Information for host institutions

A host institution is the institution where the applicant will hold their Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Please refer to the Eligibility section for host institution eligibility regulations.

Host institutions play a critical role in the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program and should endorse only the highest-caliber postdoctoral researchers. Host institutions are encouraged to consider diversity on multiple levels (e.g., research discipline, gender, official language (for Canadian host institutions), cultural background, citizenship) when considering which applicants to endorse for the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program.

The agencies have signed the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), a global initiative whose purpose is to support the development and promotion of best practices in the assessment of scholarly research. It aims to address the negative consequences of unintended overuse of journal publications as a primary quality indicator for research output. As signatories of DORA, the agencies recognize and value a broad range of contributions and emphasize their quality and impact. Peer review will be done in accordance with DORA.

Applicants must be endorsed by the institution's president (equivalent or designate).

There is no set cap on the number of applicants an institution can endorse. However, given the level of collaboration required between host institutions and applicants, the rigour of the selection process and the fact that only 70 fellowships are awarded per year, institutions are expected to be highly selective and limit the number of applications they endorse.

Host institutions must collaborate with applicants and provide evidence of the following:

• the institution's strategic use of the proposed research program
• institutional support for the proposed research program
• the institution's commitment to developing the research and leadership potential of the applicant and to positioning the candidate for leadership in a research-intensive career
• the institution’s awareness and support of any collaborations involved in the proposed research (e.g., research respectfully involving and engaging Indigenous communities)

Host institutions must provide applicants with two documents to support their application:

• An institutional letter of endorsement
• Supervisor's statement

For more information on these documents, please refer to the appropriate sections in Enter proposal information and supporting documents.

The candidate and supervisor must carefully consider which selection committee should review the application. For more details, please see Identify area of research.

From the outset of the application process, applicants and host institutions should discuss:

• the details of the fellowship appointment
  • any benefits offered to the postdoctoral researcher
  • any financial obligations associated with the appointment (union dues, insurance premiums, etc.)
  • the availability of any research and/or other support
  • the rights and responsibilities of postdoctoral researcher
  • any other institution-specific policies that might apply to the Banting postdoctoral researcher
• any established research-related policies and protocols (e.g., OCAP® for First Nations or any established by Inuk (Inuit) and Métis Peoples of Canada; approvals for research involving the use of humans, animals or biohazards)

Fellowships are paid either through the host institution (in most cases in Canada) or directly to the postdoctoral researcher. The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program does not cover research funding or overhead/administrative costs. The fellowship is a stipend that is awarded to the postdoctoral researcher.

For more information on award administration, please refer to Holding a Fellowship.

Enhancements and changes to the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship program, we welcome feedback from host institutions. To share your program enhancement ideas with us, please send an email to banting@cihr-irsc.gc.ca, and indicate “Banting Enhancements” in the subject line. We will respond to emails within two business days.