How to Apply
Specific Junior Fellowship positions in various CIFAR programs will be announced twice per year each summer and fall.
The next set of available Junior Fellowships will be posted by the end of June 2012.
Each advertised position will include a link to CIFAR’s Junior Fellowship online application system, through which all applications must be submitted.
Application deadlines:
The application deadline for positions advertised in Summer 2012 is: September 4, 2012.
Application process and required documents:
Applications must be submitted through the Junior Fellowship online application system. Applications submitted by other means will not be accepted.
Applicants will create a login account and upload the following documents:
- Current CV, including publication list.
- A brief statement that summarizes your research background and interests in relation to the specific advertised Junior Fellowship position you are applying for and the CIFAR research program in which the Fellowship is embedded (1-2 pages).
- A brief statement summarizing the reasons why you are interested in participating in the Junior Fellow Academy, beyond the scope of your program-related research interests (half to one page).
- Any additional documentation that may be listed in the advertisement for the specific position (e.g., project proposal, if requested).
- Applicants must arrange to have 3 to 4 letters of recommendation (of which at least three are not from CIFAR program members) submitted to their online application. For more details, please read the section on Letters of Reference.
- Candidates who are still completing their PhD at the time of application are required to have their department chair, faculty dean, or other appropriate institutional representative submit a letter verifying that all degree requirements will be fully completed before the anticipated Junior Fellowship start date. For more details, please read the section on Letter from Department Chair or Faculty Dean.
Acceptable document format: Documents should be submitted in Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf). Files must include the .pdf extension; Mac users will need to enter the extension as part of the file name.
Applicants may complete their online application form over multiple sessions. Options at the bottom of the form allow applicants to either save a draft in progress or submit a final, completed application. In draft mode, applicants may return any number of times to add or delete documents and make other changes.
Applicants may submit a final application when they are satisfied that they have uploaded all the documents required of them and have submitted the names and e-mail addresses of all their required referees. Applicants will not be able to make changes to their documents after submitting their final application.
Please read the next section for more information about referees and letters of reference.
Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete and successfully submitted as a FINAL version by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the application deadline dates.
Applications that are not complete or are not marked as ‘final’ after the deadline will not be considered.
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Letters of reference:
a) Who Should Provide Reference Letters?
Applicants must arrange to have 3 to 4 letters of recommendation submitted to their online application.
- Of these, one must be written by the applicant’s primary PhD supervisor.
- If the applicant is or has been a postdoctoral fellow, a letter must be provided by the primary postdoctoral supervisor.
- At least three reference letters must be provided in total, and at least three must not be from current CIFAR program members.
- If one of the applicant’s supervisors is a CIFAR program member, then a fourth letter must be provided from another qualified individual not affiliated with CIFAR.
- All reference letters must be written by university faculty members, or equivalent, who have the capacity to assess the applicant’s research in terms of productivity, creativity, breadth, potential for future leadership in the field, and overall ranking in comparison with other students or postdoctoral fellows. Referees should also comment on the applicant’s interest in and capacity to contribute to and benefit from the goals of the Junior Fellow Academy.
b) How Do Referees Submit their Letters?
All letters of reference must be submitted online. Reference letters submitted by other means will not be accepted.
Applicants will enter the names and e-mail addresses of their referees into their application form on the Junior Fellowship online application system
Applicants are expected to inform their referees that they are applying for a CIFAR Junior Fellowship and to secure their agreement to provide letters before submitting their names to CIFAR. Applicants should also make certain they have the correct e-mail address for each referee.
Once an applicant has submitted a referee’s name and e-mail address, the referee will immediately receive an automatically generated e-mail letting them know that the applicant is requesting a reference letter. The e-mail will provide the referees with instructions on how to submit a confidential letter directly to the applicant’s online application. The system will send an e-mail to both applicants and referees when reference letters are successfully submitted. Applicants also will be able to track within their online application form whether letters have been deposited, but will not be able to view the letters’ contents.
It is not necessary to enter all referees into the application form at the same time. However, applicants must submit all the names and e-mail addresses of their required referees before submitting their application as ‘final’.
Referees may only submit a letter after they have received the e-mail from CIFAR. If a referee does not receive or misplaces the e-mail with instructions, the applicant should return to his or her application form, where instructions are provided for having the e-mail re-sent. This may be done even after the candidate’s final application has been submitted. In the event that applicants learn that one of their referees will not be able to provide the promised letter, they may also return to their final application to add a new referee and issue a new letter request to him or her.
In exceptional circumstances, if a referee cannot use an online system or does not use e-mail, contact jfa@cifar.ca for instructions on how to provide the letter.
Applicants are responsible for tracking the submission of their reference letters and for following up with referees to ensure all letters are submitted by 11:59 PM (Eastern Time) on the application deadline dates. Applicants may log into their application at any time to track letters. The system will continue to accept letters after the deadlines, but late submissions risk not being viewed at the appropriate time during the application review process.
Letter from Department Chair or Faculty Dean:
Candidates who are still completing their PhD at the time of application are required to have their Department Chair, Faculty Dean, or other appropriate institutional representative submit a letter verifying that all degree requirements will be fully completed before the anticipated Junior Fellowship start date. (Start dates will be advertised in individual Junior Fellowship job descriptions).
This letter must be submitted to the applicant’s online application file. Procedures to be followed are the same as those for letters of reference.
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