Introduction — why this guide matters

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships have been Canada’s most prestigious post-doctoral awards: highly selective, nation-wide, aimed at nurturing research leaders. In its last offered cycle (announced July 2025), Banting provided exceptionally generous support — $70,000 CAD per year for two years — and drew applicants globally. That level of support can be transformational for postdoctoral researchers from Africa and Asia wanting to build international research profiles, gain fieldwork or lab access, and form durable academic collaborations in Canada.

Two realities matter for prospective applicants and advisors:

1. Banting’s final full cycle (2024–25) has now concluded; the Government of Canada has begun transitioning postdoctoral support into a harmonized Canada Postdoctoral Research Award (Tri-agency). If you’re aiming for future Canadian postdoctoral funding, focus on the new harmonized program as it takes shape.

2. Banting did not require IELTS per se — applicants could submit applications in English or French, and the host institution’s endorsement and evidence of language capability mattered more than a specific test certificate. I’ll explain exactly how language proof worked in practice and what you should prepare instead.

This article covers the whole journey: who was eligible, what the award paid (monthly figures you can budget for), the institutional nomination and application process, how to show language competence without IELTS, how to write a competitive application (SOP, research proposal, references), common mistakes, and what to do now that Banting is being consolidated into the new Tri-agency award.

Section 1 — At a glance: What Banting offered in 2025

Headline facts (Banting 2024–25 cycle):

• Value: CAD $70,000 per year (taxable).

• Duration: 2 years (non-renewable).

• Number of awards: ~70 fellowships awarded nationally each year (roughly distributed equally across the three federal agencies).

• Who may hold the award: Canadian citizens, permanent residents and foreign citizens — with limitations on where non-Canadians can hold their award (typically at Canadian institutions).

• Application system: Applicant must apply in close collaboration with the host institution; institutional endorsement is required.

Monthly stipend equivalent: $70,000 CAD/year ÷ 12 = ~$5,833 CAD per month (gross; remember the award is taxable). That simple conversion helps with budgeting (rent, insurance, travel, food) when planning a stay in Canada.

Note: there were no additional research or travel funds included with the Banting award (the stipend was intended to cover living costs), though some host institutions provided complementary top-ups or research support. Check with the host department about institutional top-ups.

Section 2 — Why Banting mattered for researchers from Africa & Asia

The Banting award was more than money — it was a reputational accelerator. For many early career researchers in Africa and Asia, Banting represented:

• High visibility: a prestigious fellowship that signals leadership potential and opens doors to faculty positions and collaborations.

• Protected researcher time: funding that lets you focus on high-impact outputs (papers, patents, prototypes) rather than precarious short-term contracts.

• Access to Canadian facilities & networks: equipment, co-supervision and mentorship at a global level.

• Bridge to international mobility: fieldwork in Canada or abroad, joint projects, and a curated leadership development agenda in some host institutions.

Even though Banting’s last competition is complete, the lessons for applying to Canada’s future harmonized postdoctoral awards are extremely practical: build institutional buy-in early, craft a crisp leadership narrative, and have evidence of impact back home (how you’ll translate the training to strengthen your institution or region).

Section 3 — Eligibility: who could apply for Banting (and typical caveats)

Banting’s eligibility rules were precise; if you were preparing in 2024–25, you had to follow them exactly.

Key eligibility points included:

• Degree completion window: Applicants must have completed all PhD (or PhD-equivalent) requirements within a defined window prior to the application (for the 2024–25 competition, roughly between Sept 15, 2021 and Sept 30, 2025, with extensions possible for career interruptions). If you were still finishing your degree when you applied, you had to confirm completion by specified dates.

• No concurrent Tri-agency awards: You could not hold the Banting concurrently with another Tri-agency training award; if you held another postdoctoral award, its term had to end before the Banting start date.

• Host institution eligibility: The award was tenable only at institutions that could host Banting fellows (Canadian and some foreign institutions were eligible, with conditions), and the host institution had to endorse the application — institutional endorsement was non-negotiable.

• No tenure holders: Applicants could not hold tenure-track or tenured positions.

These strict rules explain why early and direct communication with the proposed Canadian host (and their research office) is a recurring theme below.

Section 4 — Stipend & tax: the numbers you need to budget

Official stipend: $70,000 CAD per year (taxable). That converts, before tax, to approximately CAD 5,833/month. Keep in mind:

• Taxable income: Fellowship payments were considered taxable income in Canada. Your net monthly amount will depend on province of residence, tax treaty between Canada and your home country (if any), and personal circumstances (dependents, other income). Always plan conservatively and consult your host institution’s payroll or international office to understand withholdings and possible tax treaty relief as an international scholar.

• No travel or research line item: Banting did not include dedicated travel or research funds within the award. Many host labs or departments, however, provide research budgets, in-kind support, or top-ups for equipment/fieldwork; inquire early.

• Institutional top-ups: Some Canadian universities offered internal top-ups or extra research funds to Banting awardees. These were not guaranteed and vary widely across institutions — ask your prospective host.

Example budget (very approximate, monthly, gross):

• stipend gross: CAD 5,833

• expected tax & deductions (varies widely): CAD 800–1,500 (example)

• net (approx): CAD 4,300–5,000 (example; check with payroll).

• typical rent in many Canadian university cities (1-bed outside city core): CAD 1,000–1,800/month

• OSHC/health coverage: often supplied or arranged by institution for international scholars; check details.

Always speak to the host institution’s international or postdoc office early to model your net income and living costs precisely.

Section 5 — Language & IELTS: do you have to take a test?

Short answer: No — Banting did not require applicants to submit IELTS specifically. Here’s why, and what you should provide instead.

• Official languages & submission: The Banting application materials could be submitted in English or French — application documents in either official language were acceptable. The program guidance explicitly allowed French or English submissions and provided minor adjustments (e.g., an extra page for French research proposals).

• No single test gatekeeper: There was no Banting rule forcing IELTS or TOEFL; instead, the host institution’s endorsement and demonstration that you could carry out research and communicate in the chosen official language were the deciding practical factors. Many successful international applicants from Africa and Asia relied on one or more of the following instead of IELTS:

  • Medium-of-Instruction (MOI) letter: an official letter from your degree-granting institution confirming that instruction and assessment were in English (or French).

  • Publications, presentations, or teaching in English/French (peer-reviewed articles, conference talks, recorded lectures).

  • Supervisor endorsement & local letters: the Canadian host’s endorsement and referee letters that comment on language competence for academic work.

Practical advice: If you are an applicant from Africa or Asia who did your degree in English (or French), obtain an MOI letter from your registrar and include it with your application and institutional endorsement. If your degree was not in English/French, either take a recognized test (IELTS, TOEFL, PTE) or strengthen your application with English research outputs and demonstrable communication evidence. The host institution can advise if a formal test is needed for their internal endorsement.

Section 6 — Application process: step-by-step (detailed roadmap)

Banting was an institutional-endorsed award. The process requires coordination, good timelines, and precise documents. Here’s a week-by-week/workflow roadmap you can use to prepare for the next equivalent Canadian postdoctoral competition (or to understand how Banting worked):

Phase 0 — Nine to twelve months before the institutional deadline

• Identify potential Canadian hosts and contact supervisors (brief email, 3–5 sentences about your work, two-line research pitch, CV). Ask whether they plan to support Banting (or the Tri-agency replacement) nominations and their internal timelines.

• Check eligibility precisely (degree completion windows, mobility rules, current fellowship constraints). If you already hold a postdoc award, verify whether you can apply (some awards cannot overlap).

Phase 1 — Six months before submissions (institutional preselection starts)

• Obtain MOI letters or other language documents if you aim to avoid IELTS. Request these from your registrar as soon as possible — institutions often take weeks to issue official letters.

• Gather publications & outputs (PDFs, preprints, DOIs) and prepare a polished research statement.

• Ask referees to tentatively agree (identify 3 referees; inform them of timeline and the institutional endorsement process).

Phase 2 — 2–3 months before the institutional internal deadline

• Draft application materials: Research proposal (4 pages max in English for Banting), personal leadership statement, detailed CV (Canadian Common CV / Tri-agency CCV), and other attachments per the guide.

• Submit materials for internal review at the host institution (universities typically run internal competitions to select the strongest candidate(s) to endorse). Expect to revise materials per internal reviewers’ feedback.

Phase 3 — Institutional nomination & national submission

• Host institution submits your endorsed application to the Vanier-Banting Secretariat (or in the future to the Tri-agency portal). Only institutionally endorsed applications were accepted at the national level.

Phase 4 — External review & results

• National evaluation by expert committees across CIHR / NSERC / SSHRC takes place. Results are communicated via the ResearchNet/portal. Expect months between submission and award notifications.

Phase 5 — If you receive the award

• Coordinate start date (Banting awards were to be taken up between April 1 and October 1 after the year of application). Complete visa and relocation steps. Clarify payroll and tax setup with host HR.

Section 7 — What reviewers looked for: the selection criteria (how to shape your application)

Banting emphasized two primary axes: the applicant (their research excellence and leadership potential) and the institution (the host’s support, commitment to the candidate’s career path). Reviewers effectively asked: “Does this person have the promise of becoming a national/international research leader, and can this host provide the environment to help them?”

How to craft materials that match this framing:

• Research proposal (very concise and strategic):

  • 4 pages max in English — tight literature gap, clear hypothesis, methods, measurable outcomes (papers, prototypes, policy briefs).

  • Emphasize novelty, scalability, and regional / global impact (especially how the research will link to Canadian capacity and benefit home country contexts).

• Leadership and career development narrative:

  • Demonstrate leadership activities (team leadership, mentoring, organizing workshops, public engagement). Outline a personal development plan (training, planned collaborations, leadership milestones).

• Host institution letter:

  • Must be concrete: describe resources, supervision plan, training opportunities, space/facilities, and how the host will actively support career progression (e.g., mentoring, networking, funding top-ups). The stronger and more specific this letter, the better.

• Referee letters:

  • Should comment specifically on intellectual independence, leadership potential, communication skills, and why the applicant is an excellent fit for the host environment.

Section 8 — Comparison table: Banting vs other Canadian postdoc supports (quick view)