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Becoming a postdoctoral fellow

Step 1: Verify eligibility

Eligibility requirements

To qualify for a postdoctoral appointment, you must have completed all requirements for a PhD or PhD-equivalent within five years of your appointment start date.

Candidates cannot hold or take leave from a tenure-track or tenured faculty position while serving as a postdoctoral fellow 

We welcome applicants from all nationalities without citizenship restrictions.  

Policy on Postdoctoral Fellows

All postdoctoral fellows at Concordia must read the university’s Policy on Postdoctoral Fellows and the Guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellows.

These guidelines provide all the information you need prior to arriving at Concordia, as well as your responsibilities as a postdoctoral fellow before and during your tenure.

Step 2: Find a supervisor

Gain the support of at least one faculty member who can supervise you in your field of research. This supporting supervisor needs to verify your eligibility based on the university’s Policy on Postdoctoral Fellows and the Guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellows. To find a faculty supervisor, you can visit Explore Concordia, faculty and department pages, and Concordia’s research chairs.

Your prospective supervisor will need to submit a letter of invitation to the postdoctoral development coordinator, to initiate your hiring process. Supervisors from the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science must follow an internal procedure before submitting the letter of invitation to the postdoctoral development coordinator.

Once approved by the dean of Graduate Studies, the letter will be sent to you to sign as proof of acceptance.

International candidates

If you are an international postdoctoral candidate, your supervisor will need to submit Foreign National Exempt from a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) Forms to the postdoctoral development coordinator.

Step 3: Register

Registration

At the start of your postdoctoral appointment, you must submit the completed registration form signed by you, your supervisor(s) and the chair of your new department/academic unit along with the supporting documents to the postdoctoral development coordinator.

Payments

All stipend/salary levels for postdoctoral fellows must meet the minimum levels set by the university, as stated in the Guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellows.

  • If you are an award recipient, you will be either paid directly by the funding agency or your payment will be processed through Concordia’s payroll office. In some cases, a Postdoctoral Fellow Stipend Form will be used.
  • If your salary is funded by your supervisor’s research grant, they will need to submit a Notice of Hire form (NOH) to the Office of the Provost.
  • If you have been awarded a Horizon Postdoctoral Fellowship, your supervisor(s) will have to submit the salary (NOH) form to the postdoctoral development coordinator.

Benefits

As a postdoctoral fellow with a salary, you are required to pay standard payroll deductions for government programs, including the Quebec Pension Plan, Quebec Parental Insurance Plan, employment insurance, and taxes. These contributions may qualify you for benefits such as parental leave or employment insurance.

Once you meet the eligibility criteria, you can also participate in Concordia's pension plan. Currently, you can join the plan after completing 700 hours of work or earning an income equal to or greater than 35% of the Quebec Pension Plan's maximum pensionable earnings.

It's important to note that you are not eligible for other benefits, such as Health and Dental benefits.

Step 4: Extensions

Your appointment may be extended/renewed, provided you’re still eligible, with your total appointment length not exceeding five years.

Requests for an extension should be initiated at least two months prior to your appointment’s end date. If you are an international postdoc and need to renew/apply for a new work permit, the process can take between three to six months or even more. Due to these delays, you should initiate the process well in advance of your appointment end date to ensure you obtain your work permit on time and avoid interruptions to your stipend/salary.

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