1. Research Prizes & Awards
  2. Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship

Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship

The creates opportunities for mid- to late-career (from 15 years from PhD and beyond, though those at earlier stages may be considered in some cases) Canadian and international scholars to collaborate with NRC researchers. The Killam NRC Paul Corkum Fellowship provides release time of up to 12 months for scholars who have demonstrated outstanding research ability and are proposing collaborative research with an NRC researcher.

Program details

Up to 3 Fellowships are awarded each year based on the merit of the proposals submitted. Each fellowship project must align with an .

Co-Principal Investigator (co-PI) model

The program operates on a co-PI model where the Fellow and the NRC researcher collaborate to deliver a specific project for a period of time (usually one year). Fellowship candidates who need help connecting with an NRC investigator can complete an and return via email to the  National Killam Program Office (NKPO). The NKPO will consult internally and respond to your inquiry within 10 business days.

Application process:

Applicants must complete the online application form, and provide the following documents: Joint Collaborative Research Abstract (up to 250 words) and a Joint Project Proposal (up to 1500 words), with up to one additional page for budget estimates and up to five additional pages for references.

Terms and conditions:

Fellowships are valued at $100,000 CAD per year in the form of a grant that is paid to the institution of each Fellow to cover release time. An additional grant of up to $50,000 CAD is available to accommodate travel and knowledge dissemination costs of the Fellow, based on budget estimates provided in the proposal.

Managing Intellectual Property (IP):

A collaborative research agreement will be established at the time of award. The agreement will include intellectual property terms, including terms for joint ownership of jointly created arising IP.

Key dates:

Internal deadline:

  • If you are interested in applying for the Corkum Fellowship, please contact Dr. Mona Rahman, Research Awards Officer of Research Services at   rahmanm@queensu.ca with your intent by April 1, 2025.
    • Please note that, if you do not yet have an NRC co-PI, there is a process in place to help researchers connect potential co-PIs at NRC ( ).

Submissions close: 

  • June 5, 2025 at 23:59 h (applicant local time)

More information on the funding model, program guidelines and eligibility criteria can be found by visiting the .

Contact the National Killam Program at  KillamProgram-ProgrammeKillam@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca, or you may reach out to Dr. Mona Rahman, Research Awards Officer of Research Services at  rahmanm@queensu.ca.