Postdoctoral and National Fellowships Application

Posting Date: Sep 11, 2026

Area of Research:  Any field of theoretical astrophysics

CITA offers two types of Fellowships:

  1. CITA Postdoctoral Fellowship:
    This fellowship will be held at CITA, University of Toronto. All CITA Postdoctoral Fellowship applicants with overlap in astroparticle physics will also be considered for a joint McDonald Institute-CITA Fellowship to be held at the University of Toronto.

Salary: $81,500

  1. CITA National Fellowships:
    These positions are jointly funded by CITA and a faculty member (host) from another Canadian university. The National Fellowship is based at the University of the host. Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact potential hosts directly about these fellowships for more information. An applicant can select up to two possible hosts/locations for a National Fellowship.

Salary: varies by location and is communicated in the offer letter.

Applicants can apply for one, or both Fellowship types listed above.

Description of duties: 

Fellows are expected to carry out original research in theoretical astrophysics under the general supervision of the permanent faculty whose interests include: astrophysical dynamics, early universe, physical cosmology, interstellar and intergalactic matter, plasma physics and compact objects, galaxy, star, black hole and planet formation, stellar physics, high energy astrophysics and gravitational waves.

Required qualifications: 

Recent PhD in any field relevant to theoretical astrophysics

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants should submit:

  1. a curriculum vitae,
  2. statement of research interests (up to 3 pages),
  3. publication list (for papers to which you have contributed significantly, please describe in one sentence your role in the research),
  4. three letters of recommendation.

All postdoctoral applicants have the option of applying simultaneously for a CITA Postdoctoral Fellowship (based at the University of Toronto) and/or a CITA National Fellowship (based at the respective university of their chosen academic host) through the same application portal. If you are applying as a National Fellow, choose up to two hosts from the list of host faculty for 2027 and connect with them by email to discuss your intention to apply.

Apply online at https://icat.cita.utoronto.ca/pdf/ by November 2, 2026.

Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

Please contact office@cita.utoronto.ca for inquiries

Supervisor:  Faculty members of CITA

Expected start date: September 1, 2027

Term:  3 years

FTE: 100%

The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work.

Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

 

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission. The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

To ensure your full inclusion throughout the recruitment/hiring process, please reach out to office@cita.utoronto.ca