StudyDesk Scholarships
About the fellowship
The Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowships come from the Izaak Walton Killam Memorial Fund for Advanced Studies, created through the will of Dorothy Johnston Killam in memory of her husband. Their stated purpose is to bring scholars to UBC who are likely to contribute to the advancement of learning or win distinction in a profession — in Dorothy Killam’s words, scholars who are not one-sided, with special distinction of intellect founded on sound character.
At UBC the fellowship is the university’s flagship postdoctoral award: CAD 60,000 a year for up to two years, open across most fields of research, with only four to six new fellows a year. That scarcity is why the route matters as much as the money — you are not competing against the world, you are competing to become your department’s single nominee.
Eligibility
- Have completed all requirements of your PhD (defence, corrections, thesis deposit — not the convocation date) no more than 24 months before the anticipated fellowship start date.
- Be able to start between 1 May 2027 and 2 January 2028.
- Not have pursued PhD-level studies at any campus of the University of British Columbia.
- Not currently hold a tenure-track or continuing faculty position; temporary, term or non-tenure-track appointments are eligible.
- Have a proposed supervisor who is a continuing faculty member with a tenure-track appointment at UBC.
- Be able to show your work brings fresh intellectual insights to UBC and fits the department’s research programmes.
- Career interruptions for childrearing, illness or health-related family responsibilities after the PhD can extend the 24-month window by up to one year, with justification in the Special Circumstances attachment.
Benefits
- CAD 60,000 annual stipend for up to two years (progress review after year one).
- A research travel allowance is listed in secondary summaries at up to CAD 4,000 over two years — confirm it with your department.
- Research across most fields at UBC Vancouver or UBC Okanagan, with mentorship from a senior faculty supervisor.
- One of only 4–6 new fellowships a year — a strong signal on an academic CV.
Documents to prepare
- A completed application form (per the department’s nomination guide).
- A research proposal showing innovative, ground-breaking work and fit with the department.
- A curriculum vitae with publications.
- References and supporting documents as required by the department.
- A Special Circumstances document if you are requesting an eligibility-window extension or justifying a continuing UBC postdoctoral appointment.
- Any additional materials your proposed department specifies.
How to apply
- Contact your proposed UBC department or unit immediately and ask for its internal Killam deadline — this is the deadline that decides whether you can apply at all.
- Line up a continuing tenure-track faculty supervisor in that department who will support your nomination.
- Prepare the application package to the department’s nomination guide (proposal, CV, references, Special Circumstances if needed).
- Submit to the department by its internal deadline. The department vets, reviews and may forward one nomination (Vancouver) to Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
- Department nominations must reach UBC by 6 November 2026 at 4:00 p.m. PT. Enquiries: killam.fellowships@ubc.ca.
FAQs
No. Applicants apply to a UBC department or academic unit; the department nominates. The 6 November 2026 date is the departments’ nomination deadline, and your real deadline is your department’s internal one, typically in October.
No. The UBC Okanagan applicant deadline was 5 October 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PDT and that competition is now closed. Vancouver departments set their own internal deadlines — check yours at once.
No. Applicants must not have pursued PhD-level studies at any campus of the University of British Columbia.
You must have completed all PhD requirements no more than 24 months before the fellowship start date, with up to one extra year for documented career interruptions such as childrearing or illness.
Four to six new fellowships a year across UBC, each worth CAD 60,000 a year for up to two years.
Verified 24 Oct 2026: postdocs.ubc.ca/award/killam-postdoctoral-research-fellowship (official) — CAD 60,000/year max 2 years, 4–6 new awards, Award Status Open, department/unit nomination deadline 6 Nov 2026 4:00 PM PT, applicants check department internal deadline (typically October), enquiries killam.fellowships@ubc.ca; postdocs.ubc.ca 2027-2028 nomination guide (official PDF) — same 6 Nov 2026 4:00 pm PT deadline, one nomination per Vancouver unit, Okanagan four total; gradstudies.ok.ubc.ca (official) — Okanagan applicant deadline 5 Oct 2026 5:00pm PDT, Award Status Closed, start window 1 May 2027–2 Jan 2028, 24-month rule and extension terms; landfood.ubc.ca (official) — internal LFS deadline 9 Oct 2026; sppga.ubc.ca (official) — SPPGA internal deadline 7 Oct 2026; scholarshiproar.com — CAD 60,000 stipend, CAD 4,000 travel research allowance over two years, no UBC PhD, no tenure-track post.
