Postdoctoral Fellow – Refugee Youth Transitions, Belonging, Education and Service Navigation in Canada 2026 | SSHRC-Funded UnborderED Knowledge Project

<p>Applications are now open for the prestigious Postdoctoral Fellow – Refugee Youth Transitions, Belonging, Education and Service Navigation position under the SSHRC-funded UnborderED Knowledge Project in Canada.</p> <p>Hosted by Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services in Toronto, this unique opportunity is designed for scholars with lived experience of forced migration who are passionate about equity-centred research, participatory arts-based methodologies, refugee education systems, and community-engaged knowledge mobilization.</p> <p>This one-year part-time fellowship offers selected candidates the opportunity to lead a national participatory arts-based research project focused on the educational experiences, belonging, and future pathways of university students in Canada who arrived through humanitarian migration pathways.</p> <p>The position is grounded in social justice, anti-racism, trauma-informed research, and community-based collaboration, making it an outstanding opportunity for researchers seeking meaningful impact beyond academia.</p> <h2>About the UnborderED Knowledge Project</h2> <p>The UnborderED Knowledge Project is a SSHRC-funded initiative focused on displaced students and researchers, educational access, systems navigation, belonging, and policy innovation in Canada.</p> <p>The selected Postdoctoral Fellow will work closely with Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services and collaborate with interdisciplinary advisors, institutional partners, community organizations, and sector leaders.</p> <p>Although the fellowship is housed in Toronto, Ontario, the project will be conducted virtually due to its national scope.</p> <p>The fellowship strongly values lived experience as research expertise and recognizes the knowledge and perspectives of individuals with forced migration backgrounds as central to ethical and impactful research practice.</p> <h2>Fellowship Overview</h2> <h3>Host Organization</h3> <p>Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services</p> <h3>Project</h3> <p>SSHRC-Funded “UnborderED Knowledge” Project</p> <h3>Position Title</h3> <p>Postdoctoral Fellow – Refugee Youth Transitions, Belonging, Education and Service Navigation</p> <h3>Location</h3> <p>Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Virtual National Project)</p> <h3>Appointment Duration</h3> <p>1-Year Part-Time Appointment</p> <h3>Salary and Benefits</h3> <p>0.6 FTE – CAD $33,000 plus benefits</p> <h3>Application Deadline</h3> <p>July 17, 2026</p> <h3>Fellowship Start Date</h3> <p>August 10, 2026</p> <h2>Research Focus Areas</h2> <p>The selected fellow will lead a focused national study exploring:</p> <ul> <li>Experiences of displaced students in post-secondary education in Canada</li> <li>Educational access and barriers faced by refugee-background students</li> <li>Belonging, participation, and inclusion within university environments</li> <li>Facilitators and challenges related to completing higher education</li> <li>Future educational and professional pathways for displaced learners</li> <li>Actionable policy recommendations for post-secondary institutions</li> <li>Systems navigation and institutional support for students arriving through humanitarian pathways</li> </ul> <p>The research specifically focuses on university students who entered Canada as:</p> <ul> <li>Resettled refugees</li> <li>Refugee claimants</li> <li>Individuals arriving through humanitarian migration pathways</li> </ul> <h2>Key Responsibilities</h2> <h3>1. Research Leadership</h3> <p>The Postdoctoral Fellow will play a major leadership role in the design and implementation of the research project.</p> <p>Responsibilities include:</p> <ul> <li>Designing and implementing qualitative arts-based research methodologies</li> <li>Leading participatory-action research activities</li> <li>Recruiting and engaging student participants across Canada</li> <li>Training student participants in arts-based research methods</li> <li>Developing ethical research protocols</li> <li>Applying trauma-informed and anti-racist research strategies</li> <li>Supporting community-engaged and equity-centred research processes</li> <li>Conducting virtual research and collaborative activities nationwide</li> <li>Applying for ethics approvals and additional grant opportunities</li> <li>Managing data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination</li> </ul> <h2>Scholarly Contributions</h2> <p>The selected fellow will contribute to significant scholarly and academic outputs, including:</p> <ul> <li>Completing manuscripts for academic publication</li> <li>Collaborating on scholarly articles with institutional and cluster partners</li> <li>Participating in conference presentations</li> <li>Contributing to interdisciplinary research outputs</li> <li>Supporting SSHRC reporting and synthesis activities</li> </ul> <h2>Knowledge Mobilization and Policy Engagement</h2> <p>A major component of this fellowship involves transforming research findings into practical and accessible knowledge products.</p> <p>Responsibilities include:</p> <ul> <li>Developing policy briefs and recommendations</li> <li>Creating slide decks and educational resources</li> <li>Producing accessible infographics and communication materials</li> <li>Presenting findings to institutional leaders and service providers</li> <li>Engaging with community organizations and refugee-serving sectors</li> <li>Contributing to systems-level policy innovation</li> </ul> <h2>Community and Sector Collaboration</h2> <p>The fellowship emphasizes strong collaboration between academia, community organizations, and policy stakeholders.</p> <p>The selected fellow will:</p> <ul> <li>Collaborate with Access Alliance and Cluster 2 research teams</li> <li>Participate in interdisciplinary advisory meetings</li> <li>Engage with post-secondary institutions and community organizations</li> <li>Deliver workshops and presentations for student participants</li> <li>Support participatory-action research activities</li> <li>Work with government representatives and sector leaders</li> </ul> <h2>Required Qualifications</h2> <p>Applicants must meet the following essential criteria:</p> <h3>Essential Requirements</h3> <ul> <li>Lived experience of forced migration</li> <li>Legally entitled to work in Canada</li> <li>Must reside in Canada throughout the employment period</li> <li>Demonstrated experience in arts-based research</li> <li>Graduate degree required (PhD preferred)</li> </ul> <h2>Preferred Qualifications</h2> <p>Additional qualifications considered assets include:</p> <ul> <li>Experience working or volunteering with immigrant or refugee-serving organizations</li> <li>Experience in qualitative research methodologies</li> <li>Participatory-action research experience</li> <li>Strong academic or policy-oriented writing background</li> <li>Published or publishable scholarly work</li> <li>Commitment to equity and anti-racist approaches</li> <li>Trauma-informed research expertise</li> <li>Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills</li> <li>Experience facilitating virtual workshops</li> <li>Multilingual abilities</li> </ul> <h2>Lived Experience as Foundational Research Expertise</h2> <p>One of the most distinctive features of this fellowship is its recognition of lived experience as foundational scholarly expertise.</p> <p>The project explicitly values lived experience of forced migration as central to:</p> <ul> <li>Ethical research design</li> <li>Knowledge interpretation</li> <li>Community engagement</li> <li>Participatory methodologies</li> <li>Policy and systems innovation</li> <li>Knowledge mobilization strategies</li> </ul> <p>Applicants are encouraged to explain how their lived experiences shape their research perspectives, ethical commitments, and approaches to community-engaged scholarship.</p> <h2>Mentorship and Professional Development Opportunities</h2> <p>Selected fellows will receive extensive mentorship and career development support.</p> <p>This includes:</p> <ul> <li>Direct mentorship from Dr. Akm Alamgir at Access Alliance</li> <li>Academic mentorship from Dr. Michaela Hynie and institutional collaborators</li> <li>Opportunities to engage with interdisciplinary advisory committees</li> <li>Exposure to policy leaders and government representatives</li> <li>Opportunities to lead and co-author publications</li> <li>Career development and academic networking support</li> <li>Interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities</li> </ul> <h2>Required Application Documents</h2> <p>Applicants must submit the following materials:</p> <ol> <li>Cover Letter (Maximum 2 Pages) <ul> <li>Research interests</li> <li>Fit with the fellowship project</li> <li>Relevant experience and motivation</li> </ul> </li> <li>Statement on Lived Experience <ul> <li>Description of forced migration experience</li> <li>Relevance to research approach and ethics</li> </ul> </li> <li>Curriculum Vitae (CV)</li> <li>Writing Sample <ul> <li>Academic or policy-oriented sample</li> </ul> </li> <li>Three References <ul> <li>Contact information required</li> </ul> </li> </ol> <h2>Important Dates</h2> <ul> <li>Application Deadline: July 17, 2026</li> <li>Fellowship Start Date: August 10, 2026</li> </ul> <h2>Why This Fellowship Matters</h2> <p>The Postdoctoral Fellow – Refugee Youth Transitions, Belonging, Education and Service Navigation position represents an important step toward inclusive and community-driven research leadership in Canada.</p> <p>By centering the voices and experiences of displaced students and refugee-background scholars, the UnborderED Knowledge Project aims to transform educational systems, strengthen support structures, and generate actionable solutions that improve educational equity and belonging.</p> <p>This fellowship is ideal for researchers committed to social justice, refugee education, participatory arts-based methods, and policy transformation within higher education systems.</p> <p>Applicants with strong lived experience perspectives, interdisciplinary research interests, and a passion for community-engaged scholarship are strongly encouraged to apply.</p> <h2>How to Apply</h2> <p>Applicants must submit all required application materials directly to the Hiring Committee at Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services.</p> <h3>Submit Applications To:</h3> <p>Hiring Committee, Post-Doc Researcher<br /> Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services</p> <p>Email: <a href="mailto:research@accessalliance.ca">research@accessalliance.ca</a></p> <p>Applicants should ensure that all required documents are included in their submission before the application deadline of <strong>July 17, 2026.<br /> </strong><br /> Click <a href="https://media.licdn.com/dms/document/media/v2/D561FAQH89YITXtktGQ/feedshare-document-sanitized-pdf/B56Z8T7bd4IQBA-/0/1782745775499?e=1783422000&amp;v=beta&amp;t=6DrZz6rlXSXYt_NWirhlnmazrlL80Kbm-UyUCXhls44" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a> to learn more and apply for the SSHRC-Funded UnborderED Knowledge Project, and visit the official website <a href="https://accessalliance.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a>.<strong><br /> </strong><br /> Explore more opportunities on OFY <a href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/?s=fellowship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HERE</a>.<strong><br /> </strong></p> <p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org/2026/07/02/postdoctoral-fellow-refugee-youth-transitions-belonging-education-and-service-navigation-in-canada-2026-sshrc-funded-unbordered-knowledge-project/">Postdoctoral Fellow – Refugee Youth Transitions, Belonging, Education and Service Navigation in Canada 2026 | SSHRC-Funded UnborderED Knowledge Project</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://opportunitiesforyouth.org">Opportunities for Youth</a>.</p>