Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies

The Distinguished Scholar in Residence Award is open to full Professors and senior Associate Professors at UBC Vancouver, who have a demonstrated commitment to excellence in scholarship and an interest in collaborating in an interdisciplinary research environment.  Applicants, self-nominated, must be tenure-track faculty members; emeriti may also apply.

Success is based primarily on the candidate’s research achievements, current projects, and planned research and other initiatives for the year in residence.  The selection committee also takes into account how well the research matches the mandate of the Institute to support work that is innovative and that has the potential to make a significant impact on some aspect of the sciences or humanities.  

A proposal for activities and research, or the planning thereof, while at the Institute should be included in the letter of application.  It is expected that the appointee will make regular use of their Peter Wall Institute research office throughout the year, so if one expects to be away for an extended amount of time, it would be preferable to apply for a different year. Recipients of past awards are eligible to apply for an additional appointment after five years of completing their term.

Distinguished Scholars in Residence are provided with shared office space at the Peter Wall Institute, a personal infrastructure budget of $15,000 and access to additional funding of up to $5,000 for special seminars or other projects at the Institute.

The term of the appointment will be from August 1 to July 31. Those selected as Distinguished Scholars in Residence become Faculty Associates of the Institute and will receive regular invitations to Institute events. These gatherings offer an opportunity to engage in informal discussions with colleagues from a wide diversity of disciplines.

While the appointment as a Distinguished Scholar in Residence is for 12 months, one remains an Institute Associate indefinitely. Scholars in Residence are expected to give a research talk during their year in residence and are encouraged to plan a research-related event, such as a lecture series or workshop, at the Institute during or after their tenure, for which additional funds are available (see Funding and Budget). The Scholars in Residence, the Peter Wall Distinguished Professors, and the Institute Director have regular weekly meetings to discuss research issues and at least one off-campus weekend retreat. If one expects to be away for an extended amount of time, it would be preferable to apply for a different year.

There is no form for the application. A detailed letter of application, a standard UBC CV, and a list of three external (non-UBC) referees names and affiliations should be sent to the Institute. Applicants should make arrangements for three referee letters from distinguished, external references to be sent directly to the Institute by the application deadline. Weight will be given to arms-length letters. The applicant's letter of application should draw attention to important, relevant aspects of the CV and should also describe the fit with the mandate of the Institute, the proposed research for the year at the Institute, and any planned events to enhance the Institute's intellectual environment.

Applicants are responsible for arranging for three referee letters. Only the referees' names and affiliation should be included in the application. Referees should send their letters directly to the Institute by mail, e-mail or fax (604.822.4222) by the competition deadline.

In addition to the signed hard copies of your application, CV and list of referees, electronic versions of the application letter, CV and list of referees in either PDF (preferred) or Word format must be e-mailed to the Institute.