Postdoctoral and Visiting Researchers

 

Student Status

In Quebec, 'Postdoctoral' is a full-time student status and trainee category.  The Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sport (Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisirs et du Sport - MELS) stipulates that all postdoctoral fellows must be registered on a university student registration system.

Postdocs are not considered employees or academic appointees, and as such do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Academic Personnel Office or Human Resources at McGill, or the Human Resources Departments in McGill-affiliated hospitals regardless of where they work or how they are paid.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates seeking postdoctoral registration must meet all eligibility requirements for postdoctoral status in conformity with Quebec provincial rules and regulations, and McGill University regulations and policies governing postdoctoral education.

  • As postdoctoral status is a trainee/student classification, you are not eligible for postdoctoral status if you hold an active status or affiliation with an institution or organization.
  • Holders of MDCM, DDS, DMD or DVM degrees are not eligible for postdoctoral status without a subsequent specialty certification.
  • If your situation does not conform to the Quebec Ministry of Education Leisure and Sport’s (MELS) definition of postdoctoral fellow, you may be eligible to attend McGill as a postdoctoral research trainee

If you would like more information on applying to a postdoctoral program in the School of Music, please contact our graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca (Graduate Studies Office).

The Schulich School of Music hosts visiting researchers (professors, artists/scholars, fellows) each year.

How to apply

If you are interested in visiting our school for a semester or more, explore our areas of study and connect with a professor with whom you might like to collaborate while here.  Once you have established a contact, graduatestudies.music [at] mcgill.ca (email our Graduate Studies office) to discuss your plans before completing our online application form.

Visiting academic staff descriptions:

  • Visiting fellow: A non-student who holds a fellowship (Fulbright, for example) or other award and who is pursuing research, scholarly or creative activities at McGill for a limited period.
  • Visiting professor: Someone who holds a ranked academic appointment or its equivalent in another institution and is pursuing research, scholarly or creative activities at McGill for a limited period.
  • Visiting scholar: A non-student who does not hold a ranked academic appointment elsewhere and who is pursuing research, scholarly or creative activities at McGill for a limited period.

Approval process

Your application will be assessed by members of the area in which you plan to work, and is subject to the approval of the Performance or Music Research Department Chair. Criteria include:

  • Nature of the collaboration
  • Potential of the Schulich School of Music to provide necessary resources and support
  • Contribution and value of proposed scholarly work to the department and the School

Next steps

If your application is approved:

  • The Department Chair will send you a letter of invitation with a copy to the Dean's Office.
  • The Dean's Office will contact you for any documentation required to process your temporary appointment at McGill. If you are a foreign national:
    1. ​The Schulich School of Music will submit an online offer of employment through the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) employer portal and provide an offer of employment ID number for inclusion in your work permit application.
    2. Once this has been done, you must obtain a work permit/visa and pay all other associated fees.
    3. For information about immigration procedures, visit the Canadian Immigration website.
    4. In order to process your temporary McGill appointment, the Dean’s Office requires a valid work permit.
  • ​Confirm your arrival date with your academic contact and the Dean's Office. Before your arrival, you can explore our facilities and building resources online. Once here, we will help you obtain building/library access etc.

Information for Department Chairs

  • For a template offer letter and other visiting researcher appointment information, visit the APO website
  • For assistance completing the online offer of employment through the CIC employer portal, please contact hr.music [at] mcgill.ca (Safia Nour).
  • See "specially designated categories" on the APO Immigration webpage for general immigration information. 
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