Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, support for next Einstein Initiative

July 06, 2010

Fellowships will establish Canada as a global leader in research; Next Einstein Initiative to help best young minds in Africa

WATERLOO, ONTARIO – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the establishment of the Government of Canada’s Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, a prestigious new program to attract and develop the world’s best and brightest postdoctoral researchers in Canada.  The Prime Minister also announced support for the Next Einstein Initiative to encourage and develop the best young minds in Africa. 
 
“To remain at the forefront of the global economy, we must invest in the people and ideas that will produce tomorrow’s breakthroughs," said Prime Minister Harper.  “The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships will give scholars in research institutions across the country the support they need to explore and develop their ideas to their fullest potential.”
 
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships are the latest initiative under the Government of Canada’s comprehensive, long-term National Science and Technology Strategy.  The new program will establish Canada as a global leader in higher learning, research and science and technology development.  Under the program, 70 new fellowships will be awarded each year, with funding provided through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. 
 
The Prime Minister also announced the Government’s support for the Next Einstein Initiative, which will create a network of 15 centres of academic excellence across Africa in fields related to science and technology.
 
“Canada will make a substantial contribution to scientific and technological development in Africa by supporting the unique public-private partnership known as the Next Einstein Initiative,” the Prime Minister said.  “This is a revolutionary approach to development.  It aims to nurture the brightest minds in Africa so they can take a leading role in solving the complex challenges the continent faces in areas such as agriculture, health and finance.”
 
Canada’s contribution to the Next Einstein Initiative will help build long-term capacity in research in Africa, and encourage talented students to reach and fulfill their potential in math, science and technology.



 
Backgrounder

The Next Einstein Initiative
The Next Einstein Initiative (NEI) aims to create a Pan-African network of 15 centres of excellence in mathematics, technology and science over the next decade.  The initiative seeks to build upon the success of the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) established in 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa.  Canada’s $20 million contribution to NEI will support the establishment of five AIMS centres across Africa by 2015.  These centres will graduate at least 500 students each year in fields related to science, math and technology.
 
AIMS attracts leading scholars to train young bright African graduates to use mathematical thinking to address complex challenges in agriculture, health, finance, and other areas of development.  A second centre opened in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2008 and plans are underway to establish centres in Senegal, Ethiopia and Ghana, which are all Government of Canada countries of focus.

Supporting talented individuals in math, technology and science through the Next Einstein Initiative will help build self-sufficiency and strengthen the ability of African countries to seek local solutions to local development challenges.
 
The NEI will help to deliver on Canada’s Aid Effectiveness Agenda and international assistance priorities.  Improving the quality of higher education and fostering a more productive and innovative workforce will also contribute to two of Canada’s five international assistance priorities: Sustainable Economic Growth and Children and Youth.



 
Backgrounder

Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships
The Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships is a prestigious new program designed to attract and retain in Canada the best researchers in the world.  The program will award 70 new fellowships a year valued at $70,000 annually for two years, totalling $45 million over five years.  The value of these awards is competitive internationally and represents the same international calibre and prestige offered by the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships ($50,000 annually for three years).


Fellowships under the program will be provided through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.  Fellowships will be open to both domestic and international applicants to support universities and research institutions in attracting and retaining top talent from within Canada around the world.  Up to 25 per cent of Canadian awardees will be eligible to go to a foreign research institution for their postdoctoral placements, helping them establish worldwide networks, and raising awareness of Canadian research excellence.
 
The new postdoctoral fellowships will advance one of the main goals of the federal Science and Technology Strategy, which is to build an economic and competitive advantage for Canada by attracting and training highly qualified, innovative people. This new program is part of a full suite of Canadian funding programs to support top-tier researchers at every stage of their careers.  The new program will help establish Canada as a global leader in higher learning, research, and science and technology development.  Canada’s universities and all Canadians will benefit from greater international partnerships, and Canadian university students will be given enhanced learning opportunities.
 
The fellowships will be known as the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, 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.