NOTICE – The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) was established on June 1, 2024, in accordance with the Act to amend the Act respecting the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation with respect to research. The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) have since been regrouped into the new FRQ, which continues their existence. The rights and obligations of the FRQNT, FRQS and FRQSC have become those of the FRQ; activities continue as usual.

Please note that if you come across an old name or logo of one of the Fonds de recherche du Québec in the program rules or on the website, it should now read as follows:

  • The FRQNT becomes the Nature et technologies sector;
  • The FRQS becomes the Santé sector;
  • The FRQSC becomes the Société et culture sector.

Thank you for your understanding.

Competition year : 
2022-2023

Deadline (application) : 
May 9th, 2022 at 00:00 (EST)

Amount : 
5 000 $

Duration : 
12 to 16 weeks, full-time (Summer 2022) or 28 to 32 weeks, part-time (Fall 2022 and Winter 2023)

Partnership

Mitacs

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Table of contents

  1. Overview
  2. Program model
  3. Eligibility requirements
  4. Application
  5. Any questions?

1. Overview

Established by the Fonds de recherche du Québec nature et technologies (FRQNT) and Mitacs, the College-level Internship Award will offer opportunities for college students to carry out a short-term, paid research and training internship within a Quebec host institution. Students from Quebec will have the opportunity to improve their skills through interactions with faculty and practical research and training experience.

The primary goals of the program are to:

  • Allow students to develop links/collaborations with professors/researchers at colleges and universities;
  • Give students a chance to acquire training and a hands-on experience in research so they can become drivers of innovation within their future workplaces;
  • Develop students’ research skills, as well as deepen their technical knowledge of disciplines within the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering;
  • Increase students’ awareness of the diverse training and career paths open to them;
  • Identify new research links and directions, opportunities for strengthened research collaborations or project continuity through other Mitacs or FRQNT programs.

Interested students can find out more from their institution.

2. Program model

  • Projects in the field of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering are designed and led by the researchers.
  • The award provides a grant, in the form of a stipend, of $5,000 per student paid to the academic supervisor at the Quebec institution.
  • Full-time projects must last 12 to 16 weeks and take place during the summer. They must start after May 30, 2022.
  • Part-time projects must last 28 to 32 weeks and must start by September 30, 2022.
  • For both full-time and part-time internships, the number of hours dedicated to the project must reasonably allow for the project to be carried out according to the established timeline, and for the interns to gain sufficient exposure to the research environment.
  • Students are required to meet with their academic supervisor each week to give an update on the progress of their project (virtual meetings are acceptable).
  • Students and academic supervisors must complete a Mitacs exit survey at the end of the program to outline the skills they have developed and to give feedback on their program experience.
  • Applications will be selected and submitted to Mitacs by the colleges/CEGEPs.
  • The projects submitted to Mitacs will then be evaluated internally to confirm their eligibility for the program (see eligibility criteria below).
  • CEGEPs can submit a maximum of eight projects, which will be accepted “first come, first serve” in the order in which they are received.

*If spaces remain towards the end of the application period, CEGEPs may be invited to submit more applications than the standard maximum number*

3. Eligibility requirements

Academic supervisors must:

  • Be faculty members in Quebec and able to give adequate supervision to interns to enable them to carry out a project in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering.

Host institutions (where the student is enrolled) must:

Host institutions (where the student will carry out the project) may:

Students must:

  • Be enrolled at an eligible public or private college/CEGEP recognized by the FRQNT (in French only)
  • Be enrolled in an area of study within the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering
  • Not be currently participating in another Mitacs project, and not have already received an award through this program

4. Application

Applications may be submitted during the call for projects from April 1 to May 9, 2022. Once the application form has been filled in, the academic supervisor must upload it to the online Registration and Application Portal using the program option FRQNT College-level Research Internship Award. The application form can be accessed below.

CRIA Application form

Click here to view the Program Intro Guide which details the contest rules.

5. Any questions?

For any question regarding this program, please contact the Helpdesk.