The Dr. Charles H. Best Foundation was created in 1960 in the Province of Ontario with funding in the form of Weston shares from The W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Its original purpose was to fund research work as a research fund for the discretionary use of Charles Best himself. Following his retirement, the fund was placed under the direction of a Board of Members and Directors and was designated for general research support exclusively in the Banting and Best Department of Medical Research (BBDMR) at the University of Toronto. Subsequently, the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto lodged all BBDMR activities, including the disbursement from the Best Foundation, in the new Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research (DCCBR), and the Foundation’s charter documents were amended to allow it to fund research work in the DCCBR.
The designated use of the Foundation’s funds has come to be focussed on the support of Dr. Charles H. Best Postdoctoral Fellows (Fellows) in the DCCBR, an area of need that is difficult to meet from other sources. In fulfillment of its charitable purposes, the Foundation supports Dr. Charles H. Best Postdoctoral Fellows in Donnelly Centre. Fellows are selected in an annual competition, advertised in leading international scientific journals, which attracts a very high caliber of international candidates. Dossiers are reviewed and ranked by a Selection Committee comprised of senior DCCBR professors and successful applicants are offered Dr. Charles H. Best Fellowships. Fellows are attracted from all over the world and upon completion of their research at DCCBR have taken up scientific careers in many locations.