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Description:

This round of the HQP pooled resource competition aims to fund graduate astroparticle physics researchers working in Canada with a start date in Sept 2025 for a two-year period (up to 4 for PhD provided the McDonald Institute receives continued funding).  

The guideline and application form are provided. Funding for positions is available to those pursuing astroparticle physics research in Canada aligned with the McDonald Institute Research Strategy.

Eligibility: The applicant must be able to supervise at a Canadian academic institution and be eligible to hold an institutional account for grants or awards (e.g., granting agencies, or currently receives McDonald Institute funding).

The proposal must be in line with the McDonald Institute’s vision and scientific goals.

Proposal: Applicants can apply for multiple positions; however, a separate application form for each position must be completed. Where applicable, certain information may be copied between your applications, but each position is unique and will be considered based on the merits of the application package. Template completion is mandatory and includes several sections with assigned page limits.

For this graduate stream, a student may not need to be identified at the time of applying.

Applications that are incomplete or fail to follow the template will not be considered. Once a proposal has been submitted, a confirmation email will be sent.

How it works: Successful supervisors will be granted one ticket for each successful position. The awarded ticket is expected to be filled by Sept 2025. The position is considered filled when a signed letter of offer or comparative letter is received by the McDonald Institute. All unused tickets and/or portions of funding will be returned to the pool.

Ticket Value: The McDonald Institute recognizes that different institutions have different pay scales and arrangements for student salaries. The program is intended to cover the research component of a graduate researcher’s annual salary, with the expectation that a teaching assistantship (TA) or scholarship would cover a significant fraction of the total package. This model may not be achievable at all institutes. Recognizing that the salary packages and number of TAs may vary by institute, applicants should outline the total salary, the source(s) of other funding with an explanation, and the amount of funding requested. The program has a set envelope for this competition. Therefore, if applications successfully request larger amounts on average, then there will be fewer overall tickets.

Timeline:
Competition Closes: April 17, 2025, 4:00 pm EDT
Results Released: Early May 2025

Completed applications should be sent to admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca with the subject line “HQP Pooled Resources Round 11 – {Faculty Last Name}”.

• Download the program guidelines here (170 KB)
• Download application form and scoring matrix here (55 KB) 
• Download the ‘Alignment with the McDonald Institute Research Strategy’ document here (136 KB)