This guide was developed in response to a great amount of interest from legal graduate students in postdoctoral opportunities and the general lack of information on this subject. It is intended to assist graduate students who are considering postdoctoral work in law and other related disciplines.
This guide includes information about how postdoctoral fellowships typically work and how to find opportunities and funding for them. It provides information on various options in law and other departments. We have also included a number of useful websites that contain information about postdoctoral fellowships in
Canada, US, UK, Asia and Australia, as well as some external funding options.
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What is a postdoctoral fellowship?
In general, postdoctoral fellowships are short-term engagements at a university where individuals with doctoral degrees work under the mentorship of a faculty member to develop their scholarship in a chosen area of research.
Why are postdoctoral fellowships typically done?
Students may decide to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship for a variety of reasons.
For example, you may want to use the postdoctoral fellowship:

As a bridge towards a career in academia;

To gain more time to complete your research and produce more publications; or

To experience another academic institution and work with a particular researcher in your area of expertise.
So, in general, the purpose of postdoctoral fellowships is to prepare fellows for eventual careers in academia or research. As such, fellows are generally required to undertake full-time research and scholarship under the supervision of a faculty member. Depending on the position, fellows may also be required to teach.
How long are postdoctoral fellowships?
Postdoctoral fellowship positions are generally considered transitory positions and therefore are for relatively short periods of time. The actual length of the fellowship, however, depends on the position itself. Post-doctoral fellowships can last for as little as a couple of months to a couple of years. However, many of the schoo ls listed below in the “Useful Websites-Universities” section offer fellowships lasting an average of 1 to 2 years in length.
At the University of Toronto, for example, postdoctoral fellowships cannot be engaged as such for longer than 3 years without permission of the dean of the relevant faculty. If an extension is granted, it cannot last longer than 2 years.
Some important points to consider when applying for postdoctoral fellowship positions:

Why you want to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship;

What you hope to gain specifically in terms of experience, skills, publications, etc. from the fellowship;

Who to work with;

Where the fellowship will be;
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
How long the fellowship will be;

What the fellowship will involve; and

Whether you are able to get internal or external funding for the scholarship.
How do I find a postdoctoral fellowship position?
Finding a postdoctoral fellowship position may be frustrating because many schools will not advertise postdoctoral positions through any central office or resource. For example, at the University of Toronto, postdoctoral fellowships are granted generally either by invitation or they may be advertised on departmental websites.
This is in part because there is no central funding for postdoctoral fellowship positions. We will discuss funding in the next chapter, but it is important to remember that even though there may be few advertised positions, many schools will be open to (and indeed welcome!) your approaching them with funding for a fellowship position.
Therefore, you can take a variety of approaches to searching for postdoctoral fellowship positions. Here are some suggestions you might consider:

Research positions listed in postdoctoral fellowship and graduate studies offices or their listservs (see below in the “Useful Websites-Universities” section);

Consult newspapers, and websites containing lists of postdoctoral positions
(see below in the “Useful Websites-External Websites Advertising
Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions” section);

Consult websites of different departments to identify faculty members with whom you would like to work, and contact them directly about your research interests;

Speak with your peers and with faculty at various institutions to learn about available opportunities. Remember, the networks you have built are an extremely valuable resource, especially since many postdoctoral fellowships are unadvertised.
It is also important to remember that postdoctoral fellowships are found in various academic departments of universities, not just law schools.
Law departments may have specific postdoctoral fellowship positions for
SJDs/JSDs. However, you should not limit your search to law schools. Many other departments related to your field of research may have postdoctoral fellowships open to law graduates. Broadening your search from law schools exclusively will inevitably expose you to many more opportunities.
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For example, if you are interested in health law, you may consider looking at pharmacy schools, or health policy departments. If you are interested in international law, you might consider looking for fellowships in international relations departments or centres, such as the Munk Centre for International
Studies at the University of Toronto. If you are interested in legal philosophy, you may consider looking at philosophy, ethics, and political science departments.
While you shouldn’t limit yourself to law faculties, you should, at the same time, be realistic about your applications. The application process is an intensive and time-consuming process. You will need to give yourself enough time to prepare competitive applications. Moreover, each of the applications requires references.
Reference writing is also an intensive task, and you should be considerate of the number of references you ask your referees to write.
Finally, since typically there is no central administration of postdoctoral fellowship positions, there is also no set application process or deadline, unless the position is one listed on a departmental website. Start your search early so that you don’t miss an important deadline.
Again, be sure to speak with your peers and faculty members at the law school and other academic institutions and your law school’s career office, and to check regularly for new postings.
How do I fund my fellowship? Will I be compensated as a postdoctoral fellow?
Most schools in Canada have policies outlining a minimum stipend amount the postdoctoral fellows are to receive. To be a fellow, one must secure this minimum amount of financial support.
Unfortunately, there is no central funding for postdoctoral fellowships. Rather, postdoctoral fellows may seek and find funding from a variety of sources.
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For example, students may get funding from:

The postdoctoral fellowship program itself;

Their faculty supervisor who may compensate fellows from their research grant/resources; or

Postdoctoral fellows may receive funding from external granting agencies, such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) listed in the “Useful Websites-Sources of External Funding” section below.
Finding the requisite funding may be a daunting task, especially since grants will vary in their amount and their eligibility requirements. International students may find it particularly difficult, as some grants, such as the SSHRC, are reserved for
Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada. It will take some diligence and persistence, but you should know that many international students have been able to find postdoctoral fellowships in their chosen area of research.
To begin your search, you may wish to consult the section entitled “Useful
WebsitesSources of External Funding” at the end of the guide for a list of some external agencies that fund postdoctoral fellowships.
Finally, with respect to compensation, even though postdoctoral fellows are not generally considered employees of the university, you may be entitled to certain benefits and services, such as health benefits. Each school will have different policies for their postdoctoral fellows, so be sure to clarify these details with the school or your supervisor.
Good luck on your search!
Information collected from:

University of Toronto Faculty of Law faculty members and current SJD students;

University of Toronto, School of Graduate Studies Postdoctoral Office
( sgs.postdoc@utoronto.ca
);
 University of Toronto, Munk Centre’s Comparative Program on Health and
Society;

Various academic and nonacademic websites.
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Some Sources of External Funding
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC)-open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada, refer to the “Scholarships open to the public” section: https://juno.aucc.ca/wes/hes.aspx?pg=834
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships http://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.html
Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)-open to Canadians and international students: http://www.researchnetrecherchenet.ca/rnr16/search.do?fodAgency=CIHR&fodLanguage=E&all=1&sear ch=true&org=CIHR&sort=program&masterList=true&view=currentOpps
Halbert Centre – University of Toronto http://canadianstudies.huji.ac.il/Grants/HC%20grants.htm
Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS)-the John Charles Polanyi Prizes
(open to students normally residing in Ontario); the Ontario Women's Health
Scholars Program (open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of
Canada): http://ocgs.cou.on.ca/_bin/home/about.cfm
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-open to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada: http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/index-eng.aspx
The National Academies (American)-listing of various sources of funding and resource material: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/fellowships/
Some External Web Sites Advertising Postdoctoral Fellowship Positions and Funding
The Academic Position Network – searchable database of academic opportunities: http://www.apnjobs.com/
Canadian Association of University Teachers: http://www.caut.ca/pages.asp?page=322
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Canadian Bar Association
– Viscount Bennett Fellowship-for Canadian citizens who have graduated from a Canadian law school: http://www.cba.org/CBA/Awards/viscount_bennett/
The Chronicle of Higher Education – lists academic opportunities in American universities: http://chronicle.com/jobs/
Commonwealth Scholarships: http://www.acu.ac.uk/hosted_organisations/commonwealth_scholarship_commis sion
The Ford Foundation International Program - has an international fellowship, and a fellowship reserved for U.S. citizens: http://www.fordfoundation.org/grants/individuals-seeking-fellowships
Fulbright Canada-U.S. Program: www.fulbright.ca
Fellowships.gradschools.com: http://www.gradschools.com/article-detail/graduate-fellowships-1676
International Council for Canadian Students - open to Canadians and international students: http://www.iccs-ciec.ca/index_en.php
Michigan Statue University Libraries’ database of postdoctoral fellowships: http://staff.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3postdoc.htm
PECANS (Postgraduate and Early Career Academics Network of Scholars)-a network of research students and academics working in the fields of Law,
Gender and Sexuality. Their websites posts a directory of potential supervisors across the world who may have similar research interests to you. Most of the supervisors are located in the UK, however, the also had supervisors from UBC,
Carleton University, the University of Victoria, and Indiana University. http://www.clgs-pecans.org.uk/
PhDs - lists postdoctoral positions (mostly American), articles, and advice: www.phds.org
Post-Docs
– a searchable database of posting listings (mostly science, mostly
American): www.post-docs.com
or www.postdoctorate.net
Science - search under "science careers" for postdoctoral positions in the sciences:
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http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/
Social Science Research Network and the Legal Scholarship Network - covers a variety of subject areas within the social sciences: http://www.ssrn.com/lsn/index.html
The Scientist - lists postdoctoral positions in the sciences: http://www.the-scientist.com/careers/
Times Higher Education Supplement – advertises UK positions: http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/
Townsend Centre for Humanities - UC Berkeley’s site with a comprehensive list of postdoctoral positions in the humanities, sorted by application deadlines. Most positions are in the United States. However, there are postings for the UK, EU,
Asia, and Israel as well. A great resource! http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu/postdoctoral-students.shtml
Some Examples of Postdoctoral offices at Canadian Universities and Some
Departments that May Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
Dalhousie University: http://researchservices.dal.ca/ http://dalgrad.dal.ca/postdoctoral/ http://killamtrusts.dal.ca/
McGill University: http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/postdocs/ http://www.mcgill.ca/law/research/fellows/
Memorial University: http://www.mun.ca/research/overview/grant_opp_jan.php
http://www.safetynet.mun.ca/pdfs/Postdoctoral%20Fellowship%20in%20Workpla ce%20Health%20and%20Safety.pdf
– interdisciplinary postdoctoral fellowship in
Workplace Health and Safety http://www.mun.ca/marcomm/gazette/issues/vol40no9/newsnotes.php
- the
Gazettes is a publication by Memorial University. In the past, it has advertised fellowship positions in its “New and notes” section. http://www.mun.ca/iser/funding/ -
Memorial University’s Institute for Social and
Economic Research
Ryerson University: http://www.ryerson.ca/hr/working/etoolkit/students/researchers/srcguide/comp.ht
ml#pdf
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University of Alberta: http://www.postdoc.ualberta.ca/en.aspx
University of British Columbia: http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty_relations/recruitmentguide/postdocs.html#applying http://www.chspr.ubc.ca/about/careers/postdoc - postdoctoral fellowship in pharmaceutical policy http://www.iar.ubc.ca/searchresults/tabid/37/default.aspx?Search=grants
- postdoctoral fellowship offerings from various schools relating to Asian research http://www.ligi.ubc.ca/page199.htm
- postdoctoral fellowship in Disarmament and
Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction and Their Delivery Systems http://www.soci.ubc.ca/index.php?id=11165&backPID=11289&tt_news=1984 – postdoctoral fellowship in Social Determinants of Health
University of Calgary: http://www.ucalgary.ca/postdoc/prospectpostdoc http://www.ucalgary.ca/postdoc/node/35 - information on funding
University of Ottawa: http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1410 http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1419 – externally funded fellowships
University of Toronto: http://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/informationfor/postdoctoral.htm
- general information on postdoctoral fellowships and link to join a listserv http://ethics.utoronto.ca/?page_id=53 - does not have internal funding but welcomes applications http://www.utoronto.ca/nmc/grad_funding.htm
- Department of Near and Middle
Eastern Civilizations guidelines to funding http://www.utoronto.ca/cphs/ - Comparative Program on Health and Society with the Munk Centre for International Studies offers “top-up” fellowship grants for those already holding a postdoctoral fellowship position, these will be advertised in the Spring of each year on the website http://www.utoronto.ca/halbert/HalbertPostDoc.shtml
- Halbert Postdoctoral
Fellowship for University of Toronto Students at the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, and vice versa.
Postdoctoral Offices at American Universities and Departments that May
Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
Brown University: http://careerdevelopment.brown.edu/phd/post_docs
Columbia University:
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http://www.columbia.edu/cu/postdocs/ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/societyoffellows/fellowship.html
- Columbia Society of Fellows in the Humanities http://iserp.columbia.edu/content/postdoctoral-fellowships - Institute for Social and Economic Research and Policy does not offer funding but welcomes applicants with funding http://publichealth.columbia.edu/apply/financial-aid/scholarships-fellowships
Cornell University: http://www.postdocs.cornell.edu/careers_postdoc.php
- lists postdoctoral fellowship opportunities
Dartmouth College:
Mellon Fellowships in the Humanities and Social Sciences: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~lhc/fellowships/mellonfellowships.html
Harvard University: http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/fellowships/ http://www.gsas.harvard.edu/current_students/the_harvard_guide_to_postdoctor al_fellowships.php
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/academics/fellowships/current-programs/ - lists fellowships at the Harvard School of Public Health http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~rijs/fellowships/postdoctoral.html
- postdoctoral fellowships in Japanese studies http://mahindrahumanities.fas.harvard.edu/?q=node/126 - postdoctoral fellowships with the Humanities Centre at Harvard University http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/ -The John F. Kennedy School of Government, search “postdoctoral fellowship”
Princeton University: http://www.princeton.edu/~sf/new_fellowships.shtml
- Society of Fellows in the
Liberal Arts, lists postdoctoral fellowship opportunities: http://www.princeton.edu/~pcglobal/fellowsprogram.html
- postdoctoral fellowship program at the Niehaus Center for Globalization and Governance www.princeton.edu/~nes/NES%20postdoc%20ad%202007-08.doc
– postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Near Eastern Studies Princeton
University
Stanford University: http://postdocs.stanford.edu/handbook/ http://fsi.stanford.edu/fellowships/ - lists fellowships in International studies
UC Berkeley: http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/hpostdoc.html
- lists fellowships from around the world
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http://townsendcenter.berkeley.edu/research_support.shtml
- lists fellowships at the Townsend Center for the Humanities at UC Berkeley
University of Pennsylvania: http://www.upenn.edu/research/ http://humanities.sas.upenn.edu/fellowship_overview.shtml
- Penn Humanities
Forum http://www.sas.upenn.edu/dcc/postdoc.html
- post-doctoral fellowship at the
Penn Program on Democracy, Citizenship, and Constitutionalism (DCC)
University of Texas: http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/curriculum/emerging.html
Vanderbilt Law School http://law.vanderbilt.edu/index.aspx
- contact Professor Erin O'Hara for more information ( erin.ohara@law.vanderbilt.edu
)
Yale University: http://www.law.yale.edu/studentlife/ http://www.law.yale.edu/academicfellowships.htm
http://iss.yale.edu/fellowships - fellowships in International Security Studies at
Yale
Some Postdoctoral Offices at UK Universities and Departments that May
Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
London School of Economics: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/researchAndExpertise/units/CARR/visitors/Home.aspx
- visiting fellowship at the ESRC Centre for Analysis of Risk & Regulation (CARR) at LSE http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/recruitment/jobsAtLSE/CurrentVacancies.htm#ge nerated-subheading3 – lists of job vacancies
Oxford University
– search for “junior research fellowship”: http://www.ox.ac.uk/
University of Cambridge
– search for “junior research fellowship”: http://www.cam.ac.uk/global/search/
Some Postdoctoral Offices at EU Universities and Departments that May
Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
European University Institute http://www.iue.it/Servac/Postdoctoral/
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Helsinki University-
Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights http://www.helsinki.fi/eci/
Tilburg University http://www.tilburguniversity.edu/- contact Professor Jan Smits ( jan.smits@uvt.nl
)
Some Postdoctoral Offices at Australian Universities and Departments that
May Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
The University of New South Wales: http://research.unsw.edu.au/applying-funds http://www.arts.unsw.edu.au/research/fellowships.html
- fellowships at the
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
The University of Sydney: http://sydney.edu.au/research_support/funding/sydney/postdoctoral_fellowship.s
html
Some Postdoctoral Offices at Asian Universities and Departments that May
Offer Postdoctoral Fellowships:
National University of Singapore: http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/prospective/grad/research/scholarship-index.html
-
Faculty of Arts and Science
The University of Hong Kong: http://www0.hku.hk/law/faculty/jobs.html
The CLCDN would like to thank staff, students and the Career Development
Office at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law for the information contained in this guide.
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