Has anyone taken a fellowship concurrently in both Canada and the US?

[1Q84]

I got the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship and an offer for a postdoc at a US university. I want to do both concurrently (with permission obviously), since SSHRC doesn't have any residency requirements, as long as you devote "full time" work to the research you're being funded for which is entirely possible to do.

My question is more along the lines of tax: Does anyone who has gone through this situation have any info on being paid in both Canada and the US simultaneously? I'm quite sure it's possible, as there's a lot of cross-border business people who get paid in both countries but wondering if there's any significant wrinkles for academics.

I am a Canadian citizen who would be working/living in the US on whatever visa I get for the postdoc and receiving the SSHRC while working remotely for that research.

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 4, 2023 by 1Q84

[RCJ]

I hold an NSERC PDF at a foreign institution (in the US). The Tri-agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide details on taxation and the income source: "Postdoctoral fellowship holders should plan for their award to be taxed as income in Canada, regardless of whether they are held inside or outside Canada." The wrinkles will be specific to your situation (i.e., tax residency), but either way, you'll be preparing tax forms for both the US (state and federal) and Canada. I'm happy to answer any specific questions

Not sure what you mean by working remotely for that research? The SSHRC PDF would be supporting you while engaging in full-time mentored research at the foreign institution, under a supervisor.

[1Q84]

5 hours ago, RCJ said:

I hold an NSERC PDF at a foreign institution (in the US). The Tri-agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide details on taxation and the income source: "Postdoctoral fellowship holders should plan for their award to be taxed as income in Canada, regardless of whether they are held inside or outside Canada." The wrinkles will be specific to your situation (i.e., tax residency), but either way, you'll be preparing tax forms for both the US (state and federal) and Canada. I'm happy to answer any specific questions

Not sure what you mean by working remotely for that research? The SSHRC PDF would be supporting you while engaging in full-time mentored research at the foreign institution, under a supervisor.

Thanks for this reply! 

My situation is slightly different in that I would be holding the SSHRC at a Canadian institution while living in the US and doing a separate postdoc at a US institution. Basically I would be getting paid the SSHRC money through the Canadian institution, and then getting paid separately at my US institution. I would have US tax residency.

My SSHRC faculty mentor said this is highly doable considering SSHRC has no residency requirements and the only real expectations in terms of work completed would be based on her and my collaboration together. Meaning I could do my work full time at the US institution and travel to Canada during the summers to do work at the Canadian institution.

Hopefully this makes sense? It is indeed a very complicated arrangement! 

[RCJ]

19 hours ago, 1Q84 said:

Thanks for this reply! 

My situation is slightly different in that I would be holding the SSHRC at a Canadian institution while living in the US and doing a separate postdoc at a US institution. Basically I would be getting paid the SSHRC money through the Canadian institution, and then getting paid separately at my US institution. I would have US tax residency.

My SSHRC faculty mentor said this is highly doable considering SSHRC has no residency requirements and the only real expectations in terms of work completed would be based on her and my collaboration together. Meaning I could do my work full time at the US institution and travel to Canada during the summers to do work at the Canadian institution.

Hopefully this makes sense? It is indeed a very complicated arrangement! 

I haven't heard of that kind of arrangement before. From my understanding, you have to "devote full-time hours to the research or studies for which they were funded" in a continuous manner, so hopefully, your supervisors and institutions are supportive. Best of luck!

[Blogto5]

I'm looking at doing the same thing and am wondering whether you had any issues (from the school, taxes, SSHRC etc.) with doing this. I've had trouble finding anybody else who has made this arrangement - many thanks!