UWaterloo's NSERC postdoc application process
Please note: Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs is aware of the recent changes in fellowship funding for postdoctoral scholars announced in the recent federal budget. Once NSERC updates information on their website, the content below will be updated to reflect the changes.
Overview
The NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides support to a core of the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers. The fellowships are intended to secure a supply of highly qualified Canadians with leading-edge scientific and research skills for Canadian industry, government, and academic institutions. The fellowship is valued at $45,000 per year for two years. Successful applicants at UWaterloo are also provided with extended health benefits, which are paid for centrally by the University.
Applications and eligibility
There is no institutional deadline to apply for the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, and all applicants must apply directly through the agency. If you completed a prior degree at UWaterloo and require a UWaterloo transcript for your application, please email the Scholarships and Awards team in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs to request your Waterloo transcripts. Include your full name and Waterloo student identification number and we will email your electronic transcript to you as a pdf so that you can upload it to your NSERC PDF application.
We are pleased to share that as of the 2021 competition, NSERC changed its eligibility criterion, and those who have previously applied and were unsuccessful can now reapply, provided all other eligibility criteria continue to be met. Please ensure you review the official eligibility criteria on the NSERC website.
Please note that if you are also interested in applying for a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, you can apply for both the Banting and NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships at the same time, but separate applications must be submitted – an application for the Banting does not automatically submit an application to the agency-specific postdoctoral fellowship program.
We understand that many postdocs, while applying for NSERC funding, may also be applying to other funding sources. Per the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide, the tri-agency does not place restrictions on outside sources of funding that an award holder would hold concurrently*. Recipients, however, will need to know what the regulations are for other funding being issued.
*Recipients cannot hold a Banting and a tri-agency postdoctoral fellowship at the same time.
Application support and review
It is best to have your host supervisor review your application and research proposal as they are best suited to ensure your documents align with the proposed arrangements. We also recommend having your colleagues review your materials to ensure completeness and appropriate writing style.
Successful applicants
If you have successfully received an NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, congratulations! Please email our postdoc team, so that we can provide you with information on next steps. If you have not reached out to us in advance, the postdoc team will reach out to you directly, once we have received confirmation of successful applicants from the agency, to obtain required information to set up your appointment and pay at UWaterloo.
Beginning in April 2022, all NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship award recipients will be paid through the eligible Canadian host institution. To facilitate payment of your fellowship, your department will prepare an appointment letter outlining the details of your appointment. Once details of your appointment are finalized and you have provided UWaterloo with all documentation requested to confirm your award, a work order (funding account) will be provided to your Host Supervisor. Your department will then send completed appointment paperwork to Human Resources to arrange payment through payroll and provide you with benefits (paid by the University of Waterloo).
Each year, the host institution is also requested to issue T4As. Additional details and instructions regarding payment of fellowships can be found in the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide.
For more information on next steps for all incoming postdocs, please visit the Incoming Postdocs section of our website.
Requests for documents and signatures
As a successful applicant, you may be requested to submit a “Degree Completion” form. Please send an email request to our Office Assistant in Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs with a copy of your pre-completed form attached. Include your full name and Waterloo student identification number in the body of your email and she/he will email you the completed copy back as a pdf attachment.
When completing your Request for Instalment form, "Part 4: Confirmation of Status” requests the signature of an “authorized official”. We recommend having the chair of your department sign the form, as they are best suited to confirm that you will be engaged in full-time research. You will then submit your form directly to the agency, and cc the Postdoc team.
Who to contact
Please contact the GSPA postdoc team if you have any questions about the NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships.