Competition year : 
2019-2020

Deadline (application) : 
October 15th, 2018 at 16:30 (EST)

Announcement of results : 
April 2019

Amount : 
$17,500

Duration : 
2 years

REMINDER
In addition to these program rules, it is the responsibility of the applicant to financial support to consult the Common General Rules (CGR) of the Fonds de recherche du Québec, which apply to all of FRQS programs. If special conditions apply to this program, they are described below and take precedence over the CGR.

Objectives

This program aims to support university students seeking to pursue health research training in a master’s university program. All human health themes are eligible, regardless of the proposed methodology or models.Important note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to choose the right program and the right form for the award application. No program transfer will be made following the applicant’s file eligibility review.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligible applicants
  • Applicants with an undergraduate degree

  • Canadian citizens or permanent residents domiciled in Québec (see section 2.1of Common General Rules)

Canadian citizens or permanent residents that did not reside in Québec previously and individuals who are not currently Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to submit an application for training awards under certain conditions (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

Citizenship and residency in Québec status must remain in effect for the entire duration of the award.

Health professionals with a valid licence to practice in Québec should apply to one of the following award programs:

  • Master’s Training for Applicants with a Professional Degree in Human Health (see program rules)

  • Professional Postgraduate Training in Research (Fellowship) (see program rules)

Terms and regulations
  • Must be enrolled in a full-time research master’s program no later than January 15th, 2020 and whose research project is directly concerned with human health.

Master’s awards are intended for applicants who have been enrolled in a master’s research program, for one year or less (three terms or less) as of April 30, 2019.

The number of enrolment terms is calculated from the first application date to a master’s program related to human health research

Individuals who enroll directly in a doctoral research program after their undergraduate degree or after a professional master’s program and individuals who are taking an accelerated path into a doctoral research program without having received a master’s diploma must first apply to the master’s research award if they are eligible.

To be considered as “a research program,” the master’s program must consist of a minimum of 18 credits dedicated to research and lead to the writing of a Master’s thesis.

  • At the time of applying, the applicant must have earned a grade point average (not rounded) of at least B+, or the equivalent, in a university undergraduate program.

Only the grades for the diploma that is used for the applicant’s admission to the master’s program will be considered.

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

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

  • Individuals enrolling in a post-master’s qualification program in France (Diplôme d’études approfondies, D.E.A. or the equivalent) must apply for master’s award.

Exceptions
  • Students who suspended their master’s studies to take parental leave may defer their eligibility period for up to one year.

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

Part time studies are permitted in the following cases:

  • Parent or caregiver: exclusively for the person who acts as the caregiver for a close family member or for a person that is the main care provider for a young child.

  • Handicapped person: exclusively for a handicapped person in accordance with the Act ensuring handicapped persons their rights for academic, professional and social integration (L.R.C. chapter E-20-1)

The affiliated University and the research supervisor should both authorize the request for part time studies (see the section Duration of the Award).

Restrictions
  • Professional master’s and doctoral programs are not eligible

  • For doctoral programs in psychology, consult the Eligibility of doctoral programs in psychology for FRQS training awards document to check if the selected program is eligible.

  •  An individual who already holds a research master’s degree in the field of human health is not eligible to submit an application in this program.

  • Students who receive a master award in the regular competition and who are subsequently accepted into a Doctor in Medicine program with the agreement of their supervisor, are eligible for the first year of funding only. To obtain the second year of funding, they will have to apply to the MD-MSc program.

  • An individual who has received financial support from a recognized funding agency (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC, etc.) over a period totaling six years (or 18 terms) cannot submit an application to the FRQS to undertake or pursue a master’s program (see section 6.1 of the Common General Rules).

Basic research ethics training

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

Research on human beings involves:

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

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

This training must be completed in the year following the receipt of a confirmation from the FRQS that the award was granted.

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

2. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

By October 15, 2018, 4:30 pm (EDT)

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

Letters of recommendation will not be accepted

Transmission via the FRQS electronic Portfolio only

Any missing document or document that is not in conformity with the program rules and forms may result in the ineligibility of the funding application.

No extension will be permitted. After the application deadline, forms that are not already submitted, will be automatically rejected.

IMPORTANT : Once the application is submitted, it will no longer be possible to modify it.

Applicants

Academic transcripts must be complete and include grading scales (at the back of the transcript), for candidates from Québec as well as for candidates outside of Québec.
For transcripts from institutions located outside North America, the applicant must include a note explaining the institution’s marking system

  • Copies of all awards, honours and distinction notices, including FRQS awards

  • Acknowledgements from publishers for articles submitted and accepted for publication

For individuals with a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and domiciled in Québec :

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

For individuals with a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and domiciled in a province other than Québec :

  • an official document confirming that the individual lived in Québec on a regular and daily basis for at least six months within the seven months preceding the submission deadline of the competition  (see the list of accepted documentation in the Toolbox)

AND

  • a proof of application, registration or admission to a Québec university at the time of the application submission.

For individuals without a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency:

  • an official document confirming that the individual lived in Québec on a regular and daily basis for at least six months within the seven months preceding the submission deadline of the competition (see the list of accepted documentation in the Toolbox)

AND

  • a proof of application, registration or admission to a Québec university at the time of the application submission.

Candidates will be notified of the reception of their application and of their eligibility via email by the month of November at the latest.

Research supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable)
At the start date of the award
At the start date of the award and for each subsequent term

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

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

Before the start of the second year of the award

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

  • a confirmation from the supervisor indicating that the student is still under his/her supervision (by email)

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

3. TRAINING LOCATION

Choice of training location

Full time registration in a research master’s program related to human health is allowed:

  • in a Québec university

OR

  • in a recognized Canadian or foreign university exclusively for individuals who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents AND have a valid Quebec health insurance card or evidence of eligibility to the RAMQ.

Awardees must complete their research training in the physical location of the host institution. Distance learning is not allowed.

Change of training location, research project, study program or supervisorAwardees who wish to change their research project, supervisor, program or training institution must submit the FRQS request form Change of research project, supervisor or training location (see Toolbox) and the required documents in a single PDF file.

4. DURATION OF THE AWARD

Effective start date

May 2019 (Summer term), September 2019 (Fall term) or January 2020 (Winter term), according to the starting date of the study program

If the study program is already in progress in May 2019, the award should begin in May 2019, with some exceptions.

Duration

2 years or until the completion of the awardee’s master’s studies (final submission of the thesis), whichever the earliest

Use of remaining installment:

Individuals who have finished their Master’s degree without having used all of the installments allotted for that purpose can receive one installment to start a doctoral program, as long as they start the following term and that this installment be made within the same timeframe as the initial award. This situation does not apply if a doctoral award has been offered to the individuals.

Accelerated path to a doctorate:

Individuals who received a Master’s award and would like to continue onto doctoral studies without obtaining a Master’s diploma can receive the installments that were not used during their Master’s award to start a doctoral program, as long as the program starts the following term. These installments must be claimed within the same timeframe as the initial award. Individuals must have received at least one installment of their Master’s.

The candidate fast tracking to a doctorate without having started his or her master’s scholarship is entitled to a maximum of one year master’s scholarship (3 terms) up the stipulated amount for a master degree, as a transitional measure.

These situations do not apply if a doctoral award has been offered to the individuals.

Parental leave

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Caregiver or Parent

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

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

The awardee will need to fill out the Part-time studies form and provide the following documents :

  • a proof of part-time studies at the University
  • a letter of support from the research supervisor
  • a copy of the medical certificate (for caregiver) or the birth certificate or certificate of adoption of a child (parent)

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

Handicapped person

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

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

The awardee will need to fill out the Part-time studies form and provide the following documents :

  • a proof of part-time studies from the University
  • a letter of support from the research supervisor
  • a medical certificate confirming the condition

5. AMOUNT OF THE AWARD

Amount$17,500/year*

* except in some cases (see section on Awards offered in partnerships)

Administration

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

Income Tax

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

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

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

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

Indirect costs of research

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

6. OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING

Authorized paid work

Awardees may accept a teaching load of 45 hours per session or a position that does not involve more than 225 hours of remunerated work per term, provided the research supervisor is in agreement and that the work does not interfere with their research activities.

Additional funding

An awardee may accept additional funds from the institution or his/her research supervisor.

Concurrent funding

Holding several scholarships is not allowed.

  • Awardees who obtained an award from another public agency or a foundation recognized by the FRQS must notify the FRQS and decline the FRQS funding as soon as the award is offered, except in the case of the supplement given by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST).
  • Holders of a FRQS award having applied for and obtained a scholarship for a higher cycle from one of the three Fonds de recherche du Québec are free to determine when they want to start their higher-level scholarship.

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

Research internship

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

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

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

7. EVALUATION

ProcessAll applications are reviewed by committees of experts representing various disciplines and institutions.
Criteria and WeightingQuality and scientific value of the research project   
– Clarity and conciseness of the research topic
– Clarity and consistency between the hypotheses and objectives
– Relevance of the methods and analyses
– Feasibility
– Originality of the project and contribution to the advancement of knowledge
25
5
6
6
5
3
Quality of training environment
– Justification of the applicant’s choice
– Quality of supervisor’s publication record as it pertains to student training
15
8
7
Excellence of academic record
– Global academic record: rating, progression and continuity
– Awards, honours and distinctions
35
25
10
Skills and experiences
– Lectures, presentations and publications
– Research projects and research training programs
20
10
10
Global assessment of the application5

8. FINAL REPORT

Final Report

A final report is required at the end of the payment of the award, approximately one month following the last funded term. Award holders are notified by email of the availability of the form to be completed in their FRQS electronic portfolio. It is required to fill out and submit this form with respect to the mentioned deadline. Further funding in other FRQS programs is conditional to the reception of the duly completed report.

9. APPLICANT'S AGREEMENT

By submitting an application, the applicant must:

10. SUPERVISOR'S AND CO-SUPERVISOR'S AGREEMENT

The supervisor and co-supervisor must:

11. KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION

The FRQS encourages awardees to conduct and participate in knowledge mobilization activities (transfer, sharing, development, enhancement and dissemination) with practice settings and the general public, where such activities are relevant. Please read the document Knowledge Mobilization in the toolbox.

12. IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE LAST COMPETITION

  • Eligibility requirements
  • Required documents
  • Duration of the award
  • Other sources of funding
  • Evaluation

13. AWARDS IN PARTNERSHIP

The FRQS offers a number of awards in collaboration with partners. The financial contribution of FRQS and the partner as well as other funding conditions (i.e. funding period and renewal option) may vary according to the agreements in effect.

Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:

  1. Applicants must select by priority order, one or more partners whose research areas are in line with the themes of their application in order of preference (see section Partenariats [partnerships] on the form).

  2. The FRQS sends the partners a list of applications for relevancy review based on their interests and research priorities.

  3. Applications are then reviewed by the regular FRQS committees of experts or peers. Applications with a scientific excellence score of at least 70% and also relevant to one or more partners may be considered for funding in partnership.

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

Early childhood diseases (diagnosis)Foundation of Stars

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

Macular Degeneration

Fondation Antoine-Turmel

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

Multiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis Society of Canada

Training Awards in the Multiple Sclerosis research field.  All candidates must also submit an application to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.  Amount of the M.Sc. award: $20,000 per year.

OsteoporosisFondation Antoine-Turmel

Training Awards in the Osteoporosis research field.  Priority will be given to doctoral and posdoctoral training awards.

Parkinson’s disease

  

Parkinson Québec

Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. Amount of the M.Sc. award: $20,000 per year.