Government of Canada Announces First Recipients of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Sept. 15, 2011) - The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry, today congratulated the inaugural 17 recipients of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships at 6 Quebec institutions. These awards are given to top post-doctoral researchers from across the country and around the globe whose work contributes to Canada's economic and social growth.

"Canadians gave our government a strong mandate to stay focused on what matters—creating jobs and economic growth. Supporting researchers is critical to keeping our economy growing and creating jobs in the future, as well as extending our knowledge into important new areas. The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships strengthen an already powerful suite of funding programs that supports researchers at every stage of their career and enhances Canada's standing as a global centre of excellence in research, innovation and higher learning," said Minister Paradis.

The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships ensure that Canadian post-doctoral researchers can succeed at home and abroad. Announced by Prime Minister Harper in July 2010, the five-year, $45-million program will award 70 new fellowships each year, each valued at $70,000 annually for two years. The program builds on the success of the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, the Canada Research Chairs program and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs program.

The funding is delivered through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The fellowships are named in memory of Sir Frederick Banting, the Canadian physician, researcher, Nobel laureate and war hero who, together with his assistant Dr. Charles Best, is credited with the discovery of insulin.

"The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships allow Canadian research institutions to attract elite researchers from across the country and around the world," said Dr. Alain Beaudet, President of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, on behalf of the three federal research granting agencies. "This program makes Canada a destination of choice for the world's top post-doctoral researchers."

Highly qualified post-doctoral fellows are in increasing demand at Canadian universities. In Quebec, the wide-ranging research includes work on tuberculosis infection-resistant genes, neuroimaging research to address sleep disorders, an investigation of the relationship between population anxiety and democracy, and research on the changing nature of war and its new moral and legal challenges.

Please visit the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships website (http://banting.fellowships-bourses.gc.ca/about-a_propos/fellows-boursiers-eng.html) for more information on the inaugural Fellows.