Dean’s Integrated Physician Scientist Training Programs Clinician Investigator Award
The Dean’s Integrated Physician Scientist Training Programs Clinician Investigator Award (Dean’s IPSTP-CIA) will offer one (1) salary award of $75,000 per year for 2 years to one (1) competitively selected postgraduate learner enrolled in a University of Toronto (U of T) Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) specialty/subspecialty residency program. Eligible learners will include those who do not have the required salary support via sources internal to the University of Toronto and via competitive external salary awards, to support funding to apply to the Clinician Investigator Program (CIP). Clinical departments would be required to guarantee the top-up to the appropriate PGY level inclusive of salary and benefits for the two years the learner is in CIP.
Rationale
The intention of this initiative is to build capacity with new CIP learners that would otherwise not have been able to apply due to lack of funding. This will also benefit clinical departments who do not have the necessary funding but have excellent candidates.
Eligibility
- Learners must be enrolled in a U of T RCPSC specialty/subspecialty residency program in the U of T Postgraduate Medical Education (PGME).
- CIP learners who do not hold a graduate degree will enroll in a graduate program leading to a M.Sc. or Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto and must fulfill admission requirements of the participating graduate unit.
- Qualified applicants who have already completed their M.D., as well as a Ph.D. degree (e.g. graduates of a M.D./Ph.D. program) are encouraged to apply and, if accepted, will enter the CIP as a postdoctoral fellow.
- Trainees must have confirmation of 80% time dedicated to research and confirmed funding to top them up to their respective PGY salary for 2 years.
- Current/accepted CIP trainees are not eligible to receive the Dean’s IPSTP-CIA funding.
Funding
IPSTP-CIA will provide funding of $75,000 per year for two (2) years for up to one (1) selected learner for the period of July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2028.
Clinical departments would be required to guarantee the top-up (above the $75,000 provided annually by the Dean’s IPSTP-CIA) to the resident’s appropriate PGY level inclusive of salary and benefits for the two years the resident is in CIP, and adjudication criteria would be as per the CIP competition.
Learners must notify the Program of all additional funding received, including but not limited to fellowships, scholarships, and awards. The Dean’s IPSTP CIA is used to offset salary costs and is not provided as supplemental income (e.g. in addition to MOH funding or other funding awards).
Application
The IPSTP-CIA will accept a maximum of one (1) application per department.
Each application package should include:
- Application Form
- Program Director Support Form
- Research Supervisor Attestation Form
- Research Supervisor CV
- Letter of intent from applicant (one-page)
- A copy of the Graduate Program acceptance letter (when enrollment is confirmed)
- Current CV (Canadian Common CV format required)
- Research proposal (one-page)
- Most significant research-related contributions (one-page)
- Special Circumstances (optional, one-page)
For Postdoctoral Stream Applicants, in addition to the above:
- Start and end dates of the research project summary of previous research experience
- Letter confirming to follow standard procedures for monitoring of progress in CIP, and listing any courses to be completed (if required)
- List of two additional faculty members who, together with your supervisor, will serve as your research advisory committee and meet with you every six months to evaluate your research and progress
Awardees acceptance into CIP is conditional upon acceptance into the appropriate graduate unit (not applicable for PDF applicants).
Timeline
Applications for the competition of IPSTP-CIA will be accepted each year as part of the new CIP trainee application cycle in the Spring .
- Launch March 1, 2026.
- May 1, 2026 application submission deadline for July 1, 2026 start.
- May 1 - 15, 2026 adjudication period.
- May 26, 2026 applicant notification.
Adjudication
Application to the IPSTP-CIA will be adjudicated by a sub-committee of the Clinician Investigator Program Residency Program Committee (CIP-RPC).