At the meeting of the board of directors on June 15, members approved a series of proposed amendments to the rules of several scholarship and grant programs. Below is a brief summary of the changes.

ALL PROGRAMS

  • Align the majority of program and partnership rules
  • Apply the revised version of the FRQ’s open access policy, the Politique de diffusion en libre accès (new requirements in connection with the Plan S)
  • Simplify and remove the information that already appears in the FRQ’s Common General Rules

PROGRAMS OPEN TO COLLEGE RESEARCHERS

  • -Add the option to pay the indirect costs of research (frais indirects de recherche, FIR) to the college institutions (principal or co-investigator)

SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS

Master’s research scholarships, doctoral research scholarships, scholarships to re-enter the research community

  • Align the harmonized evaluation criteria (FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC)
  • Align the rules of the three Fonds de recherche (FRQSC, FRQS, FRQNT). Key changes for the FRQNT:
    • Align the evaluation criteria
    • Remove the number of hours related to employment
    • Remove the conditions for the 11th and 12th payments in year 4 of the doctoral program
    • Remove the condition related to the progress report
    • Extend the duration of the supplement for parental leave (8 months)

Postdoctoral scholarships

  • Align the harmonized evaluation criteria (FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC)

Training scholarships in partnership

  • Réal-Decoste/Ouranos: increase the value of the scholarship
  • New: Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Québec (CRIAQ)
    • Postdoctoral research scholarships for students seeking to undertake or pursue research in a training environment in Québec
    • Key areas: aerospace, sustainability, air mobility of the future and digital aviation systems
  • New: Régie de l’énergie
    • Master’s training scholarships
    • Key areas: reliability of electricity transmission related to elements and installations operating at 120 kV or more

Francophonie master’s training scholarships

  • Open the program to all francophone students who hold citizenship of a member country of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie where French is considered an official language
  • Specify that students must not already be in Québec
  • Make the training scholarships available to master’s students only
  • Add supplements to settle in Québec and cover travel and medical insurance expenses

GRANT PROGRAMS

Research support for new academics, NOVA and team research project

Eligibility as it relates to the funding continuum and career advancement

NOVA program

  • Add step for NSERC registration
  • Add new limits on participation

Team research program

  • Change team composition requirements
  • Add new limits on participation
  • Withdraw funding to purchase equipment

Innovation catalyst program

  • Add research component
  • Simplify the catalyst’s structure
  • Open the program to government and private-sector investigator (status 4b)
  • Remove the letter from the managing institution

PRISME program

  • Remove the letter from the managing institution

Visage municipal project

  • Remove the letter of intent
  • Remove the limits on participation for the principal investigator