Overview

Postdoctoral scholars have a unique role within the U of T research ecosystem. While their needs are clearly distinct from those of graduate students, they can still benefit from accessing some of the same resources. And they can certainly benefit from an understanding of all the places that can provide them with support. Across campuses, faculties, hospitals, centres, and strategic initiatives, many people are charged with assisting postdoctoral scholars to make the most of their time here.   

To learn more about the professional development landscape at U of T and support available to U of T postdocs, please explore the resources below.

Professional Development Strands

In order to facilitate individual development planning, CGPD has organized professional development into four strands: Research, Communication, Leadership & Collaboration, and Career Planning. These four strands are designed to help graduate students understand and plan the activities that will support their professional development. Although the needs of postdocs are different, it can still be helpful to investigate the programming organized around those four strands.

5 Minute Research Talks (5MRT)

Overview:

Learning to explain your research to non-expert audiences is a key communication skill for researchers from all disciplines. 5 Minute Research Talks (5MRT) is a research communication program in which presenters have five minutes to explain their research to a generalist audience.  

SGS will be running an in-person 5MRT program open to all postdocs registered with the SGS Postdoc Office. Postdocs will participate in a preliminary presentation, with opportunities to receive feedback. Select presenters will go through to a final event, with a $500 prize for the top presenter. The final will be video recorded, so all finalists will also have their research featured in a professionally produced video of their presentation.

The top three presenters from the U of T final will enter a province-wide competition, with the opportunity to secure a place at the in-person provincial final at McMaster University, hosted by the McCall MacBain Postdoctoral Fellows Teaching and Leadership Program in March/April 2027.

Registration for the U of T 5MRT is open until Friday, October 16.

To support postdocs in preparing strong presentations, SGS is hosting an online workshop, Brief Accessible Research Talks: Explaining Your Research to a Non-Specialist Audience, Friday, September 25, 12-1pm. The workshop is open to any postdoc affiliated with U of T, whether or not they intend to take part in the 5MRT.

U of T 5MRT Schedule: 

Eligibility, Rules, and Judging Criteria:

Eligibility: 

• Participants must be a current postdoctoral scholar at U of T, registered with the SGS Postdoc Office at the time of presentation. 
• Presentations must be limited to the presenter’s current academic research (or components thereof). 
• Participants must be able to deliver their presentation in person at the preliminary presentations and final. 
• Presenters must present in person and agree to be video/audio recorded and photographed. They must also allow those recordings and photographs to be made public. 
• The top three presenters must be available to attend the 5MRT final at McMaster in March/April 2027 in Hamilton. If any of the top three presenters are unable to attend the McMaster event, another presenter may be selected by the judges to be submitted as one of U of T’s three entrants to the McMaster event. 

Rules: 

• Presentations are limited to 5 minutes, and presenters exceeding 5 minutes are disqualified. 
• PowerPoint slides are required, and may include animations, transitions, sound, and video. Videos must not exceed 60s and must be embedded in the PowerPoint presentation. 
• Additional props are permitted but must be specified in the submission form in advance. 
• Presentations are to commence from the stage. 
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech. 
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final. 

Judging Criteria: 

Comprehension and content:  

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question 
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research 
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes, and impact of the research 

Engagement and communication:  

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience 
• The PowerPoint slides were well-defined and enhanced the presentation 
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention 

Science Meets Parliament – Ontario

The Canadian Science Policy Centre runs this initiative, which aims to strengthen the connections between Canada’s scientific and political communities in Ontario. The program is open to postdoctoral fellows who are affiliated with a post-secondary institution or affiliated research institute in Canada. More information is available on the Science Meets Parliament ON webpage. Note that although the program title is science-focused, the program is open to postdocs from all disciplines.