Application Review Process

The total time span of the application review process, from the application deadline to the notification of results to candidates, is about 2.5 months. Candidates who are invited to attend an interview at the CIFAR office will usually be contacted within two to four weeks after the application deadline. Please see the related table below summarizing key dates and timelines for 2011/2012.

The stages of the application review process are as follows

The CIFAR Program Directors and their selection committees will view online all applications for their particular advertised positions. They will rank their applicants on the basis of research excellence, breadth of research interests, and potential for fruitful interaction and collaboration within the program and the Junior Fellow Academy. Each program will decide on the most effective process for determining their rankings; the selection committees may interview candidates, if they so choose. Program Directors or a designated representative will inform CIFAR of the order of ranking of one to five top candidates within two weeks after the application deadline.

From each program’s short-list, CIFAR will contact the top two nominees for each position and invite them to attend an interview in Toronto, at the Institute’s expense, in about a month’s time. Interviews will be conducted by a committee chaired by CIFAR’s Vice-President, Research and composed of selected members of the academic community, representing a diverse range of disciplines. The interview committee will evaluate nominees’ interest and aptitude for interacting and collaborating within the program and the Junior Fellow Academy, and their potential for developing leadership and communication skills in the broader research community.

Invited candidates will have one week to accept or decline the interview. If a candidate declines, the next candidate in the ranking will be invited. If all of the top candidates decline an interview, the position will remain unfilled and may be re-advertised for the next application deadline. Once nominees have accepted the interview invitation, the interview committee will be given online access to view their files.

As mentioned, individual program selection committees will assess, rank and nominate candidates based on outstanding quality of scholarship/research and potential to contribute to the particular research program. The interview committee will focus its evaluation on qualities desirable for the Junior Fellow Academy. However, the interview committee may turn back nominees if they are found not to meet CIFAR standards of quality and breadth, if other general eligibility requirements are not met (e.g., candidate is too many years past PhD), or if it is determined that the Institute’s procedures and/or policies have not been followed.

After the interviews, the interview committee will rank the nominees for each position. Program Directors and selection committees will be informed of the standings. The interview committee’s recommendations will be brought forward to the CIFAR Board of Directors for appointment within about a month’s time. Program Directors, selection committees and candidates will then be notified of the Board’s decisions as soon as possible.

Please refer to the next section for the specific key dates and timelines for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.

Summary of Key Dates and Timelines in 2011/2012

First set of advertised Junior Fellowship positions

Before July 5, 2011	Specific job descriptions for available Junior Fellowship positions are posted on CIFAR website.
July 5, 2011	Online application system launched; CIFAR begins to accept Junior Fellowship applications.
September 1, 2011	Application deadline.
By September 22, 2011	Program Directors and selection committees identify top candidates, submit justification letters and notify CIFAR of rankings. In the following days, CIFAR arranges interviews.
October 26-27, 2011	Top two nominees per position attend interview in Toronto. In the following days, CIFAR notifies Program Directors and selection committees of interview committee’s rankings.
November 8, 2011	CIFAR Board of Directors reviews and approves top-ranked candidates. In the following days, CIFAR notifies Program Directors, selection committees and candidates of the results.

Second set of advertised Junior Fellowship positions

Before November 1, 2011	Specific job descriptions for available Junior Fellowship positions are posted on CIFAR website.
November 1, 2011	Online application system launched; CIFAR begins to accept Junior Fellowship applications.
January 20, 2012	Application deadline.
By February 4, 2012	Program Directors and selection committees identify top candidates, submit justification letters and notify CIFAR of rankings. In the following days, CIFAR arranges interviews.
March 21-22, 2012	Top two nominees per position attend interview in Toronto. In the following days, CIFAR notifies Program Directors and selection committees of interview committee’s rankings.
April 10, 2012	CIFAR Board of Directors reviews and approves top-ranked candidates. In the following days, CIFAR notifies Program Directors, selection committees and candidates of the results.