2019-2020 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships competition launch

The 2019-2020 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (Banting PDF) competition has just been launched. This memo serves to inform you of program news for this competition.

1. 2019-2020 competition timelines

These timelines are similar to the last competition. Key dates are highlighted below.

2. Competition administration

Single signatory for the institutional letter of endorsement For action

As part of the Banting PDF application process, each institution is required to identify the individual who is responsible for signing the letter of endorsement on behalf of the institution (i.e., the President, their equivalent, or a single delegate). Having this information will help us to ensure that the proper, single authority has signed off on all applications from your institution. Please provide the name of your institution’s signatory by sending it to program staff at banting@cihr-irsc.gc.ca no later than September 1, 2019.

For more information specific to host institutions, please consult the Information for host institutions page of the Banting PDF website.

3. Program news

Extensions to eligibility window for degree completion New

In order to encourage equitable access to excellent candidates, “natural disasters” has been added to the list of allowable reasons for career interruptions.

Research respectfully involving Indigenous communities New

1. The Application guide (see Task 10 > Overview) and Selection committee guide (see 3.1.3 Pre-scoring applications (as reviewers)) now provide a more detailed explanation of what constitutes research respectfully involving Indigenous communities.
2. For applications in which the proposed research respectfully involves Indigenous communities, the proposed supervisor is now asked to describe collaborations between the applicant and Indigenous communities (see Task 10 > Supervisor’s statement).

Deadline for submitting referee assessments New

Applicants can now manage the deadline by which referees must submit their assessments.

For more information, please consult Task 8 of the Application guide.

Mobility and choice of host institution New

All applicants should clearly justify their choice of host institution and supervisor, and they should highlight the anticipated benefits with respect to fulfilling their career aspirations. If they have already been at the proposed host institution for more than 6 months, they must justify their decision to remain at the same location. There should be a direct correlation between the strength of the justification and the amount of time already spent at that institution. Only in rare circumstances will a Banting PDF be awarded to an applicant who is staying at the same institution or within the same research environment where they completed their PhD, PhD–equivalent or health professional degree.

Institutional endorsement (selectivity and diversity) Reminder

We would like to remind you to continue being highly selective in your endorsement of applications. In this way, we can work together to ensure that we receive very high-quality applications and, in turn, that the program is indeed supporting world-class postdoctoral fellows who will become the research leaders of tomorrow.

Proposals from all research areas and in both official languages are encouraged. In addition, careful consideration must be given to ensure gender equity in the endorsement process.

Equity, diversity and inclusion Reminder

The Banting PDF program encourages equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), as part of the Tri-Agency’s broader commitment to excellence in research and research training in Canada. EDI considerations must be taken into account throughout the Banting PDF competition, including during the selection committee member recruitment process and during the selection, endorsement and review processes of an application.

The EDI page of the Banting PDF website provides guidelines and resources geared towards applicants, host institutions, referees, and reviewers and readers, and addressing the following topics: research respectfully involving Indigenous communities; reducing unconscious bias; and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion more generally.

Eligible referees Reminder

An assessment cannot be completed by the proposed supervisor unless that person is already the applicant’s primary supervisor at the time of application or has been their primary supervisor in the past.

Subject matter eligibility (research area) Reminder

The onus is on the applicant and their proposed supervisor to carefully consider which selection committee should review the application. For more details, please consult the Application Guide- Task 6: Identify area of research. If there is uncertainty, please send an email to banting@cihr-irsc.gc.ca with a one-page summary of the proposed research, and Banting staff will provide clarification.

Supervisor’s statement (support from institutions) Reminder

Given the competitive nature of the Banting PDF program and its role as a premier postdoctoral program in Canada, it is very important that institutions clearly outline the support that will be provided to the applicant. The supervisor should explain how this support goes above and beyond what is offered to regular postdoctoral fellows. Furthermore, the support should be reasonable and appropriate to the institution and should meet the applicant’s needs and the requirements of the proposed research.

Task 10 of the application guide provides instructions for this document.

Following the evaluation of the Banting PDF program, fellows must complete the Banting End of Award Report, which includes follow-up questions to confirm whether or not the support outlined in the application was granted to the fellow during their award.

International recruitment Reminder

In keeping with the aim of attracting postdoctoral fellows to Canada, we encourage you to continue strengthening your efforts to endorse new foreign candidates. Your collaboration is essential in branding the Banting PDF program as Canada’s most valuable, prestigious and sought-after postdoctoral funding opportunity.

Date modified:

2019-04-17