Toronto Metropolitan University Future Leaders Fellowship 2025

Are you a senior PhD candidate or an early career postdoctoral scholar passionate about migration and digital technologies? The Future Leaders Fellowship 2025, offered by Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), is a prestigious, fully funded international opportunity designed to foster impactful interdisciplinary research and professional development in the field of immigrant integration and advanced digital technologies.

About the Future Leaders Fellowship

Hosted by the Bridging Divides Program at TMU, the Future Leaders Fellowship is a year-long research and mentorship program that pairs emerging scholars with senior mentors from one of four key thematic research groups:

1. Immigrant Health and Wellbeing
2. Employment and Lifelong Learning
3. Place and Infrastructure
4. Citizenship and Participation

The fellowship is designed to help fellows advance their academic careers by engaging in collaborative research, receiving structured mentorship, and presenting their work at an international academic conference.

Degree Level

Fellowship-level programs at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Fellowship Structure

1. Launch: In-person orientation and research development visit at TMU, starting in September 2025 (or January 2026 for the alternate cohort)
2. Mentorship: Year-long support from a senior researcher aligned with the fellow’s topic
3. Research Output: Fellows are expected to produce:
4. A peer-reviewed journal article
5. A conference presentation showcasing their research findings
6. Location: The research is primarily conducted at the fellow’s home institution with regular remote guidance

Available Subjects

The following subjects are available to study under this scholarship program.

1. Digital Technologies
2. Migration

Benefits

Selected fellows will receive up to $18,000 CAD in total benefits, including:

1. $5,000 stipend (in two installments: $3,000 at the start, $2,000 after article submission)
2. All travel expenses covered for the initial 5-day visit to Toronto
3. Conference participation costs including airfare, accommodation, per diem, and registration fees
4. Open Access publication fees for peer-reviewed article submissions

Eligible Nationalities

This fellowship is open to applicants of all nationalities.

Eligibility Criteria

You are eligible if you:

1. Are a PhD candidate with a first draft of your dissertation completed
2. Or a postdoctoral scholar (within 5 years of PhD completion)
3. Are affiliated with an academic institution anywhere in the world
4. Have research interests aligned with the intersection of migration and advanced digital technologies (e.g., digital equity, health integration, civic participation, smart infrastructure, etc.)