Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship

Eligibility

If you are an early-stage academic researcher, meaning that you have held an independent academic position for 10 years or less as of June 1 of the competition year and currently hold a grant from NSERC, you can prepare a nomination for this award. Note: For 2023, NSERC will use June 1 as the eligibility cut-off date for the current competition. NSERC will change the eligibility cut-off date to December 14, 2024, for the following competition.

An independent academic position is a position that

• is a university faculty appointment (adjunct, non-tenured or tenured)
• requires that the researcher engage in research that is not under the direction of another individual
• authorizes the researcher to supervise or co-supervise the research of students registered in an undergraduate or graduate degree program, or postdoctoral fellows

For example, to be eligible, a candidate submitting a nomination in December 2023 would need to have started their appointment on or after June 1, 2013.

The ten-year eligibility window is adjusted to consider instances where a researcher has had an eligible delay in research. For all eligible leaves of absence (e.g., maternity and parental leave, personal illness, chronic illness, mental illness, or disability associated with reduced research activity, leave taken for family-related illness, bereavement, extraordinary administrative duties, delays related to COVID-19), NSERC will credit eligible delays double their total duration. For example, a candidate who took a 7-month parental leave after starting their appointment would have their eligibility window extended by 14 months. Professional leaves (e.g., training, sabbatical, administrative) are not credited.

Summary

Arthur B. McDonald Fellowships recognize early stage academic researchers in the natural sciences and engineering and support them to enhance their research capacity, so that they can become leaders in their field and inspire others.
McDonald Fellowships are held for a two-year period. Successful fellows are relieved of teaching and administrative duties, so that they can devote all their time and energy to research. The Fellowships are held at a Canadian university or affiliated research institution.
Each fellow receives a research grant of $250,000 over two years.
The Fellowship normally also includes a contribution of $90,000 per year to the university toward the fellow's salary. As part of the Fellowship agreement, the university is expected to fund a replacement for the fellow's teaching and administrative responsibilities. Should the recipient of the Fellowship already hold another federal award that has a salary component, such as a Canada Research Chair or an Industrial Research Chair, NSERC will reduce the contribution to the university accordingly.
 

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

Read NSERC's nomination guidelines.
Required Documents:

1. Letter from the nominee, addressing two major sections:

a) Description of nomination (max 3 pages)

b) Future directions (max 3 pages)

2. An NSERC Personal data form (form 100) (no page limit)

3. Page one of the Application for a grant (form 101)—note that signatures on form 101 are not required

4. An Impact assessment form (appendix A), if required

5. An External reviewer suggestions form

6. A Terms and conditions form for nominees

Internal Selection:
Nominations must be endorsed by the President of the University of Calgary, who may only endorse six nominations per year. Each Faculty seeking institutional endorsement(s) must submit the following documents for up to six candidates to the Research Services Office, for review by the SUPPORT: Research Awards committee. Based on the committee's recommendations, the Vice-President (Research) and President will select up to six candidates for institutional endorsement. Research Services will then invite selected candidates to complete a full nomination package for submission to NSERC. Note that selected candidates will be required to obtain internal approvals for the research leave they will receive should they win a NSERC McDonald Fellowship.

The Dean or representative must submit these documents to researchawards@ucalgary.ca by August 28, 2023:

1. A completed SUPPORT: Research Awards review form.

2. A draft nomination letter addressing these points as requested by NSERC:

• explain why the nominee deserves consideration for the Fellowship, with emphasis on (a) research achievements and impact, and (b) Outreach, mentorship, and leadership (maximum of 3 pages); and
• future directions, including (a) research vision, (b) proposed research, and (c) training of highly qualified personnel (maximum of 3 pages).

3. The candidate's CV, covering their entire career. The preferred format is the NSERC Personal Data Form (Form 100, including all attachments; not the Canadian Common CV). Listed contributions do not need to be limited to past six years.

4. A brief statement from the Dean or representative outlining how the Faculty considered equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in its nomination process (only one statement is required from the Faculty for all candidates).

• This statement will inform the university's EDI statement to be included in the final nominations submitted to NSERC.

Submission Instructions:
Complete submission instructions will be provided to candidates who have been selected for institutional endorsement. RSO will make the final submission to NSERC.
Note that the Arthur B. McDonald Fellowship involves a research leave, which must be approved by the Faculty and Provost prior to submission of the nomination. RSO will provide more details to the selected candidates.