The Postdoctoral Support Fund is a fund secured by your Union in collective bargaining. The fund provides postdoctoral fellows with access to up to $750 to cover expenses for various circumstances. Previously the fund provided support for one-time, unanticipated emergencies. After making gains in recent rounds of collective bargaining, we’re happy to announce that under the terms of the new collective agreement, the fund can also provide support for childcare subsidy, extended UHIP for employee and/or dependents, and moving/relocation expenses.
Unit 3 members are eligible to apply to the Postdoctoral Fellow Support Fund to address areas of financial need. The fund is currently limited to a maximum of $750 a person, and is administered through the School of Graduate Studies. CUPE 3906 has secured a representative on the adjudication committee to advocate for our members who apply.
The fund was historically $20,000 per year. Effective September 1, 2024, the fund increased to $80,000 per year. This was another change we secured in our most recent round of collective bargaining.
For more information about the fund application process and for a link to the application form, please visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. The parties recently agreed to switch to the use of MS Forms for accessibility reasons. With the switch to MS Forms, applicants can upload their receipts/invoices directly in the application.