FRQSC – Undergraduate Initiation to Research Scholarship, 2023-2024

1. OBJECTIVES

The mission of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture includes promoting and providing financial support for the training of a new generation of researchers, by awarding:

• Training awards for master’s  and doctoral students and people wishing to do postdoctoral research;
• Scholarships for Internship in a Practice Environment and Internship outside Québec;
• Knowledge Mobilization Plan for students already funded under FRQSC postdoctoral program;
• Research initiation internship scholarships for college students.

A Chief Scientist’s award, the Relève Étoile Awards Paul-Gérin-Lajoie Award, also recognize the achievements of Québec student researchers.

Complementary to these initiatives, with its Undergraduate Initiation to Research Scholarship program, the FRQSC wishes to promote access to graduate studies by providing research experience in a university setting and by encouraging undergraduate students to pursue research careers in areas covered by the FRQSC.

2. TARGET GROUP

This initiation to research scholarship is intended for individuals pursuing a full-time undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree at eligible universities and whose research Initiation activities are supervised by a university researcher with Status 1 a) i) of the CGR (Definitions – Status and roles) working in an area covered by the FRQSC.

3. VALUE OF THE SCHOLARSHIP AND DURATION OF THE INTERNSHIP

The FRQSC awards within each fiscal year three scholarships of $5,000 each to each eligible university. The list of eligible institutions can be found in the program rules Toolbox. As a result, applications for fiscal year 2023-2024 must be submitted to the Fonds by February 15, 2024.

Universities submitting applications must have an internal process for assessing and selecting candidates.

The internship must last a minimum of 200 hours over one or two semesters, to be distributed according to needs.

The amount is paid directly to the scholarship holder.

4. ELIGIBILITY

In addition to the conditions indicated in the CGR, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements specific to this program at the time of application and throughout the duration of the scholarship. If awarded, the terms of the scholarship must also be respected.

ELIGIBILITY OF CANDIDATES

The following are eligible to apply to this program: individuals who

• have been registered for at least two consecutive full-time semesters or three consecutive part-time semesters in the same undergraduate program leading to a bachelor’s degree in an area covered by the FRQSC at the scholarship effective date

AND

• have never held an Undergraduate Initiation to Research Scholarship.

5. APPLICATION

Universities submitting applications should send in one email the names of the selected candidates and their email addresses to boursesb.sc@frq.gouv.qc.ca.

The selected candidates will then be asked to complete and submit the form available in their FRQnet electronic Portfolio under “Available competitions”.

The link to the FRQnet electronic Portfolio and the form associated with this competition is available under Portal access on the website. Further details are available in the Documents menu of the FRQnet electronic Portfolio.

It is preferable that the funding application be written in French, but it can also be written in English. However, the title and abstract of the project (when required) must be in French. These may be used by the Fonds for promotional and dissemination purposes (CGR, Section 3.6).

Documents to attach to the form

The following documents when required must be attached to the FRQnet electronic form in the “ Other documents ” section of the form.

1. Proof of enrolment

A letter from the university registrar’s office identifying all full-time and part-time semesters completed in the undergraduate program.

2. Internship description (3 pages)

A letter of up to two pages written by the internship supervisor and comprising two sections:

• Description of the research initiation project, and
• Description of the roles and tasks assigned to the intern.

This letter written by the internship supervisor must be accompanied, as an appendix, a one-page schedule:

• Presenting the planned activities in connection with the objectives of the internship
• Specifying the dates and number of hours per week the intern will be required to spend at the internship site, totalling a minimum of 200 hours

6. EVALUATION

Applications submitted in this program are evaluated by the universities using a procedure of their own devising and based on the following criteria :

• Quality of academic record

• Aptitude for research

7. ANNOUNCEMENT OF RESULTS

The results will be announced no later than 6 weeks after submission of the scholarship application, via the applicant’s FRQnet electronic Portfolio.

8. TERMS OF THE SCHOLARSHIP

As the Internship scholarship recipients must remain full-time enrolled in their study program throughout the duration of the internship, any changes in this regard must be reported to the Fonds beforehand. If the internship is in the summer, proof of the applicant’s enrolment for the winter semester prior to the internship or the fall semester following the internship is required.

It is up to the intern to ensure that he/she or they has insurance coverage throughout the internship. If insurance coverage is not provided by the institution, the intern is responsible for taking out private insurance.

The internship start and end dates can be modified, subject to Fonds approval of a documented modification request submitted through the FRQNet electronic Portfolio. The proposed changes must meet all eligibility conditions and cannot change the nature of the internship as evaluated by the Fonds. After analysis, the Fonds may decide to pursue, reduce, suspend or terminate the payments. The Fonds may also require that the amounts paid be reimbursed.

SCHOLARSHIP INSTALMENT

The number of payments is based on the duration and number of semesters covered by the internship.

The payment of the scholarship is conditional on the transmission, via the scholarship holder’s FRQnet Portfolio, of an attendance certificate signed by the internship supervisor and confirming the official start date of the internship initiation research activities.

FINAL REPORT

A final report summarizing the research initiation activities carried out during the internship must be sent to the Fonds no later than 30 days after the end of the internship, via the scholarship holder’s FRQnet Portfolio. The Final report  form can be downloaded in the Toolbox section of the Undergraduate Initiation to Research Scholarship program rules.

9. OPEN ACCESS POLICY

Peer-reviewed publications resulting from the research made possible by this scholarship must be released as immediate open access (without embargo), under an open license, in accordance with the FRQ Open Access Policy (revised in 2022).

10. EFFECTIVE DATE

The provisions set out in this document apply to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

Updated on April14, 2023.