Postdoctoral Fellowships 2024/2025
BBDC Postdoctoral Fellowships
BBDC Fellowship In Diabetes Care (Funded By Eli Lilly)
D.H. Gales Family Charitable Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowships
Novo Nordisk-BBDC Postdoctoral Fellowship
Sellers Postdoctoral Fellowship
Description
The fellowships offered by the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre (BBDC) are in-training awards for individuals who hold (or are expecting to complete) a doctoral degree (PhD) or medical degree (MD or equivalent). The objective of these awards is to attract and foster young investigators to initiate and/or continue research training in the field of diabetes.
The one-year fellowships are to be used for full-time diabetes research training at the University of Toronto or one of its affiliated institutions. These awards become tenable July 1, 2024 (and no later than September 1, 2024).
Eligibility Requirements
- The applicant’s proposed supervisor must be conducting diabetes research and must hold a faculty appointment with the University of Toronto at the level of assistant, associate or full professor at the time of application submission.
- The proposed supervisor must be employed full-time by the University of Toronto or a University of Toronto-affiliated institution.
- The proposed supervisor must also be a registered member* of the BBDC at the time of application submission. (*Faculty who are new to the field of diabetes research and are not members of the BBDC can request free membership by contacting the Centre prior to submitting an application. For more information, please see the Membership section of this website.)
- Applicants must have received a doctoral degree (PhD) after July 1, 2016, or a medical degree (MD or equivalent) after July 1, 2014. Interruptions or delays in an applicant’s post-graduate research training may be taken into account in determining eligibility. Valid interruptions include parental leaves, personal illness or illness of an immediate family member, or COVID-related interruptions due to travel restrictions, hiring freezes, laboratory shutdowns, mandatory military service, disruptions due to war, etc. Interruptions or delays should be discussed with the BBDC to determine eligibility before submitting an application.
- Applicants must have received a PhD or MD or expect to receive either degree by the award commencement date of July 1, 2024 (and no later than September 1, 2024). Documentation of degree completion will be required prior to the initiation of funding. The BBDC will not release funding to successful applicants who have not completed a PhD or MD at the time of the award commencement.
- Applicants proposing to train with their former graduate studies primary or co-supervisor will not be considered. Such applications are not eligible.
- The applicant cannot be registered in a clinical post-graduate training program while holding the BBDC fellowship.
- Applicants (including licensed MDs with clinical obligations) must be able to meet the minimum commitment of 90% of their time to the research proposed in the BBDC fellowship application.
- Applicants may be pursuing a graduate degree.
- This program is not restricted to Canadian citizens.
- The research must be carried out at the University of Toronto or one of its fully affiliated institutions.
- Applicants who were awarded a BBDC postdoctoral fellowship once before may apply for a second year of funding by submitting a new and complete application. Those who have received two postdoctoral fellowships from the BBDC are not eligible to apply.
- A supervisor may submit a maximum of 2 applications as the primary and/or co-supervisor.
Potential applicants who are not sure if they meet the eligibility requirements of this funding program should contact the BBDC prior to submitting an application.
Relevance to Diabetes
This funding program supports original discovery-based fundamental or clinical research in diabetes that would be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Research proposals can include any aspect of laboratory, animal, human, or clinical or health services research. Areas of research which are considered relevant to diabetes include the pathogenesis of diabetes or its complications, homeostatic or pathological pancreatic islet function, or metabolism, pharmacological mechanisms of drug or hormone action, biochemical or molecular aspects of biological or pathological processes, or research in population health or health services.
Stipend
The stipend is $50,000. A travel or research allowance is not provided.
Duration of Support
One year (for twelve consecutive months) normally starting on July 1, 2024 but no later than September 1, 2024.
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are reviewed by the BBDC Research Excellence Committee and will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- The research proposal, including relevance to diabetes
- The training environment in which the applicant will carry out their research project
- The candidate’s academic record and perceived potential as indicated by the transcripts and the letters of recommendation submitted with the application
- Research or professional experience, awards/prizes received, and publication record (compared to others at the same academic level)
- A minor component of the evaluation will be based on other factors that the reviewers consider relevant to the potential success of the applicant’s fellowship
Application Process
Submit a completed application form to the BBDC by the application deadline date. See the application form for complete instructions.
Download the 2024/2025 Postdoctoral Fellowships application form and submission instructions (PDF)
Application Deadline
Applications must be received by 4 p.m., February 27, 2024. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
Notification
All applicants will be notified of the funding decisions in May 2024. Funding decisions will also be posted on the this website.
Other Terms
Other Awards: If a successful candidate is also successful in obtaining another award, he/she must accept that funding. If that award has a lower monetary value than the BBDC fellowship, the BBDC will make up the difference, but only if the research proposal of the other award is identical to the research proposed in the BBDC fellowship application.
Ethics Approvals: It is imperative that the research undertaken by the fellow conforms to ethical standards. The primary responsibility for ethical conduct lies with the Supervisor of the research project and their institution, which must have the appropriate ethics committees in place to review and authorize research proposals. By signing and submitting an application to the BBDC, the supervisor and fellow undertake the responsibility to ensure that the research they are conducting complies with all relevant guidelines involving human subjects, animals, biohazards, stem cells, etc.
Foreign Fellows: Successful applicants who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada are responsible for obtaining all necessary documents required to work in Canada prior to commencing the fellowship (e.g. entry visa, work permit, social insurance number, etc.).
Presentation: Fellows will be required to give a presentation (either oral presentation or poster presentation) at the BBDC Annual Scientific Day to be held in May 2025.
Acknowledgements: Successful applicants are required to acknowledge support from the Banting & Best Diabetes Centre post-doctoral fellowships program in publications, presentations, and communications arising from the supported research. Failure to acknowledge this support will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs for both the fellow and supervisor.
Changes: In cases in which a fellowship recipient requests a subsequent change in supervisor and/or change in the research project, the BBDC must be notified as the awarding of the fellowship may need to be reconsidered by the review committee.
Reporting Requirement
Successful applicants are required to provide a progress report and copies of publications arising from this funding within 60 days of the end of the funding period. Failure to provide this report will result in future ineligibility for BBDC funding programs for both the fellow and supervisor.
Inquiries
Rose LaBarbera
Phone: (416) 978-4656
E-mail: [email protected]