Master's Research Scholarships (B1Z) and Scholarships for re-entering the Research Community / Master's 2021-2022

1. OBJECTIVES

These scholarship programs have the following objectives:

• Stimulate student interest in social sciences and humanities, arts and literature research;
• Support research excellence by providing the best applicants with financial assistance to undertake or pursue a master’s or doctoral research program in social sciences, humanities, arts and literature fields.

In keeping with its Knowledge Mobilization Strategy, the Fonds encourage funding recipients to carry out such activities (sharing, valorization, dissemination, etc.) for the general public, whenever such activities are relevant in the context of their research.

In accordance with the Fonds de recherche du Québec open access policy for the dissemination of research, all funding 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.

Finally, 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 visit our website.

2. TARGET GROUP

Master’s (B1) and doctoral (B2) research scholarships

Intended for applicants who wish to undertake or pursue a master’s or doctoral program in an area covered by the FRQSC, namely the humanities and social sciences, arts and literature.

Scholarships for re-entering the research community (A2M and A2D)

Intended for applicants who wish to re-enter the research community by carrying out graduate studies at the master’s or doctoral level in an area covered by the FRQSC, namely the humanities and social sciences, arts and literature, and who, at the competition deadline:

• have not been enrolled in a graduate study program for at least five years;
• have not received any university credits for at least five years.

3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements set out below on the application deadline of October 7, 2020 at 4 pm for master’s scholarships or October 14, 2020 at 4 pm for doctoral scholarships.

3.1 Citizenship and residency

To be eligible to apply for a master’s or doctoral research scholarship, the applicant must have been enrolled at a Québec university on a full-time basis (or equivalent) for at least 2 of the 3 terms prior to the competition deadline* OR have a valid Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card** or official proof of eligibility for RAMQ (a letter from the RAMQ confirming that a new card has been requested).

* The fall 2020 term is not taken into account.

** The RAMQ card is issued by the Québec government and allows the holder to benefit from the services covered under the Québec health insurance plan. Private health insurance cards do not replace the RAMQ card and are not accepted.

To use a training award outside Québec, the recipient must have a valid RAMQ card or official proof of eligibility for RAMQ AND be a Canadian citizen at the time of application.

Individuals who do not have a valid RAMQ card or official proof of eligibility for RAMQ, or who are not Canadian citizens at the time of application, must pursue their studies in Québec. Their continuous physical presence in Québec is required throughout the duration of funding, apart from break periods listed in the university calendar. Those under co-supervision (cotutelle) are also subject to this rule.

FRQSC scholarship holders must meet the citizenship and residency requirements throughout the duration of the scholarship.

3.2 Required minimum grade point average – master’s scholarship (B1 and A2-M)

For a master’s scholarship, applicants must have obtained a grade point average of A- or the equivalent in their undergraduate studies. See the required minimum GPA equivalents table.

Exception for students applying from an LLB law program:

• Applicants must have completed their studies with a GPA of 3.55.
• For Université de Montréal and McGill University graduates, the required minimum GPA is 3.4.

Applicants whose GPA is below the required minimum GPA are ineligible.

When several transcripts are provided, the FRQSC can, on request, calculate a GPA for those undergraduate studies on which the applicant’s eligibility for the program was based.

In the case of a career change, grades obtained for degrees that are not relevant to the program of study for which the scholarship is being sought will not be taken into account. However, any degrees that served as a basis for the applicant’s admission to the master’s or doctoral program for which the scholarship is being sought are deemed relevant in calculating the GPA and must be included with the application.

3.3 Eligibility restrictions

• The scholarship may not be used for preparatory studies.
• Professional master’s and doctoral programs are not eligible. To be considered a research program, a master’s program must have at least 18 credits (or 40% of program credits) dedicated to research training and lead to the writing of a thesis (for exemple an essay, a research report or an article are not accepted). A doctoral program must have at least 36 credits dedicated to research training and lead to the writing of a doctoral thesis*.

To verify psychology program eligibility, consult the document Eligible psychology program list to the FRQSC training grant.

* Master’s and doctoral programs in research-creation in an artistic field are not subject to these requirements. However, to enable the Fonds to verify eligibility, all information required in the “Description du programme universitaire” section of the form must be provided.

• Individuals who have received a doctoral scholarship from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) or any other recognized funding agency may not apply to the Fonds to complete a study program.
• Individuals who have received a master’s or doctoral scholarship from a recognized agency (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQSC, FRQNT, FRSQ, etc.) for a total of six years (or 18 terms) are not eligible.
• Applicants may only submit an application to one of the following FRQSC scholarship programs in the same year: Master’s Research Scholarships (B1); Doctoral Research Scholarships (B2); Scholarship for Re-entering the Research Community (A2); Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3); Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship (B5).
• Applicants may only hold a scholarship from one Fonds (CGR, Section 3.1).

3.4 Eligibility period

The eligibility period takes into consideration all academic terms of the master’s or doctoral program completed by April 30, 2021, whether funded or not.

•   Part-time studies

When calculating the eligibility period, the Fonds will take into consideration any unregistered and/or part-time terms if an official letter by the registrar is attached to the application. The applicant should consult the Equivalents table for unregistered or part-time terms to verify eligibility for the competition.

•   Master’s scholarship eligibility period

To be eligible, applicants must have been enrolled in master’s studies for no more than 3 full-time terms (1 year), as of May 1, 2021. This includes all terms at the master’s level including those in another discipline. Previous studies completed as part of a professional master’s degree are excluded from this total.

Applicants who are not enrolled in a master’s degree program but who intend to begin graduate studies are eligible provided their program begins between May 1st, 2021 and January 15th, 2022.

•   Doctoral scholarship eligibility period

To be eligible, applicants must have been enrolled in doctoral studies for less than 5 years (the equivalent of 15 full-time terms) as of May 1, 2021. This includes all terms at the doctoral level including those in another discipline. Previous studies completed as part of a professional doctoral degree are excluded from this total.

Applicants directly admitted to a doctoral program after their undergraduate studies and applicants who have fast-tracked to the doctoral level without obtaining a master’s degree must have been enrolled in the doctoral program for less than 6 years (the equivalent of 18 full-time terms), as of May 1, 2021.

Applicants directly admitted to a doctoral program after their undergraduate studies and applicants who have fast-tracked to the doctoral level without obtaining a master’s degree are advised to apply for the master’s competition, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements.

3.5 Exception regarding eligibility period

Exceptions regarding master’s and doctoral scholarship eligibility periods will only be considered for circumstances beyond the applicant’s control. Supporting documents are required and must be submitted along with the application. The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any eligibility period exception request with insufficient justification.

• Parental leave, sick leave or family obligations

Applicants who suspend or postpone their studies for parental leave may ask to extend their eligibility period for up to 12 months. A 12-month extension may also be granted in the case of serious illness or major family obligations. The Fonds will determine the extension to be granted based on the supporting documents provided by the applicant.

• Persons with disabilities

Applicants who suspend or postpone their studies due to reasons related to a disability are exempt from the eligibility period requirements. Supporting documents are required and must be submitted with the application. This exemption is in accordance with the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (CQLR c. E-20.1).

4. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

The competition deadlines are as follows:

•   Master’s scholarship: October 7, 2020 at 4 p.m.
•   Doctoral scholarship: October 14, 2020 at 4 p.m.

Master’s and doctoral scholarship applicants are strongly advised to apply for equivalent funding at the federal level.

4.1 Contents of the application

•   Activation or creation of a user account

Individuals with a Fonds de recherche Personal Identification Number (PIN) must activate their user account. They have direct access to a FRQnet account and need to update their E-Portfolio profile using their PIN before completing the application form. Other applicants must begin by creating a user account on the Fonds website (see “Premier accès à votre profil” video).

•   Choice of evaluation committee

Applicants are responsible for selecting the appropriate committee to evaluate their application, using the document List of evaluation committees. This selection is based on various indicators: discipline, research topic, field, planned program of study, degree sought, etc. The Fonds will not analyze the applicant’s choice of committee and will not transfer the application to another committee. As this choice has a significant impact on the evaluation of their application, applicants are encouraged to contact the Fonds in case of doubt or difficulty in selecting the appropriate committee.

• Application form

The application form will be available on the Fonds website at least one month before the competition deadline. It must be completed in French or English and submitted electronically no later than the competition deadline.

•   Presentation standards

Documents to be included with the application form must be scanned in PDF format and inserted at the place indicated. Each document must be identified at the top with the applicant’s last name and first name, file number and the document title. They must be single spaced with page numbers at the bottom centre of the page. Time New Roman (12 point) font must be used, and the page margins must be 1.25 cm (0.49 inches). The number of pages requested for each document may vary, and any specific presentation instructions other than those mentioned here are provided in the form.

Applicants may include links to web pages as bibliographic references, where relevant. These web addresses may also be listed in the bibliography. However, the application must not be based in whole or in part on online content available to members of the evaluation committee.

•   Required documents

Required documents, detailed below, must be scanned and inserted directly into the application form in the appropriate sections of the ” Activity details” box. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide documents that are clearly legible. Documents must be in .PDF format and must not be read protected in any way or have special double tab configuration. No document transmitted by email, mail or fax will be accepted.

Any official document submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a professional translation certified as a true copy of the original document. Any other document submitted in a language other than French or English must include a basic translation.

An incomplete application that does not contain the information necessary to establish eligibility or which cannot be evaluated will be deemed invalid by the Fonds. Any documents that are not required and which are included with the application will not be submitted to the evaluation committee. Applicants will not be notified of any information or documents missing from the application. Any documents received after the deadline for application will not be considered and applications cannot be updated.

The FRQSC reserves the right to verify the authenticity of all documents and information provided in the application with the organizations concerned.

Official transcripts 

Copies of official transcripts for all university programs (certificates, diplomas, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral degrees) are required, whether the studies were completed or not. For the purposes of the FRQSC, an official transcript is issued by the institution and bears its seal, the registrar’s signature or notice of conformity from a competent authority. Transcripts must be up to date and include all completed terms.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all official transcripts are obtained from the respective institutions within the prescribed time.

IMPORTANT: A letter of explanation must be included with the transcript in the following situations:

1)    The transcript is missing; the attached letter must specify the reasons why the transcript is missing (e.g. no transcript issued by the institution where the applicant’s studies took place; the candidate was admitted to the master’s or doctoral program on the basis of professional experience rather than the completion of a degree; etc.) The Fonds reserves the right to reject any explanation it deems inadequate.

2)    The transcript was issued by an institution outside North America; the attached letter must clearly explain the grading system used, to allow the transcript to be properly understood.

More generally, any atypical situation related to transcripts must be explained in a letter attached to the application. This document must enable the Fonds to verify the eligibility of the application, and the evaluation committee to understand the applicant’s atypical background and to take it into consideration. The absence of such a letter, when required as described above, automatically renders the application ineligible.

Transcripts, letters of explanation if applicable, and proof of full-time enrollment if required must be scanned vertically (portrait orientation), assembled in a single document in chronological order starting with the most recent, and attached in the “Dossier universitaire” section.

Valid RAMQ card or proof of registration for RAMQ (mandatory)

An applicant who is resident in Québec within the meaning of the Act respecting the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) must provide a copy of their medical insurance card, which must be valid at the competition deadline, or proof that a new card has been requested from the RAMQ. A copy of an expired card is not accepted.

OR

An applicant who is not resident in Québec within the meaning of the Act respecting the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec or who is unable to provide a copy of a valid RAMQ card must provide proof that they were enrolled as a full-time student* (or equivalent) at a Québec university for at least 2 of the 3 terms prior to the competition deadline.

• IMPORTANT: proof of full-time enrollment is generally confirmed by the transcripts included with the application. Otherwise, if a transcript does not clearly demonstrate that this requirement is met, the applicant must attach a letter from the registrar’s office identifying all terms in which they were registered full-time.

The following documents must be inserted in the “Other documents” section of the form.

IMPORTANT NOTE: No letters of reference are required under the master’s and doctoral scholarship programs.

•   Submitted, in press or accepted articles

All submitted articles must be accompanied by a letter of acknowledgement from the editor. Articles accepted for publication or in press must be accompanied by a notification from the editor. The applicant must be identified by name, or the article in question will not be considered in the application evaluation.

•   Proof of citizenship

Canadian citizens born outside Canada must provide a copy of proof of citizenship (both sides). Citizens born in Canada may need to provide this document on request.

• Medical certificate for eligibility period exception

Applicants seeking eligibility period exceptions must provide a medical certificate indicating the duration of the maternity leave or sick leave, the nature of the disability or any other supporting document justifying the extension or interruption of studies.

•   Proof of part-time studies

Applicants having completed one or more part-time terms since registering for graduate studies must provide a registrar’s letter identifying any part-time or unregistered terms in the program of study for which the scholarship is being sought.

4.2   Submitting the application

Applicants attest that all 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. Applicants authorize their institution to transmit any personal information in accordance with this policy, if applicable. An agreement to that effect is required before submitting the application.

It is important to verify in the “My forms” section of the E-Portfolio that the application has been successfully submitted. The notice “Transmis au Fonds” should appear no later than the competition closing date and time. This indicates that the application has been received by the Fonds.

Once the application has been submitted, it may not be modified or resubmitted regardless of the transmission date, even if it is before the competition deadline.

4.3 Acknowledgement of receipt

An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent by email no later than December confirming reception of the application and its eligibility status.

5. APPLICATION ASSESSMENT

Committee members evaluate the applications according to the criteria, indicators and weighting described in this program, using the Fonds Scores and Ratings Grid.To be recommended, an application must obtain an overall score of 70% or more. Applicants are advised to attach equal importance to both the evaluation criteria and their associated indicators.

Funding applications are evaluated according to the following criteria, indicators and weighting:

Master’s scholarship

            Expertise (70 points)

• Academic excellence and recognition (40 pts)
• Relevant experience and achievements and capacity for engagement (in and outside of the academic environment) (25 pts)
• General presentation of application (5 pts)

Intended research (30 points)

• Clarity and consistency of the proposed research question (15 pts)
• Outline of methodology and conceptual framework (15 pts)
• Bibliography (no more than 7 to 10 relevant references)

Doctoral scholarship

            Expertise (50 points)

• Academic excellence and recognition (25 pts)
• Relevant experience and achievements and capacity for engagement (in and outside of the academic environment) (20 pts)
• General presentation of application (5 pts)

Research project (50 points)

• Originality of the research problem and contribution to the advancement of knowledge (25 pts)
• Relevance of the theoretical and methodological approach and proposed time frame (25 pts)
• Bibliography (maximum 1 page)

To learn more about the rules governing the evaluation process and funding decisions, see sections 4 and 5 of the CGR.

The results will be announced at the end of April via the applicant’s E-Portfolio.

6. ELIGIBILITY PERIOD, VALUE AND DURATION OF SCHOLARSHIP

The eligibility period of the scholarship refers to the period during which the scholarship holder is eligible to receive scholarship payments.

The duration of the funding is based on the information provided in the application form.

Master’s scholarship

The eligibility period of the master’s scholarship is limited to the first 9 academic terms of master’s studies.

The annual value of a master’s scholarship is $17,500 for a period of 3 terms or 12 months of study.

Master’s scholarship holders may receive up to six instalments totalling $35,000 during the eligibility period of the scholarship, covering 6 terms or 24 months, whether the funding comes from the FRQ, another recognized granting agency or a foundation that awards merit scholarships. Each instalment of $5,833 covers a period of one term or 4 months.

Duration of the master’s scholarship: 2 years or until the end of the master’s studies (final thesis submission), whichever is shorter.

Doctoral scholarship

The eligibility period of the doctoral scholarship is limited to the first 15 academic terms of doctoral studies.

The annual value of a doctoral scholarship is $21,000 for a period of 3 terms or 12 months of study.

Doctoral scholarship holders may receive up to 12 instalments totalling $84,000 during the eligibility period of the scholarship, covering 12 terms or 48 months, whether the funding comes from the FRQ, another recognized granting agency or a foundation that awards merit scholarships.  Each instalment of $7,000 covers a period of 4 months or one term.

Duration of the doctoral scholarship: Maximum 4 years (12 terms*) or until the end of the doctoral studies (final thesis submission), whichever is shorter, non-renewable.

* The 11th and 12th term instalments are conditional. They are withheld until proof of initial thesis submission is provided if the thesis is submitted before the end of the 12th funded term.

7. SCHOLARSHIP TERMS AND CONDITIONS

7.1 Basic conditions

To retain the scholarship, the scholarship holder must satisfy the following basic conditions throughout the duration of funding:

•   Respect the conditions relating to citizenship and residence
•   Be enrolled full time in a program of study.
•   Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding.
•   Respect the rules relating to paid employment.

Scholarship holders who are enrolled in a program outside Québec must ask their university for official proof of enrolment at the beginning of each academic term and send it to the Fonds. In the case of Québec universities, proof of enrolment is sent directly to the FRQSC by the institution.

Scholarship holders are required to inform the Fonds immediately if they cease to satisfy any of these conditions. Failure to respect these conditions may result in a request for full reimbursement of all amounts received.

7.2 Exception for part-time enrolment

In all the following cases, the Fonds reserves the right to refuse any request with insufficient justification.

•   Major family obligation

A scholarship holder who is unable to pursue full-time studies for reasons arising from major family obligations has the possibility of enrolling part time and receiving partial scholarship payments (50%), if the university allows part-time enrolment and upon presentation of a medical certificate or other official document justifying the situation.

•   Person with a disability

A person with a disability who is unable to pursue full-time studies has the possibility of enrolling part time and receiving full scholarship payments provided the university authorizes the part-time enrolment and upon presentation of a medical certificate or other official document justifying the situation.This exception is in accordance with the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (CQLR c. E-20.1).

7.3 Scholarship start date and progress reports

The scholarship start date refers to the academic term during which the first payment can be requested.

Scholarship holders whose program has not yet started:

• May 2021 (summer term)
• September 2021 (fall term)
• January 2022 (winter term)

Scholarship holders whose program is already underway:

• May 2021 (summer term) when the scholarship offer is made before May 1.
• September 2021 (fall term) when the scholarship offer is made after May 1, 2021. An instalment may be paid retroactively for the summer term if the basic conditions are met.

Payment must be requested at the beginning of each academic term via the E-portfolio.

A progress report is required after each full year of funding indicating the progress of your research. This report is required at the time of the 4th and 7th instalment requests, where applicable, and must be submitted via the E-portfolio. Entitlement to the scholarship will be maintained if progress is judged satisfactory by the Fonds.

The scholarship is not transferable from one year to the next and terms completed before summer 2021 will not be funded.

7.4 Concurrent funding

The following table summarizes the rules for concurrent funding and partial concurrent funding.

* Partial concurrent funding

Partial concurrent funding with a scholarship from one of the federal research councils is possible when the FRQSC scholarship is of a higher value or longer duration than the scholarship for which concurrent funding is prohibited. In such a case, the scholarship holder must accept the federal scholarship. However, he or she may also accept the Fonds scholarship in order to receive any applicable additional benefits not covered by the federal program:

• When the Fonds scholarship is of a higher value than the other scholarship, the Fonds scholarship amount will be adjusted to make up the shortfall.
• When the Fonds scholarship is of a longer duration than the other scholarship, the Fonds will provide funding to make up the shortfall once the other scholarship has expired, unless the total value of the other scholarship is greater that or equal to the total value of that offered by the Fonds.

It is not possible to defer a payment or the start of a scholarship in order to receive another scholarship for which concurrent funding is prohibited.

Reimbursement will be required for any payment received in a situation where concurrent funding is prohibited.

7.5 Paid employment

A scholarship holder may accept paid employment of up to 225 hours per academic term. Teaching a college-level or university-level course is equivalent to 150 hours of employment. Note that teaching the same course to two different groups during the same term is equivalent to two teaching assignments or 300 hours of employment.

In addition to the authorized 225 hours, a scholarship holder may accept remuneration to work exclusively on the funded research project. This remuneration is considered a scholarship for which concurrent funding is permitted if confirmation is received from the research director.

In the case of partial concurrent funding, scholarship holders are not subject to this rule. The rules of the other granting agency will apply.

A scholarship holder who obtains a position as a regular professor must inform the Fonds, which will terminate the scholarship.

7.6 Internships

•   Mandatory internship

The scholarship holder must be enrolled as a full-time student and have the approval of his/her research director in order to receive a scholarship payment during a paid or unpaid internship. In the case of a paid internship of more than 225 hours per term, a letter from the research director confirming that the income is received through a mandatory internship is required.

•   Optional internship

The scholarship holder must be enrolled as a full-time student in order to receive a scholarship payment during a paid or unpaid internship. The 225 hours limit applies, and any remuneration related to the internship is considered employment income.

During an optional internship, if permitted by the university, it is possible to defer an instalment for the purpose of acquiring relevant experience.

7.7 Deferring an instalment

In all the following cases, the Fonds reserves the right to refuse any request with insufficient justification.

•   Deferral for acquiring relevant experience

For each full year of funding, the FRQSC can authorize the deferral of one scholarship instalment to enable the scholarship holder to acquire relevant experience (work with a research team, teaching experience in the field of study, language training, etc.). Payment of this instalment is then deferred to the end of the funding period. Part-time enrolment is allowed during this academic term, where permitted by the university.

This provision cannot be used for the first instalment payment of a scholarship beginning in January (deadline for the start of funding).

A scholarship holder cannot use this provision to accept another scholarship for which concurrent funding is prohibited or to resume employment during a study leave.

BSMP (scholarship for internship in a practice environment) scholarship holders cannot use this provision

•   Deferral for health reasons or major family obligations

The FRQSC will authorize the deferral of one or more scholarship instalments during an interruption of studies for serious health reasons or because of major family obligations, for as long as is permitted by the university.

•   Deferral for parental leave

The FRQSC will authorize the deferral of scholarship instalments for the birth or adoption of a child provided that this is permitted by the university.

Parental leave may not exceed 12 months, or the equivalent of three academic terms. It may begin during the term the birth or adoption is expected and must end no later than one year after the child’s birth. If parental leave begins during a term following the child’s birth, it must still end no later than one year after the child’s birth.

Payment of the instalments corresponding to the parental leave is deferred to the end of the funding period.

Parental leave does not apply to preventive withdrawal.

7.8 Supplement for parental leave

During the authorized suspension of studies for the birth or adoption of a child, a scholarship holder may request a scholarship supplement for parental leave for a period of six consecutive months. Only students who have already begun at least one term as a scholarship holder are eligible for this supplement.

To be eligible for this scholarship supplement, the scholarship holder may not be enrolled in a study program.

In the case of partial concurrent funding, the scholarship supplement cannot be granted if a parental leave allowance is received from a federal agency. The scholarship holder must take the paid leave offered by the federal agency.

7.9 Cancellation of instalment or scholarship

The Fonds will cancel an instalment without notice if it is not requested or deferred within two months of the beginning of the academic term. The Fonds will terminate the scholarship without notice when an instalment has not been requested or deferred for two consecutive terms.

7.10 Withdrawal from the study program

Scholarship holders who withdraw from their study program during the academic term or who decide to pursue their studies on a part-time basis must advise the Fonds in order to terminate the scholarship. They may be required to reimburse the current instalment.

7.11 End of studies and graduation

Scholarship holders are eligible to receive scholarship instalments until the final submission of their master’s or doctoral thesis. Between initial submission and final submission, and on confirmation by the research director, the Fonds will waive the restriction on hours of remunerated employment during this period.

This rule also applies to doctoral scholarship holders during their 11th and 12th terms of funding. As the scholarship instalments are withheld until the initial thesis submission – which must be done before the end of the 12th term of funding – there is no restriction on hours of remunerated employment during this period.

7.12 Change requests

Any changes to a scholarship holder’s situation must be declared via his/her E-Portfolio. To guarantee fairness, the Fonds must ensure that the changes do not impact the evaluation of the original scholarship application and that they respect the eligibility conditions and the program rules. The Fonds will analyze the change request and may decide whether to continue, reduce, suspend or terminate funding. The Fonds may also request repayment of amounts paid. The decision will be communicated by email.

•   Change of scholarship duration or start date 

The duration of funding is established based on the date of enrolment in the study program.

If changes are required, these must be requested before the first payment. It is strongly recommended that any changes be requested at the time of accepting the scholarship offer. No changes to the duration of funding will be accepted after the first payment has been made.

•   Change of study program

Any change of study program must remain within the fields of research covered by the Fonds. The Fonds’ decision will be based in part on the choice of evaluation committee as established in the original scholarship application.

•   Change of research director

The Fonds must be notified of a change of research director.

•   Change of research project

The Fonds must be advised of any changes to the research project. The scholarship holder must justify and describe the changes, and show that the project’s scientific quality is equivalent to the original proposal, as evaluated by the scientific committee. Before making a decision, the Fonds will ascertain that the changes do not impact the original evaluation.

•   Change of level of study

A master’s scholarship holder who intends to undertake doctoral studies can use any remaining instalments of the master’s scholarship to begin the doctoral program provided that the doctoral studies directly follow the last term of the master’s program. These payments must be made during the funding period of the original scholarship. Furthermore, the scholarship holder must have received at least one master’s scholarship payment during at least one full-time term of the master’s program for which the scholarship was awarded

•   Change of institution

The Fonds must be notified of a change of institution.

7.13 Final report

A final report is required following payment of the final instalment. Any future financial support under another Fonds de recherche du Québec program will be contingent on receipt of this final report.

8. SCHOLARSHIP FOR INTERNSHIP OUTSIDE QUÉBEC (BSHQ)

Eligible master’s and doctoral scholarship holders can apply for funding through the Scholarship for an Internship Outside Québec (BSHQ) program.

9. SUPPLEMENT FOR STUDYING OUTSIDE QUÉBEC

The supplement for studying outside Québec aims to encourage the top scholarship holders to pursue graduate studies outside Québec.

Joint programs are not eligible. The supplements are awarded to the ten highest ranking applicants across all evaluation committees.

No additional application needs to be submitted for this supplement.

Successful applicants will be notified via their E-portfolio.

The supplement is valued at $1,500/year.

10. SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP

The FRQSC offers scholarships in collaboration with partners.

Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:

1. Applicant must select, in the Partenariats section of the application form, one or more partners whose research areas are in line with the theme of their application.
2. The FRQSC sends the partners a list of interested applicants and the information needed to assess the relevance of the applications based on their strategic and research priorities.
3. Following evaluation of the applications by a committee of experts or peers, those that obtain a scientific excellence score of 70% and are deemed relevant by the partners concerned will be considered for partnership funding.

Like all other awards offered by the FRQSC, scholarships in partnership are granted based on merit following scientific evaluation by a peer committee.

Note that by choosing to be considered for a scholarship in partnership and on obtaining this type of funding, you agree that the partner can contact you for activities related to your research project.

Partner: 

11. EFFECTIVE DATE

The provisions set out in this document apply to the 2020-2021 fiscal year.

Version updated on the website July 9, 2020.

12. LINKS

Video: Accepting your scholarship or grant

Scholarship holder’s guide

Finding a Commissioner for Oaths