberta is committed to supporting diverse research environments for all scholars and is working to drive deeper cultural change in our research ecosystem. To support these initiatives, priority groups were established within the available Killam Fellowships. At least one fellowship will be dedicated to Indigenous scholars and at least one to Black scholars, with the other two fellowships open to all scholars, for a maximum of four fellowships each year.

• valued at $50,000 per year for up to two years
• includes a one-time $4,000 research allowance during the tenure of the fellowship 
• covers the cost of the University Postdoc Supplemental Health Insurance Plan
• fellowships must be taken up no earlier than June 1, 2023 and no later than January 1, 2024
• funding for the second year will be subject to submission and approval of a Renewal Report
  

• Open to citizens of any country
• At the time of application submission to a desired Department, the applicant must not already hold a postdoc position at the University of Alberta or be employed at the University of Alberta. Please note that any applicant that begins a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Alberta or is employed by the University of Alberta after time of application submission to the Department and before final selection will be adjudicated in a second tier

  • At the time/date of application submission to the Department (December 12, 2022) the applicant is currently in a PDF appointment or employed at the UofA: ineligible to apply

  • After the time/date of application submission to the Department (December 12, 2022) up to FGSR nomination deadline (January 13, 2022) the applicant has begun a postdoctoral fellow appointment or employment at the UofA: eligible to apply, but will be adjudicated in a second tier. Applicants categorized in the second tier will have begun research activities at the university, and may not be considered as competitive compared to those who have not yet started their postdoctoral fellow appointment 

• Applicants must have completed a doctoral degree within three years from the Department application submission deadline date of December 12, 2022 (i.e. on or after December 12, 2019) or will do so prior to commencing fellowship. The doctoral degree obtained must be from a university other than the University of Alberta
  • The window of eligibility can be extended by a cumulative maximum of two years if the applicant had their career interrupted for one or more of the following reasons:
    • parental leave
    • illness
    • health-related family responsibilities
    • mandatory military service
    • disruptions due to war, civil conflicts and/or natural disasters in the country of residence

Career interruption refers to a period of time when the applicant was not working (fulltime or part-time) and when their research output was completely interrupted. Additionally, for health professionals who have engaged in post-degree non-research related clinical training (e.g., residency), the eligibility window can be extended by the duration of this training.

Interruptions used to extend the eligibility window for degree completion must have occurred after the fulfilment of your degree requirements and before the application submission deadline. Details of the interruption must be included on a Special Circumstances document that is to be submitted with the Fellowship application.

• Fellowships may be awarded in departments without doctoral programs, but only in facilities where adequate and doctoral caliber research is being carried out.
• Fellowship holders should be likely to contribute to the advancement of learning or to achieve distinction in their profession, should not be a one-sided person, and each scholar's special distinction should be founded upon sound character and collegiality.
• Fellowship recipients are expected to complete their research at the University of Alberta, although exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions must be strongly justified and pre-approved by the Chair prior to commencement of the Fellowship.
• The regulations of the fellowship prohibit recipients from holding two major awards (value of $13,000 or greater) at the same time. Refer to the Acceptance/Decline, Renewals, and Final Reports section for complete details.

The FGSR convenes the Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee in March to select fellowship recipients. Adjudication criteria includes:

1) Proposed Research – Does the proposal clearly state the impact, novelty, and knowledge mobilization of the research? Are the objectives achievable based on the information provided? Is the methodology clearly explained? Does the proposed research incorporate diversity in multiple forms (i.e. GBA+ assessment)?

2) Research Experience – Does the applicant demonstrate the experience to carry out the objectives?

3) Community Engagement – Does the applicant engage with the community at large, both as part of their research and personally?

4) Research Dissemination, Honours and Awards – Does the applicant demonstrate strong dissemination of their previous research (including publications and other forms of knowledge transfer)? Have they been recognized through prestigious awards?

Note: Adjudicators are encouraged to keep in mind that each research specialty has differing criteria on what is considered a productive researcher.

5) Letters of Appraisal – Do the letters clearly state why the applicant is considered an emerging leader in their field? Does it communicate the impact the proposed research could have? Does the letter of appraisal from the Supervisor highlight the synergy between the applicant’s research and their own research program?

6) Departmental Appraisal – Does the departmental letter of support highlight the synergies between the applicant, supervisor, department, and institution? How does the proposed research contribute to the University’s Signature Areas?

Prospective postdoctoral fellows should first contact a Faculty member in the Department to which they wish to apply, who is willing to act as a potential supervisor for the Fellowship. Once a supervisor has been confirmed, applicants must complete the Izaak Walton Killam & Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships Application Form and Required Document Attachments as one package, and submit to their Department by Friday, December 12, 2022. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

FGSR will not accept packages submitted directly by applicants. Applicants are to confirm their eligibility and read all information and application instructions prior to preparing an application. The deadline for Departments to nominate selected candidates to FGSR is January 13, 2023. Applicants are to contact their proposed Department regarding their application status and whether they have been nominated to FGSR or not.

Departments may submit a maximum of one nomination for each Killam Fellowship priority group: one for Indigenous scholars, one for Black scholars and one for all (open) scholars. A maximum of one nomination may also be submitted for the Notley Fellowship for a maximum of four nominations total, or Departments are able to nominate the same candidate for multiple categories. 

Deadline for Departments to submit nominations to FGSR (grad.awards@ualberta.ca) is January 13, 2023. Refer to the 2023 Killam-Notley Memo to Departments for complete nomination details and instructions. Each nomination must include:

1) Signed Department Nomination Form

2) Signed cover letter on institutional letterhead from the Department Chair indicating benefits that would accrue from the proposed collaboration. The department/faculty is to speak to the sound character and/or collegiality of the applicant

3) Completed and signed Izaak Walton Killam/Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form including all attachments as well as the UofA Supervisor Letter of Support and Biosketch form (must be in requested format) 

4) Three signed letters of appraisal. Applicants are responsible for arranging to have their referees send the letters to the Department

Individual departments are responsible for pre-screening all documents before ranking and submitting fellowship applications. Departments are responsible for notifying any applicants that have not been selected for nomination.

The FGSR Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee adjudicates the competition; FGSR will notify winners directly. Applicants can expect this process to take a few months, with notification typically occurring in April/May after formal approval by the Killam Trustees.

December 12, 2022: Deadline for applicants to send their completed application to the Chair of the department to which they are applying. Letters of appraisal are also due by referees. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

January 13, 2023: Deadline for Departments to submit complete nominations (including all references) to FGSR. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

January 16 – 23, 2023: Applications are checked for eligibility and completness.

January 24 – February 28, 2023: Review and adjudication by Postdoctoral Fellowship Selection Committee members.

Mid April 2023 (revised): Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee Final Selection Meeting.

April/May 2023 (revised): Killam Trustees to approve selected awardees. Results letters are sent to all applicants. Recipients are to respond to offer of fellowships.

May/June 2023: Alternate candidates will be notified if a fellowship should become available.

Acceptance/Decline
Successful applicants should review the Postdoctoral Fellows Policies and Procedures and the Research Allowance Guidelines prior to accepting the Fellowship. Successful applicants are to complete the Killam Acceptance/Decline Form and submit it to FGSR Award Services (grad.awards@ualberta.ca).

• Fellowships must be taken up no earlier than June 1, 2023 and no later than January 1, 2024. Once the recipient has accepted the Fellowship, FGSR Award Services will send hire/payment instructions to the supervisor in order to proceed with a Letter of Offer.
• The regulations of the fellowship prohibit recipients from holding two major awards (value of $13,000 or greater) at the same time. Fellows who are offered a major fellowship from another granting agency to complete studies at the University of Alberta are required to accept it; they then may be eligible to become an Honorary Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow. In this case, recipients would be eligible for top up funding to a maximum of $50,000 per annum if the value of the other fellowship is less than the value of the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship. Recipients will also be eligible for the $4,000 research allowance.
• If fellows are offered a major fellowship from another granting agency at an institution other than the University of Alberta, they can choose to decline it and accept the Killam Fellowship, or they can decline the Killam Fellowship. If they decline the Killam Fellowship, they will not be considered an Honorary Recipient and will not be entitled to receive a top-up or research allowance.

Renewals
Fellowship holders must complete and submit a Renewal Report to Award Services (grad.awards@ualberta.ca) at least six weeks before the start of the renewal year.

Final Reports
Postdocs completing a Killam Fellowship are required to submit a Final Report outlining their research activity during the tenure of the fellowship.

The recipient receives a cash prize of $7,500 and a certificate acknowledging their award.

Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, research proposal, publications, letters of recommendation, and leadership qualities.

There is no application form; a recipient is selected by the Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee during the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship competition's final selection meeting.

Walter Grant Notley was born on January 19, 1939 in Didsbury, Alberta. He received his early education in Westerdal, Olds, and Didsbury, and he received a BA degree in history from the University of Alberta in 1960.

Together with his political opponents Joe Clark, Jim Coutts and Ray Speaker he created a lively political scene at the University of Alberta. On July 6, 1963, he married Sandra Mary Wilkinson of Hancock, New Hampshire.

Grant Notley became provincial secretary of the New Democratic Party in 1962 and provincial leader in 1968. He was a candidate in Alberta provincial elections in 1963 and 1967, and in the 1969 by-election. He was elected to the Alberta Legislative Assembly in 1971 to represent Spirit River Fairview, and re-elected in 1975, 1979 and 1982.

In 1982 he became Leader of the Official Opposition. His political abilities and academic background served him well in leading caucuses in the federal New Democratic Party and in Alberta politics, and earned him the respect of supporters and opponents alike.

On October 19, 1984, Grant Notley died in an aircraft accident near High Prairie, Alberta.

• valued at $46,000 per year for up to two years
• includes a one-time $4,000 research allowance during the tenure of the fellowship 
• covers the cost of the University Postdoc Supplemental Health Insurance Plan
• fellowships must be taken up no earlier than June 1, 2023 and no later than January 1, 2024
• funding for the second year will be subject to submission and approval of a Renewal Report

• Available for research in politics, history, economy, society, or related fields, of Western Canada
• Open to citizens of any country
• At the time of application submission to a desired Department, the applicant must not already hold a postdoc position at the University of Alberta or be employed at the University of Alberta. Please note that any applicant that begins a postdoctoral appointment at the University of Alberta or is employed by the University of Alberta after time of application submission to the Department and before final selection will be adjudicated in a second tier

  • At the time/date of application submission to the Department (December 12, 2022) and are currently in a PDF appointment or employed at the UofA: ineligible to apply

  • After the time/date of application submission to the Department (December 12, 2022) up to FGSR nomination deadline (January 13, 2022) the applicant has begun a postdoctoral fellow appointment or employment at the UofA: eligible to apply, but will be adjudicated in a second tier. Applicants categorized in the second tier will have begun research activities at the university, and may not be considered as competitive compared to those who have not yet started their postdoctoral fellow appointment 

• Must have completed a doctoral degree within three years from the deadline date of December 12, 2022 (i.e. on or after December 12, 2019) or will do so prior to commencing fellowship. The doctoral degree obtained must be from a university other than the University of Alberta
  • The window of eligibility can be extended by a cumulative maximum of two years if the applicant had their career interrupted for one or more of the following reasons:
    • parental leave
    • illness
    • health-related family responsibilities
    • mandatory military service
    • disruptions due to war, civil conflicts and/or natural disasters in the country of residence

Career interruption refers to a period of time when the applicant was not working (fulltime or part-time) and when their research output was completely interrupted. Additionally, for health professionals who have engaged in post-degree non-research related clinical training (e.g., residency), the eligibility window can be extended by the duration of this training.

Interruptions used to extend the eligibility window for degree completion must have occurred after the fulfilment of your degree requirements and before the application submission deadline. Details of the interruption must be included on a Special Circumstances document that is to be submitted with the Fellowship application.

• Fellowships may be awarded in departments without doctoral programs, but only where facilities are adequate and doctoral caliber research is being carried out.
• Fellowship holders should be likely to contribute to the advancement of learning or to achieve distinction in their profession, should not be a one-sided person, and each scholar's special distinction should be founded upon sound character and collegiality.
• The regulations of the fellowship prohibit recipients from holding two major awards (value of $13,000 or greater) at the same time. Refer to the Acceptance/Decline, Renewals, and Final Reports section for complete details.

The FGSR convenes the Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee in March to select fellowship recipients. Adjudication criteria includes:

1) Proposed Research – Does the proposal clearly state the impact, novelty, and knowledge mobilization of the research? Are the objectives achievable based on the information provided? Is the methodology clearly explained? Does the proposed research incorporate diversity in multiple forms (i.e. GBA+ assessment)?

2) Research Experience – Does the applicant demonstrate the experience to carry out the objectives?

3) Community Engagement – Does the applicant engage with the community at large, both as part of their research and personally?

4) Research Dissemination, Honours and Awards – Does the applicant demonstrate strong dissemination of their previous research (including publications and other forms of knowledge transfer)? Have they been recognized through prestigious awards?

Note: Adjudicators are encouraged to keep in mind that each research specialty has differing criteria on what is considered a productive researcher.

5) Letters of Appraisal – Do the letters clearly state why the applicant is considered an emerging leader in their field? Does it communicate the impact the proposed research could have? Does the letter of appraisal from the Supervisor highlight the synergy between the applicant’s research and their own research program?

6) Departmental Appraisal – Does the departmental letter of support highlight the synergies between the applicant, supervisor, department, and institution? How does the proposed research contribute to the University’s Signature Areas?

Prospective postdoctoral fellows should first contact a Faculty member in the Department to which they wish to apply, who is willing to act as a potential supervisor for the Fellowship. Once a supervisor has been confirmed, applicants must complete the Izaak Walton Killam & Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowships Application Form and Required Document Attachments as one package, and submit to their Department by Friday, December 12, 2022. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

FGSR will not accept packages submitted directly by applicants. Applicants are to confirm their eligibility and read all information and application instructions prior to preparing an application. The deadline for Departments to nominate selected candidates to FGSR is January 13, 2023. Applicants are to contact their proposed Department regarding their application status and whether they have been nominated to FGSR or not.

Departments may submit a maximum of one nomination for the Notley Fellowship. A maximum of one nomination may also be submitted for each Killam Fellowship priority group: one for Indigenous scholars, one for Black scholars and one for all (open) scholars for a maximum of four nominations total, or Departments are able to nominate the same candidate for multiple categories. 

Deadline for Departments to submit nominations to FGSR (grad.awards@ualberta.ca) is January 13, 2023. Refer to the 2023 Killam-Notley Memo to Departments for complete nomination details and instructions. Each nomination must include:

1) Signed Department Nomination Form

2) Signed cover letter on institutional letterhead from the Department Chair indicating benefits that would accrue from the proposed collaboration. The department/faculty is to speak to the sound character and/or collegiality of the applicant

3) Completed and signed Izaak Walton Killam/Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form including all attachments as well as the UofA Supervisor Letter of Support and Biosketch form (must be in requested format) 

4) Three signed letters of appraisal. Applicants are responsible for arranging to have their referees send the letters to the Department

Individual departments are responsible for pre-screening all documents before ranking and submitting fellowship applications. Departments are responsible for notifying any applicants that have not been selected for nomination.

December 12, 2022: Deadline for applicants to send their completed application to the Chair of the department to which they are applying. Letters of appraisal are also due by referees. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

January 13, 2023: Deadline for Departments to submit complete nominations (including all references) to FGSR. Late or incomplete submissions will not be accepted. 

January 16 – 23, 2023: Applications are checked for eligibility and completness.

January 24 – February 28, 2023: Review and adjudication by Postdoctoral Fellowship Selection Committee members.

March 2023: Postdoctoral Fellowship Committee Final Selection Meeting.

April/May 2023: Results letters are sent to all applicants. Recipients are to respond to offer of fellowships. Alternate candidates will be notified if a fellowship should become available.

Acceptance/Decline
Successful applicants should review the Postdoctoral Fellows Policies and Procedures and the Research Allowance Guidelines prior to accepting the Fellowship. Successful applicants are to complete the Notley Acceptance/Decline Form and submit it to FGSR Award Services (grad.awards@ualberta.ca).

• Fellowships must be taken up no earlier than June 1, 2023 and no later than January 1, 2024. Once the recipient has accepted the Fellowship, FGSR Award Services will send hire/payment instructions to the supervisor in order to proceed with a Letter of Offer.
• The regulations of the fellowship prohibit recipients from holding two major awards (value of $13,000 or greater) at the same time. Fellows who are offered a major fellowship from another granting agency to complete studies at the University of Alberta are required to accept it; they then may be eligible to become an Honorary Grant Notley Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow. In this case, recipients would be eligible for top up funding to a maximum of $46,000 per annum if the value of the other fellowship is less than the value of the Killam Postdoctoral Fellowship. Recipients will also be eligible for the $4,000 research allowance.
• If fellows are offered a major fellowship from another granting agency at an institution other than the University of Alberta, they can choose to decline it and accept the Notley Fellowship, or they can decline the Notley Fellowship. If they decline the Notley Fellowship, they will not be considered an Honorary Recipient and will not be entitled to receive a top-up or research allowance.

Renewals
Fellowship holders must complete and submit a Renewal Report to Award Services (grad.awards@ualberta.ca) at least six weeks before the start of the renewal year.

Final Reports
Postdocs completing a Notley Fellowship are required to submit a Final Report outlining their research activity during the tenure of the fellowship.