Fellowship Details

This section provides an overview of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program.

Program Objective

• Attract and retain top-tier postdoctoral talent, both nationally and internationally;
• Develop their leadership potential; and
• Position them for success as research leaders of tomorrow, positively contributing to Canada's economic, social and research-based growth through a research-intensive career.

Unique Application Requirements

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program will be distinguished from existing postdoctoral fellowships programs by its emphasis on:

• the synergy between an applicant (their individual merit and potential to launch a successful research-intensive career); and
• the host institution (its commitment to the research program and environment with which the applicant is to be affiliated).

An applicant to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program must complete their application in full collaboration with the proposed host institution.

Program Scope

• 70 new two-year awards annually with a total of 140 awards active at any one time.

The fellowships will be distributed equally across Canada's three federal granting agencies: the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Value and Duration

• $70,000 per year (taxable) for two years.

Competition Timelines

Location and Timing of Award Tenure

• Candidates who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents and who obtained their PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree from a Canadian university may hold their award at either a Canadian institution or an institution outside of Canada. Note that the number of Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships that may be awarded annually to those who apply in collaboration with a foreign institution is capped at twenty-five percent overall (up to 18 of the 70 annual awards).

• Candidates who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents may only hold their award at a Canadian institution.
• Canadian citizens and permanent residents who obtained their PhD or health professional degree from a foreign university may only hold their award at a Canadian institution

Without exception, Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships:

• are tenable only at the institution which supported the original application for the program;
• must be taken up no earlier than April 1 and no later than October 1; and
• are for two years.