Postdoctoral Training (Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents) - FRQS

The postdoctoral scholarship is valued at $45 000/year.

The maximum amount is six (6) payments totalling $90,000.

Fellows may apply for a renewal in the same competition for a subsequent year if they wish to extend their postdoctoral fellowship award by one year.  See the following section “Renewal” for more details.

Supplement

Awardees who carry out their postdoctoral studies outside Québec will receive a supplemental amount of $10 000 per year.

Travel expenses

The travel expenses (one return economy airline ticket) of awardees and their close family (spouse and children) carrying out their projects in institutions located outside Québec may be reimbursed, at the beginning and at the end of the postdoctoral research, upon the presentation of supporting documents, as long as these expenses are not reimbursed by another organization.

If the thesis is not yet defended, an additional round trip for the awardee may be reimbursed.

This program is intended for candidates who wish to undertake or pursue a post doctoral research training program in one of the fields covered by the Health Fund.

• Applicants must have completed a doctorate less than two (2) years prior to the competition deadline or intend to submit their doctoral thesis before March 1, 2024 (except for renewal applications).
• Applicants who apply to the FRQS are eligible to receive scholarship payments for a period of two (2) years or until the end of the program for which the scholarship is sought, whichever comes first.

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

The rules pertaining to the eligibility period for training scholarships allow for exceptions in circumstances that are beyond an applicant’s control, such as serious illness, major family obligations or disability.

• Major family obligation or serious illness: an applicant who has suspended or delayed their studies owing to a parental leave, serious illness or a major family obligation may seek to extend the eligibility period for up to twelve (12) months. The Fonds will determine the duration of the extension based on the supporting documents provided by the applicant.
• Disability: as defined in the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (E-20.1) and reserved for persons who meet the definition of “handicapped person” in the Act, the rules pertaining to the eligibility period do not apply. The maximum duration of the funding is six (6) semesters at the master’s level. Supporting documents must be submitted with the application.

Applicants should refer to Section 2.1 of the CGR for further details.

To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, the applicant must be :

• Canadian citizen or permanent resident domiciled in Québec, as stipulated in the Health Insurance Act (CQLR a A-29);
• Canadian citizen domiciled in a province other than Québec.

These conditions must be met for the duration of the award.

• The applicant’s research supervisor and cosupervisor must not have supervised the doctoral project or be affiliated with the university at which the doctorate was completed.
• They must also be a person whose position or university affiliation qualifies them to act as the sole supervisor of graduate students and independently lead research projects.

Canadian Citizens Domiciled in Québec

Canadian citizens must choose a host institution other than the institution that granted the doctorate and preferably one outside Québec*.

To use a training award outside Québec, awardees must :

• have a valid RAMQ card or proof of eligibility for the RAMQ a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of eligibility for RAMQ covering the competition deadline

AND

• be a Canadian citizen at the time of filing the application.

Permanent Residents and Canadian Citizens Domiciled Outside Québec

Permanent residents and Canadian citizens in other Canadian provinces must choose a training location in Québec*.

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

In the case of major family obligations, serious illness or disability, exceptions may apply. Based on the outcome of a review by the Fonds, applicants may propose to carry out their postdoctoral studies in the same university at which they completed their doctoral degree. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide all required explanations and evidence (medical certificate, recognition of disability, application for tax credit for family caregiver, etc.) in the Other documents section of the e-form

• Individuals who hold a university position are ineligible, unless they take an unpaid leave for the entire tenure of the training award. The employer must provide an official letter attesting to the individual’s employment status for the period and her/his return to work once the training period has ended;
• Individuals who have been awarded or currently hold a postdoctoral research award from a Québec or Canadian funding agency (e.g. FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC, CIHR, NSERC) (except renewals) are ineligible.

Applicants are responsible for selecting their review committee. No changes may be made after the competition deadline. The choice must be made on the basis of the research topic, field and training program.

Canadian Common CV (FRQS funding CV version)

The CV must be up to date, i.e., updated within the 12 months preceding the competition closing date (scholarships and fellowships must be listed in the Research Funding section and prizes and awards in the Recognition section).

Detailed Contributions

Detailed contributions that are up to date, i.e., updated within the 12 months preceding the competition closing date (to be attached in the FRQS electronic portfolio on the Canadian Common CV page).

Copy of doctoral degree (except for renewal applications)

If not available, the copy of the official transcript of the doctorate is sufficient.

Copy of official Ph. D. transcript

• Transcripts that are missing, incomplete, unofficial, uncertified or not up-to-date shall render the application ineligible.
• The transcript for an applicant’s current program of study must include the last semester completed prior to the competition deadline, including the summer semester, if applicable.
• The elements that make a transcript official may differ from one academic institution to the next. Nevertheless, to be considered official by the Fonds, each transcript must:
• be issued by the relevant academic institution;

AND

• include the elements that prove it is an official transcript from the academic institution, including the university seal and/or signature of the registrar and/or wording such as official transcript, etc.
• A WATERMARK does not render a transcript unofficial if the requirements specified above are met.
• If there is any doubt as to the authenticity of a transcript, the Fonds reserve the right to confirm the information with the applicant and with the academic institution.
• A transcript submitted in a sealed envelope from a registrar’s office may be opened and scanned.

Other documents to be attached with the transcript (if applicable)

• For transcripts obtained outside North America, a document explaining the current grading system. The attachment must clearly explain the grading system so that the transcripts may be easily understood;
• Explanatory letter from the institution (registrar’s office or equivalent administrative body) when no transcript is issued. The attachment must detail the reason(s) for the missing transcripts. The Fonds reserve the right to verify the admissibility of the reasons given;
• Explanatory letter from the applicant and signed by the department chair of the host institution when no transcript is issued and the applicant is unable to obtain a letter from the university.

RAMQ health insurance card

Copy of a health insurance card from the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) that is valid at the competition deadline or proof that an application for a health insurance card was filed with the RAMQ and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline OR evidence of eligibility to the health care plan of another Canadian province covering the competition deadline (except for renewal applications). The name and expiry date must be legible. Proof of private insurance shall not be accepted;

Acknowledgement of receipt from publishers

Acknowledgements for all papers submitted to publishers and publisher notifications for papers accepted for publication (acknowledgements for previously published papers are not shared with the committee).

Additional documents

Applicants who completed one or more part-time semesters since the date at which they first registered for a graduate program and applicants whose transcripts do not include all registered semesters:

• Attestation from the registrar’s office indicating all semesters.

Applicants seeking to avail themselves of an exception:

• Official document attesting to the duration of the parental leave or sick leave, such as a medical certificate or a copy of the child’s birth certificate.
• In the case of a major family obligation or a person with a disability, documents attesting to the situation.

No appendices or documents other than those required will be shared with the review committee. Applications cannot be updated after the competition deadline.

• Supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable) e-form (PDF format for information purposes, in French)

The award may begin between May 2023 and March 2024, on the first of the month.

Payments are conditional on compliance with the basic requirements and submission of all requirements documents in the FRQnet electronic portfolio (ePortfolio). Refer to the Scholarship holder’s guide to using an FRQS scholarship (Document Menu, blue Portfolio banner) for information on where to find the required documents and how to attach them to the ePortfolio.

9.2.1 Cancellation of a Payment or a Scholarship

The Fonds will cancel a scholarship upon notice if it is not claimed or deferred or if required documents are not received in the two months following the start of the semester.

The Fonds will cancel a scholarship upon notice if the awardee has not taken any action in their FRQnet ePortfolio for two consecutive semesters.

The Fonds will cancel a scholarship upon notice if two consecutive payments must be cancelled due to non-compliance with the basic requirements or if required documents have not been submitted in the two months following the start of the semester.

In addition, the FRQ reserves the right to cancel any payment or scholarship in accordance with the Policy for the responsible conduct of research.

A scholarship offer that is declined by the applicant cannot be reactivated.

9.2.2 Report

A final report in the format required by the FRQ must be submitted at the end of the semester in which the last scholarship payment is made.

9.2.3 Mandatory Basic Research Ethics Training

Basic research ethics training is mandatory for all FRQS awardees whose research project or program involves humans.

Research involving humans consists of:

• the participation of humans;
• the use of human biological material (parts, products, tissue, cells, human genetic material from a living or deceased person)
• assisted human reproduction activities and/or the use of resulting embryos 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 humans.

Developed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), the training program includes levels 1 and 3 of the research ethics courseware. Awardees must complete the training program in the year following the receipt of their scholarship offer from the FRQS (see Required documents section).

This exception is only available to an awardee who is the caregiver for a close family member, who is the primary caregiver for a young child (5 years and under) or who has a medical condition that prevents them from following a full-time program (in the case of a disability, see Section 9.3.2). During part-time semesters, the awardee may receive 50% of the value of the scholarship payments.

Awardees who want to avail themselves of this exception must complete their FRQnet ePortfolio and attach the following documents:

• Proof of part-time studies from the university
• Copy of the medical certificate (caregiver, medical condition) or the birth or adoption certificate of a child (parent)

It is possible to receive concurrent parental insurance plan benefits, as applicable.

The Fonds reserve the right to deny an insufficiently justified request.

A person with a disability who is unable to pursue their training program on a full-time basis may choose to enrol on a part-time basis and benefit from full scholarship payments when the university allows for part-time status and upon presentation of a medical certificate or an official document attesting to 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 (E-20.1) and reserved for persons who meet the definition of “handicapped person” in the Act.

Awardees must complete their FRQnet ePortfolio and attach these documents:

• Proof of part-time study from the university
• Medical certificate attesting to the condition

The Fonds reserve the right to deny an insufficiently justified request.

An awardee who obtains a position as a full-time professor in a Québec university may, after at least one full year of FRQS funding, request to use part of the award as start-up funding. Up to $15 000 may be converted. The awardee must contact the FRQS program manager to request the change.

The rules for using the funding are the same as those established for the starting grant for new scholars (see rules of the research scholars program).

During the authorised suspension of the research project due to the birth or adoption of a child, a scholarship holder may apply for an eight-month continuous parental leave supplement. This supplement may be requested only by those who have already received their first instalment as a grant holder.

To be eligible for this supplement, the scholarship holder must not be enrolled in a training programme or be in paid employment for the duration of the leave. In the case of partial cumulation, the scholarship supplement cannot be granted when a parental leave allowance is received from a federal agency. In this case, the scholarship holder must take the paid leave offered by the federal agency. If your university permits, parental leave may be extended for an additional four months at no additional cost.

An awardee may hold concurrent scholarships from federal and provincial granting agencies if, at the start date of the scholarship from the Fonds, the awardee is attending an academic institution outside Québec and the annual tuition fees are equal to or higher than the annual value of the scholarship offered by the Fund. The annual value of the tuition fees does not include registration fees, student association fees, etc. Tuition fees must not be reimbursed by another organizations.

Paid work carried out while enrolled in a training program is permitted. There is no limit of time per semester. The employment must be approved by the research supervisor and must not interfere with the research activities.

In addition to the paid work permitted per semester, awardees may earn a salary for working solely on the funded research project. For the sole purpose of interpreting the rules for concurrent funding (Section 9.4), the salary is considered a concurrent scholarship when confirmed by the research supervisor.

Within the limits stated below, it is possible to do an internship (mandatory or not).

Mandatory

Part-time enrolment is permitted for the duration of an internship if the internship is required as part of the awardee’s training program and no research credit is granted. It is not possible to ask to defer payments to carry out an internship.

Non-mandatory internship

In the case of a non-mandatory internship as part of the awardee’s training program, the remuneration related to the internship is considered employment income. Where university rules permit, a deferral of payment may be requested if the non-mandatory internship constitutes an opportunity to gain relevant experience (Section 9.8.1).

Deferral of payment is permitted for sick leave (refer to GCR Section 6.14), parental leave (refer to GCR Section 6.13) or family leave or to gain relevant experience.

9.8.1 Gaining Relevant Experience

For each full year of funding, the Fonds may authorize the suspension of one scholarship payment (one semester/four months) during which the awardee gains relevant experience (experience within a research team, teaching experience related in the field of training, language stay, etc.). The payment is then deferred until the end of the funding period. Awardees cannot use this provision for their first payment, to accept another scholarship with which concurrent funding is prohibited or to return to work while on study leave.

Deferrals to gain relevant experience may be consecutive if approved by the research supervisor. Part-time enrollment is also permitted during the consecutive semester(s), where university rules permit.

To avail themselves of an exception, awardees must submit a request to the Fonds that granted the scholarship. In addition, the research supervisor must provide a letter confirming their approval and the relevance of the activities that will be undertaken. The Fonds reserve the right to deny any request that is insufficiently justified or irrelevant.

9.8.2  Leave for Major Family Obligations or Parental Leave

The Fund will authorize the deferral of one or more payments when an awardee pauses their training to undertake major family or parenting obligations for as long as the awardee’s university permits.

An awardee who withdraws during the semester or who decides to pursue their studies on a part-time basis, except for the cases described in sections 9.3 and 9.7.2, is no longer eligible for the scholarship and must notify the Fonds to terminate it. The awardee may be required to reimburse the amounts paid.

An awardee is eligible to receive payments until the final submission of the thesis. Full-time enrolment is not required after the thesis has been submitted.

Any change in an awardee’s situation must be communicated to the Fonds via the FRQnet ePortfolio. For reasons of equity, the Fonds will ensure the requested change does not impact the outcome of the application’s initial evaluation and remains in compliance with the eligibility requirements and program rules. The Fonds will assess the requested change and may decide to continue, reduce, suspend or terminate the payments. The Fonds my also require that the awardee reimburse the sums paid.

In all the following cases, the Fonds reserve the right to deny a request that is insufficiently justified or that calls into question the elements set out in the preceding paragraph.

9.11.1 Change in citizenship status

The conditions and privileges of the scholarship as they pertain to citizenship status at the time of application continue to apply throughout the term of the scholarship, even if an awardee’s citizenship status changes during the funding period.

9.11.2 Change in the term of the scholarship or start date

The funding period is determined based on the date of full-time registration in the training program. Two part-time semesters are equivalent to one full-time semester.

This type of change must be made prior to the first payment. It is strongly suggested that the change be requested upon accepting the scholarship. Once the first payment is made, the term of the scholarship and start date cannot be changed.

9.11.3 Change in training program

Any change of program during the term of the scholarship must be in line with the research areas of the Fonds that granted the scholarship and the review committee selection, as established in the initial application. However, if an awardee intends to change programs for administrative reasons and remains in the same field of study and research, the Fonds will assess the situation and the scholarship may be maintained.

9.11.4 Change in training location and institution

An awardee may change the training and research location on the condition that the change is consistent with Section 2.1 Citizenship and Domicile in the CGR.

9.11.5 Change in research supervisor

An awardee who continues to study in the same training program and whose research project remains the same may change research supervisor. The request is automatically approved.

9.11.6 Change in research project

The awardee must justify, detail and demonstrate the new research project is of the same scientific quality as the initial project evaluated by the review committee. Before making its decision, the Fonds will ensure that the change does not impact the parameters of the committee’s evaluation. In addition, the awardee must specify whether they are remaining in the same field and department, with the same research supervisor and in the same university or research setting.