• 70 new awards every year across Canada.
• 70 000 $ per year.
• 2 years (non-renewable).

• Please refer to the eligibility criteria as presented on the Banting fellowship Web site.
• Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada and foreign citizens are eligible to apply.
• Applicants must fulfill or have fulfilled all degree requirements for a PhD, PhD-equivalent or health professional degree between September 15, 2021 and September 30, 2025 (inclusively); and before the start of the award.
• Applications from all research areas and in both official languages are encouraged.
• While candidates already conducting research as postdoctoral fellows at UOttawa are eligible, they must provide an extensive justification for the decision to remain at the same institution. There should be a direct correlation between the strength of the justification and the amount of time already spent at the institution.
• 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. In such cases, a solid justification must be provided.
• Applicants must not hold a tenure-track or tenured faculty position.

• Research excellence and leadership in the research domain.
• Quality of applicant's proposed research program.
• Institutional commitment and demonstrated synergy between applicant and institutional strategic priorities.

For more information, please refer to the selection criteria and detailed guidelines as presented on the Banting web site.

A candidate must complete the following steps:

1. Access ResearchNet  to register and start filling out the application file. 
2. Access the Canadian Common CV to create the Vanier-Banting Academic CV and link it to the ResearchNet application. 
3. Fill out the following sections:
   • Identification of Area of Research and Applicant;
   • Degree Information;
   • Canadian Common CV (CCV);
   • Significance of Research Contributions;
   • Significance of Leadership Contributions;
   • Fulfillment of Degree Requirements Form;
   • Special Circumstances (including extensive justification for lack of mobility if it applies);
   • Seek and identify three referees (at least one must be at arm's length);
   • Title of Research Proposal;
   • Lay Title and lay Abstract (both are mandatory for the application to be considered);
   • Project Overview;
   • Project Details;
   • Project Descriptors / Keywords;
   • Choice of Institution (justification for, as part of the research proposal and supervisor’s statement);
   • Research proposal (clearly formulated and accessible to a multi-disciplinary committee);
   • Bibliography;
   • Supervisor's statement (including supervisor's biography and adequacy for the proposed research, suitability of the proposed research environment, extra commitments to fellow, extensive list of opportunities for professional development, and elaborate discussion on institutional synergy with the applicant and proposed research).
   • The Supervisor’s Statement must provide evidence that the institution and the supervisor are a perfect match with the candidate and are uniquely positioned to provide all the required support to the applicant. It must include a description of the supervisor's academic and research background, and key accomplishments, describe the fit between the research interests of the supervisor and that of the candidate, provide details concerning the applicant’s proposed research environment (extra funding, facilities, personnel to support the applicant that will be provided) describe the institution's commitment to the applicant’s professional development (and indicate specific resources, guidance and training activities available), document the relevant institution’s strategic priorities, and illustrate the synergy between these priorities and the applicant’s proposed research.
   • The three referees’ assessments must extensively develop on each of the three points defined in the Referee's Assessment form in ResearchNet: Section 1- Assessment of research excellence and demonstrated leadership; Section 2 - Assessment of merit of proposed research; and Section 3 - Assessment of suitability of the proposed research environment. They must all provide relevant evidence, perspectives, and insight on those topics to support the review of the candidate’s application considering the three selection criteria.
   • Save a PDF copy of all sections (from the Preview section in ResearchNet) and email them to ousmane.sarr@uottawa.ca by July 25, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.
   • Note: the only one section that must not be completed is the “Institutional Letter of Endorsement”.
4. Through ResearchNet contact three referees who will fill a Referee's Assessment form in ResearchNet and ask the referees to send a PDF copy of their assessment directly to ousmane.sarr@uottawa.ca (an assessment can be viewed and saved to PDF by a referee after it is submitted in ResearchNet) by July 25, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. It is strongly recommended that referees keep a PDF copy of their assessment, as in some cases the Evaluation Committee may request that some updates or improvements be made to the assessments. This would be achieved by unregistering a referee in ResearchNet and registering again the same referee (who would then receive a new request for an assessment which he/she will need to refill entirely).

2023-2024 Banting PDF timeline

I am interested in applying to the Banting Fellowships through the University of Ottawa. How can I find a research supervisor?

You have to identify and contact directly a professor in your area of interest. To identify potential research supervisors you can use the the following link https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members?unit=uottawa.

Can I apply to the Banting Fellowships through the University of Ottawa if I already am a fellow there?

Yes. However, you must provide a strong justification for the reasons why you want to stay at the University of Ottawa in the “Special circumstances” section of the application. Note that the longer you have been at the University of Ottawa, the stronger the required justification will need to be.

I am interested in applying to the Banting Fellowships competition through the University of Ottawa. Can I have an example of a successful application?

We are sorry. For confidentiality reasons, we can’t provide you an example of a successful application. However, if you have any question related to the best practices for preparing an application, do not hesitate to contact the program coordinator ousmane.sarr@uottawa.ca. 

I am a student from another university and I am preparing a Banting Fellowships application for the University of Ottawa. Who should sign the Fulfilment of Degree Requirements Form?

The form should be signed by the University where you completed your PhD.

I am a PhD student at the University of Ottawa and I am preparing a Banting Fellowships application to another university. Who can help me prepare my application?

You must get in contact with the university where you wish to hold your postdoctoral fellowship to learn about their Banting Fellowships internal selection process. They will be able to support you. In addition, you will have to contact InfoService here at the University of Ottawa to obtain the required signature for the Fulfilment of Degree Requirements Form.

I am not sure that my application file will be complete before the internal deadline. What should I do?

In fairness to candidates who submit their applications before the internal deadline, it is very often difficult to grant extensions. Furthermore, the selection committees do not have much time to evaluate the late applications.

How do I export my Banting application from ResearchNet?

To download and save a PDF version of your ResearchNet application, you need to connect to the ResearchNet portal, go to the “tasks” section and click on “Preview”. After, in the section “Application Materials”, click on “Preview” on the “Application Details” line. This will generate a PDF document of the application that you will need to save on your computer.

The Evaluation Committee recommends one of my referees to change his document. How do we proceed?

You first unregister that referee in ResearchNet then you register him again. The referee will receive a new request for an assessment by email regarding. The referee will have to write the assessment again, therefore, it is imperative that the referees keep a copy of their original assessment.

I haven’t been selected as a University of Ottawa candidate. Can I have the reviewer’s comments?

Whenever possible, the Program Coordinator will share with the candidates the feedback for improvement from the selection committee.

I have problems filling the application in ResearchNet. Who can help me?

If you have technical problems, you can contact the system support team by email at support@researchnet-recherchenet.ca or by phone at 613-964-9080.

If you have problems understanding the program guidelines, you can contact the Program Coordinator by email ousmane.sarr@uottawa.ca or by phone at 613-562-5800 (7751).

I am a Banting Fellowships recipient. What are the next steps for me?

Accept the Offer of Award in ResearchNet and inform the Program Coordinator ousmane.sarr@uottawa.ca. 

My Banting Fellowship application was not successful, but I still want to be a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Ottawa, how can I proceed?

You can contact the Office of graduate and postdoctoral studies at postdoc@uottawa.ca.

You can also find information on postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Ottawa on their website.