At the meeting of the board of directors on June 14, 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
– Simplify the scoring system grid Grille de signification des cotes et des notes, now the Grille de signification des notes)
– Apply the revised version of the FRQ’s open access policy, the Politique de diffusion en libre accès des FRQ (new requirements in connection with the Plan S)
– Simplify and remove the information that already appears in the FRQ’s Common General Rules
PROJECT-RELATED COLLEGE PROGRAMS
– Add the option to pay the indirect costs of research (frais indirects de recherche, FIR) to the college institutions
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
Master’s research scholarships (B1Z), doctoral research scholarships (B2Z), scholarships to re-enter the research community (A2Z/A2Z2)
– Align the rules of the three Fonds de recherche (FRQSC, FRQS, FRQNT). Key changes for the FRQSC::
o Align the evaluation criteria
o Remove the number of hours related to employment
o Remove the conditions for the 11th and 12th payments in year 4 of the doctoral program
o Remove the condition related to the progress report
o Extend the duration of the supplement for parental leave (8 months)
Postdoctoral research (B3Z)
– Align the evaluation criteria (FRQSC, FRQS, FRQNT)
– Clarify the requirements pertaining to the internship supervisors and the research fields or data collection
– Remove the maximum number of employment hours
– Extend the duration of the supplement for parental leave (8 months)
– Add a section on the possibility of extending the funding period (knowledge mobilization plan)
Postdoctoral research creation fellowship (B5)
– Clarify the requirements pertaining to the internship supervisors and the research fields or data collection
– Remove the maximum number of employment hours
– Extend the duration of the supplement for parental leave (8 months)
– Add a section on the possibility of extending the funding period (knowledge mobilization plan)
– Add the option to upload the creation portfolio via the FRQ’s secure document-sharing directory, the Répertoire de partage sécurisé de documents du Fonds
Scholarship for internships in a practice environment (BSMP) and internships outside Québec (BSHQ)
– Keep the competition open year-round
Undergraduate research scholarship (BIR)
– Keep the competition open year-round
– Add a new administrative process so the scholarship is no longer paid to the university institution but directly to the student
– Extend the scholarship to all Québec universities that offer undergraduate programs
– Clarify the criteria for internship supervisors (CGR status 1)
Research opportunities scholarship for college students (BIRC)
– Add a criterion that the supervisor may be a college researcher who currently receives FRQSC funding or a college researcher affiliated with a CCTT in one of the sectors covered by the Fonds
– Add a pre-application step (form) to the process
– Add weighting to the evaluation criteria
– Remove the limit on the number of scholarship holders an eligible researcher can supervise
– Have the applications reviewed by college and CCTT researchers
GRANT PROGRAMS
– Give managing institutions until 24 hours after the competition deadline to approve applications
– Replace the terms letter and notice of intent with pre-application
Support for new academics (NP)
– Modify the eligibility conditions: requirements related to the doctoral degree and types of positions considered when calculating the eligibility period
Research-creation support for new academics (CCZ)
– Clarify the eligibility criteria related to the types of positions considered when calculating the eligibility period
– Adjust the research-creation training criterion
– Clarify the ineligible expenses: editing and publishing costs for works
– Add the option to upload the creation portfolio via the FRQ’s secure document-sharing directory, the Répertoire de partage sécurisé de documents du Fonds
Research-creation support program (RC)
– Add the option to release the principal investigator from teaching duties
– Clarify the ineligible expenses: editing and publishing costs for works
– Add the option to upload the creation portfolio via the FRQ’s secure document-sharing directory, the Répertoire de partage sécurisé de documents du Fonds
Research team support program (SE)
– Increase the base amount of the award (from $50,000 to $60,000 for new teams and $80,000 to $95,000 for renewals – appropriations from the new SQRI
– Add a table detailing the expected composition of a team and eligible statuses
– Add a sub-criterion related to the soundness of the proposed project schedule to the feasibility criterion
Support for college researchers (CHZ)
– Modify the release from teaching duties for college researchers to support college research
– Revise and simplify the program
– Authorize salary support for CCTT researchers in certain programs
College research team projects (PEC)
– Clarify the role of researchers outside Québec and retired researchers
– Broaden the statuses for team members
– Add a sub-criterion related to the efforts to integrate new college students into the project through scholarships and contracts
– Add the option to add proof of partnerships to the application
– Make the costs related to a release from teaching duties to carry out research or coordinate activities eligible for co-investigators who hold a doctoral degree