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Research Visitors and Fellows

On this page:
Postdoctoral Fellows, Scholars, and Researchers 
O'Brien Graduate Fellowships
Boulton fellows
Wainwright fellows

Postdoctoral Fellows, Scholars, and Researchers 

Each year, McGill Faculty of Law welcomes a select number of postdoctoral researchers. Please find information on eligibility criteria and application process below. While we accept applications on a rolling basis, we suggest prospective candidates apply at least 3-6 months ahead of proposed start to ensure administrative steps are completed. Candidates who anticipate applying for a work permit should consult IRCC wait times to inform their proposed timeline.  

For questions, please contact research.law [at] mcgill.ca. 

Eligibility  

  • Candidates must have received their doctoral degree within the past 5 years 

  • Candidates must have a doctoral degree or a confirmation from their graduate program that the degree will be conferred prior to the proposed start date 

  • Candidates must have a secured source of institutional funding (e.g., an award from a national funding agency or research funding from a faculty grant or a combination thereof, to a total of at least $48k) 

  • Candidates must be able to commit to a full-time post for a contract period of no less than 12 months 

  • Candidates must have secured written consent from a McGill faculty member confirming willingness to supervise 

  • Candidates must have, or be able to secure, permission to work in Canada 

  • Candidates must reside in Québec for the duration of their contract  

For more information, please visit: https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/postdocs/future-postdocs/eligibility 

Application process 

  1. Identify a prospective supervisor (https://www.mcgill.ca/law/profs)
  2. Secure institutional funding (https://www.mcgill.ca/gps/postdocs/future-postdocs/finances)
  3. Gather supporting documents 
  4. Submit documents to research.law [at] mcgill.ca
  5. Applicants will receive results within 6 weeks. Selected candidates will be guided through the next steps (registration, hiring, and immigration, as needed) 

External Funding 

For external funding opportunities requiring a conditional letter of invitation, we ask candidates to please submit their request by email (research.law [at] mcgill.ca) at least 6 weeks ahead of the sponsor deadline. Please include the documents listed above and specify the program and deadline for which you wish to apply. 

Faculty fellowships

Meet our current postdocs.

O’Brien Graduate Fellowships for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism

The O’Brien Graduate Fellowships were established in 2005 through a very generous gift from David O’Brien (BCL ’65) for outstanding graduate students studying in the area of human rights and legal pluralism in the Faculty of Law.

This entrance fellowship is awarded annually by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office upon recommendation of the Faculty of Law. Fellows become members of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. 

Learn about the O'Brien Graduate Fellowship 

Boulton fellowships

The McGill University Faculty of Law invites applications for the Junior Boulton Fellowship (2026-2027 academic year).

Boulton fellowships

The Boulton Fund was established in 1983 under the terms of a bequest of the late A. Maxwell Boulton, QC (1909-1981), BA 1930, BCL 1933.

The purpose of the Fund is to enable the Faculty of Law to invite a junior Boulton Fellow, in each academic year, to carry out a research project of significance while gaining some teaching experience at the Faculty. The Trustees of the Boulton Fund look with particular favour upon research projects that have significance to the Canadian legal system and legal community although the subject matter of the project need not bear directly upon a subject of Canadian law. It is normally assumed that the finished product will be published in some form or another.

How to apply

Fellows are appointed upon an open competition and are generally either in the final stages of a doctorate or post doctorate.

Applications for the Boulton Fellowships should include:

  • A letter of intent
  • A curriculum vitae
  • A one-page statement of the research project
  • The names of three referees

Applications should be sent to doyen.droit [at] mcgill.ca by 5 p.m. April 16, 2026 with the subject line “Boulton Fellow Application”. Inquiries should also be directed to doyen.droit [at] mcgill.ca.

Applications will be considered by the Boulton Fellowship Committee and applicants may be contacted for a virtual interview.

Terms and conditions

The junior Boulton fellowship is normally held for a period of one year and includes office space at the Faculty of Law. Salary depends on the income of the trust and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

Equity Statement and immigration statement

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities. At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Wainwright fellowships

Please note that we are not seeking applications for this fellowship at the moment. 

The Wainwright Fund was established under the terms of the will of the late Arnold Wainwright, QC (1879-1967), BA 1899, BCL 1902, DCL 1963 of the Montreal Bar. Mtre Wainwright taught Civil law at McGill University from 1909 to 1934. His merits as a teacher of the Civil Law for over twenty-five years were recognized by the University in 1934 when it named him Emeritus Professor upon his retirement. In 1963, the degree of Doctor of Civil Law honoris causa was conferred upon him by the University. 

Mtre Wainwright bequeathed the residue of his estate to McGill University for the use of the Faculty of Law; in so doing, he intended to promote the scholarly study of the Civil Law of Quebec, which had always remained his abiding interest throughout his long and distinguished career. 

The Faculty has since appointed a number of Wainwright Fellows, many of whom now hold academic positions in Canadian law faculties. 

How to apply for a Wainwright Fellowship. 

 

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