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Call for Proposals

ERIC AND WENDY SCHMIDT POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

1 — OVERVIEW

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1. It is the responsibility of the host supervisor to fund any additional salary and benefits costs not covered by the supplemental $11,000 CDN/year.
2. Modest additional funding for conference travel and research training activities will also be made available to Fellows during their tenure in the program. Note: Funding for research activities (i.e., consumables, field work travel costs etc.) are not provided through the UofT Schmidt AI in Science training program and are the responsibility of the host supervisors and co-supervisors.
3. There is a possibility for a 3rd year global research exchange, industry internship, and/or teaching-focused postdoctoral experience, pending the availability of funding from the host supervisor(s), Mitacs, and/or an alternate source of funding.

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2 — PROGRAM

The University of Toronto’s Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship, a program of Schmidt Sciences, brings together the brightest minds who have completed a PhD in the natural sciences or engineering and aim to pursue a research project that includes the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to their domain. The program funds cutting edge applications of AI in the natural sciences and engineering and creates a community of interdisciplinary leaders. Applicants must demonstrate clear expertise and promise within their field of study. Experience with AI is not a requirement, but applicants must have a desire to learn new AI methodologies that stand to accelerate discoveries in their domain. These Fellowships will fund research and provide training in AI and related computational skills to support new directions in the application of AI.

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3 — ELIGIBILITY

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
  • potential for successful adoption of AI research methodologies, and
• If seeking consideration as a Schmidt AI – Acceleration Consortium (AC) PDF, strong synergies with the AC Vision.
• Have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree no earlier than January 1, 2022. 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 2021. 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, 2025 and January 1, 2026.

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.
• Note: Our program prioritizes collaborative AI projects wherein the Schmidt Fellows are supported by both a domain expert (primary supervisor) and AI expert (co-supervisor). If the project includes only one supervisor, supervisors need to provide a brief justification for this approach, including a description of relevant AI expertise (to be included in the Supervisor Form).
• Note: If supervisors are supporting an applicant for consideration as a Schmidt AI – Acceleration Consortium (AC) PDF, at least one of them needs to be a member of the AC Scientific Leadership Team.

University of Toronto PI Eligibility Criteria

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4 — APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• 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.

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5 — REQUIRED APPLICATION COMPONENTS (DUE OCTOBER 15, 2024)

POSTDOCTORAL APPLICANT COMPONENTS (PLEASE SUBMIT SECTIONS a. THROUGH g. AS ONE PDF FILE)‍

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 about 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 October 7) and included as part of the supervisor’s submission package on October 15 (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.

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).

Application Form

Supervisor Assessment Form

Applicant Demographic Survey

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6 — EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

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,
• potential for successful adoption of AI research methodologies, and
• for candidates seeking consideration as a Schmidt AI – Acceleration Consortium (AC) PDF only: strong synergies with the AC Vision.

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

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7 — IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Please consult the information regarding postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Toronto on the website of the School of Graduate Studies.
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents must have completed their PhD requirements no later than six months after their start-date of an Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship.
• International applicants must have completed their PhD requirements before the start date. In each instance, proof of PhD completion must be provided within three months of completion if the applicant did not have it in hand at the time of application. Degree completion does not mean convocation, but rather the completion of all the requirements necessary for the PhD.
• Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellows may not concurrently hold another postdoctoral fellowship.
• Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE Unit 5 Collective Agreement. The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.
• Requests for award interruptions for reasons that are not outlined within Article 11 (Leaves) of the CUPE Unit 5 Collective Agreement will not normally be considered.
• The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from visible minority group members, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, members of sexual minority groups, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

At the University of Toronto, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive community, rich with diversity, protecting the human rights of all persons, and based upon understanding and mutual respect for the dignity and worth of every person. We seek to ensure to the greatest extent possible that all students and employees enjoy the opportunity to participate as they see fit in the full range of activities that the University offers, and to achieve their full potential as members of the University community.