Applicants must assemble all the following materials and documents and enter or upload them to the application form.
Applicants will need to provide the contact information of their two (2) proposed supervisors. Each supervisor will be contacted to complete and submit their letter of support online. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete and submitted online by the competition deadline.
- Summary of Proposed Research Project. Length: up to 6 letter-sized pages. 2.54 cm (1 inch) top, bottom, left, and right margins. 12-point Times New Roman, black font. Single-spaced. No condensed type or spacing. Single PDF file.
- Content. Using the following headings, describe the proposed research in enough detail to allow informed assessment by the adjudication committee members. This summary should be written in general scientific language.
- Proposed research background. Present, concisely, your project’s general objective(s) and its specific aims. If applicable, highlight how your objective pertains to new genomic technologies or multi-omic integration. Include the scientific background, significance, originality, and anticipated contribution to the advancement of knowledge; in other words, state what is the research problem, why this is an important research question, and why you are undertaking this project to address it.
- Methodology. Describe and justify, for each of your project’s specific aims, your choice of specific instruments, strategies, key activities, expected outcomes, and timelines, including, for example, methodological approaches and procedures for data collection and analysis. For a statistical research project, for example, provide an outline of the proposed theoretical and computational approaches and any specific techniques required to develop and evaluate proposed new analytic methods, including critical features in the design of simulation studies and in the application of the methods to available or anticipated study data. In other words, state why your proposed methodology is ideal to achieve each of your project’s specific aims. Include any ethical considerations, such as the requirement for Research Ethics Board approval.
- Supervisors and Roles. Describe how this project fits with ongoing work by the proposed supervisors and the roles of any collaborators in the project. Provide the rationale for selecting your proposed host institution and supervisors. Describe how the expertise of your two proposed supervisors complement each other and how, together, they will provide the right combination for the success of your research project and training.
- Candidate. Describe your role in the project and how it will prepare you for career goals in the field on genomic medicine. Explain the relationship and relevance of the proposed research to your long-term research goals. Describe how the proposed project relates to experiences and insights gained from earlier research experience.
Academic CV
Length: Up to 4 letter-sized pages. 2.54 cm (1 inch) top, bottom, left, and right margins. 12-point Times New Roman, black font. Single-spaced. No condensed type or spacing. Single PDF file.
The CV should include the following headings, as applicable:
- Name and Affiliation
- Work Experience
- Academic and Training Background
- Significant Accomplishments (in point form, indicate which are considered the applicant’s three to five most significant accomplishments, such as leadership roles, research achievements, applications of their research, influence on policy and practice, etc.)
- Selected Recognitions and Awards
- Selected Research Outputs (provide a link, where available), including, but not limited to:
- Selected peer-reviewed publications and preprints
- Selected datasets, software and research materials
- Selected inventions, patents and commercial activity
- Selected Research Funding
Letters
Provide three (3) letters as follows:
Letter of Support
One (1) joint letter of support from the proposed supervisors. This letter must be on institutional letterhead and signed by both supervisors.
The letter must include,
- a brief paragraph summarizing the supervisors’ research;
- a description of the fit between the supervisors’ and applicant’s research interests and how the applicant’s proposed research will complement the supervisors’ ongoing research aims;
- a clear commitment from the supervisors to support the applicant’s research and professional development. This includes mentorship, collaboration, access to resources, and development of leadership potential.
Letters of Reference
- Two (2) letters of reference that provide insight into the applicant’s academic/research competence, written on official letterhead, if possible. These letters should be from current or past professors or supervisors, or other individuals with direct knowledge of the applicant’s work experience, academic performance, or scholarly potential. These letters should not be from the proposed supervisors.
Letter Requirements
- Letters must not exceed two pages in length. Single PDF file. Size 1 MB.
A link will be emailed to the referees and proposed supervisors from the on-line application portal. The email will contain a link for them to upload their letter. - Applicants are responsible for contacting referees/proposed supervisors and for ensuring that they provide their letter of support by the application deadline.
