Research support for new academics

1. Objectives

The purpose of the Research support for new academics program is the following:

• Contribute to fostering a new generation of researchers within the university research and teaching community by assisting new researchers who have just launched their academic career to become established as independent researchers and become competitive nationally and internationally;
• Strengthen the research system by encouraging new researchers to develop original avenues of research.
• Foster the transfer of technological and scientific knowledge;
• Encourage university students to do research in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

2. Eligibility conditions

N.B. It is the candidates’ responsibility to verify, sufficiently in advance, the eligibility of their application with their managing institution.

Candidate must meet each of the following conditions:

• Receive a salary as a full-time regular professor or an externally-funded professor¹ in a university recognized by the FRQ to manage funding. The managing institution must confirm at each grant year that the individual is continuously in its employ;
• Be affiliated with a Québec university in which they are qualified to act as the sole supervisor of graduate students and independently lead research projects;
• Have occupied this position for less than 3 years (also taking into account international experiences on a similar position), i.e. as of September 19, 2016 or later. A candidate who will occupy such a position no later than September 1, 2020 is also eligible;
• Candidates who have interrupted or delayed their career for parental leave, major family obligations, a disability or serious health reasons may be granted an eligibility period extension. Supporting documents must be submitted with the application (cf. Section 3). The Fonds will determine the extension to be granted and may request additional supporting documents.
• Have obtained their doctorate or successfully defended their doctoral dissertation at the competition deadline, i.e. no later than September 18, 2019;
• Benefit from a teaching release of at least 25% for the duration of the grant. The applicant’s university must commit to this at the time of application. This condition cannot be met retroactively.

[1] An externally-funded professor (“professeur ou professeure sous octroi”) must occupy a position or have received a firm offer of appointment to a position with an annually renewable contract in a Québec university. The externally-funded academic appointment must have been ratified by the person or the authority responsible for approval of university appointments (or their representatives) in accordance with the constitution of the university concerned. The position held must allow the professorial fellow to perform research without any supervision from another researcher and to individually supervise undergraduate or graduate students or postdoctoral fellows.

The following are not eligible:

• Candidates who do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above;
• Candidates whose work is in a field that is not covered by the FRQNT and is not consistent with the FRQNT mission;
• Candidates who are applying for, or have been or are currently funded under, one of the following programs: Research Support for New Academics of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) & Nature et technologies (FRQNT), Research Scholars, Junior 1 of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS). Thus, researchers can only be funded under one of these three programs intended for new academics.

Candidates may apply only twice during their eligibility period.

3. Contents of the funding application and required documents

Required documents

The funding application must be submitted to the Fonds electronically. It must be completed using the appropriate form available in the FRQnet E-portfolio. Various documents are to be attached to the form in the sections intended for that purpose. The application includes 5 to 6 items, as the case may be:

1) The funding application (FRQnet E-portfolio)

This form has several sections to complete and requires the uploading of documents. The sections may be completed in English or French. However, the title and project summary must imperatively be in French. If applicable, the candidate must demonstrate, in the appropriate section, how the question of gender or sex, as well as environmental impact, will be taken into consideration in the realization of the research project.

2) A letter from the candidate’s institution (PDF attached to the form)

A letter written and signed by the managing institution, attesting:

• that the candidate holds or will hold a full-time tenure-track position (no later than September 1, 2020);
•  that the candidate is released from at least 25% if his/her teaching duties for the duration of the grant;
•  to the hiring date and position held, as well as employment start and end dates for any full-time tenure-track professorial positions previously held at other universities, if applicable;
  In case of doubt as to the nature and duration of previous positions, the Fonds reserves the right to contact the appropriate university authorities to obtain further information.
• if applicable, that the candidate’s salary will be paid by the university or another source for the duration of the grant, in the case of an externally-funded professor;
• if applicable, that the candidate has successfully defended his/her thesis and that graduation is a mere formality;
• if applicable, the start and end dates of the parental leave or leave related to major family obligation, disability or health reasons;
• In the case of a request for an eligibility period extension, appropriate supporting documents indicating and justifying the leave or situation must be provided in PDF format in the “Other documents” section of the electronic form.

3) A description of the research project (PDF attached to the form)

Maximum 7 pages (including figures, tables and bibliography) meeting the strict presentation standards set out below.

4) Justification of planned expenditures for the operating grant (PDF attached to the form)

Maximum 1 page. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure that the planned expenditures do NOT EXCEED the maximum annual budget and the maximum program budget (see Section 7 — Description and nature of funding), otherwise the application will be deemed INELIGIBLE.

5)  If applicable, a description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant (PDF attached to the form) for an amount between $7,001 and $50,000 & appropriate supporting documents according to the cases listed below

The description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant is a maximum of 2 pages.

When the cost of a single piece of equipment exceeds $25,000 (including taxes), two quotes from suppliers must be provided in the appropriate section (20 pages, PDF attached to the form). Exceptionally, one quote may be acceptable when it is fully justified in the appropriate section of the form.

Candidates who have already received, since taking up their position, a CFI or NSERC equipment grant can request an equipment grant provided that this is clearly justified in the document describing planned expenditures for the equipment grant.

For equipment whose total cost exceeds $50,000, the candidate must clearly justify the reason and specify the source(s) of complementary funding in the document describing planned expenditures for the equipment grant. In order for the contribution of the Fonds to come into effect, the candidate must provide supporting documents indicating the sources of complementary funding for the purchase of the requested equipment before June 1 of the grant starting year.

6) The Canadian Common CV and “Detailed Contributions” attachment (PDF attached in the FRQnet E-portfolio)

The CCV and Detailed Contributions document must be attached in the “Canadian Common CV” section. The CCV should cover only the past 5 years prior to the competition deadline. To create this document, please consult the document Preparing a CV for the Fonds. Note: candidates who already have a CCV must have updated it within one year prior to the competition deadline.

The list of scientific contributions should present the candidate’s most relevant achievements since the beginning of his/her career (with no time restriction, unlike the CCV). However, the list of publications in the detailed contributions document should be limited to the last 5 years prior to the competition deadline. Proof of publication status (submitted, accepted, etc.) must also be included in the PDF document. For more information, refer to the document Detailed contributions attached file.

Presentation standards

The funding application may be completed in English or French. However, the title and project summary must imperatively be in French. These may be used by the Fonds for promotional and dissemination purposes. Any section of the application that exceeds the maximum number of pages will be removed from the application before submission for evaluation

All documents attached to the electronic form must meet the following requirements, otherwise the application will be deemed INELIGIBLE:

• Document format: 8½ x 11-inch pages (216 mm x 279 mm), in PDF format, not password protected;
• Spacing: single-spaced with a maximum of six lines of type per inch;
• Font: Times New Roman (12 point) for Microsoft Office or Open Office users, or Nimbus Roman (12 points) for LaTeX users. Condensed fonts are not accepted;
• Margins: 1.9 cm (¾ inch);
• Page identification:

• Upper right corner: last and first name of candidate
• Upper left corner: title of the attached document;
• Lower centre: page number;

• Respect the maximum number of pages permitted, which varies according to the type of document and is specified in the form. Excess pages will not be submitted to the evaluation committee.

Processing of applications and ineligibility criteria

• Only the official program forms, the CCV and the required documents will be accepted. Any excess pages and non-required documents (e.g. supporting letter) will be removed from the application;
• Candidates will not be notified of any element missing from their application. Any documents received after the application deadline will not be considered and applications cannot be updated;
• Documents that do not meet the presentation rules and standards may lead to the application being deemed ineligible;
• Applications that do not comply with the program rules or do not contain the information needed to determine eligibility or to be evaluated will be deemed ineligible by the FRQNT;
• Only candidates may ask for their application to be withdrawn.

Other information

In signing the funding application, parties declare that the information provided is accurate and complete and agree to respect the rules and principles set out in the Fonds de recherche du Québec Policy for the responsible Conduct of Research. Candidates authorize their institution to transmit any personal information necessary in accordance with this policy, where applicable. Signatories agree to allow the information in this application to be disclosed for evaluation and examination purposes, provided those with access to the information agree to abide by standard rules of confidentiality. Furthermore, the signatories agree to share the responsibilities defined by the Government of Québec in its action plan for the management of intellectual property in universities and health and social service network institutions where research is carried out.

Your email address is the access key to the FRQnet grant and scholarship management system. It facilitates communication between the agency and its clientele, while complying with the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information.

4. Submitting the funding application

The deadline for applications is September 18, 2019 at 4 p.m.

The managing institution must first approve the funding application via FRQnet before it is submitted to the FRQNT. It is therefore likely that the candidate’s institution has set an internal deadline earlier than the actual competition deadline. It is important to take this into account and to prepare and submit the application to the institution within the required time frame.

1) The candidate must:

• Verify that the application has been properly completed before submitting it electronically via FRQnet to the head of the managing institution, before the institution’s internal deadline, if applicable. The status “Transmis à l’établissement ” will appear in the E-portfolio;
• Note that no changes can be made to an application form once it has been submitted. It is therefore not possible to submit it again.  However, the managing institution can return the application to the candidate for correction and resubmission before the competition deadline. In this case, the status “à reviser ” will appear.

2) The head of the managing institution must then:

• Ensure that the electronic form contains all the required information;
• Verify that the required documents have been included in the different sections of the form;
• Ensure that the CCV and Detailed Contributions document have been uploaded to the E-portfolio;
• Approve the funding application and submit it to the FRQNT via FRQnet. The status “Transmis au Fonds” will appear in the E-portfolio.

At any time, candidates can verify the transmission status of their application in the “My forms” section of their E-portfolio.

The electronic transmission of the application acts as an electronic signature by the candidate. The FRQNT reserves the right to verify the authenticity of all documents and information provided with the authorities concerned.

5. Eligibility of applications

The program administrator, scientific advisors and members of the multidisciplinary evaluation committees assess during the whole process the eligibility status of each application in accordance with the conditions specified in the program rules.

The decision with respect to the eligibility of the application is e-mailed to the candidate.

6. Evaluation of applications

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria, according to the weighting indicated. It is the candidate’s responsibility to clearly address these criteria in their written proposal.

The criteria listed below form a repertory of values and objectives of the Research Support for New Academics program, and were developed to suit a diversity of research projects and candidate profiles.

Thus, evaluators do not necessarily expect all candidates to meet all of the sub-indicators presented below, but to meet most of them in a consistent manner.

Criterion 1: Quality of the research project (60 pts)

Excellence in research 

• Originality
  Creativity, potential for disruption & advancement in the field (relevance of the theme and issues addressed, new approach, risk-taking, etc.);

• Scientific scope
  Scope of the objectives for the community and users & contributions within the field of research (applied or fundamental);

• Collaborations & partnerships
  Cooperation in Québec and/or internationally (relevance, added value for the project, the institution or Québec, etc.).

Project presentation

• Methodology
  Relevance, scientific & technical feasibility. Availability of infrastructure & equipment. Where appropriate, the reuse of scientific material and the purchase of second-hand material are encouraged. Ethical & environmental considerations;

• Realism of the time frame & budget
  Appropriateness of budget & time frame: budget justification (details, quantification, etc.), relevance of the project duration to the research question and budget;

• Quality of presentation
  Project structure and understanding: description of objectives & keywords, clarity, quality of drafting and of presentation etc.

Project benefits 

• Strengthening research capacity
  Training and mentoring plan : feasibility of the project for the training of highly qualified personnel, recruitment, tasks, pedagogical scope, consideration for equity, diversity & inclusion (recruitment process, etc.);

• Knowledge transfer
  Valorization, promotion & dissemination of results. Consideration for access to data (open access, etc.).

Criterion 2: Candidate’s competency in science (40 pts)

Scientific capacity

• Scientific expertise
  Relevance of CV to the project: the candidate must possess the expertise and knowledge necessary to successfully carry out the proposed project;

• Experience and potential
  Candidate’s experience in the research field : quantity and quality of scientific contributions & achievements, mentoring & efforts put into offering an equitable and inclusive training environment and into attracting diversified students and trainees (animation activities toward under-represented groups etc.). Potential demonstrated by the applicant throughout his/her career and activities related to research & science : originality of academic background, risk-taking, engagement, influence, perseverance, drive, etc.

Knowledge dissemination

• Scientific community
  Knowledge transfer/diffusion activities (organization & participation in seminars, symposia, publications, patents, etc.) ;

• General public and targeted users
  Discussions and dissemination activities for a wide audience: general public, schools, municipal services, media, volunteering, production of non-technical content, etc.

Equipment criterion ($7,001-$50,000 including taxes), if applicable

• Justification of requested equipment
  Relevance of the requested equipment for the achievement of the research project. Complementarity or integration of requested equipment with equipment obtained or requested from other funding agencies (CFI, NSERC, etc.) or already present at the candidate’s institution. Where applicable, the reuse of scientific material and the purchase of second-hand material are encouraged.

Evaluation process

The program administrator and scientific advisors classify the funding applications according to their research fields.

Applications are evaluated by multidisciplinary assessment committees and external experts selected among peers from the college, industrial, socio-economic and university sectors.

Role of the multidisciplinary assessment committees and external experts

The multidisciplinary assessment committees and, where applicable, external experts evaluate applications according to the rules and evaluation criteria in effect for the program, and taking into account the quality standards and existing research traditions in the different disciplines concerned.

The committees rank the applications and advise the board of directors of the proposals that merit funding. Budget projections are considered in the evaluation process.

Role of the Program Administrator

The Program Administrator is responsible for ensuring that the committees and the external referees comply with the current rules of the program, and standard rules of ethics.

7. Description and nature of funding

For information about the administration and management of the grant, successful candidates should refer to the Common General Rules and the specific program rules, which can be found on the Fonds website.

Operating grant

The financial assistance consists of an operating grant for two years with a maximum value of:

• $20,000 per year for new researchers at institutions in the metropolitan communities of Montréal or Québec City;
• $30,000 per year for new researchers at institutions in the regions, i.e. outside the metropolitan communities of Montréal and Québec City;

The grant must be used for funding the operating expenses directly related to carrying out of the research project. Only the following items are accepted:

Remuneration according to prevailing institutional standards (including fringe benefits)

• College students
• Undergraduate students
• Master’s students
• Ph.D. students
• Postdoctoral research trainees
• Research professionals
• Research technicians

Fellowship and fellowship supplements

• College students
• Undergraduate students
• Master’s students
• Ph.D. students
• Postdoctoral research trainees

Other expenses

• Travel expenses linked to the research (by land, where appropriate) ^*
• Conferences, meetings and symposia*
• New or second-hand material, and research supplies (including analysis fees), with a unit cost of $7,000 or less
• Laboratory animals (purchase and daily fees)
• Study participants
• Scientific services
• Safety and waste disposal
• Small equipment (new or second-hand): purchase, rental, operating costs, maintenance, installation, repairs, if the unit cost is $7,000 or less
• Shipping for research material and equipment
• Telecommunications
• Computer equipment
• Database purchase and access
• Editing, reprography, and translation
• Publications demonstrating the production’s contribution to the advancement of knowledge, intended for the research community
• Publications intended for non-academic readership
• Digital platforms: websites and social media.

* See also the measures to reconcile work and family life in the Common general rules

†Expenses related to the dissemination of research results to the public (e.g. media relations, video production, general public activities, production of popularized content for mass media, the web and social media) and those generated through ethics activities are also eligible.

Equipment grant

An equipment grant may be added to the operating grant for the purchase of scientific equipment with a unit cost of $7,001 or more. This grant, up to $50 000 (taxes included), is awarded on the merit of the research project and is based on the needs identified, which must be clearly justified (see Section 3 — Contents of the application and required documents).

Applications for equipment must be made the first year at the same time as the operating grant. The appropriations are issued in full the first year but may be spent any time in the two years covered by the grant.

Please note that, except in special cases, the equipment grant:

• cannot be carried forward for an additional year, unlike the operating grant;
• can only be used to buy the equipment originally requested in the application.

Student maternity leave

A student who receives an award funded by a grant under this program can get paid maternity leave for a period of up to eight months for the birth or adoption of a child. To be eligible, the student must have been paid from the FRQNT grant for at least 6 months. In addition, she may not hold an award from another granting agency and may not receive benefits from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP).

To obtain paid maternity leave, the student must send a request by e-mail to the program officer and provide a copy of the medical certificate attesting to the pregnancy and, when the time comes, the child’s birth or adoption certificate and proof of interruption of university enrolment. In addition, a copy of the student’s award contract must be provided.

Maternity leave may begin before the birth or adoption of the child. If permitted by the institution, the student may extend the leave for an additional period of four months without pay. The FRQNT will transfer the maternity leave grant to the student upon receipt of the required documents.

Maternity leave is authorized by the Fonds provided that the institution allows maternity leave. The grant director undertakes to resume supervision of the student after her leave. The Fonds reserves the right to reject any request that is not adequately justified.

8. Duration and management of the grant

Use of the grant

Grants are awarded annually for the period from April 1 to March 31.

Grants are awarded for a maximum of 2 years and are not renewable:

• The unspent balance of the operating grant at the end of the two years may be carried forward, but only for an additional period of one year. At the end of this year, any unspent funds must be returned to the FRQNT.
• The unspent balance of the equipment grant at the end of the two years cannot be carried forward.

Management and follow-up

Accepting the grant

• To initiate payment of the first instalment, the candidate must accept the grant within 30 days after receiving the competition results (April-May), in the “Manage my funding” section of the FRQnet E-portfolio.

Annual update statement

• To initiate the 2nd and 3rd grant instalments, the grant holder must, after receiving a notice to do so (in March), submit an online update statement in the FRQnet E-portfolio. The statement must be completed whether or not there are any changes to declare. Further grant payments are conditional on this step.

Annual financial report

• The managing institution must submit, no later than June of each year of funding, an annual financial report via the FRQnet E-portfolio. This report must be signed by the grant holder.

End of the grant

• The grant holder is required to submit a final report no later than 21 months after the end date of the grant (not including the additional year, where applicable). Any future funding is contingent on the submission of this final report within the prescribed time and to the satisfaction of the Fonds.

9. Research Ethics and Conformity

The multidisciplinary evaluation committees submit their recommendations to the Board of directors of the FRQNT, which makes the funding decisions.

Grant results are announced in April 2020. The decisions of the Board of Directors of the FRQNT are sent to the institutions and candidates concerned. For any information on competition results, the candidate must contact the research office of his institution or visit the Fonds Web site.

Grants are contingent on the allocation of funding from the Assemblée nationale du Québec and the decisions of the board of directors of the Fonds and may be modified at any time without notice. It is therefore strongly recommended not to commit expenditures before the funding has been officially announced.

10. Integrity of the Evaluation Process

Any individual or institution that receives funding must demonstrate the highest standards of research ethics and scientific integrity. You must refer to the Common General Rules for further details.

11. Liability of the Fonds

At no time may applicants or their institutional authorities make contact with evaluation committee members, unless such contact is specified as part of the evaluation process. Similarly, evaluation committee members must not make contact with applicants, unless such contact is specifically indicated in the evaluation process. The identities of evaluation committee members are kept confidential to avoid any attempt at collusion. The Fonds reserve the right to withdraw an application from competition if there is any inappropriate intervention, lobby, undue influence or collusion during the evaluation process, as stipulated in the Policy for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

12. False or misleading information

The Fonds make all reasonable efforts to ensure optimal service. However, they cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect damage resulting from their handling of applications for funding. Furthermore, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Fonds are not liable for any direct or indirect damage resulting from the disclosure of personal or confidential information that was not authorized by the Fonds.

13. Open access to research results

The Fonds presume the good faith of the declaration provided in funding applications or in any other document submitted at any time during the funding cycle, from the initial funding application to the final report. Applicants and funding holder must be transparent and provide accurate and precise information. They must be conscientious about advising the Fonds of any changes in their situation, where applicable. Such qualities are essential to maintaining the trust of the Fonds in its funding holders.

Under the Act Respecting the Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie (CQLR, c. M-15.1.0.1), any individual who submits an application containing false or misleading information to obtain or procure financial support is committing an offence, is liable to a fine and could be barred from receiving financial support for a period of up to five years. Where a legal person commits such an offence, every director or representative of that legal person who was aware of the offence may be liable to a fine. Furthermore, such a declaration constitutes a breach of responsible research conduct, as set forth in the Fonds de recherche du Québec Policy for the Responsible Conduct of Research, and may be subject to sanctions in accordance with this policy.

The Fonds reserve the right to take immediate measures to stop the use of public funds obtained through false or misleading information, and to take legal action to recover fraudulently obtained funds and claim compensation for damages caused where appropriate.

14. Equity, diversity and inclusion

The Fonds are committed to fostering the widest possible access to the outcomes of the research they fund. They would like this practice to be implanted in every research environment and intend to promote this principle through all means at their disposal, including the websites of the three Fonds

15. Other aspects

The Fonds de recherche du Québec wish to contribute to supporting a research ecosystem based on equity, diversity and inclusion. Measures have been put in place to strengthen the integration of these principles. Funding recipients are also encouraged to consider them in the context of their research activities. For more information, please consult our statement on equity, diversity and inclusion.

16. General considerations

You should refer to the Common General Rules for any matter related to responsible conduct in research, privacy and confidentiality, intellectual property and the protection of academic freedom.

17. Effective date

Candidates and institutions must meet the general eligibility requirements at the time of submission, the program rules and the Common general rules.

18. Contact person for this program

Leira Retamal Covarrubias Ph.D.
Releve.professorale.nt@frq.gouv.qc.ca
418 643-8560, # 3355

19. Personne responsable à contacter