Program Objectives

The goal of the postdoctoral program - in partnership - is to:

  • Train recent PhD graduates - future researchers, professors and professionals - more broadly, future data science stakeholders, within the topics of interest of the Fin-ML CREATE program in quantitative finance and business analytics, and assist them in:
    • undertaking original research;
    • advance research on topics identified by partner institution;
    • publishing research findings;
    • developing and expanding personal research networks;
    • broadening their teaching experience;
    • preparing for research-intensive careers within and beyond academia; and
    • preparing to become competitive in national research grant competitions.
  • Promote the mobility, recruitment and retention of young researchers;
  • Foster the development of collaborative and applied cutting-edge research.
Our Offer

Postdoctoral fellows accepted in the Fin-ML CREATE program will receive:

  • A salary of at least $60,000 per year for up to one year;
  • The salary is equally funded by Fin-ML ($30,000) and a partner ($30,000) (excluding benefits). The partner can offer to contribute a higher amount at his discretion, or can complement with other funding sources.
  • Access to Fin-ML CREATE activities and travel reimbursement for out of town events, when applicable;
  • Support and assistance in establishing a research base;
  • Visibility on Fin-ML’s website and exposure to the network’s news, offers and activities.
Eligibility

Candidates

Postdoctoral scholarship applicants must:

  • have earned their doctorate degree fewer than five years prior to the date on which they are applying or intend to earn their doctorate within 2 months following the closing date of this contest. Fin-ML will be flexible with applicants who provide an adequate explanation for a career interruption or particular circumstances. This explanation must be included in the application (e.g. pregnancy/maternity or sick leave);
  • demonstrate research in machine learning in quantitative finance and business analytics, on topics that suit Fin-ML’s interests;
  • identify an industrial partner who is willing to work on a research project that suits Fin-ML's interests;
  • intend to attend one of Fin-ML’s participating universities: Université de Montréal, HEC Montréal, Concordia University, Queen’s University, University of Waterloo or University of Calgary, and have discussed and identified a supervisor to support them during their fellowship.

Priority will be given to candidates who have had their main affiliation outside of the university they are applying to. This measure aims to promote the attraction of talented international researchers.

Professors (Supervisors)

The supervisor must be part of the academic team of the Fin-ML CREATE program, listed here. As part of the application process, supervisors must confirm and acknowledge their support.

In the case where:

  • The candidate's current or potential supervisor is not listed, is a member of the participating universities, and demonstrates relevant background and research interests to Fin-ML’s:
    • the supervisor can apply to be part of the Fin-ML CREATE team, by sending their CV and description of research interests to fin-ml.admissions@ivado.ca.
    • The candidate’s acceptance is conditional on accepting the supervisor as part of the team.
  • The candidate does not have a supervisor, or has a supervisor who does not have the Fin-ML CREATE required background:
    • All candidates are invited to contact one of the professors listed here.
Deadline and Duration

*** COMPETITION CLOSED THIS SESSION ***

The deadline for undergraduate applications will be determined at the next competition

Students can start participating in the Fin-ML CREATE Program as of (to be determined). The postdoctoral researcher can remain with Fin-ML for one year, not renewable.

Expectations

The postdoctoral researcher shall:

  • contribute to Fin-ML’s community and activities by taking part in:
    • presentations on their research;
    • training and knowledge dissemination activities;
    • consultations;
    • co-supervision of Fin-ML CREATE undergraduate or graduate student internships;
    • activities undertaken by the network (mentorship, assessment, co-organization of events, etc.).
  • recognize that they are a member of an academic community to which they shall contribute;
  • publish their research findings (papers, recordings of presentations, source codes, databases, etc.), in compliance with the intellectual property rules that apply to their own specific case;
  • recognize the financial support granted by NSERC CREATE when disseminating the research results and, more broadly, in all the activities in which they take part in.

The supervisor shall:

  • provide a work environment that is conducive to the completion of the project;
  • oversee the work of the postdoctoral researcher.

Failure to complete the requirements of the program may result in the cancellation of the grant.

Competitive Process

The applications shall be reviewed to ensure compliance with program rules (e.g. applications that are incomplete, exceed the page limit or list an ineligible applicant or supervisor). Only the applications that meet all criteria will be forwarded to the admissions committee.

The parity-based admissions committee shall be made up of professors who are part of the Fin-ML CREATE team. If a reviewer is listed as a supervisor, a reference, or has any previous ties with one of the applicants, they will abstain from commenting or from influencing the selection process in which they are included.

The admissions committee shall then rank the applications based on excellence, as well as the candidate’s alignment with Fin-ML’s scientific direction. The committee will specifically assess:

  • the applicant’s academic excellence and contributions to research (scientific impact, quality of research, productivity and previous funding);
  • the quality of the applicant’s doctoral thesis;
  • the extent and scope of the applicant’s experience (multidisciplinary and professional experiences, extra-academic activities, collaborations, contributions to the scientific community and society as a whole, etc.);
  • the alignment of the applicant’s experience and proposed project to Fin-ML CREATE’s objectives.
Application Details
  • Complete the application form - includes uploading one PDF document combining:
    • Your CV;
    • All grade transcripts from Bachelor’s degree onward;
    • Statement of Purpose about how your research interests fit with the mission of our program (max 1 page);
    • Description of your project with the partner institutions, with a focus on the research objectives involved (max 1 page).
  • Your named supervisor will be contacted to confirm and acknowledge his support in your participation.
  • Three recommendation letters must be sent directly to fin-ml.admissions@ivado.ca. One recommendation letter must be written by the postdoctoral supervisor (or potential postdoctoral supervisor). The other letters can be written by another professor, or by a professional connection.

Any missing item will result in an incomplete file and will penalize your application. Please identify all parties and prepare all documents prior to applying, as you will need to enter all the information.

Apply