Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program-discontinued

Award Overview

• Award Category: International Awards, Postdoctoral Awards
• Student Deadline : The 2024 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships was the final competition for this program
• Value & Duration : $70,000 per year for two years​​​
• Required Legal Status : Domestic / International

Purpose

Sunsetting of the Banting program 

The 2024 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship competition (results released in mid-February 2025) was the final competition for this program.

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has launched a new harmonized Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (CPRA) program, which replaces the previous agency specific postdoctoral fellowships and the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships ​Program was intended to 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.

Seventy fellowships were awarded annually, divided evenly between Canada’s three federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC). There were a total of 140 awards active at any one time.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program was unique in its emphasis on the synergy of research goals and projects between the following:

• Applicant – individual merit and potential to launch a successful research-intensive career
• Host Institution – commitment to the research program and alignment with the institution’s strategic priorities

Award Holder Information

Please ensure you are familiar with the policies and follow the acceptance and payment activation procedures as outlined in the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide.

To activate payment at the University of Toronto, your supervisor will need to create an application on the My Research Applications (MRA) portal to correspond with your Banting application before your award can be paid out. All research funding applications at U of T require an application to be created on the MRA system, details of which can be found here. Without a fully-approved MRA, signifying full department/faculty approval of your application, the University cannot set up a fund to hold your award monies.

Please note: The MRA application can only be completed by your supervisor; fellows are not able to access the MRA system directly.

The MRA application draws on materials you will have already prepared for your application for the Banting PDF and does not require any additional application materials from you. A copy of your research proposal and your Authorization For Funding (AFF) document must be attached to the MRA application for approval, and the MRA must list the term of your award (start & end dates) as well as the total amount of funding approved. These details will be listed in the AFF document you receive confirming the success of your application.

Once completed and submitted, the MRA application will be automatically routed for electronic approvals to the chair/director of the administering department and then on to Research Services. Once Research Services receives the MRA application with all necessary approvals in place, a restricted research fund will be established to house your award funds. Details on the fund will be provided to your supervisor and departmental business officer so arrangements for the payment of your monthly stipend monies can be arranged; payment of your first monthly stipend through the University’s payroll system (HRIS) will be able to follow shortly thereafter.

If you or your supervisor have any questions about the MRA process, please reach out to Research Services.

Contacts & Resources