Richard M. Bird Post-Doctoral Fellowship

The Institute on Municipal Finance and Governance (IMFG) invites applications for a one-year Richard M. Bird Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Municipal Finance and Governance. Research should be pertinent to IMFG’s focus on the finance and governance issues faced by large cities and city-regions in Canada and around the world.

The Fellowship commencing September 1, 2024 offers $65,000 (CAD) of financial support for the following twelve months, and provides benefits pursuant to the collective agreement between the University of Toronto and CUPE 3902, Unit 5.

Qualifications

Fellowship recipients are expected to live in Toronto, Canada, while pursuing their research, and will have the opportunity to participate generally in the intellectual life of the larger University of Toronto community. IMFG is situated within U of T’s School of Cities, allowing the recipient to benefit from the broad network associated with the school and its affiliates.

Eligibility is limited to applicants who will have completed their Ph.D. in a relevant discipline within three years prior to the time they begin their fellowship at IMFG (i.e. between September 1, 2021 and September 1, 2024). Relevant disciplines could include economics, public finance, economic development, planning, urban studies, geography, sociology, political science, law or another field which draws upon the skills required for the analysis of public policy, especially in the areas of municipal finance and governance.

Please note that applicants must have completed all requirements for their Ph.D. before September 1, 2024.

We recommend that you review previous fellowship winners and their research here, prior to applying.

Responsibilities

In addition to pursuing an intensive research project, the post-doctoral fellow is expected to participate as a member of the IMFG team.

Core responsibilities include:

• Presenting their research in the form of two seminars at IMFG, with the first in the fall of 2024 and the second in the spring of 2025.
• Preparing two original research papers for publication by IMFG.

Other responsibilities, based on the fellow’s interests and IMFG’s research agenda, could include:

• Planning IMFG conferences, events or roundtables, in conjunction with IMFG staff;
• Preparing research papers for publication as part of one or more of IMFG’s three publication series;
• Developing other IMFG research projects and initiatives; and
• Providing research assistance and support to the IMFG Director.

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 supervisors' research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.

Supervisors: Director, IMFG, and Manager of Programs and Research, IMFG.

Applications

Applications for the 2024-2025 fellowship are now closed. Instructions are available here.

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.