The John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design (Daniels Faculty) welcomes applications from eligible scholars working in all areas of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Visual Studies or Forestry to develop and expand their research expertise at one of the world’s most distinguished public research universities. The research excellence postdoctoral fellow program will empower postdoctoral scholars with the autonomy to pursue an ambitious research program, while benefitting from close collaboration with leading faculty and access to tailored professional and career development supports. The program is designed for exceptional postdoctoral scholars eager to contribute to an innovative, vibrant and inclusive academic community, with encouragement to engage in trans-disciplinary research and to bridge the critical gap between doctoral training and independent academic careers by providing fellows with the resources, autonomy, and mentorship necessary to establish themselves as independent researchers. Fellows are expected to develop and lead their own research agenda, distinct from but complementary to their supervisor’s work, positioning them for future faculty appointments or leadership roles in research-intensive environments.

The Daniels Faculty is offering 2 Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowships:

1. one in research with no teaching; and
2. one in research with limited teaching.

Applicants may only apply to one stream. If applicants submit an application for both streams, both applications will be disqualified.

The Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program is designed to engage exceptional postdoctoral fellows over two years.  The structure of the award is as follows:

• An annal salary of $80,000 per year plus benefits
• An additional $10,000 annually for independent research.

• The University of Toronto funds 60% of the salary and benefits and the annual independent research funding.
• The remaining 40% of the salary and benefits and the annual independent research funding must be paid by the supervisor(s).
• The funding breakdown below is based on the current CUPE collective agreement and includes annual (2026) salary increase payable at a rate of 1.8%, the Standard Benefit Rate (SBR) at 10.5% and the PDF Levy, payable at a rate of 7.75%. * Supervisors will be responsible for covering any additional costs that may be applicable as a result of future collective agreements.
• No funding is available from the Daniels Faculty

• The University of Toronto funds 60% of the salary and benefits and the annual independent research funding.
• The remaining 40% of the salary and benefits and the annual independent research funding will be funded by the Daniels Faculty.
• No funding will be required from the supervisor.
• The fellow will teach four half courses in the Daniels Faculty over the two-year fellowship period and participate in other faculty activities.
• The annual teaching load will include a graduate design studio or seminar course in the area of the fellow’s research specialization.
• The postdoctoral fellow’s research will be presented and disseminated within the second year of the fellowship, including a public lecture at the Daniels Faculty.

This award is open to both domestic and international candidates. The following criteria are the institutional eligibility requirements for successful engagement as a Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellow.

Candidates must:

• Be engaged as, or seeking a position as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto (teaching hospital postdocs are not employees of the university);
• Have demonstrated academic excellence, proven capacity to conceptualize and execute independent research beyond their doctoral work, and evidence of intellectual leadership in their chosen field;
• Must complete all doctoral degree requirements by the time the fellowship commences and normally be within five years from the completion of their degree; and
• Not have previously engaged in more than one postdoctoral appointment.

Award recipients must:

• Begin the fellowship by January 1, 2027.
• Have completed all PhD degree requirements prior to the start of the fellowship.
• Submit proof of completion of degree no later than three months after the fellowship commences.
• Be engaged as a postdoctoral employee of the University of Toronto.
• Have a designated Daniels Faculty supervisor appointed to a graduate unit.
• Register and remain registered with the Postdoctoral Office at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
• Not concurrently hold another major fellowship.
• Not hold a faculty position or be on leave from such position.
• Establish an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and submit it to the Postdoctoral Office at SGS within the first three months of the fellowship. The IDP should be reviewed annually and the revised copy sent to SGS.

Supervisors:

• Must have a full-time tenured or tenure-track appointment at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design.
• Must have a PhD.
• Cannot be the applicant’s current or former Ph.D. supervisor.
• Must have a primary budgetary appointment at the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design and hold a graduate faculty membership with a graduate unit.
• (Click here to see a list of potential supervisors)

Co-supervisor:

• Any member of the Daniels Faculty may serve as a co-supervisor.

Deadline:

April 30, 2026 (11:59PM EST)

Application should be uploaded to the submission form as a single PDF file using the naming convention: Last name_First name_REPFP_2026.

Candidates interested in the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program should contact the prospective supervisor(s). Supervisors wishing to support a candidate’s application for the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellowships with no teaching must contribute approximately $40,000 annually towards the postdoctoral fellow’s compensation package.

Formatting requirements:

1. Explain any acronyms and abbreviations fully.
2. Pages must be 8 ½" x 11" (216mm x 279mm).
3. Pages must be single-spaced, with no more than six lines of type per inch.
4. All text must be in 12 pt Times New Roman font (condensed fonts will not be accepted).
5. All text should be black. Colour images are acceptable
6. Margins must be set at a minimum of ¾" (1.87 cm).
7. Font and size rules do not apply to text within tables and figures.  However, the selected font must be clearly legible.  Figures and tables count toward specified page limits.

Please note that these font requirements do not apply to the CV. We recognize and allow the use of different referencing styles. Candidates may choose their own formatting and citation style.

Application package consists of the following as a single PDF file:

1. Submission Form (access and submit the application here)
    
2. A supervisor statement from the primary faculty supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable) (max. two pages). The statement should:
   
   1. Describe the complementarity between the research interests/background of the supervisor and candidate, how the proposed research complements the supervisor’s ongoing projects and/or new research directions, and the anticipated mutual benefits; this includes how the collaboration will support the candidate’s transition to research independence and long-term career success.
   2. Reveal information specific to the field of study (e.g., benchmarks of excellence, publication norms/standards/practices, impact factor of research contributions) that would otherwise not be known outside the discipline.
   3. Provide details regarding the candidate’s proposed research environment, clearly stating the supervisor’s and graduate unit’s commitment. Examples of commitment include (but are not limited to) mentorship, opportunities for collaboration, dissemination, and/or knowledge translation, resources (e.g., funding, facilities, personnel) that will be available to support the candidate as they carry out their proposed research; and how these resources will enable the candidate to establish a sustainable, independent research program.
   4. Illustrate the supervisor’s commitment to the applicant’s academic and professional trajectory and development of an independent research program, clearly indicating the resources and/or mentoring activities that are available through the learning environment to support career development.
   5. If applicable, the supervisor must confirm their contribution of approximately ~$40,000 annually towards the postdoctoral fellow’s compensation package.
3. Independent research proposal from the candidate (max. two pages, plus up to two additional pages for references/citations). The independent research proposal should clearly articulate how the proposed work represents a significant departure from or advancement beyond the candidate's doctoral research. The proposal should also outline the anticipated long-term impact of the research, including how it contributes to the field and aligns with U of T’s strategic research priorities.
    
4. Learning statement from the candidate (max. 1 page). The statement should describe:
   1. their professional, academic, and extracurricular experiences/achievements and how these contribute to their learning success and ability to develop and implement an independent research plan (1/2 page).
   2. how the learning they expect to acquire will contribute to their productivity and to the research goals they hope to achieve. Indicate why they decided upon the proposed learning location and what they expect to learn from the learning experience (1/2 page);
5. Candidate’s C.V. (no page restriction).
    
6. Letters of reference from 2 external referees of high standing

Additional document required for applicants in the Research with limited teaching stream:

7. Teaching Statement from the candidate (max. 1 page).  The statement should describe:
   1. Their personal teaching philosophy, concrete pedagogical methods, and specific, evidence-based examples of student engagement.
   2. How their past experience (TAing, mentoring, teaching including studio, field or lab course) with future goals, demonstrate how they will contribute to the enrichment of undergraduate and graduate programs at the Daniels Faculty.

Candidates for the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program will be evaluated on the following general criteria.

Candidates for the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program will be evaluated using the following general criteria:

Results will be communicated to applicants and their supervisor in mid-June 2026.  The fellowship is expected to start before January 1, 2027.

Shirley Chan
Research Services Officer
John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design
Email: shirley.chan@daniels.utoronto.ca

Architecture

• Aleksandr Bierig
• Daniel Chung
• Alstan Jakubiec
• Bomani Khemet
• Jason Nguyen
• Brady Peters
• Stephen Verderber 
• Maria Yablonina 
• Claire Zimmerman

Landscape Architecture

• Georges Farhat

Visual Studies

• Mitchell Akiyama
• Zach Blas

Forestry

• Laura Bolt
• John Caspersen 
• Patrick James 
• Sandy Smith
• Sean Thomas
• Rasoul Yousefpour

Statement of Land Acknowledgement

We wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.