Postdoctoral Research Creation Fellowship (B5) 2022-2023

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship program are as follows:

• Contribute to the development of a new generation of researcher-creators within the academic and artistic communities;
• Help new doctoral graduates to strengthen their research-creation skills, enhance their creative processes and promote and disseminate their work. In this respect, the postdoctoral internship must constitute an added value to the applicant’s doctoral research-creation work;
• Encourage mobility towards stimulating and dynamic academic and artistic environments for research-creation, both nationally and internationally.

The Fonds uses the term research-creation to designate any research process or approach that fosters creation and aims at producing new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge. All of these processes and approaches must include, to varying degrees (depending on the practices and temporalities specific to each project):

1) Creative or artistic activities (design, experimentation, technology, prototype, etc.)

AND

2) The problematization of these activities (critical and theoretical analysis of the creative process, conceptualisation, etc.).

As there can be no research-creation without give and take between the work of art and the creation process by which it exists, the Fonds requires that the creative or artistic activities and their problematization be carried out by the same person.

For the purposes of the Fonds, a research-creation approach is based on:

• A sustained creative or artistic practice;
• The problematization of this creative or artistic practice;
• The transmission, presentation and dissemination of the experimentation and/or results of research-creation projects of all types to students, peers and the general public.

Specifically, the research-creation activities carried out under this program must contribute to:

• The development of productions or works resulting from a creative or artistic practice, provided that they offer an element of renewal or innovation in terms of approach, process, technology, materials, form of presentation or experimentation, repertory or interpretative style. These productions must lend themselves to problematization leading to the development of new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge;
• The training of research-creation students;
• Greater recognition of individuals working on research-creation within their institutions and in national and international artistic and cultural environments and communities;
• The enrichment of the cultural heritage of Québec, Canada and/or the international community.

For the purposes of this program, performance in the context of a theatrical, choreographic or musical presentation is considered to be creation provided that it is innovative and gives rise to a problematization.

The following do not qualify for this program:

• Performance for the purpose of the interpretation or analysis of artistic works or productions;
• The development of productions resulting from an artistic or creative practice that are not accompanied by problematization leading to the development of new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge.

In keeping with its Knowledge Mobilization Strategy, the Fonds encourage postdoctoral research-creation fellowship 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. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements on the competition deadline of October 13, 2021 at 4 p.m.

2.1 Eligibility period and target group

This program is aimed at applicants who:

• obtained their doctorate in the 5 years prior to the competition deadline;

OR

• have not yet completed their doctorate but will make their initial thesis submission no later than March 1st, 2023, 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 considered 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, in the sections intended for this purpose (see Section 3 – Submitting an application).

Parental leave, major family obligations or serious illness

Applicants who have interrupted or delayed their studies for parental leave, major family obligations or serious illness may be granted an eligibility period extension. In the case of parental leave, the eligibility period may be extended for up to one year per parental leave. In the case of major family obligations or a career interruption due to serious illness, 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 for reasons related to a disability may also be granted an eligibility period extension. 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). Supporting documents are required and must be submitted with the application.

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

2.3 Citizenship and residence

To be eligible to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, applicants must provide proof that they lived in Québec for 6 months of the 7 months prior to the competition deadline or have a Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card* that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline.

To use a training award outside Québec, the recipient must have a valid RAMQ card or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline AND be a Canadian citizen at the time of application.

Individuals who do not have a valid RAMQ card or proof that they have requested a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline, or who are not Canadian citizens at the time of application, must pursue their postdoctoral internship 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 are also subject to this rule.

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

* 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.

2.4 Restrictions

Applicants may only submit an application to one of the following FRQSC scholarship programs in the same year: Master’s Research Scholarships (B1Z); Doctoral Research Scholarships (B2Z); Scholarships for re-entering the Research Community (A2Z); Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z); Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship (B5).

Applicants may only hold a scholarship from one of the Fonds (CGR, Section 3.1).

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.

Applicants who hold a regular professorial position at a university are not eligible for this program, as per Section 2.2 of the CGR.

2.5 Choice of host environment (supervision and co-supervision, if applicable)

The research-creation postdoctoral internship may be carried out in an academic and/or artistic environment. The host organization(s) must enable applicants to join new networks, enhance their research-creation prospects and expose them to new approaches in a quality research-creation environment.

The postdoctoral research-creation internship may take place in a variety of settings: artists’ centre, cultural outreach agency, cultural journal, university research centre with programs that include and support research-creation, etc. The postdoctoral research-creation internship may also take the form  of a collaboration with an artist or a group of artists. The applicant must plan to be present at the host environment throughout the duration of the fellowship, in accordance with the host environment integration objectives of this program.

The postdoctoral research can be co-supervised, provided that the applicant spends a minimum of 6 months of the 2 years at the co-supervisory environment. Co-supervision of the postdoctoral fellowship by members of academic and artistic environments is encouraged.

The host environment agrees to provide the artist with conditions that are conducive to artistic creation, production and dissemination. In certain cases, workspaces (e.g. studios) and other material resources needed for the internship will be requested. The host environment must also ensure ample opportunity for artistic exchanges between creators and collaborators.

The Fonds encourages mobility outside Québec and internationally, when permitted by the program’s eligibility requirements. However, the research can be carried out in Québec if the project brings added value to the applicant’s doctoral training AND the choice is clearly justified.

Internship supervisor

The internship supervisor must have Status 1 (university researcher) or Status 2 (clinical university researcher) as defined in the CGR. (See “Definitions – Status and Roles” in the CGR.)

A fellowship holder cannot be supervised by his/her doctoral research supervisor.

Similarly, the supervisor cannot be affiliated with the institution where the applicant carried out his/her doctoral studies.

Internship co-supervisor (if applicable)

The internship can be co-supervised by a person with one of the following statuses as defined in the CGR (see “Definitions – Status and Roles”):

• University researcher (Status 1);
• Clinical university researcher (Status 2);
• College researcher (Status 3);
• Researcher in a government institution recognized by the FRQ (Status 4a);
• Government or private sector researcher (Status 4b);
• Practitioner (Status 4c);
• Artist (Status 4d).

A fellowship holder cannot be co-supervised by his/her doctoral research supervisor.

Similarly, the co-supervisor cannot be affiliated with the institution where the applicant carried out his/her doctoral studies.

Supervising institution

The supervised internship must take place at the supervisor’s home university.

The supervised postdoctoral fellowship must be carried out at an institution other than the awarding institution or the co-supervisory/cotutelle institution (if applicable) of the doctoral degree.

IMPORTANT: Applicants who completed a joint doctoral program offered by multiple universities are encouraged to choose a host environment that is not at one of these associated universities. If not, this choice must be fully justified in the application.

Co-supervising institution (if applicable)

The co-supervising institution may be a university; a university-affiliated service centre; a public, parapublic, community, private or practice sector organization; or any other setting deemed appropriate. The co-supervisor must hold a full-time paid position at the co-supervising institution.

A co-supervised postdoctoral fellowship must be carried out at an institution other than the awarding institution or the co-supervisory/cotutelle institution (if applicable) of the doctoral degree.

The restriction regarding host environments for applicants who completed a joint doctoral program also applies to the choice of co-supervisory environment, if applicable.

An exception may be made in the case of major family obligations, a disability or for serious health reasons. Following analysis by the Fonds, an applicant may be authorized to propose a postdoctoral research project at the same institution that awarded their doctorate, but under a different supervisor. In order for the application to be considered admissible at the eligibility stage, it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide the necessary explanations in an attachment in the “Justification of host environment” section of the form and to upload relevant supporting documents (medical certificate, certificate of disability, proof of tax credit for caregivers, etc.) in the “Other documents” section. Note that these documents will be given to the scientific evaluation committee.

Field research and data collection trips are permitted. However, when these exceed a period of 6 months, a co-supervision agreement must be formalized in the application. A letter of acceptance must then be provided by the co-supervisor.

3. SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION

4. APPLICATION ASSESSMENT

4.1 Evaluation process

As indicated in Section 4 of the CGR, the Fonds receives fellowship applications 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.

The committees are primarily composed of researcher-creators working in a university setting but in different disciplines. The research-creation project description should therefore be written in such a way as to be easily understandable in a multidisciplinary context. The committee may also include university researchers, professional artists or resource persons known for their expertise and skills. The committees may need to consult outside experts. The conditions governing funding decisions are specified in Section 4.5 of the CGR.

4.2 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting

Committee members evaluate the applications according to the evaluation criteria, indicators and  weighting specified in these program rules, based on the Fonds Scores and Ratings Grid.

To be recommended, an application must obtain an overall score of 70% or more.

5. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE RESULTS AND VALUE OF THE FELLOWSHIP

5.1 Announcement of 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 a letter is sent to the applicant’s E-portfolio, generally at the end of the month of April following the competition deadline.

Successful applicants must accept or refuse the fellowship within thirty (30) calendar days after 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, Section 5.2).

5.2 Value and duration of funding

The annual value of the postdoctoral research fellowship is $45,000. The FRQSC board of directors reserves the right to modify the value of scholarships at any time, without notice, notably in accordance with the credits allocated annually by the Assemblée nationale du Québec, its strategic priorities and budgetary process.

The duration of the postdoctoral research fellowship is a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 24 months. An extension of funding for an additional year may be requested and granted on submission and evaluation of a plan for the mobilization of knowledge stemming from the postdoctoral research, submitted to the Fonds through a funding competition during the second year of funding. This extension may only be requested once.

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

5.3 Supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs

The Fonds also offers a supplement of up to $5,000 per year for costs relating to the conduct of the research-creation project (studio rental, purchase of materials and supplies, equipment rental, transport costs for works and/or equipment, etc.) on submission of a justification of the expenses with the application form. The supplement also covers costs related to the dissemination and promotion of the research and/or creation.

Variable costs incurred by a non-academic host organization for expenses related to the research-creation project may also be claimed. The organization’s fixed costs are not eligible. Expenses will be reimbursed upon the presentation of receipts to the Fonds and providing that they were not reimbursed by another agency.

The evaluation committee recommends the amount of the supplement based on the submitted justification and taking into account the objectives of the research-creation project. As a result, the recommended amount may be less than the amount indicated in the application.

The Fonds will also reimburse the purchase cost of books and reference documents to a maximum of $500 per year.

6. TERMS OF THE FELLOWSHIP

To retain the fellowship, fellowship holders must meet the following basic conditions 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 third instalment.
• Be present at the host environment for the duration of the fellowship and devote himself/herself full-time to the postdoctoral research.
• Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding.
• Respect the rules relating to paid employment.

Fellowship holders who were not Canadian citizens at the time of application must live in 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 could request reimbursement.

6.1 Fellowship period

The fellowship period must begin between April 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023.

The fellowship is non-transferrable from one year to the next.

The fellowship is not retroactive and any work conducted in the months prior to April 2022 will not be funded.

For applicants who have already begun their research, the fellowship period starts no earlier than April 1st, 2022.

6.2 Fellowship payments

Fellowship instalments must be requested by the fellowship holder for each 4-month period, in the “Manage my funding” section of the E-portfolio. The first payment will only be made once the Fonds has received a certified copy of the fellowship holder’s doctoral diploma, certified by the Registrar’s office, or an official attestation of the initial doctoral thesis submission. A copy of the doctoral diploma or proof that all requirements have been met for the doctoral degree is required for payment of the third instalment.

Triannual instalment payments are made for the duration of the fellowship eligibility period, subject to the production of a satisfactory progress report along with the request for the 4th instalment.

With the exception of the first instalment, which must be claimed no later than March 1 of the year following the awarding of the fellowship under penalty of immediate cancellation of the fellowship, any unclaimed payment can be cancelled at the end of the period it covers, without advance notice.

6.3 Presence at the host environment

To retain the fellowship, the fellowship holder must be present at the host environment for the duration of the fellowship and devote himself/herself full-time to carrying out the 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

A 4-week annual vacation period is permitted.

Note that the postdoctoral fellowship cannot be suspended during the funding period. Under exceptional circumstances, the fellowship holder should contact the Fonds, which will analyze the situation on reception of the required supporting documents and approve or refuse the requested suspension.

6.4 Convertibility of the fellowship

A fellowship can be used as a start-up grant by a fellowship holder who is offered a position as a regular professor in a Québec university. The fellowship holder must have completed a full year of funding under the postdoctoral fellowship (12 months) or received 3 full fellowship instalments before requesting to convert part of the fellowship (up to $15,000) into a start-up grant for the new position. The effective date of the start-up grant is the fellowship holder’s employment start date.

This grant is subject to the same rules as those of the Research-Creation Support for New Academics program. A person who benefits from this conversion remains eligible to apply for this program.

A SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship holder who has also received a FRQSC funding offer under this program and accepted it, may benefit from this conversion, if applicable.

6.5 Parental leave

A postdoctoral fellowship holder may receive an additional instalment for parental leave for a maximum of 6 months, if the research is interrupted in the 6 months following the birth or adoption of a child and the first instalment of the fellowship has already been paid. This supplement cannot be divided. In case of a parental leave of a shorter duration, the supplement will be adjusted.

In addition, the fellowship holder may suspend his/her research for parental 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 a total leave of one year. These benefits are granted on analysis of the file and any supporting documents requested. Fellowship holders who find themselves in this situation must send an email to the program manager, who will contact them directly.

To receive the supplement for parental leave, the fellowship holder must suspend his/her postdoctoral research.

For more information about conditions regarding parental leave, refer to Section 6.13 of the CGR.

6.6 Reimbursement of travel expenses

Travel expenses to and from the host environment at the start and end of the postdoctoral program 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. Fellowship holders who have not yet defended their thesis may be reimbursed for an additional round trip.

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

6.7 Concurrent awards

The fellowship may not be held concurrently 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), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), etc.
• A fellowship or scholarship from a Québec granting agency such as the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) or the Conseil de recherches en pêche et agro-alimentaire du Québec (CORPAQ), etc.
• A scholarship from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) or the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) awarded for the same project.

The fellowship may be held concurrently with:

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

7. SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP

The FRQSC offers scholarships in collaboration with partners.

Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:

• 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.
• 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.
• Following evaluation of the applications by a peer committee, 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.

By choosing to be considered for a scholarship in partnership and on obtaining this type of funding, the applicant agrees to being contacted by the partner for activities related to the research project.

Partner: 

Quebec SUPPORT Unit for patient-oriented research

The Support for People and Patient-Oriented Research and Trials (SUPPORT) strategy introduced in Québec consists of engaging the various stakeholders involved, including patients, caregivers and the public, in the development and execution of patient-oriented research (POR) projects. Québec’s SUPPORT Unit contributes to capacity building and professional development in POR among stakeholders.

The Unit’s scholarship program, developed in partnership with the Fonds de recherche du Québec, allows students, postdoctoral fellows, early-career researchers, and health professionals to hone their skills, develop (or reinforce) valuable POR expertise, and enhance their network of collaborators and mentors in the field.

8. EFFECTIVE DATE

The provisions set out in this document apply to the 2022-2023 fiscal year.

Version updated on the website July 9, 2021.