Postdoctoral Training Scholarship Program

1. Objectives

The objectives of the FRQNT’s Postdoctoral Training Scholarship Program are to:

• Support the next generation of students working in a variety of research environments within the fields of natural sciences, mathematical sciences and engineering.
• Generate the interest of new doctoral graduates to further their training and broaden their field of research.
• Encourage the mobility of research trainees towards dynamic and stimulating scientific environments (universities, university-affiliated service institutions, businesses, government agencies, etc.).

2. Characteristics

The minimum duration of the research is six months and the maximum is two years.

The maximum annual value of the postdoctoral award is $45,000.

The maximum overall amount of the award totals $90,000, and will be paid over 6 installments (6 sessions).

The award may be renewable for one additional year upon the evaluation of a renewal application (see Section 11 for more information).

Supplement for research conducted outside Quebec

This supplement is intended to help applicants whose research is conducted outside of Quebec, i.e. in an institution outside of Quebec located at a road distance of more than 250 km from the borders of Quebec or in an institution outside of Canada.

This supplement is only available to applicants who have indicated a research location that is outside of Quebec at the time of application.

The maximum annual value of this supplement is $10,000.

3. Eligibility

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements as per the program rules and CGR that are in effect at the time of the application submission.

3.1 Target applicants and eligibility period

This program is intended for applicants who:

• Have graduated from the doctoral program within the last two years as of the competition deadline.

OR

• Have not yet completed a doctoral degree, but plan to proceed with an initial submission of their thesis by March 1, 2024, the deadline for the commencement of the award period.

The date of degree completion is defined as the date when all degree requirements are met, including the successful defense of the thesis and the submission of the corrected version of the thesis.

In the event that the applicant holds more than one doctoral degree, the date of completion of the first degree will prevail.

3.2 Special cases and exemptions for eligibility period

The FRQ reserves the right to refuse any request for eligibility period exemptions that are not sufficiently justified.

Exemptions regarding the eligibility period of applicants may be granted in circumstances beyond the applicant’s control, particularly in the case of serious illness, major family obligations or a disability.

• Major family obligations or serious illness: Applicants who have suspended or delayed their studies due to parental leave, serious health reasons or major family obligations may request to extend their eligibility period by a maximum of 12 months. The FRQNT will determine the length of the extension to be granted, based on the supporting documentation provided with the application.
• Disability: As stipulated in the Act to ensure the exercise of the rights of handicapped persons with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (LRQ,  chapter E-20.1), individuals who meet the definition of “handicapped person” contained in this Act are exempt from the program rules relating to eligibility period. However, the maximum duration of the scholarship will remain as 6 sessions, and all necessary supporting documentation must be submitted with the application.

3.3 Citizenship and residency requirements

For more details, please refer to Section 2.1 of the CGR.

To be eligible for a postdoctoral fellowship, applicants must:

• Possess a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at time of the competition deadline or proof that a card has been requested from RAMQ and that it will be valid as of the competition deadline. The RAMQ card is the only proof that is accepted. The RAMQ card is issued by the Government of Quebec and entitles the holder to services covered by the Quebec health insurance plan.

OR

• Have lived in Quebec for six out of the seven months preceding the competition deadline.

An applicant can only complete their training outside of Quebec if they:

• Have a valid RAMQ card or proof of eligibility for RAMQ.

AND

• Have Canadian citizenship.

Applicants who do not meet the above conditions must complete their training in Quebec. Continuous physical presence in Quebec is required for the entire duration of the funding, excluding the breaks in the academic calendar. Applicants who are pursuing their training under co-supervision are also subject to this rule. In this case, stays in the country where the co-supervision is taking place is not permitted.

Applicants who are not eligible for training outside of Quebec at the time of application will not be eligible for training outside of Quebec during the grant period, even if their citizenship and residency conditions change.

3.4 Restrictions

Eligible applicants may submit only one application per year to one postdoctoral research scholarship program of one of the three branches of the FRQ.

Only one application may be submitted to any given scholarship program in a single year.

Applicants who have received, or are currently receiving, a postdoctoral scholarship from a Quebec or federal granting agency are not eligible for this competition.

3.5 Choice of host environment(s)

Postdoctoral research must be carried out at an institution other than the one that awarded the doctoral degree. Internationally recognized host institutions outside of Quebec are preferred. Exceptionally, if the applicant demonstrates that his/her mobility is restricted due to a serious illness, a handicap or major family obligations, the research may be carried out in the same institution that awarded the doctoral degree. If an exception is requested, it is strongly recommended that the person in charge of the scholarship program be consulted before the request is sent to the FRQNT.

3.5.1 Supervisory environment

The persons responsible for the direction and co-direction of the applicant’s doctoral studies may not act as supervisors of the postdoctoral internship, even if they have changed institutions. Exceptionally, if the applicant demonstrates that his/her mobility is restricted due to a serious illness, a disability or major family obligations, the persons in charge of the doctoral studies may act as supervisor of the postdoctoral internship, on the condition that it is also demonstrated that it is impossible for the internship to be supervised by another person.

3.5.2 Co-supervision environment

The postdoctoral research can be co-supervised, provided that the applicant spends a minimum of 6 months in the co-supervisory environment.

3.6 Paid leave

An applicant who is on sabbatical or educational leave with a salary of more than 50% of their base salary is not eligible. However, an individual receiving a deferred salary is not subject to this restriction.

4. Application

The 2023-2024 electronic application form will be made available on the website of each of the FRQ’s three branches at least one month prior to the competition deadline. Applications must be submitted electronically by the competition deadline.

The application and acceptance letter may be written in English or French. However, the title and summary of the project (when requested) must be written in French.

The internship supervisor must fill out a letter of acceptance from their user account on the FRQNT website. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that his/her internship supervisor sends the letter of acceptance by the competition deadline.

4.1 Selection of Evaluation Committee

The applicant is responsible for his/her choice of evaluation committee. No changes may be made after the competition deadline. This choice must be made according to the research subject, the field and the training program.

4.2 Required documents

All required documents must be included in the application for it to be considered eligible. Documents that are illegible, of low resolution, or that do not allow eligibility verification to be carried out will be rejected.

Any official document submitted in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a certified professional translation of the original. Any other document submitted in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a simple translation.

Academic transcript

Missing, incomplete, unofficial, unmarked, or out-of-date academic transcripts will render the application ineligible.

Copies of all academic transcripts are required for all doctoral studies that the applicant had followed, whether completed or not. This includes transcripts from exchange programs or courses (equivalencies), if applicable.

For any ongoing programs of study, the academic transcript must include the last semester completed before the competition deadline, including the summer session, if applicable.

The elements that make an academic transcript official may differ from one academic institution to another. Nevertheless, to be considered as official by the FRQNT, each academic transcript must:

• Be issued by the relevant academic institution.

AND

• Show evidence that it is an official transcript for that academic institution. This may include the presence of the academic institution’s seal AND/OR the signature of the registrar, AND/OR a notation of “Official Transcript”, etc.

VISIBLE WATERMARKS will not render an academic transcript unofficial as long as the requirements specified above are met.

If there is any doubt about the authenticity of an academic transcript, the FRQNT reserves the right to verify with the applicant and possibly with the institution involved.

Academic transcripts that are submitted in a sealed envelope from the Registrar’s Office may be opened and its contents scanned.

Other documents to be attached, if applicable, with the academic transcripts:

• A document explaining the current academic grading system, in the case of transcripts obtained outside North America. The letter attached to the file must explain very clearly the grading system used so that the transcripts can be understood.
• A letter of explanation from the institution (Registrar’s Office or equivalent administrative body) if no academic transcript is issued. The letter attached to the file must specify the reasons for the missing transcripts. The FRQNT reserves the right to verify and accept/reject the reasons provided.

If no transcripts are issued and the applicant is unable to obtain a letter from the university, a letter of explanation from the applicant justifying the absence of transcripts, and endorsed by the department chair of the host institution, must be provided.

RAMQ card

Please continue reading to see if either of the cases below apply to your situation:

Case 1: The applicant has not lived in Quebec for six out of the seven months preceding the competition deadline.

Case 2: The applicant is a Canadian citizen and wishes to use, or eventually use, a scholarship to study outside of Quebec.

Cases 1 and 2 must provide:

• A photocopy of his or her Quebec health insurance card (RAMQ) that is valid as of the competition deadline.

OR

• Any official document from the RAMQ that establishes the applicant’s status as a Quebec resident within the meaning of the Quebec Health Insurance Act.

OR

• If this document is not available, proof that a card has been requested from the RAMQ and that it will be valid as of the competition deadline.

Study Permit or Work Permit

• Applicants who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must provide a copy of their study permit or work permit issued by Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Additional documents

Applicants who wish to apply for exemptions regarding the eligibility period must provide the following:

• Official document attesting to the duration of the parental leave, sick leave, such as a medical certificate or a copy of the birth certificate.
• For situations where there is a major family obligation or for individuals having a disability, please provide documents attesting to the situation.

Applicants whose research will take place outside of Quebec and who have confirmed that they will have a permanent position in a Quebec research centre or university upon their return:

• A letter from the director of the research center or university department confirming that the applicant will have a permanent position upon return from the training period.

Applicants who choose “Multidisciplinary Committee #14” must:

• Attach a one-page document in the “Other Documents” section of the application form to demonstrate how the program of study is multidisciplinary (Section 3).

Notice

A message regarding the status of your application (i.e. if it was forwarded for evaluation or if was deemed ineligible) will be sent to you by email no later than December. Applicants who have not received a notification should contact the program officer before December 15.

5. Evaluation

For more information on the rules regarding the scholarship evaluation process, please see Section 4 of the CGR.
Applications will be evaluated according to the following evaluation criteria and weighting:

6. Open Access Dissemination Policy

Peer-reviewed publications resulting from the research made possible by this award shall be published as immediate open access (without embargo), under an open license, in accordance with the FRQ Open access policy for the dissemination of research (revised in 2022).

7. Partnership

The FRQ may offer training scholarships in conjunction with a partner. As with all scholarships offered by the FRQ, this scholarship is based on a merit-based selection process, following scientific evaluation by a peer review committee.
The selection of eligible applicants for these scholarships involves three steps:

• The applicant selects, in the Partnerships section of the application form, one or more partners whose research areas correspond to the applicant’s research theme.
• The FRQ will send the identified partners a list of applicants who have expressed interest. The partners will also receive information to help them evaluate the applications in relation to their own strategic and research priorities.
• After evaluating the applications by following the evaluation guidelines outlined in section 5 of these rules, applications that have obtained a rating of scientific excellence and that are deemed relevant by the identified partners may receive an offer of partnership funding.

By choosing to be considered for a scholarship with a partner and by obtaining this type of grant, the applicant agrees that the partner may contact him/her for activities related to his/her research project.

Partner:  

8. Terms of the Scholarship

To maintain a scholarship or scholarship supplement, the following basic conditions must be maintained by the scholarship holder throughout the duration of the funding:

• Meet citizenship and residency requirements
• Have made an initial thesis submission before starting the scholarship and meet all requirements for the doctoral degree by the time of the second installment
• Be present in the host environment on a full-time basis to carry out the postdoctoral research
• Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding
• Respect the rules relating to employment and internships

In addition, all other conditions specified in the applicable program rules and CGR must be maintained.

Any person holding an award has the obligation to notify the FRQNT as soon as any one of these conditions are no longer met and upon any change in his or her situation that could have an impact on compliance with the award conditions. Failure to do so (or failure to inform us of such a change) may result in cancellation of the scholarship and/or a request for a full refund of the amounts received.

8.1. Commencement of the scholarship

Payments may begin during any of the three sessions following the recipient’s acceptance of the award.

The start date of the scholarship refers to the session in which the first payment can be claimed (see Section 8.11.2 for more information).

• For individuals whose training program has not started at the time of the award letter, the first installment can be claimed as of :

May 30 following the award (summer session)

September 30 following the award (fall session)

January 30 following the award (winter session)

• For those whose training program is in progress at the time that the award letter is issued, the first payment will be made as of :

May 30 following the award (summer session)

8.2 Payments and Management

Payments are conditional upon compliance with the scholarship’s basic conditions and receipt of all required documents in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio.

8.2.1 Cancellation of a payment or scholarship

Payments cover a period of 4 months and are conditional upon compliance with the scholarship’s basic conditions as well as upon receipt of all required documentation in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio.

The FRQNT will cancel a payment, upon notice, if it is not claimed or deferred, or if the required documents are not received within two months of the beginning of the period.

The FRQNT will terminate the scholarship, upon notice, if the scholarship holder does not make the necessary actions in their FRQnet Electronic Portfolio for two consecutive periods.

The FRQNT will also terminate the scholarship, upon notice, if two consecutive payments have to be cancelled due to non-compliance with the scholarship’s basic conditions or if required documents are missing at the end of the two-month period following the beginning of the periods in question.

In addition, the FRQ reserves the right to cancel any payment(s) or the scholarship in accordance with the Policy on Responsible Conduct in Research.

An offer of award declined by the applicant cannot be reactivated.

8.2.2 Reporting

A final report, in the format established by the FRQ, is required after the end of the session corresponding to the last payment.

8.3 Exceptions for part-time postdoctoral research

In all of the following cases, the FRQNT reserves the right to reject an application that is insufficiently justified.
Part-time postdoctoral research is permitted only in the cases listed below:

8.3.1 Caregivers, parenting or medical conditions

This measure is intended only for scholarship holders who are caregivers for close family members, who are the primary caregivers for young children (5 years and under), or who have a medical condition that prevents them from devoting themselves full-time to their research (in the case of a disability, see section 8.3.2). During part-time periods, the scholarship holder may receive 50% of the value of the award installments.

The scholarship holder wishing to take advantage of this measure will need to provide the necessary information in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio and attach the following documents:

• Letter from the supervising individual confirming agreement with the part-time period.
• Copy of a medical certificate (caregiver, medical condition) or birth or adoption certificate of a child (parent)

Concurrent funding with parental insurance benefits is possible, if applicable.

8.3.2 Disability

An individual with a disability who is unable to pursue his or her postdoctoral research on a full-time basis is permitted to carry out his or her research part-time and benefit from the full amount of the scholarship, as long as the individual’s supervisor authorizes this part-time work and that a medical certificate or any other official document justifying the situation is presented. This exceptional measure is in accordance with the Act to ensure the exercise of the rights of handicapped persons with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (R.S.Q., c. E-20.1) and is reserved for persons who meet the definition of “handicapped person” contained in this Act.

The scholarship holder will have to provide the necessary information in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio and attach the following documents:

• Letter from the person providing supervision confirming agreement with the part-time period
• Medical certificate attesting to the condition

8.4   Convertibility of the scholarship

A scholarship holder who obtains a regular faculty position at a university located in Quebec may, after having completed one full year of postdoctoral research since the start of the scholarship, request to use a portion of the scholarship as a start-up grant. A maximum of $15,000 may be converted to a start-up grant in the new position, for which the applicable eligible expenses are presented in Section 8 of the CGR.

The effective date of the start-up grant will be the date of employment. A copy of the letter of employment indicating the date of the start-up position must be submitted to the FRQNT. Information about salaries does not need to be submitted.

8.5   Reimbursement of travel expenses

Travel expenses outside Quebec for the scholarship holder, their spouse and their children to the main location of the postdoctoral research at the beginning of the research and for the return to Quebec at the end will be reimbursed by the FRQNT, provided that they are not already reimbursed by other organizations. For scholarship holders whose thesis defense will take place during the postdoctoral fellowship, additional travel expenses will be reimbursed for the scholarship holder only.

8.5.1 Eligible expenses

• Transportation (air, sea, rail, bus) purchased prior to the award of the scholarship:

The FRQNT reimburses transportation tickets upon presentation of supporting documentation (travel agency receipts and photocopies of tickets). The maximum amount for air travel allowance will be equivalent to the cost of a round-trip economy ticket.

• Purchase of travel tickets (air, sea, rail, bus) by the FRQNT :

If you have not purchased transportation prior to the scholarship, the FRQNT will be responsible for purchasing all your transportation. To do so, you must send an email message to the scholarship program officer indicating the date of departure, the city of departure, the city of arrival and, if applicable, the names of your spouse and children for whom transportation tickets must be purchased. You must also indicate the date of birth for each person. A ticket purchased directly by the scholarship holder after the scholarship is awarded will not be reimbursed by the FRQNT.

• Automobile Transportation:

The allowance is $0.545 per km, up to the cost of a one-way economy airfare. You will be reimbursed for these expenses upon presentation of two gas station receipts, one at your departure city and one at your destination city. All automobile transportation claims must be submitted to the FRQNT no later than two months after the trip.

8.5.2 Ineligible Expenses

• Transportation purchased directly by the scholar after the scholarship is awarded
• Moving your personal effects
• Transportation of your research materials
• Any additional baggage fees imposed by airlines
• Vehicle rental
• Parking fees
• Urban public transportation/commuter train fees
• Taxi fare

8.6 Concurrent scholarships

The following table shows permitted, partial and prohibited combinations of funding from concurrent scholarships.

9. Effective date

These rules are in effect for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

10. Contact person

Michel Garceau
Program Officer
FRQNT Training Scholarships 
Telephone: 418 643-8560 ext. 3459
E-mail: bourses.nt@frq.gouv.qc.ca

11. Scholarship renewals

It is possible to request that the scholarship be renewed for an additional year (3rd year). A renewal request form will be deposited in your FRQnet Electronic Portfolio once the FRQNT has received the completed form Demande d’accès au formulaire de renouvellement de la bourse B3X, which may be found in the program Toolbox.

No change of research setting is permitted between the submission of the renewal application and the end of the third year of funding.

To be eligible for renewal, the renewal application must be submitted within the last seven (7) months of the FRQNT funding. The form is available on FRQnet Electronic Portfolio. It must be completed and submitted electronically by one of the deadlines listed below.

There will be three assessments per year and three deadlines for filing renewal applications. These dates are:

• February 1
• June 1
• October 1

A renewal application submitted after the end of the FRQNT funding will not be eligible.

The internship supervisor must complete a letter of support to be attached to the “Other Documents” section of the application form. The letter must state the reasons why the third year is necessary.

The criteria for evaluating the renewal application are:

• The state of progress of the project considering the methodology and discipline (30%)
• The relevance and added value of a third year (30%)
• The potential for success (30%)
• Publications, conferences and other presentations since the start of FRQNT funding of the postdoctoral research (10%)

The results of renewal applications will be announced approximately six (6) weeks after each application deadline.

To use a scholarship to study outside Quebec, you must be a Canadian citizen and have a valid RAMQ card or proof of RAMQ eligibility at the time of application as specified in Section 3 of these rules.