Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
University of Waterloo postdocs have access to a wide range of campus resources and services, including those intended to help develop professional, research and academic skills.
Stay well and active during your postdoc! Warrior recreation provides memberships to postdocs for $92.28+hst per term. With this membership, you can access:
You will also be able to register for:
UW Parking Services has made available the Grand River Transit bus pass for University of Waterloo employees as part of the TravelWise program. This option allows you to purchase a monthly transit pass at a 15% discount after filling out a corporate pass request form. Contact Parking Services or Grand River Transit for more information.
Are you in crisis, feeling unsafe, or worried you might hurt yourself or others? Anyone who needs urgent care can access our on-campus supports:
Postdocs on contracts of two years or more also have access to counselling through the Employee Assistance Program.
The Conflict Management & Human Rights Office (CMAHRO) acts as a resource to all members of the University community, including postdocs. They offer confidential consultations, support, and resources related to conflict management and human rights.
Conflict Management
Human Rights
Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who do not have a local family physician, are able to access Student Health Services on campus.
The Family Health Clinic, located in Health Services, provides primary care to immediate family members of our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows relocating to Waterloo Region, without a local family physician. The Family Health Clinic offers appointments for all primary care needs, including pre/postnatal care, newborn/infant care, well-child assessments, and routine immunizations.
Health Services and the Family Health Clinic can be reached by calling 519 888 4096.
Information Systems & Technology (IST) offers postdocs access to the IT Professional Development (ITPD) program, which includes courses in technical and computing skills to University employees. Training is delivered through instructor-led workshops, all of which are currently offered online. Workshops range from basic to advanced skills and include courses for applications, website management, project management, and more. View the ITPD Course Brochure for a schedule of upcoming courses, information on how to register, or to access course handouts.
In addition to receiving an official University of Waterloo email during their time as a postdoctoral fellow, all postdocs will automatically receive extended access to their University of Waterloo email address and other University systems, including Microsoft 365, OneDrive, and Eduroam, for a period of 16 months after their employment with the University ends. After this 16-month period, former postdoctoral fellows will retain access to their University email account only.
Legal and Immigration Services provides expert legal advice and consultation to members of the University of Waterloo community, including information for postdoctoral fellows.
Postdocs with questions about visas or immigration should reach out to Fran Hannigan, Senior Immigration Specialist. Fran handles support for faculty, staff and visiting scholars. She acts as the subject–matter expert on immigration and temporary foreign workers as they relate to the University community. She also oversees the University's responsibilities under immigration rules.
Postdoctoral fellows can access all of the Library's services, including:
Explore the postdoctoral fellows section of the library website for more information.
The Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Anti-Racism provides anti-oppressive, trauma-informed resources and support for all members of the University of Waterloo community, including postdocs.
Please contact the Office of EDI-R via their Intake Form, if you need direct support, have any questions or need access to resources.
Resources, Tools & Getting Support
If you have questions or concerns about your rights or other equity issues within the University the office can provide resources and tools to get support, including:
To facilitate greater knowledge and allyship at Waterloo, this office organizes regular events and opportunities related to equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism, including:
The Office of Indigenous Relations works to support Indigenous members of the University of Waterloo community, including postdocs.
Indigenous employee community resources
All First Nations, Métis, and Inuit employees and retirees of the University of Waterloo & Affiliated and Federated Institutions of Waterloo are invited to join in monthly social events, and collaborative teams channels. Contact indigenousrelations@uwaterloo.ca for more information on how to join.
Events and gatherings are organized throughout the year, providing spaces for learning and reflection. Some are specifically for Indigenous staff and students, while others are open to all allies as opportunities for education and connection.
For anyone interested in learning more about reconciliation and allyship, the Office of Indigenous Relations provides several guides and resources, including:
On the first and third Tuesday of each month, GSPA sends out the Postdoc e-news to all postdocs through their official @uwaterloo.ca email account. This contains relevant information (including news, events, and opportunities) for postdocs. Visit our webpage to learn more about the postdoc e-news, and for an archive of past issues.
The Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO) supports all members of the University of Waterloo community, including postdocs, who have experienced or been impacted by sexual violence (survivors, victims, friends, bystanders, those who have received disclosures, and so on). The harm does not have to have happened on campus or during your time at university for you to receive support.
Get Support
If you have experienced sexual violence:
If you have received a disclosure about someone else’s experience of sexual violence:
Important notes:
Educational Offerings
For anyone in the University of Waterloo community interested in learning more about the prevention of sexual violence and about building a protective campus environment that centers consent, SVPRO offers trainings and workshops, as well as asynchronous online education and events throughout the year.
Visit the postdoc tax resources page to learn more about the Canadian tax return submission process, and get support filing your tax returns as a postdoc.
WatCard is your University of Waterloo ID card, access card, and convenience card – all in one! With many services and vendors both on and off campus, there are hundreds of ways to make your WatCard work for you.
Visit the WatCard Office to obtain a WatCard. Bring a copy of your contract or an offer letter from your department which validates your employment. You will also need government-issued photo identification. Your identification must show your name spelled in English.
The Office of Research supports postdoc research services, including:
Waterloo Commercialization Office (WatCo)
Not sure what your career goals are? Thinking about making a shift in another direction or looking for a new job? There are many possible career paths for postdocs, but sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. The Centre for Career Action:
Opportunities to improve and perfect your English include:
Renison University College, English for Multilingual Students (EMLS), credit courses (postdocs must pay fees to Renison)
Contact Christa Schuller (christa.schuller@uwaterloo.ca) with any questions
University of Waterloo postdocs can now access web based training from LinkedIn learning using their WatIAM credentials.
LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With more than 5,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests.
Mitacs offers a series of training courses on topics relevant to postdocs. Each course bundle involves a self-paced asynchronous component, and a synchronous virtual session. Completion of both components will earn you an official certificate of completion from Mitacs for that course. Topics for these training courses include networking skills, career planning, communication skills, and more.
To access Mitacs online courses, you will need to create an account on EDGE, the Mitacs online learning management system. To get started:
Organizational and Human Development (OHD) offers courses on personal and professional development for employees (including postdocs!) on a variety of topics ranging from leadership and emotional intelligence to exploring values and collaboration. Please visit OHD’s calendar of workshops for a list offerings.
The Library supports your research, publication and research impact activities by providing:
The Writing and Communication Centre (WCC), supports postdocs as writers and communicators, whether they're working on books, journal articles, grant proposals, or any other project. The WCC offers:
The Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE) is here to help you develop your knowledge and skills as a university instructor, through workshops and events, certificate programs, and one-on-one support.
Are you interested in entrepreneurship? Do you have an idea, project or prototype? Velocity can provide you with the support you need to ignite your ideas and build your startup — every step of the way. At the University of Waterloo, you have access to leading entrepreneurial resources from Velocity. Even if founding a company isn’t in your cards, Velocity can help you build essential skills and give you a glimpse into the world of working for startups through several services, including:
Velocity programming doesn’t stop there. Visit us to learn more about Velocity student programming. If you are unsure of where to start and would like some guidance, feel free to connect with us through this form.
Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA)
Needles Hall, second floor, room 2201
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.