2025 Marine Environmental Observation Prediction & Response network (MEOPAR) Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

Eligibility

Funding

Eligible recipients of MEOPAR funds include: post-secondary institutions, research hospitals, not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations and governments, municipalities, research networks, public engagement networks, companies that deliver public engagement activities, or start-up companies (including those housed in Canadian post-secondary-linked incubators). Eligible recipients do not include federal departments, agencies, or crown corporations of the Government of Canada. 

Hence, the PDF Award funds can flow from MEOPAR to the PDF Awardee academic supervisor at a Canadian post-secondary institution OR to the main contact at the organization (e.g. not-for-profit, industry, etc.) hosting the awardee. 

The PDF Award provides a full award of $150K for 2 years. This means $70K/year for 2 years for stipend (including fringe benefits) + $10K of research fund. Recognizing that the PDF Award is of a relatively small value, it would be appreciated if host organizations consider reduce their indirect costs (overheads) charges or even making it an in kind contribution from host organizations.

Postdoctoral Fellows:

• Have completed their PhD program and graduated no more than four (4) to six (6) years ago, with eligible leaves (medical, parental, etc.) deducted from this time window;
• Participate full‐time in their respective program at a Canadian post-secondary institution;
• Candidates who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program may apply; however, they must complete all the requirements of their PhD (including course work, thesis defense, and the final submission of thesis) before beginning the PDF Award.
• Engage in research aligned with the strategic orientations of MEOPAR (see section B above) and be committed to develop science contributing to Canadian federal priorities
• Be highly qualified in their field
• Be committed to consider interdisciplinarity or transdisciplinarity perspectives and aspects in their work
• Be committed to integrate EDIA best practices in their work and support equity and inclusion of equity deserving groups along their research activities

Academic Supervisors

Researchers in faculty positions at a post-secondary institution in Canada may act as an academic supervisor. Academic supervisors must agree to support the postdoctoral fellow in their professional development.

Eligible Leaves

Eligible leaves (e.g. maternity, parental, medical, family medical, bereavement) must follow institution/organization human resources and collective agreement policies. The PDF Awardee and supervisor(s) must communicate plans with MEOPAR Research Program Manager and its host institution/organization (whichever apply).

Summary

An independent not-for-profit, the Marine Environmental Observation Prediction & Response network (MEOPAR) funds research, trains students, mobilizes knowledge and forms partnerships in the area of marine risk and resilience.

This Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) Award program offers opportunities for outstanding early career PhD-holders to join MEOPAR network and conduct innovative, full time, and collaborative research aligned with federal priorities in Canada. The purpose of this inaugural PDF Award is to bring new leaders contributing to address challenges in the ocean sector (including social sciences and humanities, STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, health sciences) in areas aligned with federal priorities into the MEOPAR community. Joining MEOPAR opens new connections with researchers, highly qualified personnel (HQP), stakeholders and policy-makers in marine science across the country, as well as offering the awardees the possibility to carry-on research outside of the traditional academic system. 

Under the Strategic Science Fund, MEOPARs’ PDF Award provides a full award of $150K for 2 years ($70K/year for 2 years for stipend including fringe benefits + $10K of research fund) to outstanding postdoctoral fellows candidates carrying-on their research in Canada

In 2024-2025 MEOPAR expects to offer up to three (3) PDF Awards, with project starting as early as March 2025 (but project can start up to 6 months after the funding is awarded – August 2025). 

New funding eligibility criteria under the SSF now allows PDF Awardee to pursue their research based either at a Canadian post-secondary institution or at an organization outside of academia (e.g. not-for profit organizations, Indigenous organizations, municipalities, research networks, public engagement networks, companies that deliver public engagement activities, or start-up companies). In that latter case, the PDF Awardee needs to be co-supervised by a researcher with a faculty position and registered as a postdoc at a Canadian post-secondary institution. 

MEOPARs’ PDF Awards will offer unique advantages and opportunities for professional development and career-building, providing PDF Awardees with the ability to: 

• Participate in MEOPAR existing and up-coming training and networking opportunities (e.g. MEOPAR Annual Meeting, Communities of Practice, etc.);
• Participate to MEOPAR Committees (e.g. Research Management Committee)
• Present and discuss results at national and international conferences and other fora;
• Purchase or fund specialized equipment, travel, or supplies for their research; and
• Offset costs associated with publication 

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Proposals will be submitted via a new online grant application portal on meopar.ca  
Information required to apply to the PDF Award are provided in Appendix A in the Call for Proposals PDF 

Other attachments:

B: Budget (xlsx)

C: Partner Contributions (xlsx)