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Greetings,,
It's that time of year! The McDonald Institute Highly Qualified Personnel Advisory Committee (HQPAC) is seeking motivated community members to serve on the committee. Representatives are needed from several institutions, including UofT, UofA, UdeM, Laurentian, Sherbrooke, SFU, and Victoria, but anyone interested in participating is encouraged to do so and will only serve to better represent our broad community. The time commitment is minimal, only a few hours a month to attend monthly meetings and move projects along, and members are recognized with a small honorarium and a modest professional development allowance. Please send an email to hqpac@mcdonaldinstitute.ca if you're interested, or visit the HQPAC website for more information.
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Postdocs and Graduate Students –
Submit Abstracts for Annual Meeting July 27-29
The 2026 Canadian Astroparticle Physics Community Annual Meeting will be held in Kingston, Ontario, from July 27-29.
This year’s meeting is intended to emphasize the specific research contributions of graduate and postdoctoral fellows in the themes of dark matter, neutrinos, multi-messenger astronomy, and astroparticle theory & computation.
We are encouraging speakers to not only describe specific individual work, but also briefly discuss their own insights about implications for the field at large, or for practical applications of their work outside of the field.
On the first day of the Annual National Meeting, HQP will participate in leadership development, including a special workshop led by Dr. Danielle Lussier and collaborators, where you’ll explore astroparticle physics through Métis beadwork and experience a relational, creative approach to learning and research. The next two days will feature research presentations, keynote talks, panels, and social events.
Abstract submissions will remain open until the end of May.
Click to Register or submit an abstract.
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Upcoming McDonald Institute Census
The McDonald Institute is releasing the annual Census to community members in the next few weeks for the 2025/2026 fiscal year (April 1, 2025 – March 31, 2026). The goal of the census is primarily to collect required data for our funding agencies, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) and NSERC, while reducing the time and burden of the reporting process. The Census is also used to measure our performance and trends that inform financial and programmatic resource allocation -- ultimately, guiding decision-making on how to best support and empower the Canadian astroparticle physics community.
We are asking all staff, faculty, and students who receive or benefit from McDonald Institute funding to complete the Census. For members of the broader community, your input is extremely important, and we greatly appreciate your participation.
The census is distributed via email, with individualized access links.
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Exchange Programs Updates:
More Support for Early Career Researchers
The Visiting Scientist Exchange Program and the Graduate Student Exchange Program have an increased funding allocation within the McDonald Institute’s base budgets and will expand the number of awards available to support both inbound and outbound collaboration-driven travel.
“We are putting renewed emphasis on the ability of Canadian astroparticle physics researchers to host their postdoctoral colleagues from abroad, and also trying to smooth the process of supporting pre-tenure faculty in Canada who need to ensure their research groups are well-networked in real hands-on collaborative work among their international colleagues,” says Edward Thomas, Associate Director (External Relations), who manages the programs.
The Institute will be posting new details about a new Early Career Researcher tier within the existing Visiting Scientist Exchange Program on May 15. The new tier will allow pre-tenure faculty to make a single application for multiple exchange vouchers over a two-year period, supporting their own collaboration trips, as well as those of students under their supervision, and both incoming and outgoing postdoctoral exchanges.
The details will be posted on the McDonald Institute’s funding opportunities page.
Early Demonstration Seed Fund for Astroparticle Physics Innovators
The McDonald Institute has launched the Early Demonstration Seed Fund Program, designed to support astroparticle physics researchers in Canada to apply research-driven technology solutions to practical problems. This initiative offers funding through two distinct tiers:
- Tier A (Technology Demonstrations) focuses on validating and demonstrating the potential of new technologies, with awards ranging from $20,000 to $30,000 CAD for projects lasting up to 12 months.
- Tier B (Tech Transfer Due-Diligence) supports entrepreneurial and innovation development, including support for intellectual property assessments, market validation, and early adopter engagement in projects of up to 6 months duration.
Eligible applicants must be researchers at Canadian academic institutions. Proposals must align with the McDonald Institute’s scientific goals and address practical problems beyond core research challenges. Applications are evaluated based on problem definition, feasibility, risk management, and alignment with the Institute’s objectives, including equity-in-tech planning.
Funding is provided on a reimbursement basis for eligible expenses, including salaries, materials, travel, and service provider fees. Successful applicants will receive an award letter and may submit invoices quarterly.
For more details, visit the McDonald Institute’s funding opportunities page or contact admin@mcdonaldinstitute.ca. Don’t miss this chance to turn innovative ideas into impactful solutions!
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Open call to request engineering resources from the IPDC of the McDonald Institute
The McDonald Institute is proud to announce that the Integrated Project Delivery Centre (IPDC) is now open for engineering resource requests. This initial phase of the Centre is intended to gather information on current and future engineering resource needs of Canadian astroparticle physics faculty members and researchers and to begin allocating resources based on priority. This call marks the start of a gradual transition from technical staff working locally, on local projects, to the MRS-like model, where technical staff form part of a pool of resources ready to support the entire community.
Whether you are currently using resources now funded as part of the MI IPDC, or are a Canadian astroparticle physics faculty member or researcher with a new request, please fill in the application form to indicate which resources you would require or would like to sustain, the timelines you are seeking support for, and indicate why this should be supported as a priority for MI.
We request that the forms soliciting continued use of existing resources be filled by May 29th, with committee meetings to make the adjudication planned for the following week. We will work with PIs to support this round of applications. If no application is received, we will assume these resources can be allocated to other projects.
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McDonald Institute Scientific Director applications open
We continue to invite applications for the McDonald Institute Scientific Director position. The Scientific Director guides strategic planning, champions major initiatives, and ensures alignment with federal research priorities, funding agencies, and international scientific efforts. They foster an inclusive, collaborative research culture, mentor emerging scientific talent, and promote interdisciplinary connections across cosmology, particle physics, and underground science. As the Institute’s chief scientific ambassador, the Scientific Director represents the McDonald Institute nationally and internationally, strengthens partnerships, elevates the profile of Canadian discovery science, and supports the Institute’s commitment to training, outreach, and public engagement.
We invite you to express your interest by submitting a curriculum vitae and a statement of scientific vision for the McDonald Institute through https://boyden.thriveapp.ly/job/3099
Please consider sharing this opportunity with your colleagues, especially those who may be outside the reach of this newsletter.
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Canada's Research Security Centre training modules
Canada's Research Security Centre is putting on a suite of research security modules in the coming months. These modules cover a range of research security topics that all researchers in Canada should be well-versed in. The first module, Safeguarding Science: Raising Awareness of Security Risks and Mitigation Tools in the Research Ecosystem | Public Safety Canada, is on May 22nd. For more information and to register for these sessions, visit: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/cntr-prlfrtn/sfgrdng-scnc/sfgrdng-scnc-wrkshp-en.aspx
SNOLAB Underground Science Institute (SuSi)
The SNOLAB Underground Science Institute (SuSi) Lecture Programme is a training and development initiative focused on academic lectures and activities delivered by leading experts in their fields. In addition to these lectures, participants will have access to professional development opportunities. Over the years, topics have included the dark cosmos, neutrino science, and quantum technology, among others. The program launched in 2024 and had a very successful kickoff year. SNOLAB is excited to continue the program for a third year and welcome participants to SNOLAB!
For more information, or to register: https://indico.snolab.ca/event/48/
Light Dark World comes to Canada, July 28-31
The eleventh annual Light Dark World International Forum is taking place from July 28-31 at Carleton University in Ottawa. This event will cover recent progress on light gauge bosons, light scalars, light dark matter candidates (axions, light sterile neutrinos), and dark energy fields.
Abstract submission deadline is May 15, 2026.
For more information, please visit the Indico site.
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The Advancing I-EDI Award: OPEN
The McDonald Institute is pleased to relaunch the Advancing Indigenization - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (I-EDI) Fund for Astroparticle Physics, supporting initiatives that strengthen equitable training environments and research cultures across astroparticle physics and related disciplines.
The award prioritizes activities that expand I-EDI action in Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) training and research environments through five funding streams:
- Stream 1 (up to $1,000): Seed funding for new initiatives that build EDII capacity in labs, research groups, and departments, including pilot programs, training activities, or events.
- Stream 2 (up to $2,500): Support funding for existing initiatives that advance EDII practice in the field.
- Stream 3 (up to $2,500): Support for faculty actively advancing equity goals using the DEAP Tool for Researchers (or an equivalent assessment framework). Advising support is available.
New for Round 2 (2026):
- Stream 4 (up to $5,000): Seed funding to advance community partnerships that build relationships with equity-deserving groups, create pathways into physics degrees, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations that strengthen long-term participation and retention in astroparticle physics.
- Stream 5 (up to $12,000): Seeding support for research projects that examine and advance understandings of equity, diversity, inclusion, Indigenization, anti-racism, and accessibility (EDIIAA) in astroparticle physics, including research, evaluation, and knowledge mobilization activities.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with internal adjudication occurring at the end of each month until available funds are fully allocated.
Students, postdoctoral fellows, staff, researchers, and faculty across the network are encouraged to apply. Learn more about eligibility, timelines, and application details at: https://mcdonaldinstitute.ca/funding-opportunities/the-edii-fund/
Please reach out to Alex Pedersen (alexandra.pedersen@mcdonaldinstitute.ca) with any questions.
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Join the Astroparticle Physics Community of Practice for I-EDIAA
We are launching a new Community of Practice (CoP) for researchers and trainee leaders interested in applying the DEAP Tool for Researchers (https://mcdonaldinstitute.ca/deap-tool-for-researchers/) in real research settings across Canada’s astroparticle physics network. This peer-learning group will create a practical space to share experiences, challenges, and emerging practices. The purpose of this group is to support goal-setting and action planning, and learn from one another about strengthening inclusive lab culture, mentorship, supervision, and research environments. Each meeting will feature a guest speaker, short reading, or case study, with dedicated time to reflect, share experiences, and connect insights back to the DEAP Tool to support progress within participants’ own research contexts.
Whether you are new to the DEAP Tool or already using it in your research group, we welcome participants who are interested in collaborative learning, applied problem-solving, and contributing to a culture of continuous improvement.
Those interested are encouraged to register, with the date and time of the first meeting to be scheduled in June based on participant availability: Astroparticle Physics Community of Practice for I-EDIAA – Fill out form
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Our newsletter provides the astroparticle physics community with updates, programs, and opportunities, and we want to help share your story! We invite all members of the community to contribute to this newsletter.
The McDonald Institute at Queen’s University is situated in the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe & Haudenosaunee First Nations. The Institute is part of a national network of institutions and research centres which operate in other traditional Indigenous territories. Visit www.whose.land to learn about the traditional territories where astroparticle physicists are grateful to live and work across Canada.
Thank you for your support. If you would like to view past newsletters from the McDonald Institute, please visit the Newsletter Archive.
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