Doctoral Training for Applicants with a Professional Degree

Eligible applicants

To be eligible to apply, applicants must :

• Hold a professional university degree in a human health sciences discipline and a valid license to practice in Québec at the inception and for the entire duration of the award
  OR
  be a resident physicians (recognized by the Collège des Médecins du Québec) wishing to partially interrupt their clinical training to undertake research training (with a valid training card at the inception and for the entire duration of the award)

• be enrolled in a Québec university for at least two full-time trimesters (or equivalent) among the three trimesters preceding the competition deadline
  OR 
  have a valid Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (Québec Health Insurance Plan) (RAMQ) card or proof of eligibility for the RAMQ (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

Health professionals without a valid license to practice in Québec (or without a valid training card for resident) at the inception and for the entire duration of the award should apply to the program:

• Doctoral training (see program rules)

Are not eligible : holders of a university position unless they are granted a leave of absence without pay for the duration of the award. An official letter attesting to the employment status for that period and the reinstatement of the position at the end of the training must be provided by the employer.

Terms and regulations

• Must be enrolled in a full-time research doctoral program related to human health, in a Québec university, no later than January 15^th, 2021.

Doctoral awards are intended for applicants who are enrolled in a doctoral research program for 14 terms or less as of April 30^th, 2020.

The number of enrolment terms is calculated from the first application date to the doctoral program related to human health research

Individuals who enroll directly in a doctoral research program after their undergraduate degree or after a professional master’s program and individuals who are taking an accelerated path into a doctoral research program without having received a master’s diploma degree must first apply to the master’s research award if they are eligible (3 terms or less as of April 30^th 2020).

• Individuals must devote, each trimester, at least 75% of their time to research and training activities.

• To be considered “a research program,” the doctoral program must consist of a minimum of 36 credits dedicated to research and lead to the writing of a doctoral thesis.

• Individuals must be supervised by a university researcher or clinical university researcher (as defined in the Definitions section of the Common General Rules).

If the candidate’s supervisor is located outside of Québec, that person should still meet the criteria of university researcher or clinical university researcher in terms of university affiliation and autonomy (see the Definitions section of the Common General Rules).

To use a training award outside Québec, you must have :

• a valid RAMQ card or proof of eligibility for the RAMQ
  AND
  Canadian citizenship at the time the application is submitted.

People who do not have a valid RAMQ card or a proof of eligibility for the RAMQ, as well as those who are not Canadian citizens at the time the application is submitted, must do their training in Québec (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

Reminder : a license to practice / a training card for resident physicians must be valid in Québec for the entire duration of the award

• Students who suspended their doctoral studies to take parental leave or because of serious illness or major family obligations may defer their eligibility period for up to one year.

• If an applicant is a person with disabilities in accordance with the Act ensuring handicapped persons their rights for academic, professional and social integration (L.R.C. chapter E-20-1), the rules pertaining to program registration do not apply.

Restrictions

• Professional master’s or doctoral programs are not eligible.

• For a program in psychology, consult the document Eligibility of programs in psychology for FRQS training awards to check its eligibility.

• An individual who already holds a research doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in the field of human health is not eligible to submit an application in this program.

• An individual who has received financial support from a recognized funding agency (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC, etc.) over a period totaling six years (or 18 terms) cannot submit an application to the FRQS to undertake or pursue a doctoral program (see section 6.1 of the Common General Rules).
• Individuals who have received an award in the regular doctoral degree program cannot submit an application to this program unless they have obtained their professional degree after receiving the scholarship in the regular program. The scholarship offer would be reduced by the number of years already paid.

Basic research ethics training

Basic research ethics training is mandatory for all FRQS awardees conducting research projects that involve human beings.

Research on human beings involves:

• Participation of human beings
• Use of human biological materials (parts, products, tissue, cells, genetic materials, derived from a living or dead individual)
• Assisted procreation activities or the use of human embryos derived therefrom, within the meaning of the Act respecting clinical and research activities relating to assisted procreation (CQLR c. A-5.01)
• The use of administrative, scientific or descriptive data from human participants

Awardees must therefore successfully complete levels 1 and 3 of the Online Tutorial in Research Ethics developed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux.

This training must be completed within one year of the date of confirmation by the FRQS that the award was granted.

The FRQS encourages awardees to follow a one-credit research ethics training course in addition to the mandatory basic research ethics training, whenever possible.

By October 15, 2019, 4:30 pm (EDT)

Documents sent via mail or e-mail will not be accepted

Letters of recommendation will not be accepted

Transmission via the FRQS electronic Portfolio only

• Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2018)

• Detailed contributions updated since June 2018 (attachment required through the FRQS Electronic Portfolio on the Canadian Common CV page),  consult the document entitled Guidelines for the CV attachment in the Toolbox

• Electronic application form : Formation de doctorat pour les détenteurs d’un diplôme professionnel/Doctoral training for applicants with a professional degree
  PDF version – for information

• A copy of a valid Quebec health insurance card OR evidence of eligibility to the RAMQ (official RAMQ document before the issuance of the card) (crucial for eligibility)

  • If the RAMQ card or a proof of eligibility to the RAMQ is not provided, please include a proof of registration at a Québec university for the fall trimester (crucial for eligibility)

• Form to calculate the number of training program terms (calcul du nombre de sessions au programme de formation) available in the FRQS Electronic Portfolio, menu Documents and in the toolbox

• Copies of official academic transcripts (the unofficial electronic version is not accepted) for all years of university courses completed or not (crucial for eligibility and evaluation)

  • For a current program of study, the transcript must be the most recent and include the summer trimester preceding this competition, if applicable.

  • Academic transcripts must be complete and include grading scales (at the back of the transcript), for candidates from Québec as well as for candidates outside of Québec.

  • For transcripts from institutions located outside North America, the applicant must include a note explaining the institution’s marking system.

  • If no transcript is issued by the institution where the studies are pursued, an explanatory letter must be attached to the application.

• Acknowledgements from publishers for articles submitted or accepted for publication

• Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2018)

• Detailed contributions updated since June 2018 (attachment required through the FRQS Electronic Portfolio on the Canadian Common CV page), consult the document entitled Guidelines for the CV attachment in the Toolbox

• Supervisor’s electronic form and co-supervisor, if applicable
  PDF version – for information

For candidates pursuing their training in Québec : the university will have to confirm that the awardee is officially registered.

For candidates pursuing their training outside Québec : the awardee must provide an official proof of registration at the university.

• A proof of membership in a professional corporation certifying the right to practice in Québec

• A confirmation from the supervisor stating that the awardee is under his / her supervision and that he / she spends, each trimester, at least 75% of his / her time on research and training activities (by email)

To start the second year of the award, the awardee will have to provide:

• the ethics training certificates (levels 1 and 3), if applicable (by email in a single PDF document)

Effective start date 

May 2020 (Summer term), September 2020 (Fall term) or January 2021 (Winter term), according to the start date of the study program.

If the study program is already in progress in May 2020, the award should begin in May 2020, with some exceptions.

Duration

4 years maximum (12 terms*) or until the completion of the awardee’s doctoral studies (final submission of the thesis), whichever the earliest, non-renewable.

*when applicable, the payments of the 11^th and 12^th terms are conditional upon the submission of the thesis by the end of the 12^th term (proof of submission to the University)

The period of validity during which doctoral awards may be issued is limited to the first 15 terms of enrollment in the doctoral program that is the subject of the award. The initial calculation of the duration of the scholarship is based on the number of terms of doctoral studies completed on April 30^th, 2020. In the event that the award does not start in May 2020 but the study program is already in progress, a new downward calculation will have to be made based on the number of terms completed at the actual inception of the award.

Refer to the table for the calculation of the potential duration of the award based on the number of terms of study completed on April 30^th, 2020 (Toolbox).

Parental leave

The awardee may benefit from an award payment deferral during parental leave (maternity, paternity or adoption) for a maximum period of 12 months as described in section 6.13 of the Common General Rules.

Awardees must fill out the “Award payment deferral” form, accompanied by the documents supporting the leave, to inform the FRQS of their intention to receive a supplement to their award for a parental leave.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any request that is not properly justified.

Awardees may defer their award due to illness or other reasons provided by the Loi sur les normes du travail as described in section 6.14 of the Common General Rules. Aawardees must fill out the “Award payment deferral” form accompanied by the documents supporting the leave.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any request that is not properly justified.

It is possible, for each full year of funding provided by the FRQS, to suspend and postpone award installments for one term (4 months) in order to acquire relevant experience (working with a research team, acquiring teaching experience in the awardee’s field of study or research, language development trip, etc.). These installments are then rescheduled at the end of the funding period.

Deferrals with the goal of acquiring relevant experience can be consecutive if they are approved by the research supervisor.

To benefit from this measure, the award holder must submit a request to the FRQS by filling out the  “Award payment deferral” form (Report de versement de bourse). Furthermore, the research supervisor should provide a letter confirming his or her agreement and the relevance of the paid activities that are involved.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any request that is not properly justified or relevant.

Part-time studies are permitted exclusively for caregivers, parents and persons with disabilities. To benefit from this measure, the award holder must submit a request to the FRQS by filling out the “Part-time studies” form (Études à temps partiel) and provide the required documentation.

Caregiver or Parent

This measure applies only to the award holder who acts as the caregiver for a close family member or for a person that is the main care provider for a young child.

During the terms that will be part-time, the awardee will receive 50 % of the value of the regular award installments.

The awardee will need to fill out the “Part-time studies” form (Études à temps partiel) and provide the following documents:

• a proof of part-time studies from the University

• a letter of support from the research supervisor

• a copy of the medical certificate (for caregiver) or the birth certificate or certificate of adoption of a child (parent)

If applicable, this can be cumulated with the benefits paid by the Parental Insurance Plan.

Person with disabilities

This measure applies only to a person with disabilities in accordance with the Act ensuring handicapped persons their rights for academic, professional and social integration (L.R.C. chapter E-20-1)

During the terms that will be part-time, the awardee will receive the full value of the regular award installments as long as the University authorizes the part-time studies of the individual.

The awardee will need to fill out the “Part-time studies” form (Études à temps partiel) and provide the following documents:

• a proof of part-time studies from the University

• a letter of support from the research supervisor

• a medical certificate confirming the condition

Maximum between $25,024 and $39,323/year*, depending on the year the professional degree was earned according to the number of eligibles terms (refer to Duration section)

* except in some cases (see section on Awards in partnership)

The award will be paid to the awardee by installments. Three installments per year will be made at the end of May, end of September, and end of January.

Installments are conditional upon receipt of all required documents.

Failing to receive all the required documents within two months after the start of the trimester and no postponement has been requested, the FRQS cancels the installment of the current trimester. The FRQS terminates the scholarship if the installments have to be canceled for two consecutive trimesters due to missing documents.

The awardee is responsible for paying the income tax due on the amounts received from the FRQS. The FRQS does not make any deductions on the amounts disbursed during the taxation year.

The payment date determines the year in which the awardee must declare the amounts received as income for personal tax calculations.

Revenue Canada’s T4A form and Revenue Québec’s Relevé 1 will be sent to the awardee’s mailing address (the one specified in the Module My funding (Gérer mon financement) in the FRQS Electronic Portfolio) in February of the following year of taxation.

The details provided in this program rules are for information purposes only. The FRQS is not responsible for the validity of any income tax information.

This program does not benefit from the amount paid out by FRQS to cover indirect costs of research of the institutions.

Awardees may supplement their income through professional activities; provided that they devote at least 75% of their time to research or research training and that the source of the income is not an FRQS award.

Holding several scholarships is not allowed. 

• Awardees who obtained an award from another public agency or a foundation recognized by the FRQS must notify the FRQS and decline the FRQS funding as soon as the award is offered, except in the case of the supplement given by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST).

However, if the amount of the other award is lower than the one given by the FRQS, the awardee is eligible to receive the difference.

Holding an FRQS training award concurrently with a research internship to be done in another organization and that is not part of the training program of the awardee, is allowed under certain conditions.

For internships of $ 5,000 or less, awardees must notify the FRQS by email before the beginning of the internship.

For internships of $ 5,000 and more, awardees must ask the FRQS for authorization by completing the Internship authorization form  (see Toolbox) before the internship begins. If the internship is approved, it will be allowed either to 1) combine the training award and internships amounts or 2) defer the amount of the FRQS award for a period equal to the duration of the internship or a maximum of 6 months.

All applications are reviewed by committees of experts representing various disciplines and institutions.

Quality and scientific value of the research project
– Clarity of the research problem and concordance of the hypotheses and
objectives
– Relevance of the methods and analyses
– Feasibility
– Originality of the project and contribution to the advancement of knowledge

Skills and experience
– Publications
– Lectures and presentations
– Research projects and research training programs

The FRQS offers a number of awards in collaboration with partners. The share of funding from the FRQS and the partner may vary according to the agreements in effect.

Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:

1. The applicant selects, in the Partnership [Partenariat] section of the application form, one or more partners whose targeted research areas correspond to the theme of their application.

2. The FRQS sends to the partners a list of candidates and useful information for them to assess the relevance of the request according to their research priorities and strategy.

3. After evaluation of the applications by a committee of experts or peers, applications having obtained the scientific excellence rating of 70 % and which have been deemed relevant by one or more partners, may receive a partnership award offer.

As with all the awards offered by FRQS, the awards granted in partnership are based on merit following a scientific evaluation by a committee of experts or peers. 

Note that by choosing to be considered for an award in partnership, and that you obtain such an award, you agree that the partner communicates with you for activities related to the award.

Child Health

Candidates must also submit an application to CCHSCSP.

Training awards in the Pediatric research field, primarily in the area of childhood diseases.

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis

Training Awards in the Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis research fields.

Macular Degeneration

Training Awards in the Macular Degeneration research field. Priority will be given to doctoral and postdoctoral training.

Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Training Awards in the Multiple Sclerosis research field. Candidates must also submit an application to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Amount of the doctoral award is $20,000 to $22,000 per year.

Parkinson’s disease

Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. Amount of the doctoral award is $25,000 per year.

The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) in Québec is to engage the various stakeholders involved, including patients, caregivers and the public, in the development and delivery of patient-oriented research projects (POR). The SPOR Support Unit in Québec contributes to capacity building and professional development in POR of these stakeholders. The awards offered in partnership with the Unit allow award recipients to hone their skills and develop or consolidate valued expertise in POR, and to expand their network of collaborators and mentors in this area.

Priority themes: primary care, proximity care, integration of care and service trajectories.

Traumatology