Postdoctoral fellowship (B3), Fall 2018 (2019-2020)

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Postdoctoral Fellowship program are as follows:

• Contribute to the development of the next generation of experts in the social sciences, humanities, arts and literature;
• Support individuals who have graduated from doctoral programs as they broaden the scope of their research;
• Foster the mobility of young researchers towards stimulating and dynamic scientific environments such as universities, corporate environments, government  organizations and university-affiliated service centres.

In accordance with its Stratégie de mobilisation des connaissances, the Fonds encourage students to lead and carry out knowledge mobilization activities (transfer, sharing, valorization, promotion and dissemination) with practice settings and the general public, whenever relevant.

2. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements by the competition deadline of October 5, 2018, 4 p.m.

2.1 Eligibility period and target group

The postdoctoral research fellowships are aimed at applicants who obtained their doctorate in the 2 years prior to the competition deadline OR who first submit their dissertation by March 1st, 2020, the deadline by which grant payments must begin. Eligibility will be determined based on the date indicated on the doctoral diploma.

2.2 Eligibility period exceptions

Exceptions regarding postdoctoral fellowship eligibility periods will only be made in circumstances that are beyond the applicant’s control. Applicants may suspend or postpone their studies for parental leave, major family obligations, serious illness, or because of a disability. In all such cases, supporting documents must be submitted along with the application and inserted in the sections intended for this purpose (see Section 3 – Submitting an application and the application package).

Parental leave or major family obligations

Applicants who suspend or postpone their studies for parental leave may ask to extend their eligibility period for up to 12 months per child. A 12-month extension may also be granted in the case of serious illness or major family obligations. Supporting documents are required and must be submitted along with the application.

Persons with disabilities

Applicants who suspend or postpone their studies due to reasons related to a disability may be exempt from the eligibility period requirements. 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).

The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any request that is not adequately justified.

2.3 Citizenship and domicile

The following table presents required citizenship and residence conditions and supporting documents as well as place of tenure:

2.4 Restrictions

Applicants may only submit an application to one of the following scholarship programs in the same year: Master’s Research Scholarships (B1); Doctoral Research Scholarships (B2); Scholarships for re-entering the Research Community (A2); Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3); Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship (B5).

Applicants may only hold a fellowship from one of the Fonds (section 3.1 of the CGR ).

Applicants who receive or have received postdoctoral funding from a recognized agency in Québec or Canada (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQSC, FRQNT, FRQS, FCAR, CQRS, etc.) are not eligible for this competition. (see section 6.7 for additional benefits to the SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship)

2.5 Choice of host environment and supervision

The host environment must be a leading scientific environment in which the applicant will broaden his/her scientific network, collaborations and research perspective:

The host environment may be a university or university-affiliated service centre, a corporation, a government institution, an international or transnational organization;

Internationally-recognized host environments outside Québec are recommended and preferred.

The Fonds supports international and outside Quebec mobility, providing that this choice is clearly justified AND that it brings an added value to the applicant’s doctoral training.

The postdoctoral research project may be carried out under co- supervision. A fellowship holder cannot be supervised or co-supervised by his/her doctoral research supervisor. The postdoctoral research must be carried out in an institution other than the one from which the fellowship holder earned his/her doctorate or which served as an institution of co-supervision, if applicable. This condition also applies to the institution of co- supervision.

2.6 Paid leave

Applicants who are employed and on a sabbatical or study leave or who have obtained any other type of release from their duties with pay and/or wage  replacement or any other  form of compensation that exceeds 50% of their regular salary are not eligible.

3. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION AND THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

As indicated in article 3.1 of the CGR, applicants are responsible for sending their application package to the appropriate Fonds by referring to the list of Research areas of the three Fonds.

The application package
A complete application package consists of:

• the required e-forms available in the E-portfolio;
• any required electronic attachments.

Any application package that does not contain all of the required forms and documents at the closing date and time will be deemed ineligible by the Fonds. Documents that are not required and that are included with the application will be removed from the application before evaluation. Applicants will not be notified of any required information or documents missing from the application. Any documents received after the deadline for application will not be considered and applications cannot be updated.

Applicants certify that all information provided is accurate and complete, and undertake to comply with all rules and principles set out in the Fonds de recherche du Québec Policy for the responsible conduct of research. They authorize their institution to transmit, where applicable, any personally identifiable information resulting from the application of this policy. An agreement to that effect is required before submitting the application.

3.1 E-forms

The e-forms will be available in FRQnet at least one month before the competition deadline.

Applicants must create an E-portfolio on the Fonds website before applying, if this has not already been done. Individuals who already have a personal identification number (PIN) have direct access to a FRQnet account and must update their E-portfolio. (View our video clip Premier accès à votre profil).

As indicated in the CGR (article 3.6), the e-forms may be filled out in French or English. However, the title and abstract included in the application must imperatively be in French. This information will be used by the Fonds for promotional and dissemination purposes.

Any part of the application that exceeds the maximum number of authorized pages will be removed from the application.

The following e-forms are required:

• POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION FORM (B3Z);
• CANADIAN COMMON CV/DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS: The applicant’s Canadian Common CV and “Detailed contributions” attachment file, which are available in the Toolbox section on the fellowship program page or directly in the “Activity details” box in the E-portfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, you must save it in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the E-portfolio;
• LETTER(S) OF ACCEPTANCE (SUPERVISORS): The supervisor, and co- supervisor where applicable, must complete a letter of acceptance using the e-form available in their own FRQnet E-portfolio. The supervisor and/or the co-supervisor who holds a personal identification number (PIN) with the Fonds has access to an FRQnet account and must update his or her E-Portfolio, if it has not already been done. On the other hand, the supervisor and/or the co- supervision who does not have an FRQnet account must first create a user account. Once the letter of acceptance has been transmitted electronically in accordance with the instructions provided in the form, it will be automatically attached to the applicant’s fellowship application.
• TWO LETTERS OF REFEREES: Letters of recommendation completed by referees provide support for the applicant and offer an informed outsider’s opinion of his/her qualities and abilities. Referees must complete a letter of recommendation using the e-form available in their own FRQSC E-portfolio. The referee who holds a personal identification number (PIN) with the Fonds has access to an FRQnet account and must update his or her E-Portfolio, if it has not already been done. On the other hand, the referee who does not have an FRQnet account must first create a user account. Once the letter of recommendation has been transmitted electronically in accordance with the instructions provided in the form, it will be automatically attached to the applicant’s fellowship application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide his/her email address linked to FRQnet account and application number to the supervisor(s) and referees, as well as instructions for the creation of an account and the drafting of the letter.

The supervisor’s, co-supervisor’s (where applicable) and referees’ letters must be completed and submitted electronically before the closing date and time of the competition. If one of the letters is not submitted by the closing date, the application will be deemed ineligible. Only letters completed using the FRQSC in the e-form FRQnet portal will be accepted. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the letters are submitted before the closing date and time.

3.1.1 Choice of evaluation committee

When completing their electronic application form, applicants must be sure to select the appropriate committee to evaluate their application. The list of committees is available in the Toolbox section for information purposes. The Fonds reserves the right to change the applicant choice of committee. In such cases, applicants will be advised via e-mail. The applicant may however decline the suggested change.

3.2 Required documents to be attached electronically

The following required documents must be scanned (.PDF format) and included with the application e-form in of the sections attachments intended for that purpose in the “Activity details” section, as described below.

In order to be receivable, copies of official documents must be legible and must not be read protected in any way.

Documents submitted in a language other than French or English must include a translation.

Once the application form has been submitted, it will not be possible to resubmit or modify the application in any way regardless of the transmission date, even if it is before the competition deadline.

No recall will be made and no document may be added after the contest closing date and time, October 5, 2018 at 4 pm.

ANY DOCUMENT REQUIRED BUT MISSING MAKES THE FILE NOT ELIGIBLE.

The following documents must be scanned and grouped into a single document in the order listed below, and attached under ” section “University Record/Dossier universitaire”:

• TRANSCRIPTS (mandatory): Copy of the applicant’s official Master’s AND doctoral transcripts (issued by the institution and bearing its seal and the registrar’s signature or notice of conformity from a competent authority. While the form also mentions bachelor’s degree transcripts, these are not necessary under the postdoctoral fellowship program. In the event that the institution in question does not provide a transcript, a letter explaining the situation must be included;
• TRANSCRIPTS FROM EXCHANGE PROGRAMS (if applicable):
• Transcripts from exchange programs or courses (equivalences), if applicable;
• MARKING SYSTEM EXPLANATION (if applicable): For transcripts from institutions located outside Canada or the United States, the applicant must include a short letter explaining the institution’s marking system.

In addition to completing the various sections of the form, the following documents are required and must be transmitted from “Other documents’ section:

• DOCTORATE DEGREE: A copy of the original of the applicant’s doctorate degree. If the doctorate degree has not yet been obtained, provide an attestation of the first submission of his/her dissertation. If the applicant applied before submitting his/her dissertation, he/she must include a letter addressed to the eligibility committee indicating the date at which the dissertation will be submitted. Note: the document attesting the official deposit must be provided before the beginning of the scholarship.
• RAMQ card or other official document:

If the applicant does not have a RAMQ card, or a proof of eligibility for RAMQ, the applicant must provide a copy of two documents proving that he or she has been living in the Québec province for at least six months of the seven months prior to the competiton cloing date. See List of accepted documents in the Toolbox.

• PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP (if applicable): Canadian citizens who were not born in Canada must provide a copy of a proof of citizenship (both sides).
• PROOF OF PERMANENT RESIDENCY (if applicable): A permanent resident card or a copy of the applicant’s landing documents (IMM 1000 or IMM 5292) in the case of permanent residents  under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (S.C.2001, c. 27) or a copy of the study permit in Canada.
• SUPPORTING DOCUMENT FOR ELIGIBILITY PERIOD EXCEPTION (if applicable): 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. (refer to article 2.2 above).

Every applicant is responsible for his/her application and must ensure that it contains all of the necessary documents. No document other than those required will be accepted.

REMEMBER TO TRANSMIT YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION.

At any time, applicants may verify in their E-portfolio that the most recent version of their application has been successfully submitted. The application file in “Mes formulaires” must be flagged as “Transmis au Fonds” before the closing date and time of the competition. This indicates that the application has been received by the Fonds.

All applications received by the Fonds are assessed for eligibility. A notice will be sent via e-mail no later than December following the competition deadline, informing the applicant of the status of his/her application and, where applicable, its transmission to the evaluation committee. Applicants whose application package is deemed incomplete or invalid will be notified by e-mail that their application has not been transmitted to the evaluation committee.

4. APPLICATION ASSESSMENT

4.1 Evaluation process

As indicated in section 4 of the CGR, the Fonds receives applications for financial support and submits them for evaluation by specially formed committees. Only those applications whose scientific quality is considered satisfactory are recommended for funding by the evaluation committees. Committee members evaluate the applications according to the evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting specified for the program, based on the Scores and Ratings Grid applied to all Fonds programs.

Applications for financial support undergo scientific evaluation by evaluation committees composed of experts from the research fields covered by the Fonds. The members of the evaluation committees are known for their research skills and their knowledge of the research topics, methodologies and disciplinary basis of the applications under evaluation. If necessary, the evaluation committees may consult outside experts. Committee members and experts may be from Québec, elsewhere in Canada or abroad.

The conditions governing funding decisions are described in article 4.5 of the CGR.

4.2 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting

Applications are assessed based on the following criteria, indicators and weighting:

Research project (50 points) :

• Originality, added value to the applicant’s doctoral work and contribution to the advancement of knowledge (15 points)
• Clarity of the research problem, precision of the theoretical approach and objectives (15 points)
• Rigour of the methodological approach (15 points)
• Soundness of the time frame and relevance of planned dissemination activities (5 points)

Host environment (15 points):

• Quality and relevance of the chosen environment to the project (including the letters of support from the supervisor’s and co-supervisor’s letters) (5 points)
• Quality of the plan for integration into the host environment (10 points)

Expertise (35 points) :

• Quality of academic record and recognition (training, academic standing, scholarships, awards and distinctions, letters of recommendation from referees) (10 points)
• Quality of scientific achievements (communications, publications, dissemination and outreach activities (popularization) (15 points)
• Relevance to the project of the applicant’s training and experience (non academic and professional) (10 points)

Applicants are advised to attach equal importance to both the evaluation criteria and their associated indicators.

An overall passing grade of 70% is required. In addition, a passing grade of 70% is required for the Research project criteria.

5. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS AND VALUE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

5.1 Announcement of the results

The Fonds informs every applicant, via e-mail, of the evaluation and funding decision made with regard to his/her application. Competition results are officially announced on the Fonds website and sent letter to the applicant’s E-portfolio, generally at the end of the month of April following the competition deadline.

Applicants who meet all funding requirements must accept or refuse the fellowship in the thirty (30) calendar days of the date the fellowship offer was sent, in the “Manage my funding” section of their E-portfolio. An applicant who fails to accept the fellowship before the deadline is considered to have refused the fellowship (CGR, art. 5.2).

5.2 Value of the fellowship

The annual value of the postdoctoral research fellowship is $45,000.

The duration of the postdoctoral research period is 6 months up to 24 months.

An additional year of funding may be granted to a postdoctoral research fellowship holder under certain conditions and on analysis of the required supporting documents. This extension may only be requested once.

If the postdoctoral research is being carried out more than 250 km from Québec’s borders, a supplement of $10,000 per year will be granted for a total of $55,000 per year. In case of co-supervision with a Québec institution, the amount will be adjusted in proportion to the number of months spent outside Québec.

6. TERMS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

To retain the fellowship, the following basic conditions must be met throughout the duration of funding:

• Respect the conditions relating to citizenship and place of residence.
• Have made an initial thesis submission before starting the fellowship and meet all requirements for the doctoral degree at the time of the second instalment.
• Be present at the host environment on a full-time basis to carry out postdoctoral research.
• Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding.
• Respect the rules relating to paid employment.

Fellowship holders who were not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, at the time of application must live Québec on a regular and daily basis throughout the entire duration of funding, even if their citizenship status changes.

Fellowship holders are required to inform the Fonds immediately if they cease to satisfy any of these conditions. Should any of these conditions no longer be met, the Fonds will be obliged to withdraw the fellowship and request reimbursement.

6.1 Fellowship period

The fellowship period must begin between April 1st, 2019, and March 1st , 2020.

The fellowship is non-transferrable.

The fellowship is not retroactive and any work conducted in the months prior to April 2019 will not be funded. For applicants who have already begun their research, the fellowship period starts April 1st, 2019.

6.2 Fellowship payments

Fellowship instalments must be requested by the fellowship holder for each period of 4 months, in the E-portfolio in the “Manage my funding” section. The first payment will only be made once the Fonds has received a certified copy of the original holder’s doctoral degree, certified by the Registrar’s office or by a commissioner of oaths, or an attestation that his/her doctoral dissertation has been submitted. A copy of the doctoral degree or proof that all requirements have been met for the doctoral degree is required for payment of the 3^rd instalment. Instalment payments will be made for the duration of the eligibility period, subject to the production of a satisfactory progress report at the time of the 4^th instalment Any unclaimed payment can be cancelled in term of the period which it covers and it without advance notice. (see conditions in Scholarship Holder’s guide)

FAILURE TO MEET ANY OF THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE FELLOWSHIP

6.3 Presence in the host environment

To retain the fellowship, the fellowship holder must be present in the host environment for the duration of the fellowship and devote himself/herself full-time to carrying out his/her research activities.Failure to respect this rule could result in the withdrawal of the fellowship. If, under exceptional circumstances, these conditions cannot be respected, the Fonds must be advised as soon as possible and will determine whether the fellowship should be maintained or cancelled.

6.4 Convertibility of the fellowship

If a fellowship holder is offered a position as a regular professor in a university institution located in Québec, after carrying out a full year of postdoctoral research (12 months or 3 whole instalments), he/she may ask to use part of the fellowship as start-up funding. In total, $15,000 may be converted into funding. The fellowship holder is then subject to the funding rules outlined in the Research support for new academics.

A person who benefits from this conversion remains eligible to submits an application for this program.

6.5 Parental leave

A fellowship holder may receive a supplement for parental leave during the funding period for a maximum of 6 months when the research project is interrupted in the 6 months following the birth or adoption of a child. This supplement cannot be divided. In case of a parental leave of a shorter duration, the supplement will be adjusted.

The fellowship holder may suspend his/her research project for a paternity/maternity leave without pay for up to one year. However, if the fellowship holder chooses to take the 6-month paid leave, the leave without pay is reduced to 6 months.

For more information about conditions regarding parental leave, refer to section 6.13 of the RGC.

6.6 Reimbursement of travel expenses

The expenses at the start and end of the postdoctoral program to travel to and from the host environment are reimbursed when supported by receipts, provided they were not reimbursed by another agency. The maximum travel allowance is equivalent to the price of one economy airline ticket. Grant holders who have not yet defended their dissertation may be reimbursed for an additional airline ticket.

Travel expenses outside Québec for the spouse and children of the fellowship holder, at the beginning and end of the postdoctoral fellowship, may also be covered by the Fonds, provided they are not reimbursed by any other agency.

6.7 Concurrent fellowships

The fellowship may not be cumulated with:

• A fellowship or scholarship from a Canadian granting agency such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR);
• A fellowship or scholarship from a Québec granting agency such as the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRSQ), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), the Conseil de  recherches en pêche et agro-alimentaire du Québec (CORPAQ). Stacking is prohibited with scholarship from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) for the same project.

The fellowship may be cumulated with:

• Scholarships and fellowships from ministries and agencies of the Québec and Canadian governments, other than those mentioned above;
• Scholarships and fellowships from the private sector and universities.

6.8 Remuneration

A fellowship holder may accept employment that does not exceed 250 hours per instalment period, provided that his/her research supervisor does not object and that the employment does not interfere with research activities. Teaching a 45-hour course is deemed equivalent to150 hours of employment. Note that the same 45-hour teaching assignment given to two groups during the same session constitutes two teaching assignments.

The salary that the fellowship holder receives exclusively for his/her research project is considered to be a fellowship.

6.9 Modifying the research project, host environment or supervisor

As indicated in article 6.5 of the CGR, any modification to the research project, environment or supervisor, the fellowship holder must first make a written request to the Fonds. The request for change must be reported in the FRQnet E-Portfolio in the “Manage my funding” section. In the interest of fairness, prior to authorizing any change, the Fonds must ensure that such a change does not affect the result of the evaluation of the application or its eligibility for the award program.

7. EFFECTIVE DATE

These rules apply to the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Updated May 2019