IVADO Postdoctoral Research Funding Program 2027

The goals of the program are to:

• Attract from around the world some of the best young researchers in the fields and topics of relevance to R3AI initiative (see above) and future leaders in the multisectoral field of AI and its applications;
• Promote the mobility, recruitment and retention of young researchers;
• Foster the development of original research projects with the potential to contribute to the advancement of knowledge;
• Provide an immersive experience in the Québec AI ecosystem.

Opening of the competition: October 13, 2026

Application deadline: 11:59 PM Eastern Time on November 22, 2026

Expected results notification date: early March 2027

Funding start date: between April 1 and September 1, 2027

The funding awarded by IVADO consists of an annual salary of $80,000, including benefits. The total funding period is two years, conditional to the submission of a report at the end of the first year.

Important: Unlike in previous years’ competitions, we no longer require the prospective supervisor to guarantee additional financial support for the candidate.

IVADO aims to provide funding to 10 postdoctoral researchers each year.

This funding cannot be combined with another nominative fellowship from a granting agency (ex. NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR).

Upon request and after validation, applicants from countries eligible for official development assistance from Canada may be reimbursed for some of their relocation expenses to begin their postdoctoral training in Québec.

IVADO will transfer $80,000 in salary per year to the supervisor. Note that the salary will be paid according to the specific rules of the host university.

For the postdoctoral applicant

The applicant must enroll in a postdoctoral program at one of the 5 following universities: Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval, or McGill University. The postdoctoral researcher must remain in Quebec for the entire duration of the funding period. Leave and travel for scientific activities must be approved by the supervisor, and travel of atypical duration (several weeks) must be discussed with IVADO. 

Applicants must:

• Have earned their doctorate less than three years prior to the beginning of the IVADO funding (see Calendar section); or
• Expect to earn it by the beginning of the IVADO funding (see Calendar section);
• Maintain their postdoctoral status during the whole duration of the funding (2 years).

Career interruptions and other special circumstances will be taken into account when assessing eligibility, provided they are clearly explained in the application (e.g., parental leave, medical leave, etc.). The dates of any delays or interruptions must be provided. Candidates who obtained their PhD more than three years before the start of the IVADO funding period may exceptionally be eligible for the competition, provided they include written proof in their application that their host academic department is committed to accepting their enrollment for the selected funding dates. Please include the required supporting documents (career interruptions and proof of department eligibility) at the end of the CV submitted through our web application form.

Applications from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged.

Applications from a wide range of disciplines, including the social sciences and humanities, are strongly encouraged.

Applications from candidates whose primary doctoral affiliation is outside Quebec are strongly encouraged.

It is the responsibility of award recipients to obtain all necessary authorizations and permits (e.g., for international recipients, a work permit) from the appropriate authorities for the duration of their stay in Quebec.

Eligibility of the prospective supervisor

Important: Please note that each supervisor may support only one application for this edition of the competition.

The supervisor:

• Must be a regular faculty member at Université de Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval or McGill University;
• Must have one of the following eligible positions: assistant professor, associate professor or full professor;
• Must not have been the applicant’s PhD thesis director or co-director,
• Must not be or have been the applicant’s supervisor or co-supervisor if the applicant already is a postdoc;
• The supervisor should be affiliated to one of the IVADO academic members, or, if not, be a Faculty of one of the 5 partner universities significantly involved in the R3AI initiative.

Applicants must submit their application on our dedicated online form. Applications submitted by email will not be accepted.

Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

The application package must include:

• A completed online form, including a description of your postdoctoral project (maximum two pages; references may be listed on a third page);
• Your CV (any format), including, where applicable, explanations of career interruptions and/or proof of eligibility for PhD holders who fall outside the standard eligibility period, appended at the end of the document;
• Your official PhD transcripts (please explain the grading scale in the case of non-Canadian universities);
• A letter of support from your chosen (eligible) supervisor, who commits to endorse and support your application.
• Two letters of recommendation.

The letter of support must be uploaded by the candidate through the online form, in the designated section. Each letter of recommendation must be sent directly by its author to recherche@ivado.ca , using their institutional email address, with the subject line “Postdoc 2027 Letter [Candidate Name]”, and attached as a PDF file. The same individual may not provide both the letter of support and a letter of recommendation.

Important: Letters of recommendation must be sent to us by their authors before the competition deadline. If we have not received both your letters by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 22, 2026, your application will be considered incomplete and you will be ineligible for the program.

Applications can be submitted either in English or French.

Applications will first be reviewed by IVADO staff to ensure compliance with the program’s eligibility criteria. Eligible applications will then be forwarded to the evaluation committee for assessment and ranking.

The evaluation committee, composed of external researchers with no conflicts of interest with the applicants, will be multidisciplinary and aligned with EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) principles.

The following criteria will be used to assess the applications:

Candidate profile

• Contributions to research (publications, presentations, scientific and societal impact, etc.), academic excellence, and previous funding awards;
• Depth and breadth of the candidate’s experience (multidisciplinary and professional experience, relevant extracurricular activities, collaborations, contributions to the scientific community and society, etc.).

Project

• Scientific quality of the proposed project; 
• Alignment with the R3AI Initiative.

In accordance with the program’s objectives, IVADO will give priority (among equally qualified candidates) to applications from women and to candidates whose primary doctoral affiliation is outside Quebec. The representation of each of our five partner universities will also be taken into consideration in the final selection of award recipients.

The evaluation committee will take into consideration special circumstances that could have affected candidates’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees.

The evaluation committee will rank applicants according to the evaluation criteria outlined above. The final ranking will be submitted by the directorate for recommendation to IVADO’s Scientific Committee.

For more information on the process and general evaluation practices of our programs, please consult the “EVALUATION OF GRANT AND SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS” section of the Conducting Research Responsibly Handbook.

As a postdoctoral researcher:

• Dedicate 100% of your research time to the IVADO postdoctoral program;
• Provide prior notice to IVADO of any change to your postdoc situation. IVADO reserves the right, after reviewing a modification request, to adjust its financial contribution or even suspend it if the modifications are no longer compatible with the terms and conditions of the award.
• Contribute to the IVADO community and activities, including, e.g.:
  • Participating to onboarding activities offered by IVADO;
  • Giving presentations on your research;
  • Taking part in various activities organized by IVADO (scientific activities, evaluations, co-organization of events, etc.).
• Comply with the responsible conduct of research policies and guidelines of your host university;
• Comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. You are encouraged to publish your research findings (e.g., papers, recordings of presentations, source code, databases) in compliance with the intellectual property rules governing your specific situation;
• Acknowledge the support of IVADO and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund.

As a supervisor:

• Provide a work environment conducive to the completion of the project;
• Oversee the postdoctoral researcher’s work.

IVADO commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

To ensure all members of society draw equal benefit from the advancement of knowledge and opportunities, IVADO promotes principles of equity, diversity and inclusion across all of our programs, and we commit to providing a recruitment process and research setting that are inclusive, non-discriminatory, open, and transparent.

Is this postdoctoral funding a scholarship?

No. This funding is a salary. The postdoctoral researchers will be considered salaried employees by the university where the internship is to take place. Please note that the salary of $80,000 per year includes social benefits, which means that the net salary obtained will be lower, depending on the conditions offered by the host university. We invite you to contact the universities concerned for more details on this subject.

Does my CV need to be in a specific format?

No. There is no particular CV format to be followed. Note, however, that each element of your application package must help the members of the Evaluation Committee to form an opinion. A CV that is too long or confusing may make assessment more difficult.

Are there any specific rules for the letters of recommendation?

• The same individual may not provide both the letter of support and a letter of recommendation;
• A maximum of two letters of recommendation may be submitted per applicant; any additional letters will be disregarded;
• Letters of recommendation should address the evaluation criteria: research contributions, academic excellence, professional experience, and the scientific quality of the proposed project.

As an applicant, can I send the letters of recommendation myself?

No. Letters of recommendation may only be sent to us by their authors, from their institutional email address, at recherche@ivado.ca. 

Can I send in my unofficial transcripts?

No. You must use the dedicated platform to upload all your official transcripts, including all current results.

I earned my PhD in a country that does not provide a transcript for that degree. What should I do?

Please include a note to that effect in your application and provide the transcript for your master’s degree instead and a copy of your PhD Diploma.

Can I engage in any other paid activity, e.g., consulting, while doing my postdoctoral work?

The funding is provided solely for full-time research activity. The cumulative funding amount is meant to be sufficient to allow you to focus exclusively on your research. However, complementary activities are equally important to your training. To balance these two aspects, it is acceptable for you to engage in paid activities that:

• Are compliant with the policies of the home institution regarding other sources of income; and
• Do not prevent you from doing the work for which you are receiving IVADO funding as if you were doing it full time.

What happens if my supervisor changes status or affiliation during the funding period?

A change in the supervisor’s status or affiliation during the funding period may result in the cessation of funding. However, we will always try to find a solution at the benefit of the postdoctoral researcher and the research to be done.

You must inform IVADO of any such changes.

Have other questions? Please send them to: recherche@ivado.ca