Call for proposals
Eric and Wendy Schmidt
postdoctoral fellowship at the University of toronto

Applicants must:

• Demonstrate:
  • academic excellence and leadership in the research domain,
  • high potential for success in their chosen fields,
  • strong synergy between applicant, supervisor(s), and institutional research environment, and
  • potential for successful adoption of AI research methodologies.
• Have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree no earlier than January 1, 2021. If within two years following the date of completion of your PhD, you had your career significantly interrupted due to parental, medical and/or family-related responsibilities, or due to research related slowdowns or shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the eligibility period will be extended to Jan 2020. If this applies, applicants should add a section at the end of their candidate statement describing special circumstances and career interruptions.‍

• Note: International candidates need to have completed their PhD prior to their start date, while Canadian citizens and permanent residents are required to have completed their PhD within 6 months of their start date.

• Not hold another Postdoctoral Fellowship in conjunction with the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants holding a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the time of award will be required to resign from their position before taking up the award.

• Hold a degree in a natural sciences or engineering (NSE) discipline (includes computer science and mathematics). Candidates are encouraged to consult the NSERC Research Subject Codes (Sections 1000 through 7000) for more information about NSE Disciplines.
• Secure a supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable) who has a full-time budgetary tenure-stream appointment or a status-only appointment* at the University of Toronto. If the primary supervisor does not have expertise in AI, a co-supervisor with expertise in AI is required. *Status-only Professors generally hold full-time positions at another institution (i.e., affiliated hospitals). For a definition of status-only appointments, please see here.
• Begin the Fellowship between May 1, 2024 and January 1, 2025.

Supervisors must: 

• Hold a status or budgetary tenure-stream appointment at the University of Toronto and be eligible Principal Investigators, according to the University of Toronto PI eligibility criteria.
• If the primary supervisor does not have methodological expertise in AI, a co-supervisor with expertise in AI is required.
• Note: Supervisors may only support one applicant in the competition as the primary supervisor.

• Applications must be submitted to the Schmidt Futures Program Manager at schmidtfutures@utoronto.ca 
• Email subject line (for both applicant and supervisor): APPLICANT NAME: SCHMIDT FELLOWS PDF APPLICATION
• Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

‍Postdoctoral Applicant Components (please submit sections a. through g. as one PDF file)
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a. Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form (instructions for below narrative sections within form)

b. Research Proposal (3 pages maximum)

c. Bibliography (1 page maximum)

d. AI in Science Training Plan (1 page maximum)

e. Candidate Statement (2 pages maximum)

f. Significance of Leadership Contributions (1 page maximum)

g. Applicant's CV

h. Two confidential letters of reference outlining the applicant's research excellence, the merit of the proposed research, and the suitability of the proposed research and training environment. Referees must disclose their relationship to the candidate in the letter. (2 pages maximum per letter)
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Important notes of the letter of reference:

• Candidates need to coordinate with their proposed supervisor on this part of the application, ensuring that the letter of reference writers (referees) are identified and confirmed early in the application preparation process, and provided with the appropriate submission instructions.
• The letters of reference must be submitted by the referees directly to the proposed supervisor (ideally no later than September 22) and included as part of the supervisor's submission package on October 2 (detailed instructions below).
• The proposed supervisor cannot act as a referee.

‍i. Applicants are also required to complete and submit the Applicant Demographic Survey as part of their application. All survey answers will remain confidential and will not be used as part of the evaluation of your application or any other future application.

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Supervisor Application Components

a. Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Supervisor’s Assessment Form (submitted by the primary supervisor)
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b. The primary supervisor is also required to collect the letters of reference on behalf of the applicant and submit them along with their completed supervisor form (see section h. in the Postdoctoral Applicant Components sections - above - for further details).

The Selection Committee, which will meet each competition year to evaluate and recommend top candidates, will reflect the broad diversity of individuals and disciplines within the NSE disciplines and will include experts from across the University of Toronto. The Chair of the Selection Committee will play the role of Equity Officer. Members of the Selection Committee are expected to reinforce standards of rigor, fairness, respect and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the adjudication process. The VPRI Best Practices in Peer Review Guide shall serve as a resource for members of the Selection Committee.

The selection criteria for the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship are:

• academic excellence and leadership in the research domain,
• high potential for success in their chosen fields,
• strong synergy between applicant, supervisor(s), and institutional research environment, and
• potential for successful adoption of AI research methodologies.

The multidisciplinary selection committee members assess this through their evaluation of each applicant’s:

1. Application form
2. Research Proposal & Bibliography
3. Training Plan
4. Candidate Statement
5. Significance of Leadership Contributions
6. CV
7. The postdoctoral fellowship supervisor's statement, and
8. Two Confidential Letters of Reference