The University of Toronto’s Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship, a program of Schmidt Sciences, brings together the brightest minds who have completed a PhD in the natural sciences or engineering and who aim to pursue a research project that includes the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to their domain. The program funds cutting edge applications of AI in the natural sciences and engineering and creates a community of interdisciplinary leaders. Applicants must demonstrate clear expertise and promise within their field of study. Experience with AI is not a requirement, but applicants must have a desire to learn new AI methodologies that stand to accelerate discoveries in their domain. These Fellowships will fund research and provide training in AI and related computational skills to support new directions in the application of AI.
Table of Content
Summary
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Benefits
$85,000 CDN/year in salary
(plus an additional fixed amount of $11,000 CDN/year towards the standard benefit rate and postdoctoral levy costs incurred by the supervisor/awarded unit).
Requirements
APPLICANTS MUST:
- Demonstrate:
- academic excellence and leadership in the research domain,
- high potential for success in their chosen fields,
- strong synergy between applicant, supervisor(s), and institutional research environment, and
- potential for successful adoption of AI research methodologies.
- Have completed all requirements for their doctoral degree no earlier than January 1, 2024. If within two years following the date of completion of your PhD, you had your career significantly interrupted due to personal reasons such as parental, medical and/or family-related responsibilities, the eligibility period will be extended to January 2023. If this applies, applicants should add a section at the end of their candidate statement describing special circumstances and career interruptions.
- Note: International candidates need to have completed their PhD prior to their start date, while Canadian citizens and permanent residents are required to have completed their PhD within 6 months of their start date.
- Not hold another Postdoctoral Fellowship in conjunction with the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants holding a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the time of award will be required to resign from their position before taking up the award.
- Hold a degree in a natural sciences or engineering (NSE) discipline (includes computer science and mathematics). Candidates are encouraged to consult the NSERC Research Subject Codes (Sections 1000 through 7000) for more information about NSE Disciplines.
- Secure a supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable) who has a full-time budgetary tenure-stream appointment or a status-only appointment* at the University of Toronto. If the primary supervisor does not have expertise in AI, a co-supervisor with expertise in AI is required. *Status-only Professors generally hold full-time positions at another institution (i.e., affiliated hospitals). For a definition of status-only appointments, please see here.
- Begin the Fellowship between May 1, 2027 and January 1, 2028.
- Note: The program prioritizes applicants who are submitting proposals for a new postdoctoral project with a new supervisor(s).
- Note: Individuals who hold or held another prestigious named U of T Postdoctoral Fellowship are ineligible to apply for the Schmidt AI in Science Program. This includes recipients of competitive postdoc programs within the Acceleration Consortium, the Faculty of Arts & Science, the University of Toronto Mississauga, the University of Toronto Scarborough, the Data Sciences Institute, and the Provost’s Office. Likewise, individuals who have held positions as Schmidt Science Fellows at UofT are not eligible to apply.
SUPERVISORS MUST:
- Hold a status-only or budgetary tenure-stream appointment at the University of Toronto and be eligible Principal Investigators, according to the University of Toronto PI eligibility criteria.
- If the primary supervisor does not have methodological expertise in AI, a co-supervisor with expertise in AI is required.
- Note: Supervisors may only support one applicant in the competition as the primary supervisor.
- Note: Our program prioritizes collaborative AI projects wherein the Schmidt Fellows are supported by both a domain expert (primary supervisor) and AI expert (co-supervisor). If the project includes only one supervisor, supervisors need to provide a brief justification for this approach, including a description of relevant AI expertise (to be included in the Supervisor Form).
- Note: The program prioritizes applicants who are submitting proposals for a new postdoctoral project with a new supervisor(s).
Selection Process
The Selection Committee, which will meet each competition year to evaluate and recommend top candidates, will reflect the broad diversity of individuals and disciplines within the NSE disciplines and will include experts from across the University of Toronto. The Chair of the Selection Committee will play the role of Equity Officer. Members of the Selection Committee are expected to reinforce standards of rigor, fairness, respect and equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the adjudication process. The VPRI Best Practices in Peer Review Guide shall serve as a resource for members of the Selection Committee.
EVALUATION & SCORING CRITERIA
The selection criteria for the Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Fellowship are as follows:
Quality of the research (35%) | research proposal
- Clarity and significance of the research question and the scientific gap addressed
- Scientific rigor, innovation, and feasibility of the proposed approach — demonstrating high potential for success
- Depth and appropriateness of AI/ML methodology integration with the scientific domain
- Potential for broader impact, scalability, and contribution to the field
Strength of the candidate (35%) | candidate statement, leadership contributions, CV, reference letters
- Research excellence and potential: publication record, awards, recognition, citations, and career trajectory relative to career stage
- Clarity of motivation and career vision: goals, rationale for the fellowship, and evidence it advances long-term independence
- Leadership and broader contributions: academic leadership, mentorship, outreach, and community-building beyond research
- Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion
Synergy between applicant, supervisor(s), and institutional research environment (20%) | supervisor statement, candidate statement, research proposal
- Demonstrated commitment and capacity of supervisor(s) to actively support the fellow
- Quality and richness of the proposed mentorship environment and available resources
- Supervisors’ expertise and track record with AI/ML techniques and tools
- Alignment between candidate background, supervisor expertise, institutional environment, and proposed research
AI adoption & training plan (10%) | research proposal methodology, training plan, supervisor statement
- Clear assessment of current AI knowledge and capacity to develop required methodologies
- Clear articulation of AI skills and competencies to be developed during the fellowship
- Appropriateness and ambition of training activities relative to fellowship goals and career trajectory
- Extent to which the supervisor(s) and institutional environment can deliver on the proposed training activities
Scoring Table
| Descriptor |
Range |
Definition |
| Outstanding |
4.5–5.0 |
Excels in most/all aspects. Any shortcomings are minimal.
Innovative, fills critical gap, very few flaws, and
the investigator is well-positioned for success. |
| Excellent |
4.0–4.4 |
Excels in many aspects, reasonably addresses all others.
Very interesting, makes important advances;
minor limitations noted. |
| Good |
3.5–3.9 |
Excels in some relevant aspects, reasonably addresses most others.
Has strengths but some improvements are necessary;
moderate limitations noted. |
| Fair |
3.0–3.4 |
Broadly addresses relevant aspects.
Major revisions required. Has merits but many limitations.
Will not be funded. |
| Poor |
0.0–2.9 |
Fails to provide convincing information
and/or has serious inherent flaws or gaps.
Will not be funded. |
Application Documents
POSTDOCTORAL APPLICANT COMPONENTS (PLEASE SUBMIT SECTIONS a. THROUGH g. AS ONE PDF FILE)
a. Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Application Form (instructions for below narrative sections within application form)
b. Research Proposal (3 pages maximum)
c. Bibliography (1 page maximum)
d. AI in Science Training Plan (1 page maximum)
e. Candidate Statement (2 pages maximum)
f. Significance of Leadership Contributions (1 page maximum)
g. Applicant’s CV
h. Two confidential letters of reference outlining the applicant’s research excellence, the merit of the proposed research, and the suitability of the proposed research and training environment. Referees must disclose their relationship to the candidate in the letter. (2 pages maximum per letter)
Important notes about the letter of reference:
- Candidates need to coordinate with their proposed supervisor on this part of the application, ensuring that the letter of reference writers (referees) are identified and confirmed early in the application preparation process, and provided with the appropriate submission instructions.
- The letters of reference must be submitted by the referees directly to the proposed supervisor (ideally no later than September 28) and included as part of the supervisor’s submission package on October 5 (detailed instructions below).
- The proposed supervisor cannot act as a referee.
i. Applicants are also required to complete and submit the Applicant Demographic Survey as part of their application. All survey answers will remain confidential and will not be used as part of the evaluation of your application or any other future application.
SUPERVISOR APPLICATION COMPONENTS
a. Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Supervisor’s Assessment Form (submitted by the primary supervisor) and statement of endorsement (2 pages – instructions are nested in the form).
b. The primary supervisor is also required to collect the letters of reference on behalf of the applicant and submit them along with their completed supervisor form (see section h. in the Postdoctoral Applicant Components sections – above – for further details).
Application Deadline
October 5, 2026How To Apply
For more information, visit University of Toronto scholarship webpage.
