_{A design illustrating new digital badge in FGS}

As the initiative grows, it will expand in Fall 2026 to include administrative staff across the graduate community. These badges will recognize participation in the annual FGS professional development curriculum, supporting staff in strengthening their knowledge and enhancing their capacity to navigate the complex processes involved in graduate education.

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Graduate-appointed faculty will also play an important role in this initiative. In addition to participating in the broader professional development curriculum, faculty members will be able to earn badges for key skill-building opportunities, including supervision, conflict resolution, and effective mentorship.

Developed in partnership with , this initiative positions FGS among a select group of Canadian institutions offering digital recognition for graduate-level professional development. Owned by the Association of Registrars of the Universities and Colleges of Canada (ARUCC), MyCreds is a national digital credential network that enables the issuing, receiving, and secure exchange of official and professional documents for qualification holders. FGS and MyCreds are excited to launch this innovation and look forward to expanding its impact across the graduate community.

Three 91��ɫ researchers will participate in a provincial program designed to strengthen connections between science and policy.
Ciuying Jian (associate professor, Lassonde School of Engineering), Trevor VandenBoer (associate professor, Faculty of Science) and Daanish Mulla (postdoctoral fellow, Faculty of Health) are three of 34 delegates selected to engage in dialogue with policymakers during the 2026 Science Meets Parliament – Ontario Program (SMP-ON). The event creates opportunities for in-depth knowledge sharing, in which delegates from the academic scientific community gain insights into the legislative process and learn how to effectively communicate research to policymakers.

A new study by 91��ɫ researchers reveals how tuberculosis (TB) can disrupt work, relationships and daily life, leaving lasting effects even after treatment ends. “For many people, the experience of TB is debilitating physically, emotionally, socially and financially,” says Nancy Bedingfield, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, who works with Associate Professor Amrita Daftary at the School of Global Health. The way these effects are typically studied is through a unifying framework. “Quality of life (QoL) is a single concept capable of capturing these wide-ranging impacts,” she explains.

^{Graduate students conducting vision research.}

Innovation and Interdisciplinary Research

Pioneering Interdisciplinary Graduate Training in Vision Research
91��ɫ advanced interdisciplinary education in health and science with the launch of the Collaborative Specialization in Vision Research—the first graduate-level program of its kind at the university. Bringing together faculty from diverse disciplines, this initiative provides cutting-edge training and formal credentials in vision research, preparing students to address pressing scientific and technological challenges and contribute meaningfully to health and science innovations.

Supporting Postdoctoral Researchers to Secure Funding
Tailored guidelines were introduced to support postdoctoral researchers in preparing and submitting grant applications, enhancing external research funding at the institution. These resources provide clear guidance at a critical stage in researchers’ careers, fostering professional development and enabling impactful contributions to the broader research community.

Strengthening Systems and Academic Processes

Graduate Supervision Toolkit & Flipbook
The Graduate Supervision Toolkit and Flipbook provide accessible, practical guidance to foster equity-informed, communicative, and collaborative supervisory relationships. By centering clarity, mutual care, and co-created success, these resources strengthen trust, communication, and the well-being of both students and supervisors.

Enhancing the Systems That Support Every Graduate Journey
The Special Projects team focused on maintaining and improving the five online graduate portals—Petition, Proposal Milestone, Progress Report, Oral Exam, and Supervisor & Supervisory Committee. Through issue resolution, targeted upgrades, and new features, these platforms became more reliable, efficient, and supportive, simplifying administrative processes and enabling a smoother graduate experience for students, faculty, and staff.

^{Graduate Supervision resources support effective supervisory pedagogy and guidance.}

Introducing a More Streamlined Proposal Milestone Process
A redesigned research proposal milestone process, effective November 5, 2025, reduces approval timelines and allows students to begin research sooner. Students conducting research involving human participants or higher-risk protocols can now develop ethics applications concurrently with proposal review, creating a more efficient pathway from proposal development to research initiation.

Automating Funding Processes for Greater Accuracy and Efficiency
Advanced Excel macro automations streamlined key funding workflows, including the Annual Funding Commitment Review, monthly revenue-recognition reconciliation, and ARMS-to-FAAS data conversions for Fellowships and GIA payments. These enhancements minimized manual effort, reduced errors, and created faster, more dependable, processes for staff and students alike.

Strengthening Clarity and Integrity in Academic Policies
Restructured academic integrity policies and procedures enhanced consistency, transparency, and practicality, supporting efficient case resolution while reinforcing a culture of honesty, responsibility, and fairness. These improvements provide the graduate community with clear guidance and strengthen an environment where ethical scholarship can thrive.

Strengthening Support for Professional Graduate Programs
Updated regulations distinguishing research-focused from professional graduate degrees improved guidance for program development and reinforced partnerships with program proponents. This framework supports programs in delivering offerings that meet student needs, reflect professional standards, and enrich the graduate education landscape.

^{Incoming students meet Joseph Hafner, Dean of Libraries (left), and Alice MacLachlan, Vice-Provost & Dean of Graduate Studies (right).}

Supporting Students and Building Community

Seamless Transition of Graduate Admissions Support
The Graduate Admissions team was successfully integrated from its previous unit into FGS. This transition centralized graduate recruitment and admissions support, enhancing coordination, accessibility, and consistency for prospective students. Applicants now benefit from clearer communication, streamlined processes, and a stronger connection to the faculty guiding them throughout their graduate journey.

Providing Personalized Support for Prospective Graduate Students
Individualized 1:1 advising sessions offered dedicated time for prospective students to ask questions and gain clarity on next steps. These personalized meetings help applicants feel informed, confident, and supported as they navigate the admissions process, fostering a welcoming introduction to the graduate community.

Enhancing Connections for Incoming Graduate Students
Expanded and , led by the new Graduate Recruitment team, provided incoming students with early answers to common questions and a deeper understanding of 91��ɫ’s campus, community, and research environment. Also, FGS hosted its first in-person social () since 2019. These initiatives eased transitions, fostered connection, and strengthened confidence in choosing 91��ɫ.

Connecting International Students Through Insightful, Targeted Panels
A new international student recruitment panel series connected prospective and admitted students with current graduate students. With a focus on engagement from the , , these panels provided first-hand insights, helping students feel confident in choosing 91��ɫ and Canada as a study destination while fostering a welcoming global graduate community.

Graduate Student Support Group
Launched in 2025, the Graduate Student Support Group provides a safe space for students to connect, share experiences, and access peer support. The group allows participants to gain perspective on common graduate challenges, exchange wisdom and resources, and realize they are not alone in their academic journey. Feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, and the drop-in, year-round format ensures ongoing accessibility and support throughout the graduate experience.

Equipping Graduate Students through GradForward Series
The inaugural GradForward series, a new approach to graduate orientation, offered 30-minute virtual sessions covering scholarships, graduate funding, academic integrity, professional skills, student affairs, and portal use. Accessible via Zoom, these sessions equipped students with practical knowledge and resources to navigate graduate studies successfully and build a strong foundation for academic and professional growth.

Celebrating Achievement and Inclusion

Associate Director honoured with 91��ɫ’s Excellence in DEDI Award
Richolette Freckleton received the Excellence in DEDI Award from 91��ɫ in recognition of her exceptional commitment to advancing decolonization, equity, diversity, and inclusion across the graduate community. Her leadership led to the creation and funding of a new scholarship for BIPOC part-time students and the launch of a workshop that connects Black graduate students with faculty mentors — concrete actions that expand access, promote representation, and foster a stronger sense of belonging and support for equity-seeking scholars at 91��ɫ.

Looking Ahead…

Our achievements in 2025 reflect a shared commitment to innovation, equity, and student success. By strengthening systems, supporting research, and building inclusive communities, FGS continues to create an environment where graduate students and researchers can thrive today—and shape the breakthroughs of tomorrow.

^{President & Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton with Richolette Freckleton.}

The institutional authority for postdoctoral fellowships is the Vice-Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS). If you intend to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, or if you are a current postdoc at 91��ɫ looking to apply for grant funding, please reach out to the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator in FGS as soon as possible to notify us of your plans and discuss specific requirements. This outreach will help you confirm which institutional approvals are required before you submit your application to the relevant funding agency. Depending on the funding opportunity, the following may be required:

• An institutional letter of support signed by the Vice-Provost and Dean of FGS – Must be requested at least 10 business days before the competition deadline
• An signed by the Vice-Provost and Dean of FGS – Must be requested at least 7 business days before the competition deadline in order to satisfy ORS deadline requirements

Institutional Letter of Support

Requirements vary based on the funding opportunity and are determined by external funder requirements and institutional policy. Many postdoctoral fellowship applications require an institutional letter of support that must be signed by the Vice-Provost and Dean of FGS. If your application requires an institutional letter, you will need to send a copy of the application to the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator for review and must have confirmation of any commitments from 91��ɫ. Specific opportunities may involve additional requirements.

Additional Details on Applications Requiring ORS Approval

• An must be filled in and signed by the postdoctoral researcher on page 2 as the applicant. No department chair’s signature is required. The Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator will facilitate the Dean’s signature.
• Many funding applications from postdoctoral researchers do not include institutional commitments from 91��ɫ. If the application includes institutional commitments (cash or in-kind resources committed by a unit at 91��ɫ above and beyond the regular operating infrastructure available to you as a postdoc), the commitments must be confirmed in writing (on the ORS Checklist or by e-mail) by the source (i.e., the supervisor’s Dean’s Office, Research Centre or Institute Director). Questions about institutional commitments should be directed to the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator.
• The proposed supervisor must provide an emailed confirmation to the Postdoctoral Services & Professional Skills Coordinator that they agree to hold the cost centre (the account at 91��ɫ with the funding) in their name should the application be successful.
  • The email confirmation should also include a statement that they support the application and will provide the applicant with the necessary supports to carry out the proposed research.
• A complete copy of the application, together with a completed and fully signed ORS Checklist, must be submitted to the ORS by e-mail to researchapps@yorku.ca for review and institutional approval by the deadline set by ORS (typically 48 hours before the competition deadline).

For competition-specific information on external fellowship opportunities, please visit the Guide for Supervisors Supporting Applications for Externally-funded Postdoctoral Fellowships.

_{Screenshot of the Council meeting with Vice-Provost & FGS Dean Alice MacLachlan, Provost & Vice-President Academic Lisa Philipps, Professor Amro Zayed, and Professor Alison Crosby}

Both Crosby and Zayed exceeded general supervisory expectations through their mentorship creativity, excellence and dedication to their postdoc fellows. This annual award serves to applaud and acknowledge all the important work performed by both professors and their postdoc fellows. Alice MacLachlan, Vice-Provost & Dean, Graduate Studies, said the two recipients embody the award's dedication to mentorship creativity, excellence and dedication. "You serve as a role model for all of us to follow," she added.

Alison Crosby

Crosby is an Associate Professor and Interim Chair of the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies. Her research projects and publications use an anti-racist, anti-colonial and transnational feminist lens and participatory methodologies to support protagonists’ multifaceted struggles to redress and memorialize harm in the aftermath of political violence, with a particular focus on Guatemala where she has worked for over 30 years.

Crosby is currently working on the SSHRC-funded research project . The project brings together feminist scholars, artists, activists, and community practitioners from a wide range of contexts and disciplinary perspectives to explore the transnational dimensions of how we collectively remember and memorialize colonial, militarized and state violence. The project also offered Crosby’s postdoc fellow, Dr. Ruth Murambadoro, with a space to house her research and become a part of this digital community.

“Prof Crosby embodies Ubuntu principles of communitarianism, humility, mutual respect, hospitality and so much more, which have enabled me to integrate and chart a new pathway for my career in Canada. She remains a key player in my life and role model, who taught me fundamental lessons on collegiality, humanness and effective mentorship,” noted Murambadoro in her letter of nomination. “I value the contributions that Prof Crosby has made in my research, scholarly and personal development over the time we have worked together.”

In response to the award, Dr. Crosby said, "It's my pleasure, privilege and honour to work with postdoc fellows." Of her nominator, Dr. Murambadoro, she said, "I look forward to my collaborations with her for many years to come."

Amro Zayed

Zayed, a Professor in the Department of Biology and 91��ɫ Research Chair in Genomics, is equally an exemplary intellectual leader, role model and mentor. He is currently the inaugural Director of 91��ɫ’s Centre for Bee Ecology, Evolution and Conservation (BEEc), leading a research program on the genetics, genomics and behaviour of social insects using the honey bee as a model organism. 

provides ample opportunities to conduct high-quality research as well as network with academics and industry partners worldwide. The collective achievements of postdocs in his group are commendable, with a total of 28 peer-reviewed publications and 71 conference presentations. Through this dedicated work, Zayed equips postdoc fellows with the skills necessary to successfully navigate the increasingly competitive job market. Since 2009, Zayed has supervised eight exceptional postdoc fellows.   

“His approach to leadership has inspired us to seek creative solutions in research and to collaborate with diverse groups of stakeholders. To this end, Amro exemplifies all of the characteristics one would expect of an intellectual leader and role model. He provides a unilateral environment of support to his research group. He is personally invested in our success and well-being, going above and beyond to help with professional skill development. He is actively involved in our career development, prioritising our long-term success over our short-term role in his group,” stated Dr. Sydney Wizenberg and Dr. Sarah French in their letter of nomination.

Dr. Zayed was caught off-guard by the award. "I was really surprised by this. When I started my career I never appreciated the joy of having postdocs." He said he has come to enjoy the contributions made by postdoc fellows and exceptional graduate students.

The Postdoctoral Supervisor of the Year Award accepts nominations annually by no later than June 1 of each year. For more information, please visit: .