Discovery Award Program

The Discovery Award is a year-long grant offering up to $30,000, from July 1 to June 30.

Funds from the Discovery Award can be used to purchase equipment and for general operating expenses specified in the budget proposal, including salaries for technicians, postdoctoral fellows, and students. Funds cannot be used to pay the salary of the applicant, travel expenses, or overhead. 

Equipment purchased with grant funds is the property of the institution where the grant is held. Any unspent balance must be returned to The Banting Discovery Foundation.

• Be a health or biomedical researcher.
  
  
• Applicants must be within three years of their first academic appointment (e.g., Assistant Professor or equivalent) at a Canadian university or research institute.
  
  
• This appointment should have begun within eight years of completing their most recent graduate or professional degree (PhD, MD, or MD/PhD)
  
  
• Have not received external peer-reviewed grant funding such as from CIHR or NSERC, at the time of application. Support from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) does not count towards the funding limit.
  
  
• Have not received external research funding exceeding over $50,000 per year at the time of receiving the Banting Discovery Award. If the external funding exceeds $50,000, the candidate may still apply for up to $30,000 providing the total operating funds including the Banting Discovery Award do not exceed $80,000 in the funding year. 

• You must meet the above criteria, in addition to the criteria required for the targeted awards.

NEW Banting–Ontario Brain Institute Discovery Awards

The goal of these awards is to accelerate novel and transformative brain science and AI research. Projects should address one or more of the core directions necessary to advance translation discoveries and best practices into improved treatments for people with brain disorders.

a) Research excellence with a preference for a focus on Biomarkers: focus on new knowledge, treatments, and technologies; engaged in partnerships with the Ontario and worldwide research community.

b) Analytics: knowing what quantity and quality of data are required to answer burning questions; engagement of the AI community in the development of new tools and algorithms.

c) Patient engagement: involve end-user/beneficiary in program design and prioritization activities.

d) Industry engagement: demonstrated relationships with industry and strategic partnerships to help translate the knowledge into new practices and technologies.

NEW Banting–Canerector Discovery Awards

The Canerector Foundation is excited to provide trailblazing early investigators with two $30,000 Discovery Awards focused on Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSD). Our goal is to create research interest and  influence research capacity in Canada. EDS and HSD are diseases that cause a defect in connective tissue. Connective tissue is in all parts of the body, therefore the award will consider research in all organ systems. Comorbidities in relationship with EDS and HSD will also be considered. These include but are not limited to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and other forms of Dysautonomia, Neurological issues, Cranio-Cervical Instability, Eye involvement, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Urogenital and Pelvic complications, and Dental manifestations.
Research in this emerging field is swiftly evolving, come be part of it.

Banting–CANSSI Discovery Awards in Biostatistics

A total of four awards are given to support early-career investigators in biostatistics who collaborate with scientists in biomedicine, occupational health, or environmental health. Two of the four awards are reserved for biostatisticians based in Ontario. Applicants are required to propose innovative statistical or computational methodology research and demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration with a health scientist on a project that has the strong potential to advance health, health equity, and/or patient outcomes.

Banting–Data Sciences Institute Discovery Award

Eligible applicants must have an appointment in data science at the University of Toronto, must be proposing new, innovative statistical or computational methodology – or proposing to implement existing methodology in novel ways – to address a health or biomedical research question.

Banting–Dystonia Medical Research Foundation Canada Award

Eligible candidates must be focused on research that fulfills one or more of the core directions necessary to advance the field of dystonia. These core directions include furthering our fundamental understanding of dystonia, uncovering the mechanisms in the nervous system that lead to symptoms, creating experimental models of dystonia, and discovering targets for new and improved therapeutics designed specifically to treat dystonia.

University of Toronto 100th Anniversary Discovery of Insulin Banting Award

The Novo Nordisk Network for Health Populations (NHP) and the Banting Discovery Foundation have teamed up to support an early-career investigator at the University of Toronto. Eligible applicants must propose new and innovative ways of tackling the burden and inequities related to diabetes and chronic disease. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration and partnerships within the Peel Region of Ontario, the research should propose a project that will support the co-design and evaluation of locally relevant solutions that can be applied to a broad range of contexts. Preference will be given to high-impact, innovative research projects that address key longstanding and emergent issues in health equity, population health, and disease prevention.

Step 1: Notice of Intent (NOI)

The NOI portal is currently open. You must complete the NOI online by November 3rd, 2025. The NOI form comprises:

• The title of the research proposal (125 characters or fewer). The same title must be used for the full application (step 2).
• Keywords identifying the research focus of the project (5 – 7 keywords).
• An abstract that highlights the project objectives and deliverables and shows research excellence and innovation (up to 1800 characters, approximately 300 words).
• Have not received external research funding of over $50,000 and/or external peer-reviewed grant funding at the time of application. Support from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) does not count towards the funding limit.
• Please ensure your department or division head is supportive of your application. Refer to the Eligibility criteria – Departmental Nomination Limit.

Applicants must submit a NOI by November 3rd, 2025 (9 pm ET).  Applicants will be notified via email by November 27th, 2025 regarding their eligibility.  Those who meet the requirements will be invited to complete a full application by January 26, 2026.

Step 2: Full Application

If we deem you eligible after reviewing your NOI, you will be invited by email to access our online portal to complete a full application. The letter of nomination from your primary appointment department or division head must address the following:

• Be explicit about the candidate’s attributes and contributions.
• All eligibility criteria mentioned above have been met.
• Description of the space and access to the institutional infrastructure necessary to conduct the proposed research available for the candidate.
• Description of the mentorship plan that is in place for the candidate as they launch their career. The mentor who will guide the applicant must be identified.

Each application is assessed based on:

• The innovative potential of the project.
• The applicant’s research track record and environment.
• The merit of the proposal, project feasibility, and justification of the request.
• The proposal’s consideration of EDI (i.e., equality, diversity, and inclusion).
• Impact of the Banting Discovery Foundation Discovery Award on the research program.
• The letter of nomination from the department or division head

The Banting Discovery Foundation Grant Review Panel consists of University of Toronto faculty members and members from outside the University of Toronto. 

Each application is reviewed by a Primary Reviewer and a Secondary Reviewer, who each complete a brief (1-2 pages) report, and a Reader who reviews the grant but does not write a report. The two reviewers use a scale of 0-4.9 to rate each application and provide an initial score:

● 4.5-4.9 Outstanding
● 4.0-4.4 Excellent
● 3.5-3.9 Very Good
● < 3.5 Not fundable

In addition, each Primary and Secondary Reviewer is asked to rank order each application of all applications they reviewed as Primary and Secondary Reviewer. Top ranked applications will be discussed at the Grant Review Panel meeting. The other applications are not discussed but applicants receive comments from the two reports. Applications are assessed based on:

● The innovative potential of the project
● Track record of the applicant and the research environment
● Merit of the proposal, project feasibility, and justification of the request
● Potential impact of the Banting Research Foundation Discovery Award on the research program
● The letter of support from the Institution is also taken into consideration

All applicants receive reviewer comments as feedback on their applications, with reviewers’ identities removed.

These are some frequently asked questions about grant eligibility and our granting process. If you have a question that is not answered below, please contact us.

• I am listed as co-PI on other grants. Does my funding as a co-PI count towards the limit for eligibility to the Banting Discovery Foundation?
• I’ve been awarded an external operating grant over $50,000/yr but the grant does not begin until after the Discovery Award deadline. Can I still apply?
• May I submit my application in French?
• Does the grant funding cover indirect costs at our university/ research institute?
• Is this grant only for medical researchers or can researchers from other fields also apply?
• Your posting says you fund “all areas of medical research.” Does this include biomedical engineering?
• I am a new investigator working at a research institute. Whose signatures are required from a research institute, especially in place of Dean of Faculty?
• I was on maternity leave for one of the last three years since I was appointed. Does that get included in the “first three years of academic appointment”?
• May I include a co-applicant on my application?
• Our department is very large. May we submit an application from more than one division?
• Did my application arrive?
• When will the results of the competition be posted?

I am listed as co-PI on other grants. Does my funding as a co-PI count towards the limit for eligibility to the Banting Research Foundation?

Your eligibility depends on the total amount of annual research funding that is available to you. That would include any proportion of funds that is available to you on the grants on which you are co-PI. If you are part of a research group but do not actually have any operating funds allocated to you, then it does not add to your current annual operating funds. You should list the grant and indicate what amount, if any, is available to you.

I’ve been awarded an external operating grant over $50,000/yr but the the grant does not begin until after the Discovery Award deadline. Can I still apply?

No. You must have not been awarded more than $50,000 per annum in external operating funds at the application deadline date, regardless of when the funding becomes available to you.

May I submit my application in French?

While we would like to be able to review applications in both our official languages, at this time the capacity of our Grant Review Panel is limited to reviewing applications in English.

Does the grant funding cover indirect costs at our university/ research institute?

No, our grant funding supports only the direct costs of research and may not be applied to indirect costs of research.

Is this grant only for medical researchers or can researchers from other fields also apply?

As long as the research project itself is medical in nature, investigators from other fields may apply.

Your posting says you fund “all areas of medical research.” Does this include biomedical engineering?

Yes, as long as the work relates to medical research, it is eligible. I am a new investigator working at a research institute. Whose signatures are required from a research institute, especially in place of Dean of Faculty? Please check with your research administration office to find out whose signatures are appropriate. At least one official authorized to sign for the institute must sign the application form. If there is no equivalent to “Dean of Faculty,” just indicate that on the form.

I was on maternity leave for one of the last three years since I was appointed. Does that get included in the “first three years of academic appointment”?

No, it is not included. Eligible interruptions, such as parental leave, do not count in calculating your eligibility period. You should indicate this clearly on your application in the Personal Data section, and be prepared to provide a letter of verification from your institution.

May I include a co-applicant on my application?

No, this competition is for individual applicants only.

Our department is very large. May we submit an application from more than one division?

In cases of very large departments, like Medicine, it is acceptable to submit applications from more than one division. Just check with us before you proceed. The explanation should be included in the letter from the division head.

Did my application arrive?

You will be notified within 3 days that your email-submitted application was received.

When will the results of the competition be posted?

Results will be sent out via email in July. Applicants will also receive reviewers comments in July.