professional development and career-building opportunities via top-up funding, the Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF) Awards launched in 2018, garnering interest from a pool of promising candidates. Under this format, the PDF Awards have supported three cohorts of researchers—2018, 2019 and 2020.
The purpose of these awards was to bring new postdoctoral fellows into the network to connect them with MEOPAR-funded researchers and HQP. Proposed research activities were required to address MEOPAR’s organizational objective (to connect partners, resources and expertise to prepare for risks and take advantage of opportunities in the changing marine environment) and must be linked to one of MEOPAR’s four challenge areas: Ocean Observation; Forecasting/Projection; Coastal Resilience; and Marine Operations/Transportation.
Under the Strategic Science Fund (SSF), the PDF Award program offers opportunities for outstanding early career PhD-holders to join MEOPAR’s network and conduct innovative, full time, and collaborative research aligned with federal priorities in Canada. These projects foster new leaders who contribute their knowledge and expertise to addressing challenges in the ocean sector. These fellows open new connections with other researchers, supporting collaborative opportunities and creating pathways to carry out research outside of the traditional academic system.
See the PDF projects have been selected for the 2025-2026 year
MEOPAR’s PDF Award provides a total of $150K over two years ($70K per year for stipend, including fringe benefits, plus $10K in research funds) to outstanding postdoctoral fellow candidates conducting their research in Canada.