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May 08, 2025

As of April 1, 156 post-doctoral fellows work across all faculties at UVic. For the most part, they’re funded by NSERC, MITACS, CIHR, MSHRBC and SSHRC. Nine, however are UVic Aspiration post-doctoral fellows.

The Aspiration PDF program was launched in 2022 by the Vice-President Research and Innovation to help recruit new post-doctoral researchers to UVic. The program provides $25,000 per year for two years to augment the salary contribution from the hiring faculty member or research unit.

The first cohort included 10 scholars. In January 2023, two more joined them. In June 2023 and 2024, four and five new PDFs were hired. Aspiration post-docs work in almost every faculty and half a dozen research centres.

Of the ten Aspiration PDFs who have completed their terms, five have tenure-track positions, four have secured further post-doctoral funding and one is a scientific consultant and researcher at a hospital. Their research has informed, for example, the effects of prenatal alcohol and cannabis use on brain development, fungal models to advance community energy, and detection and monitoring of single protein molecules.

Taken all together, they support all five Aspiration impact areas as well as multiple .

The 2025 process has been revised and applications will open in the fall. Details are available on the Aspiration post-doctoral fellowship page.

Micah Brush and Rachel Goldsworthy