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There are various sources and process by which Postdoctoral Fellows can find and receive funding. Although we have listed some of the common sources here, it is not an exhaustive list. 

Note: Some fellowships applications have internal SFU deadlines.

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships (CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC) Various Research Areas
 
Deadline: Usually mid June

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Open To

Canadian & International

How to Apply

Through SFU's Graduate Studies (GS)

Deadline

SFU has internal process. Internal SFU deadline usually mid June

Website 

https://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/en/home-accueil.html 

For information on SFU’s internal process:
https://www.sfu.ca/postdoctoral-fellows/fellowships-funding/find-funding/banting.html

 

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships program provides funding to the very best postdoctoral applicants, both nationally and internationally, who will positively contribute to Canada's economic, social and research‑based growth.

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Fulbright Canada: Fulbright Scholar Award Various Research Areas
 
Deadline: Usually mid November

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Open To

Canadian & International

How to Apply

Directly to Fulbright Canada

Deadline

Usually mid November (Nov 15, 2021)

Website 

https://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-scholars/traditional-awards.html

Traditional Fulbright awards are open to Canadian scholars in all fields and are designed to enable emerging and established scholars, post-doctoral researchers and experienced professionals to conduct research, teach, or undertake a combination of both activities for one semester or a full academic year at any university or research center of their choice in the United States.

While the competition is open to all disciplines, Fulbright Canada is particularly interested in encouraging research on contemporary issues relevant to Canada, the United States and the relationship between the two countries. Applicants should also clearly document the need to be in residence in the United States to carry out the project.

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Canadian Institutes of Health Research: CIHR Fellowship Health Sciences
Deadline: Usually early October

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Open To

Canadian and international applicants*

How to Apply

Through CIHR's ResearchNet System

Deadline

Usually early October (October 5, 2023)

Website 

Funding opportunity/eligibility listed in ResearchNet:
https://www.researchnet-recherchenet.ca

Instructions to apply:
https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/38886.html

Funding in the Health Sciences, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada are eligible to hold a CIHR Fellowship award in Canada or abroad.

*Nominated Principal Applicants who are neither a Canadian citizen nor a permanent resident of Canada may only hold a CIHR Fellowship award at a Canadian institution.

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Canadian Institutes of Health Research Partners: Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship Health Sciences
Deadline: Winter

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Open To

TBD

How to Apply

Directly to CIHR

Deadline

Winter 2022

Website 

https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/52692.html

The Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship provides Postdoctoral awardees with an experiential learning opportunity within a health system organization (public, private, not-for-profit and Indigenous health organizations outside the traditional university setting) where they dedicate the majority of their embedded fellowship time towards a co-developed program of work that advances the organization’s impact goals and contributes to rapid learning and improvement. 

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Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research: Research Trainee Program Health sciences
 
Deadline: Usually early February for Letter of Intent; other due dates apply

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Open To

Canadian citizens, permanent residents and foreign nationals. Foreign nationals must be sponsored by a BC supervisor who holds an academic appointment at a BC university.

How to Apply

Through MSFHR’s ApplyNet system

Deadline

LOI Deadline: December 12, 2023, 4:30 p.m PT

Full Application Deadline: February 23, 2024, 4:30 p.m PT

Important note: There is an SFU internal approval process. Graduate & Postdoctoral staff will review and submit applications forward by the deadline given by MSFHR.

Website 

https://www.msfhr.org/1/fundingprogram/research-trainee-program

MSFHR Funding provides 3 years of salary support for talented post-doctoral or health professional researchers to develop their health research careers. Funding helps post-doctoral researchers increase their, and their labs’, research productivity, and prepares them for successful careers in research, biotech, health policy and more.

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Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada: Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Sciences & Engineering
Deadline: Usually mid October

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Open To

Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada or a protected person under subsection 95(2) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada)

How to Apply

Directly to NSERC using their Online System

Deadline

Usually mid October (October 17, 2021)

Website 

https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Students-Etudiants/PD-NP/PDF-BP_eng.asp

The NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) program provides support to a core of the most promising researchers at a pivotal time in their careers. The fellowships are also intended to secure a supply of highly qualified Canadians with leading-edge scientific and research skills for Canadian industry, government and academic institutions.

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Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowships Social Sciences & Humanities
Deadline: Usually mid September

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Open To

Citizens or permanent residents of Canada or a “protected person” under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

How to Apply

Directly to SSHRC using their webapps system

Deadline

Usually mid September (September 15, 2021)

Website 

https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/fellowships/postdoctoral-postdoctorale-eng.aspx#4 

These fellowships support the most promising Canadian new scholars in the social sciences and humanities, and assist them in establishing a research base at an important time in their research careers.

The purpose of these fellowships is to provide stipendiary support to recent PhD graduates who are:

  • undertaking original research;
  • publishing research findings;
  • developing and expanding personal research networks;
  • broadening their teaching experience;
  • preparing for research-intensive careers within and beyond academia; and
  • preparing to become competitive in national research grant competitions.

SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship awards are tenable at Canadian or foreign universities and research institutions.

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Mitacs: Multiple Funding Programs Various Research Areas
 
Deadline: Most programs accept applications anytime

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Open To

Canadian citizens, permanent residents, and international applicants

How to Apply

Directly to Mitacs

Deadline

Most programs are apply anytime

Website 

 https://www.mitacs.ca/en

Mitacs has a suite of programs designed to partner researchers with training, collaborative projects and internships with government decision makers and/or partnering organizations.

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Weston Brain Institute Various Programs
 
Deadline: Various; some programs are ongoing

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Open To

Funds can only be given to Canada Revenue Agency qualified donees located in Canada.

How to Apply

Directly to WBI using their Online Grant Application System

Deadline

Various, some programs are ongoing (apply anytime)

Website 

https://westonfoundation.ca/weston-brain-institute/

All funding programs support the investigation of novel lifestyle approaches that allow for the maintenance of optimal brain health and/or translational research to accelerate the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases of aging. Note that WBI does not fund basic research; they fund translational research.

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Barbara and James Bennet Travel Award for Postdoctoral Fellows in Chemistry Chemistry
 
Postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Chemistry who are attending and presenting an international academic conference.

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Open To

Postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Chemistry who are attending and presenting an international academic conference.

How to Apply

Through SFU’s Department of Chemistry

Deadline

Rolling basis

Terms of Reference:

  1. The purpose of this award is to provide financial support for postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Chemistry to help with the costs associated with attending and presenting an international academic conference.
  2. Applicants will be evaluated based on their research progress during their postdoctoral fellowship at SFU as determined by the Department of Chemistry's Graduate Program Committee.
  3. This award is funded by one-third of the spending allocation from the Barbara and James Bennet Scholars Endowment Fund. One or more awards, with a maximum value of $2,000 are tenable in any term. Multiple awards may be disbursed if the endowment fund spending allocation permits; however, the value of additional awards must be equal to the first award given in any fiscal year.
  4. Postdoctoral fellows must be nominated for this award by their Department of Chemistrybased supervisor.
  5. The criteria for this award are:
    • full-time employment at SFU as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry
    • demonstrated research excellence a the graduate and postdoctoral level
    • identification of a suitable conference with a high impact for the postdoctoral fellow's research career
  6. The award application and/or nomination might include the following (check with Chemistry):
    • a curriculum vitae summarizing scholastic achievements and work relevant to the aims of this award
    • one letter of support from their faculty member supervisor
    • a concise (no more than one-page) outline of the proposed research
    • a statement from the applicant of why they want to attend the chosen conference and how their participation in the conference will advance their career
  7. Applicants will be evaluated based on their research progress during their postdoctoral fellowship at SFU as determined by the Department of Chemistry's Graduate Program Committee.
  8. All supporting documents should be submitted to the office of the Department of Chemistry by March 1st. The award is contingent on the awardee being accepted to present an oral or poster presentation of their research at the conference.
  9. After the recipient accepts the award, this will be paid through an expense claim with original receipts. Questions about this award can be directed to gpsaward@sfu.ca.
  10. The award will be granted by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of the Senate Graduate Awards Adjudication Committee, upon the recommendation oif the Department of Chemistry's Graduate Program Committee.
SFU Research Grants for Postdoctoral Fellows Various Research Areas
 
Deadline: Various, based on grant

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Open To

Canadian & International

How to Apply

By special approval

Deadline

See below note

PDFs are eligible to apply for research grants only if they receive special approval from the Vice-President, Research and International. For more information about this process and the qualifying circumstances please see the grant eligibility form.

This opportunity is through SFU's Institutional Strategic Awards unit. Interested applicants should use the Learn More link below for this and similar opportunities. 

Note: this process should be initiated well in advance of Research Services deadlines.

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Health Research Foundation: Fellowships Health Sciences
 
Deadline: Usually early October

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Open To

Canadian Citizens

How to Apply

Directly to agency (see their website)

Deadline

Early October (October 4, 2021)

Website 

http://hrf-frs.com/en/home

The Health Research Foundation (HRF), is a non-profit organization, investing in academic centres across Canada which focus on innovative, and leading-edge research. The Health Research Foundation (HRF), is a non-profit organization, investing in academic centres across Canada which focus on innovative, and leading-edge research.

August 19, 2021: The Health Research Foundation (HRF) invites applications for its Fellowship in Health Systems Resilience. The HRF is committed to enhancing Canada’s health ecosystem and the launch of a health systems resiliency fellowship at this time is significant. Canadians are looking to the research community to ensure that Canada has the tools it needs to successfully stem future pandemics and similar threats to national health and safety. The Fellowship specifically funds research designed to enhance the resilience of Canada’s health systems. The Fellowship recipient will be eligible to receive $450,000 in funding over the course of three years.

The deadline for the final application package is October 4, 2021.

The 2021 HRF Guidelines and Application Form can be found on the Health Research Foundation’s website.  

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BrightFocus Foundation: multiple funding programs Various Research Areas
 
Deadline: Varies by program, usually October and November

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Open To

Canadian & International

How to Apply

Through the ProposalCentral application portal

Deadline

Varies by program, usually October and November

Website 

https://www.brightfocus.org

BrightFocus Foundation is at the forefront of brain and eye health, advancing early-stage, investigator-initiated research around the world. Programs fund research in the areas of Alzheimer's Disease, Macular Degeneration, National Gluacoma. 

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Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) Various Programs
 
Deadline: Various; some programs are ongoing

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Open To

TBD

How to Apply

Directly to CAMH using their system. Note: a CIHR academic CV is required using the Canadian Common CV (CVV)

Deadline

Various, some programs are ongoing

Website 

https://www.camh.ca/en/science-and-research/research-students-and-fellows

Prospective post-doctoral fellows may apply for positions through a dedicated post-doctoral fellowship program at CAMH. The deadline for these fellowships is typically toward the end of the calendar year, although other opportunities may arise throughout the year.

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