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Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026/2027

Banting and Best Diabetes Centre

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, 2026 (and no later than September 1, 2026).

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, 2026 but no later than September 1, 2026.

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

New Application Process

Application submissions must be made online by the potential candidate/fellow through ProposalCentral. ProposalCentral is a secure grants management platform for applicants to electronically submit funding applications. To apply, the candidate must log in with an existing ProposalCentral account or create a new account.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Clear Focus on Diabetes or Metabolic Disease

The strongest predictor is direct relevance to diabetes (Type 1, Type 2, gestational diabetes, complications, metabolism, insulin biology, obesity-related pathways).

Successful proposals clearly show:

How the work advances understanding, prevention, or treatment of diabetes

Relevance to metabolic health or diabetic complications

2. Alignment with BBDC Strategic Priorities

BBDC prioritizes research that is:

Translational (bench → bedside → population)

Interdisciplinary (basic science + clinical + population health)

Innovative and positioned to attract future external funding (CIHR, NIH, JDRF, Diabetes Canada)

Predictor: Explicitly stating how the project fits BBDC’s mission and complements its research themes.

3. Pilot-Ready, Feasible Project Design

Most BBDC grants are seed or pilot-scale, so reviewers strongly favor:

Clearly defined aims

Limited, realistic scope

Strong likelihood of generating publishable data or grant-ready results

❌ Overly ambitious, multi-year projects are less competitive.

4. Strong Training and Career-Development Value

For studentships, fellowships, and early-career awards, success correlates with:

Clear training objectives

Skill acquisition (methods, analysis, translational exposure)

Evidence the award will advance the applicant’s career trajectory

Predictor: A compelling statement of how BBDC support accelerates independence.

5. Quality of Mentorship and Research Environment

Applications involving trainees are evaluated on:

Strength and relevance of the supervisor(s)

Track record in diabetes research

Access to facilities, cohorts, or specialized cores

Predictor: Demonstrated mentorship capacity and institutional support.

6. Interdisciplinary & Collaborative Approach

Projects that bridge:

Basic science ↔ clinical research

Endocrinology ↔ immunology ↔ genetics ↔ data science

University ↔ hospital ↔ community

…tend to be more competitive.

Predictor: Clearly defined roles for collaborators and added value from teamwork.

7. Potential for Downstream Impact

BBDC strongly values projects that can lead to:

Larger external grants

Clinical trials or translational pipelines

Policy, guideline, or patient-care relevance

Predictor: Explicit discussion of next steps after BBDC funding.

8. Eligibility and Institutional Affiliation

Most BBDC funding requires:

Affiliation with University of Toronto or partner hospitals

Appropriate academic status (trainee, postdoc, early-career investigator)

Compliance with internal nomination or endorsement processes

Predictor: Meeting eligibility criteria exactly and securing departmental approvals early.

9. Clear, Justified Budget

BBDC grants are typically modest, so reviewers favor:

Tight, well-justified budgets

Direct research costs (no or minimal overhead)

Clear link between expenses and aims

🧠 Common Reasons Applications Fall Short

Diabetes relevance is indirect or superficial

Project is too large for pilot funding

Weak articulation of translational or future funding potential

Unclear training benefit (for trainee awards)

Missing institutional endorsements or eligibility gaps

📊 Summary: Predictors of BBDC Funding Success

Predictor	Why It Matters
Strong diabetes focus	Core mission
Pilot-scale feasibility	Matches funding intent
Alignment with BBDC strategy	Improves program fit
Training & career impact	Central to trainee awards
Strong mentorship	Ensures success
Interdisciplinary collaboration	Encouraged priority
Clear future funding path	Maximizes ROI
Institutional eligibility	Required
Realistic budget	Demonstrates planning

Specialties

Diabetes

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 professor, associate professor or 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, 2018, or a medical degree (MD or equivalent) after July 1, 2016. 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 fellowship commencement date of July 1, 2026 (and no later than September 1, 2026). 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.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Banting and Best Diabetes Centre

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 200 Elizabeth Street Eaton Building, 12th Floor, Room 12E248 Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4

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