Établissement de la relève professorale - ENG 21-22

1. Objectives

The Research Support for New Academics program in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering has the following objectives:

• 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 to user communities;
• Encourage university students to do research.

2. Eligibility requirements

2.1  The following are eligible for this program:

University professors, as defined in the CGR (status 1), who meet the following conditions:

2.1.1 Have occupied this position for less than 3 years, i.e. as of September 16, 2017 or later. An applicant who will occupy such a position no later than September 1, 2021 is also eligible.

2.1.2 International experience in a similar position must be included in this 3-year eligibility period. The managing institution must provide documentation detailing the conditions of such experience. (See Section 3.1.5, Letter from the institution).

2.1.3  A contracted 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 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 contracted professor to perform research without any supervision from another researcher and to individually supervise undergraduate or graduate students or postdoctoral fellows.

2.1.4 Professors 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 (see Section 3.1.5). The Fonds will determine the extension to be granted and may request additional supporting documents.

2.1.5 Have obtained their doctorate or successfully defended their doctoral dissertation at the competition deadline, i.e. no later than September 16, 2020.

2.1.6 Benefit from a teaching release of at least 25% for the duration of the grant, i.e. from April 2021 to March 31, 2023. The applicant’s managing institution must attest to this at the time of application (see Section 3.1.2, Letter from the institution). This condition cannot be met retroactively.

2.2 The following are not eligible for this program:

2.2.1 Applicants who do not meet the eligibility requirements listed above;

2.2.2 Applicants whose work is in a field that is not covered by the FRQNT and is not consistent with the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) mission;

2.2.3 Applicants 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) or 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.

3. Contents of the funding application and required documents

All attached documents and section of the electronic application form, including the Detailed Contributions attachment, must meet the standards presented in the Presentation standards for  application – FRQNT document available in the program’s Toolbox. Failure to comply with these standards will result in the application being deemed INELIGIBLE.

3.1 Required documents

The funding application must be submitted to the Fonds electronically. It must be completed using the official forms available in the FRQnet Portfolio.

Any excess pages or non-required documents (e.g. letter of support) will be removed from the application.

Various documents are to be attached to the form in the sections intended for that purpose. The application includes 5 to 7 items, as the case may be:

3.1.1  The funding application form (FRQnet Portfolio)

This form has several sections to complete and requires the uploading of documents. The sections may be completed in English or French. However, if you complete your application in English, you must provide a title and a project summary in both French and English.

Details for certain sections of the form

Ethics, responsible conduct and the environment

If applicable, the applicant must explain in the Ethics section how the use of humans, human biological materials or animals, the question of sex or gender, and environmental impacts will be taken into consideration in the realization of the research project.

In the Responsible Conduct section, the applicant must demonstrate how the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion will be taken into consideration in the management of the research project. Please refer to Section 12 for more information, including an online training module developed for Canada’s research community.

List of suggested experts

The applicant must suggest 10 experts who will be able to assess the scientific relevance of the project.

• The experts must have sufficient knowledge of the language in which the application is written.
• They will not be notified of your suggestions.
• The experts must have no current or recent (five years or less) collaborative relationship with the applicant and, if applicable, other members of the research team.

It is the responsibility of the applicant and the managing institution to ensure that the suggested experts are not in a conflict of interest (see Section 4.2 of the CGR for examples).

3.1.2 Description of the research project (PDF attached to the form)

Maximum 7 pages (including figures, tables and bibliography) written according to the standards set out in the Presentation standards for  application – FRQNT available in the program’s Toolbox.

3.1.3 Justification of planned expenditures (PDF attached to the form)

Maximum 1 page. 

3.1.4 Description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant (PDF attached to the form) (if applicable).

Equipment grant – Eligibility criterion

An insufficient description and justification and/or failure to provide the required number of quotes may render the equipment grant request INELIGIBLE.

Maximum 2 pages.

• It is important to specify that the equipment grant must be spent during the first year of the research project.
• Applicants 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 description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant.
• The applicant must clearly justify why the equipment requested is necessary for the successful completion of the project.
• The applicant must also explain why the other options available at his/her institution do not meet the needs of the project.
• It is suggested that the repair and refurbishing of instruments and equipment be considered.
• Equipment that requires an assembly of modules or accessories in order to be functional may be accepted. The relevance of the assembly must be clearly indicated in the equipment grant request.

For each of the following categories, a description and appropriate supporting documents are also required:

a) $7,001 to $25,000:

No quote required.

b) $25,001 to $50,000:

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, a single quote may be accepted provided this is fully justified in the appropriate section of the electronic form.

c) Over $50,000$:

For equipment whose total cost exceeds $50,000, two quotes from suppliers must be provided in the appropriate section.

Furthermore, the applicant must specify the source(s) of complementary funding in the description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant.

If, at the time of application, the applicant does not have the complementary funding, the managing institution must undertake to pay the necessary amount before the first instalment of the grant starting year. A letter of undertaking from the managing institution must be included with the application in the “Other documents” section

Equipment grant – Funding condition 

In order for the contribution of the Fonds to come into effect, the applicant 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.

3.1.5  Letter from the applicant’s institution (PDF attached to the form)

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

a) That the applicant holds or will hold a full-time tenure-track position (no later than September 1 2021);

b) That the applicant will be released from at least 25% of his/her teaching duties for the duration of the grant (2021-2023).

c) To the hiring date and position held (day-month-year).

d) Where applicable, employment start and end dates (day-month-year) for all full-time tenure-track professorial positions previously held by the applicant at other universities in Canada or abroad. We recommend including any official documents that provide a definition of the position occupied at another Canadian or a foreign university.

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. 

e) If applicable, that the applicant’s salary will be paid by the university or another source for the duration of the grant, in the case of a contracted professor.

f) If applicable, that the applicant has successfully defended his/her thesis and that graduation is a mere formality.

g) If applicable, the start and end dates (day-month-year) of 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.

3.1.6 The Canadian Common CV and “Detailed Contributions” attachment (PDF attached in the “Canadian Common CV” section of the FRQnet Portfolio)

Please refer to the Presentation standards for  application – FRQNT document available in the program’s Toolbox for complete presentation instructions.

4. Application process

Submitting the funding application in the FRQnet Portfolio

Applicants must submit all required documents in their FRQnet Portfolio before the internal deadline of the managing institution. To find out the internal deadline, applicants should contact the person in charge of research at their institution (research officer, research advisor, etc.).

• The status “Submitted to institution” will appear in the Portfolio. 

Approval of the funding application by the managing institution

The managing institution must approve the funding application via the FRQnet Institutions Portal before it is transmitted to the FRQNT.

At this stage, the managing institution may return the application to the applicant for modification.

• The status “Returned to applicant” will then appear in the Portfolio.

The applicant must then resubmit the application in his/her FRQnet Portfolio for approval by the managing institution.

It is important to take this process into account in order to ensure that the documents are submitted within the required time frame. Applicants will not be notified of any element missing from their application. Any documents received after submission of the application will not be considered and applications cannot be updated.

A checklist is available in the program’s Toolbox.

Transmitting the funding application to the FRQNT via FRQnet 

The application must be transmitted by the managing institution before the competition deadline of 4 p.m. on September 16, 2020.

• The status “Transmis au Fonds” will appear in the applicant’s FRQnet Portfolio.

Reminder of requirements before transmitting the application to the FRQNT:

The applicant must:

• Check that all requested documents have been placed in the applicant’s FRQnet Portfolio and that the application is complete.
• Ensure that none of the suggested experts on the list provided are in a conflict of interest and make any necessary changes. This is not a list of professional references or persons who have had a professional or personal relationship with the applicant within the last 5 years (see Section 4.2 of the CGR for more examples).
• Ensure that there is a title and project summary in both French and English if the application is completed in English.
• Check that all documents meet the required presentation standards. If not, the application will be deemed ineligible by the FRQNT.
• Verify that all required elements are included in the equipment grant request.

The head of the managing institution must then:

• Ensure that the electronic form contains all required information and that all required documents have been included in the various sections of the form;
• Ensure that the letter from the managing institution attests to all the requested information including the applicant’s previous university experience.
• Check whether any documents require translation;
• Ensure that the CCV and Detailed Contributions document have been uploaded to the Portfolio;
• Check for any conflicts of interest between the applicant and the list of suggested experts and make the necessary changes (see Section 4.2 of the CGR for examples).
• Ensure that there is a title and project summary in both French and English if the application is completed in English.
• Approve the funding application and transmit it to the FRQNT via FRQnet before the competition deadline.

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

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’s Politique d’éthique et d’intégrité scientifique. Applicants 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 privacy rules. Furthermore, signatories agree to comply with the intellectual property policies of their respective institutions.

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.

5. Determining eligibility of funding 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 set out in the program rules and the CGR.

Notification of the decision with respect to the eligibility of the application is sent via the FRQnet Portfolio of the applicant and the managing institution.

6. Application evaluation

6.1 Evaluation criteria

Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria, according to the weighting indicated. It is the applicant’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 applicant profiles.

Thus, evaluators do not necessarily expect all applicants 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 (65 pts)

C1.1 Excellence in research (15 pts)

1.1.1. Originality

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

1.1.2. Scientific scope

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

1.1.3. Collaborations and partnerships

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

C1.2 Project presentation (30 pts)

1.2.1 Methodology

Relevance in relation to the objectives; scientific and technical feasibility. Availability of infrastructure and equipment. Where appropriate, the reuse of scientific material and the purchase of second-hand material are encouraged. Ethical and environmental considerations;

Justification for the equipment grant ($7,001 – $50,000 including taxes), if applicable

Relevance of the requested equipment for the successful completion 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 applicant’s institution. Where applicable, the reuse of scientific material and the purchase of second-hand material are encouraged.

1.2.2 Realism of the time frame and budget

Appropriateness of budget and time frame: budget justification (details, quantification, etc.), relevance of the project duration to the research question and budget, risk management plan;

1.2.3 Quality of presentation 

Project structure and understanding: description of objectives and keywords, clarity, popularization, quality of writing, etc.;

C1.3 Project benefits (20 pts)

1.3.1 Strengthening research capacity

Detailed training and mentoring plan: feasibility of the project for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP), recruitment, tasks, pedagogical scope;

1.3.2 Knowledge transfer

Valorization, promotion and dissemination of results to scientific and user communities and the general public. Consideration for access to data (open access, etc.);

Criterion 2 : Applicant’s competency in science (30 pts)

C2.1 Scientific capacity (15 pts)

2.1.1  Scientific expertise

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

2.1.2 Experience and potential

Applicant’s research experience: quantity and quality of scientific contributions and achievements, mentoring. Potential demonstrated by the applicant throughout his/her career and activities related to research and science: originality of academic background, risk-taking, engagement, collaborative network, leadership, etc.;

C2.2 Knowledge dissemination (15 pts)

2.2.1 Scientific community  

Knowledge transfer/dissemination activities (organization & participation in seminars, symposia, publications, patents, etc.);

2.2.2 General public and user communities

Discussions and dissemination activities for a wide audience: general public, schools, postsecondary institutions, municipal services, other users, media, volunteering, production of non-technical content, etc.;

Criterion 3: Integration of the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in research (5 pts)

Efforts put in place to promote equity, diversity and inclusion. It is up to each applicant to choose how to address this criterion through concrete actions, taking into account his or her unique situation. Efforts may involve composition, organization and management, knowledge sharing and dissemination to user communities, etc.

For more information on this criterion, please consult the document entitled Guidelines on considering equity, diversity and inclusion in the evaluation of FRQNT grant applications. This document is also available in the Toolbox Section.

6.2 Evaluation process

The program administrator and scientific council classify the funding applications according to their research fields. Keywords are essential to this classification.

Applications are evaluated by multidisciplinary evaluation committees and external experts selected among peers from Canadian and international academia and the industrial and socio-economic sectors.

Role of the multidisciplinary evaluation committees and external experts

The multidisciplinary evaluation committees and, where applicable, external experts evaluate applications according to the rules and evaluation criteria in effect for the program, 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 committee members and external referees comply with the current rules of the program, as well as the rules relating to ethics, confidentiality, the responsible conduct of research, and equity, diversity and inclusion.

7. Description and nature of funding

The applicant should refer to the CGR and Section 8 of the program rules for the rules governing the use and management of the grant.

7.1 Operating grant

The grant must be used for funding the operating expenses directly related to carrying out of the research project.

For the complete list of eligible expense categories, please refer to Section 8 of the CGR, Eligible and non-eligible expenses.

In addition, the use of platforms such as Calcul Québec and Génome Québec is encouraged where applicable.

The funding 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.

7.2 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 (including taxes), 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).

8. Duration and management of the grant

8.1 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 balance remaining at the end of each budget year may be carried over to the next year, for the duration of the grant.

The unspent balance remaining at the end of the grant period may be carried forward for an additional period of one year. To do so, the grant holder and managing institution must justify their extension request to the program administrator and comply with the terms set out in Section 6.10 of the CGR.

8.2 Management and follow-up

8.2.1 Accepting the grant

To initiate payment of the first instalment, the applicant must accept the grant within 30 days after receiving the competition results (end of April), in the “Manage my funding” section of the FRQnet Portfolio.

8.2.2 Annual update statement

To initiate payment of the 2nd grant year, the grant holder must, after receiving a notice to do so (in March), submit an online update statement in the FRQnet Portfolio. The statement must be completed whether or not there are any changes to declare. Further grant payments are conditional on this step.

8.2.3  Annual financial report

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

Grant payments are conditional on the submission of an annual financial report by the managing institution.

8.2.4 Changes during funding period

Any major changes made during the funding period, including a redistribution of expenses by category for the operating or equipment grant, must be justified by email to the program administrator and reported in the FRQnet Portfolio (See Section 6.5 of the CGR).

8.2.5 Departure of the grant holder

Grant recipients who leave their employing institution or Québec, for more than three months or permanently, must give prior notice by email to the Fonds concerned and record it in the FRQnet Portfolio. (See Sections 6.7, 6.8, 6.9 of the CGR).

8.2.6 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. Announcement of results

The multidisciplinary evaluation committees submit their recommendations to the Board of directors of the FRQNT, which makes the funding decisions. All decisions of the Board of Directors of the FRQNT are final and cannot be appealed.

Grant results are announced at the end of April. The decisions of the Board of Directors of the FRQNT are sent to the institutions and applicants concerned. For any information on competition results, applicants must contact their institution’s research office or equivalent or visit the Fonds website.

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. Ethics and the responsible conduct of research

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

This includes a declaration by the applicant and the managing institution that there are no real or apparent conflicts of interest that could influence the application assessment process. This applies to all individuals identified in the application (for example, suggested experts), the form or the documents required when submitting the funding application.

Please refer to the CGR for any matter related to responsible conduct in research, privacy and confidentiality, intellectual property and the protection of academic freedom.

11. Integrity of the Evaluation Process

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. Equity, diversity and inclusion

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 groups and activities.

To mitigate the influence of unconscious bias in the scientific assessment process, individuals taking part in the Fonds de recherche du Québec’s peer review process are now encouraged to take a short online training course.

In the interest of avoiding duplication for the scientific community, we have chosen to use the  Unconscious bias training module, developed by the federal funding agencies and available on the Canada Research Chairs website.

While this training course is not mandatory, we hope that a critical mass of reviewers will choose to take it to help enhance the fairness of the assessment process. Please note that all Fonds staff responsible for evaluation committees will be required to complete the online training module as well as additional training.

For more information, please consult our Statement on equity, diversity and inclusion.

13. Liability of the Fonds

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.

14. False or misleading information

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 recipients 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.

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.

15. Open access to research results

In accordance with the FRQ open access policy for the dissemination of research, principal investigators who have been awarded a grant, co-investigators who are part of a funded project, and training and career award recipients must agree to provide open access to their scientific publications no later than 12 months after publication. To learn more about the FRQ’s requirements on this subject, please visit our page on Open Science.

16. General considerations

Applicants and managing institutions must meet the eligibility requirements and program rules in effect at the time of application and the Common General Rules throughout the funding period.

17. Effective date

These rules apply to the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

18. Contact person for this program