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Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral fellows are welcome at Bishop’s University to pursue independent and collaborative research under the supervision of our researchers.

Faculty members are responsible for the recruitment, selection, and hiring of postdoctoral fellows, with the approval of the Vice-Principal Academic. To be appointed, postdoctoral fellows must submit the Registration Form for Postdoctoral Fellows duly completed and the required documents to researchoffice@ubishops.ca.

Guidelines for Postdoctoral Fellows

1. Scope

These guidelines apply to all postdoctoral fellows at Bishop’s University.

2. Responsibilities

The responsibility of hiring conditions lies with the Corporation.

The responsibility for the approval of these guidelines rests with the Senate.

The Vice-Principal Academic is responsible for the implementation of these guidelines, in collaboration with the Research Office.

Faculty members are responsible for the recruitment and selection of postdoctoral fellows, for coordinating their appointments, for overseeing their work, and for providing an appropriate level of guidance. They must also ensure that the postdoctoral fellows have access to all necessary research resources in order to conduct their proposed research program.

3. Definition of Postdoctoral Fellows

Individuals who have received less than five years ago a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent)* and who wish to pursue independent and collaborative research under the supervision of a Bishop’s faculty mentor. Postdoctoral fellows are appointed on a temporary basis to conduct full-time research activities. They are expected to publish the results of their independent research in a timely manner.

*Exceptionally, the five year period can be extended to a limit of ten years if the trainee has stopped his/her activities for personal purposes for a period that should be at least of an entire year after obtaining his/her doctoral degree.

4. Categories of Postdoctoral Fellows

At Bishop’s, there are two categories of postdoctoral fellows:

4.1 Postdoctoral fellow – employees

  • Are employed by Bishop’s grant holders on a contract basis;
  • Receive a T4 for earnings and will be taxed at source automatically;
  • Are subject to all statutory deductions such as the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), Employment Insurance (EI), Régie de rentes du Québec (RRQ), Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), etc.;
  • Are subject to working conditions in compliance with the Quebec Act respecting Labour standards (1980);
  • May have access to insurance and pension plans available to Bishop’s temporary employees;
  • May take a leave of absence granted by the Vice-Principal Academic, but there are no benefits or remuneration for such a leave from Bishop’s University.

4.2 Postdoctoral fellow – scholars

  • Are named recipients of fellowships from external funding agencies (NSERC, FRQ, SSHRC, Banting, etc.);
  • Are considered independent researchers and are not Bishop’s employees;
  • Receive a T4A for earnings from Bishop’s if their fellowship is managed by Bishop’s (subject to income tax, but not taxed at source unless request made in writing to Payroll);
  • Are not subject to statutory deductions for CPP or EI and are not eligible for the related benefits;
  • Cannot have access to group insurance and pension plans available to Bishop’s employees;
  • A leave of absence may be granted based on the regulations of the funding agency from which they receive their fellowship.

5. Duration of Postdoctoral Fellowships

Appointments are for a limited period of time, normally from a minimum of six months to a maximum of three years. Upon mutual agreement between the postdoctoral fellow and the faculty mentor, in consultation with the Vice-Principal Academic, a postdoctoral appointment may be extended. However, the maximum period that an individual can be appointed as a postdoctoral fellow is five years.

A postdoctoral appointment may be terminated at any time on the recommendation of the faculty mentor or by the postdoctoral fellow.

6. Funding of Postdoctoral Fellowships

Postdoctoral fellow employees will be funded from their faculty mentors’ grant or research resources. The rates of compensation must be in line with Bishop’s hourly rates for such a position.

Postdoctoral fellow scholars will have secured funding from external granting agencies before the appointment begins. The rates of compensation and applicable policies vary depending upon the funding agency.

7. Postdoctoral Registration

To be appointed at Bishop’s all postdoctoral fellows must submit the Registration Form for Postdoctoral Fellows (available on myBU) and the required documents to the Research Office for the Vice-Principal

Academic’s approval. The form requires the signature of the faculty mentor, the Chair of the Department, and the Dean. Departments should consider the availability of resources (research supervision, facilities, office space, etc.) prior to offering postdoctoral appointments.

8. Appointment Process

8.1 For Postdoctoral Fellow Employees

Once the appointment is approved by the Vice-Principal Academic, an Employment Contract must be completed by the mentor and signed by the mentor, the postdoctoral fellow and the Vice-Principal Academic.

The Research Office will forward a copy of the Employment Contract duly signed by all parties to the Human Resources Department in order for the postdoctoral fellow to have access to services provided to the Bishop’s employees (I.D. card, BU email address, access to network, keys, phone, library card, etc.).

8.2 For Postdoctoral Fellow Scholars

Once the appointment is approved by the Vice-Principal Academic, a Letter of Agreement is drawn up by the Research Office which must be signed by the postdoctoral fellow, the faculty mentor and the Vice- Principal Academic.

The Letter of Agreement should include:

  • The purpose of the postdoctoral appointment;
  • The name of the external funding agency (NSERC, FRQ, SSHRC, Banting, etc.);
  • The name and department of the faculty mentor;
  • The duration of the fellowship;
  • The availability of an office (which may be shared).

The Research Office will forward a copy of the Letter of Agreement duly signed by all parties to the Human Resources Department in order for the postdoctoral fellow to have the necessary access to services needed to perform his/her project (I.D. card, BU email address, access to network, keys, phone, library card, etc.).

9. Terms and Conditions of Postdoctoral Appointments

No tuition fee or registration fee are applied for holding a postdoctoral fellowship position at Bishop’s. All postdoctoral fellows are required to comply with all applicable University policies.

Postdoctoral appointments must be made in compliance with provincial and federal legislations and regulations.

Both categories of postdoctoral fellows are covered by Bishop’s liability insurance.

Postdoctoral fellows with full responsibility for teaching a course will be required to have a separate teaching contract signed by the Faculty Dean, following the current guidelines for contract faculty hires.

Any issues or conflicts that may arise in regards to a postdoctoral fellowship should be dealt with by the Vice-Principal Academic.

10. Certification

The University will issue a Certificate of Postdoctoral Study to recognize the completion of a postdoctoral fellow’s appointment.

11. Approval

The guidelines have been approved by Senate on May 18, 2017. They will be reviewed after two years.

Registration Form for Postdoctoral Fellows

Visiting Scholars

Faculty members are responsible for inviting scholars at Bishop’s University to pursue independent and collaborative research.

Guidelines for Visiting Scholars

1. Scope

These guidelines apply to scholars coming at Bishop’s University who wish to be officially designated as visiting scholars. An official designation will allow a visiting scholar to have an ID card, access to the library, a BU email address, keys for office and research infrastructure if applicable, etc.

2. Responsibilities

The responsibility for the approval of these guidelines rests with the Senate.

The Vice-Principal Academic is responsible for the implementation of these guidelines, in collaboration with the Research Office.

Faculty members are responsible for inviting visiting scholars and for providing them with appropriate guidance and/or supervision. They must also ensure that visiting scholars have access to all necessary research resources in order to conduct the proposed collaborative research or creative activity.

3. Definition of visiting scholars

Visiting scholars are faculty members, research fellows, artists, or students* who come to Bishop’s, at the invitation of a faculty member (mentor), to conduct collaborative research or creative activities.

*Students registered at other universities working under the supervision or co-supervision of Bishop’s professors are considered visiting scholars.

Guest speakers coming on campus for a single day are not considered visiting scholars for the purposes outlined in this document.

4. Duration of visits

Designations are for a limited period of time, normally to a maximum of one year. Upon mutual agreement between the visiting scholar and the faculty mentor, in consultation with the Vice-Principal Academic, a visit may be extended.

A visit may be terminated at any time on the recommendation (to the Vice-Principal Academic) of the faculty mentor or of the visiting scholar.

5. Funding of visits

Unless clearly stipulated otherwise, visiting scholars or their home institutions, when applicable, are responsible for all expenses, travel and living expenses associated with the visit.

6. Visit registration

To be designated at Bishop’s all visiting scholars must submit to the Research Office, for the Vice-Principal Academic’s approval, the following documents:

  • the Appointment Request Form for Visiting Scholars (available on myBU);
  • a curriculum vitae;
  • a photocopy of passport pages showing name and date of birth; and
  • a letter of acknowledgment from the home institution clarifying their affiliation and status.

The form requires the signature of the faculty mentor, the Chair of the Department, and the Dean. Departments should consider the availability of resources (research supervision, facilities, office space, etc.) prior to inviting visiting scholars.

7. Designation process

Once the designation is approved by the Vice-Principal Academic, a Letter of Agreement is drawn up by the Research Office which must be signed by the visiting scholar, the faculty mentor and the Vice-Principal Academic.

The Letter of Agreement should include:

  • The purpose of the visit;
  • The name and department of the faculty mentor at Bishop’s University;
  • The start date and end date of the visit;
  • The availability of an office (which may be shared).

The Research Office will forward a copy of the Letter of Agreement duly signed by all parties to the Human Resources Department in order for the visiting scholar to have access to services needed to perform his/her research or creative activities (I.D. card, BU email address, access to network, keys, phone, library card, etc.).

Should the visiting scholar be registered as a student at Bishop’s as a condition of his/her visit (e.g. Mitacs Globalink student interns), the registration and designation process above-mentioned (item 6 and 7) does not apply. The procedure established by the Registrar’s Office will have to be followed in such cases.

The Letter of Agreement shall make it clear that visiting scholars are not entitled to a full-time position of any kind as a result of this agreement.

8. Terms and conditions for visiting scholars

No tuition fee or registration fee are applied for being a visiting scholar at Bishop’s. However, dependants who register in courses would be subject to all fees.

All visiting scholars are required to comply with all applicable University policies, including the Policy on Responsible Conduct of Research and the Policy for Managing Intellectual Property at Bishop’s.

Visiting scholars are covered by Bishop’s liability insurance.

Visits must be made in compliance with provincial and federal legislations and regulations.

Visiting scholars with full responsibility for teaching a course will be required to have a separate teaching contract signed by the Faculty Dean, following the current guidelines for contract faculty hires as outlined in the Contract Faculty Collective Agreement.

Any issues or conflicts that may arise in regards to a visit should be dealt with by the Vice-Principal Academic.

9. Approval

The guidelines have been adopted by Senate on November 20, 2017. They will be reviewed after two years.