Applying for the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at Trent

Procedures for Submitting an Application

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program provides awards to the very best postdoctoral researchers, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to the country’s economic, social and research-based growth. Only 70 fellowships are awarded annually.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program is unique in its emphasis on the synergy 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.

As the most prestigious PDF award in Canada, the Banting Fellowship provides the opportunity to attract exceptional talent to Trent University's research community. Only in exceptionally rare circumstances will a Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship be awarded to an applicant who is staying at the same institution where they completed their PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree.

Annual Value: $70,000 CAD per year for two years (non-renewable)

Internal Deadline: Applications are now closed for the internal competition

External Deadline: September 17, 2024 (20:00 EDT)

For official information, regulations and procedures, visit the Banting Website and please click here to access the launch memo.

Eligibility

Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and Foreign citizens are eligible to apply, provided they meet the following conditions:

• Applicants who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada may only hold their Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at a Canadian institution.
• Applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who obtained their PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree from a foreign university may only hold their Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at a Canadian institution.
• Applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and who obtained their PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree from a Canadian university may hold their Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship at either a Canadian institution or an institution outside of Canada.

Applicants to the 2024-25 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program must fulfill or have fulfilled all degree requirements for a PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree before the start date of their award, with consideration of these four factors:

• Degree requirements must be/have been completed on a date within the eligibility window between September 15, 2021, and September 30, 2025 (inclusively), and before the start date of their award.
• Applicants who have not fulfilled all requirements for their degree at the time of application must submit proof no later than October 15, 2025. Applicants who do not submit such proof will be automatically withdrawn from the competition.
• The window of eligibility can be extended if the applicant’s career has been interrupted or delayed due to parental leave, illness, health-related family responsibilities or mandatory military service. The career interruption must have occurred after degree requirement fulfillment. Note that the eligibility window will only be extended by the duration of the interruption, to a cumulative maximum of 3 years.
• Additionally, for health professionals who have engaged in post-degree non-research-related clinical training (e.g., residency), the eligibility window can be extended by the duration of this training.
   

Justifications for extensions must be provided in the Special Circumstances attachment.

The date the applicant “fulfilled all requirements of the degree” refers to the date that the applicant completed all the steps required for obtaining the degree, not the date of convocation. Although these requirements may vary by institution and degree type, they normally include thesis defense corrections and thesis deposition.

Application Process

To ensure the strongest applications receive the required institutional endorsement, application packages first undergo a mandatory internal review. Applications must align with the mandate of one of the Tri-Agencies (CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC); only one application per Tri-Agency will be supported in the external competition. The application package must address the Banting Program objectives and selection criteria.

Documents for internal review are to be submitted via email to researchprograms@trentu.ca no later than July 22nd, 2024. Late applications will not be considered.

Applicants who are selected for institutional support will be provided feedback and guidance when they prepare the full application for the external competition.

The tables below list which sections of the Banting full application are required for the Trent internal review and a timeline of the process. Details application sections can be found on the Banting website under Guide to Applying. An important element of a successful application is the synergy between the applicant’s scholarly and leadership qualities with the proposed research environment. Highlighting this synergy requires the proposed supervisor to identify how their expertise and available resources match the development goals of the applicant.

*The Letter of Reference required for internal review must be submitted by someone other than the proposed supervisor, and include the following:

• An assessment of the applicant's research excellence and demonstrated leadership;
• An assessment of the merit of the proposed research; and 
• Comment of the suitability of the proposed research environment.

The referee should submit the letter of reference directly to researchprograms@trentu.ca.

** Trent University requires the supervisor and applicant’s insight on Institutional Synergy in order to develop the Institutional Support Letter on the applicants’ behalf. The description of Institutional Synergy for internal review should address the Elements for Professional Development and the Research Environment at the University in one page using 12pt with single space. The applicant and supervisor must refer to Trent University’s Strategic Research Plan.

For Further Information

Please visit the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship website, or contact the researchprograms@trentu.ca for further information.