Research-Creation Support Program

• 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;
• Attract and retain top talent in Québec.

• Enable the completion of an individual research-creation project;
• Foster a new generation of academic researcher-creators within Québec universities and contribute to their visibility and recognition on national and international levels;
• Encourage new academics to establish a diversity of collaborative ties with peers from different disciplines and professional artists within and outside Québec, to stimulate the development of original avenues of research-creation;
• Promote the integration of new researcher-creators into institutional research and training missions, research-creation networks and relevant practice settings, on national and international levels;
• Contribute to the research-creation training of students at every level;
• Facilitate the transmission, presentation and dissemination of the experimentation and results of research-creation projects of all types to students, peers and the general public.

• Support quality research-creation within the context of projects carried out by an individual (Individual Project component) or a group (Team Project component);
• Support researcher-creators in the development and advancement of their careers;
• Contribute to the research-creation training of students at every level and improve the quality of their supervision while encouraging them to develop their own practices;
• Promote the integration of university researchers working in research-creation into institutional research and training missions, research-creation networks and relevant practice settings, on national and international levels;
• Facilitate 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;
• Contribute to the visibility and recognition of Québec research-creation and the people who are conducting it.

This component is intended for applicants who wish to undertake or pursue a postdoctoral program in research-creation.

This component is intended for research professors at the start of their academic careers who have held their academic position for less than 5 years.

This component aims to support research professors working individually.

This component aims to promote and consolidate collaboration between individuals working on research-creation, research, creation or as professional artists in order to foster new research-creation initiatives.

This component’s specific objectives are to facilitate the networking of individuals with complementary expertise or training likely to lead to new research-creation perspectives and increase Québec’s research-creation capacity by facilitating interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration.

Applicants must comply with the following eligibility requirements at the competition deadline. If the scholarship is awarded, awardees must meet the conditions described in Sections 4.1 and 4.4 to 4.6 throughout the duration of the scholarship.

4.1 Basic requirements

In accordance with Section 2.1 of the CGR, to be eligible to apply for a postdoctoral scholarship, an applicant must:

• be a Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident

AND

• have a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline, or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline.

Applicants who do not meet one or both of the above conditions are still eligible to apply, provided they submit an electronic Supervisor Acceptance Form from their supervisor (see Section 5.2). In addition, they must carry out their postdoctoral internship in Québec (see Section 4.4).

4.2 Eligibility period

To be eligible for a postdoctoral scholarship, applicants must, at the competition deadline:

• Have obtained a doctoral degree within the last five years,

OR

• Plan to submit their doctoral thesis no later than March 1, 2026.

If the applicant holds more than one research doctorate, the date of the most recent doctorate will be used to determine eligibility.

Exceptions:

Extension: Applicants who have interrupted or delayed their research training after obtaining their doctorate for reasons such as parental leave, major family obligations, bereavement, a career period outside the research community or health reasons may be granted an eligibility period extension. In the case of an interruption for parental leave, family, bereavement or health reasons, the extension granted is equivalent to twice the duration of the leave of absence. In the case of an interruption for a career period outside the research community, the extension granted corresponds to the duration of the interruption. In the case of a slowdown, the Fonds will determine the duration of the extension based on the supporting documents provided with the application.

Exemption: Applicants who have interrupted or delayed their research training because of a disability may be granted an eligibility period exemption. However, a given individual may not apply for a postdoctoral scholarship more than twice after obtaining a doctorate. This exemption is only available to applicant who meet the definition of “handicapped person” in 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 exception request and supporting documents must be submitted with the application form (see Section 5.4). Applicants wishing to request such an exception are advised to verify the admissibility of the exception with the program manager before submitting their application. The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any exception request that is not adequately justified.

4.3 Restrictions

Only one scholarship application (master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral or re-entering research) may be submitted per Fonds in any given year. In accordance with Section 3.1 of the CGR, an awardee may hold a training award from only one Fonds.

Applicants who have received or are currently receiving a postdoctoral award from a Québec or Canadian granting agency (e.g., SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC) are not eligible for this competition.

In accordance with Section 2.2 of the CGR , applicants who hold a regular professorial position at a university are ineligible for this program.

4.4 Conditions for using the scholarship outside Québec

In accordance with Section 2.1 of the CGR, to use a postdoctoral training award outside Québec, the applicant must:

• be a Canadian citizen or Canadian permanent resident

AND

• have a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline, or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline.

Applicants who do not meet one or both of the above conditions are required to carry out their postdoctoral internship in Québec. In this case, their continuous physical presence in Québec is required throughout the duration of funding, excluding break periods listed in the university calendar. However, travel outside Québec deemed necessary for the proper implementation of activities related to the postdoctoral internship may be allowed if it is approved by the affiliated institution and does not exceed 180 days per year.

Applicants who are not eligible to use their postdoctoral scholarship outside Québec at the time of application will remain ineligible throughout during the funding period, even if their citizenship status changes.

4.5 Choice of host environment(s)

The proposed host environment(s) must enable applicants to join new networks in order to enhance their research-creation prospects and expose them to new approaches in a quality research and creation environment. The Fonds encourages mobility, whether within Québec, outside Québec or internationally, when permitted by the program’s eligibility requirements.

The postdoctoral research-creation internship may be carried out in an academic and/or artistic environment. It 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 host environment should be committed to providing the postdoctoral researcher 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 and theoretical exchanges between creators and collaborators.

The supervising and co-supervising institutions must be different from the awarding institution or the co-supervising/cotutelle institution (if applicable) of the applicant’s doctoral degree.

Co-supervision of the postdoctoral internship in different academic and artistic environments is encouraged.

The applicant must plan to be present at the supervising institution or co-supervising institution throughout the duration of the internship. However, field research and data collection trips are permitted, subject to the eligibility requirements for the use of the scholarship outside Québec. When field research or data collection trips exceed six months, a co-supervision agreement must be formalized in the application (see Section 5.5).

Exception:

An applicant whose mobility is considerably restricted for medical reasons or because of a disability or major family obligations may be permitted to carry out the postdoctoral internship at the same institution that awarded the doctoral degree. The exception request and supporting documents must be submitted with the application form (see Section 5.4). Applicants wishing to request such an exception are advised to verify the admissibility of the exception with the program manager before submitting their application. The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any exception request that is not adequately justified.

4.6 Supervision and co-supervision

The postdoctoral internship must be supervised by a person whose position or university affiliation qualifies them to act as the sole supervisor of graduate students and independently lead research projects.

The internship may also be co-supervised. If so, the applicant must indicate this on the application form. Co-supervision must be provided by a person whose expertise is considered relevant to the postdoctoral internship, and who holds a regular university position or a full-time paid position in a public, parapublic, community, private, or practice sector organization, or other setting deemed appropriate.

Furthermore, supervision and co-supervision may not be provided by the applicant’s doctoral research supervisor, or by a person affiliated with the institution where the applicant’s doctoral studies were carried out.

Supervision and co-supervision of the postdoctoral internship come with a commitment to responsible research conduct, to upholding ethics and integrity standards, and to encouraging the applicant’s own commitment to ethical and responsible research conduct.

Exception:

In exceptional circumstances, supervision or co-supervision of the postdoctoral internship by the supervisor or co-supervisor of the applicant’s doctoral studies may be permitted. In such cases, the applicant must demonstrate that it is impossible for the postdoctoral internship to be supervised or co-supervised by another person, notably because of considerable mobility restrictions due to medical reasons, a disability or major family obligations. The exception request and supporting documents must be submitted with the application form (see Section 5.4). Applicants wishing to request such an exception are advised to verify the admissibility of the exception with the program manager before submitting their application. The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any exception request that is not adequately justified.

Applicants must meet the following conditions at the competition closing date:

– Meet all eligibility requirements set out in the CGR;

– Qualify for Status 1: University Researcher, remunerated as per Definition i) (CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles) and be recognized for their work in research-creation;

– Have held one or more tenure-track positions as a regular professor or contract research professor at universities in Québec, elsewhere in Canada or abroad for less than 5 years*.

*Applicants who do not qualify for the status of university researcher under Definition i) of the CGR on the competition closing date are still eligible if they expect to qualify for this status no later than June 1, 2025, notwithstanding Section 2.1 of the CGR.

*Applicants who have interrupted or delayed their career for reasons such as parental leave, disability, major family obligations, bereavement, a career period outside the research community or health reasons may be granted an eligibility period extension. In the case of an interruption for parental leave, family, bereavement, disability or health reasons, the extension granted is equivalent to twice the duration of the leave of absence. In the case of an interruption for a career period outside the research community, the extension granted corresponds to the duration of the interruption. In the case of a slowdown, the Fonds will determine the duration of the extension based on the supporting documents provided with the application.

In all cases, the managing institution must attest that the researcher will be in its employment for the duration of the funding.

The following are not eligible:

– Individuals who have already applied for this program three times (in a previous or current version);

– Individuals who have applied in the same competition year to one of the following research career start-up programs: Research Support for New Academics (FRQSC), Research Support for New Academics (FRQNT), Research Scholars, Junior 1 (FRQS), Clinical Research Scholars, Junior 1 (FRQS);

– Individuals who are (or have been) already funded through one of the research career start-up programs listed above or through the Research-Creation Support for New Academics program (FRQSC).

Applicants must meet the following conditions at the competition closing date:

– Qualify for Status 1: University Researcher, remunerated as per Definition i) (CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles), be recognized for their work in research-creation, and meet all eligibility requirements set out in the CGR.

– Meet the conditions listed above throughout the duration of funding.

Individual funding is not transferable to anyone other than the person who applied to the program and received the funding offer.

* Researchers remunerated according to Definition ii) of Status 1 of the CGR and retired researchers are not eligible for the role of principal investigator under this program.

Participation in more than one research-creation project

A researcher may only be principal investigator on one funding application (Individual Project component or Team Project component). However, it is possible to be part of more than one funding applications as follows:

• as principal investigator under the Individual Project component and co-investigator in one or more teams under the Team Project component

OR

• as principal investigator under the Team Project component” and co-researcher in one or more teams under the Team Project component.

These possibilities are intended to enable teams to access all of the expertise required to carry out their research-creation projects. Individuals participating in two or more projects must clearly explain and justify their contribution to each project.

Applicants must meet the following conditions at the competition closing date:

– Qualify for Status 1: University Researcher, remunerated as per Definition i) (CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles), be recognized for their work in research-creation, and meet all eligibility requirements set out in the CGR.

– meet the conditions listed above throughout the duration of funding.

* Researchers employed according to definition ii) of Status 1 of the CGR and retired researchers are not eligible to assume the role of principal investigator under this program.

Team composition

To be eligible, a team must include, in addition to the principal investigator, one or more co-investigators with one of the following statuses applicable to grants:

• University researcher;
• Clinical university researcher;
• College researcher;
• Other research statuses: only c) Practitioner and d) Artist.

At least 50% of the team’s investigators, including the principal investigator, must have one of the first three statuses applicable to grants:

• University researcher;
• Clinical university researcher;
• College researcher.

Teams that do not meet all these criteria are ineligible.

In addition to co-investigators, a team may include collaborators with any of the statuses applicable to grants as well as researchers outside Québec. However, individuals with the training award statuses defined by the CGR are not eligible for the role of collaborator.

Participation in more than one research-creation project

A researcher may only be principal investigator on one funding application (Individual Project component or Team Project component). However, it is possible to be part of more than one funding applications as follows:

• as principal investigator under the Individual Project component and co-investigator in one or more teams under the Team Project component

OR

• as principal investigator under the Team Project component” and co-researcher in one or more teams under the Team Project component.

These possibilities are intended to enable teams to access all of the expertise required to carry out their research-creation projects. Individuals participating in two or more projects must clearly explain and justify their contribution to each project.

• POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH-CREATION FELLOWSHIP (B5) application form, available in the FRQnet ePortfolio

A PDF version of the form is available in the Toolbox for information purposes. Applicants can also refer to the FRQnet ePortfolio technical users’ guide.

• CREATION PORTFOLIO (see Section 6)

Attention: In the absence of the creation portfolio, the application will be deemed ineligible.

• CURRICULUM VITAE (see Section 5.3.1)
• SUPERVISOR’S ACCEPTANCE FORM(S) AND LETTER(S) (see Section 5.5)

Required documents

A checklist of documents to be attached with the application can be found in the Toolbox.

To streamline the process, transcripts and doctoral degrees are no longer included in the list of documents to be submitted with the application.

All the required documents listed below must be saved individually in PDF format, without read protection or special double tab configuration, and attached in the appropriate sections of the form under “Activity details”.

The absence of any of the required documents will render the application ineligible.

The submission of a funding application implies a commitment to read and abide by the standards of ethics and integrity, the Open Access Dissemination Policy and the Policy for the Responsible Conduct of Research.

The number of pages required for each document may vary and is specified in the form.

The following documents are required:

5.1. RAMQ CARD (if applicable)

Applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada must provide:

• a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline

OR

• proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline.

In accordance with Section 4.4 of these rules, applicants who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, or do not have either of the two documents listed above, are still eligible for this competition, but must carry out their postdoctoral internship at a Québec university.

5.2. DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH TO THE FORM

Applicants must also attach the following documents in the appropriate sections of the application form:

• Research-creation project description (maximum 3 pages)
  Refer to the evaluation sub-criteria for the research-creation project (see Section 7) to be sure of including all necessary elements.
• Doctoral thesis (maximum 2 pages)

Provide the title, abstract and stage of completion of the doctoral thesis, as well as the link between the thesis topic and the postdoctoral research-creation project. Although not graded, the “doctoral thesis” section can help the evaluation committee to better assess the research-creation project and to modulate its expectations in terms of achievements according to the progress of the doctorate.

• Bibliography (maximum 1 page)
  List the full references of the works used in the description of the project. Links to web pages may be included as bibliographic references where relevant (CGR 3.2).
• Justification of host environment (maximum 2 pages)
  Refer to the evaluation criteria for the host environment to be sure of including all necessary elements. This justification must demonstrate the quality of the integration plan. The benefits of co-supervision must also be demonstrated, if applicable.
• Requested supplement – Production costs (maximum 1 page)
  Justification and relevance of the supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs, if applicable.

5.3. OTHER DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH IN THE “OTHER DOCUMENTS” SECTION OF THE FORM

The following documents, when required or applicable to the situation, must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the application form:

5.3.1 Curriculum vitae (mandatory) 

Applicants must attach a curriculum vitae. Two formats are available for this purpose:

A) CCV and detailed contributions

Applicants must complete the Canadian Common CV – sector “Société et culture” version. Once the CCV has been completed, the applicant must save a copy and combine it with the detailed contributions file into a single PDF document. The CCV and detailed contributions must be up to date as of June 2024.
For more information, see the document Preparing a CCV for the Fonds, with the exception of Section 7, which is not applicable at the postdoctoral level.

Important note: the CCV will no longer be used in postdoctoral scholarship programs as of 2025.

OR

B) FRQ Postdoctoral CV 

The FRQ Postdoctoral CV must be prepared using the following template: Instructions and template for the FRQ Postdoctoral CV.

5.3.2 Letter of invitation from the host environment (mandatory)

An official letter of invitation from the head of an arts centre, cultural outreach agency, cultural magazine, research centre, university department or other organization authorized to supervise the internship confirming that the applicant has been accepted.

NOTE: this letter may be written by the postdoctoral supervisor. In this case, the supervisor’s acceptance form and letter are still required.

5.3.3 Proof of event registration or invitation (if applicable)

Proof of registration or invitation to participate in a workshop, lecture, colloquium, meeting, biennale, festival, symposium or any other relevant event.

If the full realization of the submitted project is dependent on participation in an event, a detailed letter of invitation or agreement with the organization concerned must be included.

If the submitted project is dependent on a partnership, a letter demonstrating the existence of the partnership must be included. This letter can take different forms, ranging from a letter of support from the partner to a formal agreement co-signed by the applicant or team and the partner. It is suggested that the documents submitted for this purpose be concise (a few pages at most) and explicit about the nature of the partnership and the role of the parties involved.

5.4. DOCUMENTS FOR EXCEPTION REQUESTS (IF APPLICABLE)

Applicants seeking an eligibility period exception (see Section 4.2) must provide:

• Justification of request for an eligibility period extension or exemption (maximum 1 page): the applicant must justify the exception request and provide, in the case of a request for extension, the dates and duration of the interruptions. This document must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form and will not be sent to the evaluation committee.
• Supporting documents: documents supporting the exception request (e.g., medical certificate, disability certificate, child’s birth certificate, caregiver tax credit application, official document or letter from employer, etc.) allowing the Fonds to determine the duration of the extension to be granted. These must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form and will not be sent to the evaluation committee. Any supporting document for an exception request submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation.

Applicants seeking an exception regarding the supervising or co-supervising institution (see Sections 4.5 and 4.6) must provide:

• Justification of the exception (maximum 1 page): the applicant must demonstrate having considerable mobility restrictions due to medical reasons, a disability or major family obligations. The applicant must also demonstrate that it is impossible for the postdoctoral internship to be carried out at an institution other than the one that awarded the doctorate, or to be supervised by a person other than the doctoral supervisor. This document must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form. It will not be sent to the evaluation committee.
• Supporting documents: documents supporting the exception request (e.g., medical certificate, disability certificate, child’s birth certificate, caregiver tax credit application, official document or letter from employer, etc.) must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form. They will not be sent to the evaluation committee. Any supporting document for an exception request submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation.

5.5. DOCUMENT REQUIRED FROM THE (CO)SUPERVISOR

The applicant must identify, in the “Host environment” section of the form, the postdoctoral supervisor, and the co-supervisor where applicable. The supervisor and co-supervisor must first create an FRQnet account. An email will then be sent to them, and an electronic Supervisor Acceptance Form will automatically be added to their FRQnet ePortfolio. A PDF version of the form is available in the Toolbox for information purposes.

The postdoctoral supervisor, and co-supervisor where applicable, must complete the electronic Supervisor Acceptance Form and attach a letter of acceptance (max. 2 pages). The form and letter must be completed and submitted before the applicant submits the scholarship application form. If this is not done, the applicant will not be able to submit the form and the application will be inadmissible. It is the applicant’s responsibility to provide the persons concerned with the necessary instructions for creating an FRQnet account and writing the letter, and to ensure that the form’s) and letter(s) are submitted within the prescribed deadline

The Fonds expects the postgraduate supervisor and, where applicable, the co-supervisor, to support the development of the applicant’s future career. The letter of acceptance attached to the form is not a letter of recommendation. It should contain only the following information:

• how the applicant’s research-creation project fits in with the (co)supervisor’s research activities
• the type of supervision offered to the applicant
• how the supervising or co-supervising institution will enrich the applicant’s experiences and broaden the applicant’s area of expertise
• the material resources available to the applicant for carrying out the project.

Once the form and letter have been submitted by each supervisor, no further changes can be made.

At the competition deadline of 4 p.m. on October 17, the status of the application must be “Submitted to the Fonds” and all required documents must be attached to the form.

5.6. ELIGIBILITY NOTICE 

All applications received by the Fonds are assessed for eligibility. Applicants will receive an email notification no later than December following the competition deadline, informing them of the result of the eligibility assessment of their application and, where applicable, its transmission to the evaluation committee. Applications sent to the evaluation committee may nevertheless be declared ineligible at any time.

• RESEARCH-CREATION SUPPORT FOR NEW ACADEMICS (CCZ) application form, available in the FRQnet ePortfolio.
• CREATION PORTFOLIO (see Section 6) – Attention: In the absence of the creation portfolio, the application will be deemed ineligible.
• CANADIAN COMMON CV and its DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS attachment (available in the FRQnet ePortfolio) for the principal investigator. The Common Canadian CV – sector “Société et culture” version – must be updated within 12 months prior to the competition deadline. The Detailed Contributions file specific to grants must be completed in due form and attached in the application in the appropriate section of the ePortfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, you must save it in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the ePortfolio.

Required documents

The following documents must be saved in PDF format without read protection or special double tab configuration and attached in the appropriate sections of the form.

DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH IN THE “ BUDGET” SECTION OF THE FORM

1.      Simplified budget for Research Creation Support for New Academics. The applicant must complete the dynamic PDF file provided in the Toolbox. Once completed, this file must be saved in PDF format (not dynamic) before being attached in the application form. A justification of the budget must also be included in this section. (2 pages max.)

2.      Justification of planned expenditures (max. 1 page)

DOCUMENTS TO ATTACH IN THE “OTHER DOCUMENTS” SECTION OF THE FORM

The following documents, when required or applicable to the situation, must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the application form:

1.      A letter from the appropriate university authorities stating that the applicant qualifies or will qualify for the status of university researcher, remunerated as per Definition i) (CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles) by June 1, 2025. The letter must specify the hiring date, the type of position held, and state that the applicant will be employed by the institution for the duration of the funding, regardless of the type of position held (regular or contract research professor). The employment start and end dates for previously-held tenure-track regular professor or contract research professor positions at other universities must also be listed if applicable. Successful applicants who did not yet have the status of university researcher as per Definition i) of the CGR at the competition closing date will also be required to provide a letter from the appropriate university authorities stating that this eligibility requirement has been met within the required deadline.

2.    In the case of a request for an eligibility period extension, official document or documents attesting to the nature and duration of the leave or the specific situation mentioned. Applicants who wish to extend their eligibility period but prefer, for personal reasons, not to attach one or more confidential documents to their application form may request accommodation. It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the program manager in this regard, sufficiently in advance of the competition deadline to enable a secure transmission process to be put in place. In all cases, these documents are not sent to the evaluation committee.

3.      If the full realization of the submitted project is dependent on participation in an event, a detailed letter of invitation or agreement with the organization concerned must be included.

4.      If the submitted project is dependent on a partnership, a letter demonstrating the existence of the partnership must be included. This letter can take different forms, ranging from a letter of support from the partner to a formal agreement co-signed by the applicant or the team and the partner. It is suggested that the documents submitted for this purpose be concise (a few pages at most) and explicit about the nature of the partnership and the role of the parties involved.

5.      If applicable, proof of registration or invitation to participate in a workshop, lecture, colloquium, meeting, biennial arts festival, festival, symposium or any other event of this type.

• RESEARCH-CREATION SUPPORT PROGRAM – INDIVIDUAL PROJECT (RC1) application form, available in the FRQnet ePortfolio.
• CREATION PORTFOLIO (see Section 6) – Attention: In the absence of the creation portfolio, the application will be deemed ineligible.
• CANADIAN COMMON CV and its DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS attachment (available in the FRQnet ePortfolio) for the principal investigator. The Common Canadian CV – sector “Société et culture” version – must be updated within 12 months prior to the competition deadline. The Detailed Contributions file specific to grants must be completed in due form and attached in the application in the appropriate section of the ePortfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, you must save it in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the ePortfolio.

Required documents

• If the full realization of the submitted project is dependent on participation in an event, a detailed letter of invitation or agreement with the organization concerned must be included.
• If the submitted project is dependent on a partnership, a letter demonstrating the existence of the partnership must be included. This letter can take different forms, ranging from a letter of support from the partner to a formal agreement co-signed by the applicant or the team and the partner. It is suggested that the documents submitted for this purpose be concise (a few pages at most) and explicit about the nature of the partnership and the role of the parties involved.
• If applicable, proof of registration or invitation to participate in a workshop, lecture, colloquium, meeting, biennial arts festival, festival, symposium or any other event of this type.

• RESEARCH-CREATION SUPPORT PROGRAM – TEAM PROJECT (RC2) application form, available in the FRQnet ePortfolio.
• CREATION PORTFOLIO (see Section 6) – Attention: In the absence of the creation portfolio, the application will be deemed ineligible.
• CANADIAN COMMON CV and its DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS attachment (available in the FRQnet ePortfolio) for the principal investigator.
• For co-investigators with statuses 1, 2 and 3 (CGR, Section Status and Roles), the CANADIAN COMMON CV and DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS attachment (available in the FRQnet ePortfolio). The Canadian Common CV and Detailed contributions attachment file are available in the Toolbox section on program page or directly in the “Activity details” box in the FRQnet ePortfolio.

The Common Canadian CV –sector “Société et culture” version – must be updated within 12 months prior to the competition deadline. The Detailed Contributions file specific to grants must be completed in due form and attached in the application in the appropriate section of the ePortfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, you must save it in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the ePortfolio.

Required documents

The following documents must be saved in PDF format, without read protection or special double tab configuration and attached in the “Other documents” section of the FRQnet electronic form:

1.      Co-investigators with Status 4, categories c) Practitioner or d) Artist must provide an abridged CV (max. 2 pages).

2.      Retired co-investigators must provide a letter from the university indicating that prior to retirement the researcher was a regular professor, and that for the term of the grant, the researcher will have access to the facilities and logistical support required to carry out research activities and will continue to train/supervise students, where applicable. An insufficiently documented letter could render the retired researcher ineligible.

3.      If the full realization of the submitted project is dependent on participation in an event, a detailed letter of invitation or agreement with the organization concerned must be included.

4.     If the submitted project is dependent on a partnership, a letter demonstrating the existence of the partnership must be included. This letter can take different forms, ranging from a letter of support from the partner to a formal agreement co-signed by the applicant or the team and the partner. It is suggested that the documents submitted for this purpose be concise (a few pages at most) and explicit about the nature of the partnership and the role of the parties involved.

5.      If applicable, proof of registration or invitation to participate in a workshop, lecture, colloquium, meeting, biennial arts festival, festival, symposium or any other event of this type.

IMPORTANT: College researchers who are identified as co-investigators under the Team Project component do not need to complete a form at the application stage. However, those for whom funding is being requested under the Support for College Researchers (CHZ) program must be identified by the principal investigator in the application form. The following information must be provided for each college-level co-investigator concerned (see Section 8.5):

• The name and home college institution of the person receiving the support for college researchers;
• The role played by the recipient in the project;
• Justification of the use of the funding allocated specifically for the recipient’s involvement in the project.

As a reminder, college research support is only available for researchers with a PhD (see Section 8.5). Further details are available in the Support for College Researchers program rules.

Research-creation project – 50 points

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field, and added value to the applicant’s doctoral work;
• Problematization of the creative or artistic practice, and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives;
• Realism of the time frame, feasibility and relevance of the supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs, if applicable;
• Relevance of the planned dissemination activities.

Host environment – 20 points

• Quality of the plan for integration into the host environment(s) (planned research, creation, teaching and dissemination activities;, development of a network of contacts beyond the supervisor;, proximity to other potential research and creation environments;, access to documentary, material and financial resources;, etc.);
• Quality and suitability of the chosen environment(s) to the project (including supervisors’ and co-supervisors’ letters).

Expertise – 30 points

• Honours (scholarships, awards and distinctions, training);
• Achievements: production/dissemination (compositions, choreographic creations, recordings, environments, exhibitions, installations, works, etc.) and research-creation activities (design or development of creation or interpretation tools, publications, writing of articles, reviews and educational/instructional documents, etc.);
• Relevant experience: professional academic and/or non-academic and/or artistic experience related to the project (e.g. research or teaching assistantships, teaching assignments, internships, employment, volunteer involvement, etc.).

Research-creation project – 70 points

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field, based on the state of knowledge (15 points)
• Problematization of the creative or artistic practice, and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives (15 points)
• Feasibility of the time frame (10 points)
• Relevance of the planned dissemination activities (10 points)
  Measures proposed during the project to allow students to develop original or autonomous research-creation practices (10 points)
• Appropriateness and consistency of the budget with regard to the submitted research-creation project and planned student training (10 points)

Expertise – 30 points

• Quality of research-creation achievements and activities, peer recognition and renown (networking activities, scholarships, communications, student supervision*, exhibitions, organization of conferences or similar events, performances, publications, individual or group works, meetings, residencies or exchanges, shows, grants, symposia, etc.) (20 points)
• Relevance of achievements, research-creation activities, experience (academic or other) and training to the project (10 pts)

*  Depending on the potential for supervision offered by the institution.

Research-creation project – 50 points

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field, based on the state of knowledge* (15 points)
• Problematization of the creative or artistic practice, and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives (15 points)
• Realism of the time frame and budget estimates and feasibility (10 points)
• Relevance of the dissemination plan (10 points)

* In the case where the submitted project is a continuation of previous research funded under this program, the added value of new funding must be shown.

Expertise – 30 points

• Quality of research-creation achievements and activities, peer recognition and renown (networking activities, scholarships, communications, student supervision**, exhibitions, organization of conferences or similar events, performances, publications, individual or group works, meetings, residencies or exchanges, shows, grants, symposia, etc.) (20 points)
• Relevance of achievements, research-creation activities, experience and training to the project (10 points)

** Depending on the potential for supervision offered by the institution.

Research-creation training – 20 points

• Educational value of the activities offered to research-creation students*** and diversity of the tasks and responsibilities planned for that purpose during the project (workshops, symposia, concerts, conferences, exchanges, radio broadcasts, exhibitions, festivals, rencontres, shows, etc.) (10 points)
• Measures proposed during the project to allow students to develop original or autonomous research-creation practices (10 points)

*** Beyond what is normally provided by the program of study.

Research-creation project – 50 points

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field, based on the state of knowledge* (15 points)
• Problematization of the creative or artistic practice, and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives (15 points)
• Realism of the time frame and budget estimates and feasibility (10 points)
• Relevance of the dissemination plan (10 points)
  * In the case where the submitted project is a continuation of previous research funded under this program, the added value of new funding must be shown.

Expertise of team members and relevance of the group – 30 points

• Quality of team members’ research-creation achievements and activities, peer recognition and renown (networking activities, scholarships, communications, student supervision**, exhibitions, organization of conferences or similar events, performances, publications, individual or group works, meetings, residencies or exchanges, shows, grants, symposia, etc.) (10 points)
• Alignment of group member’s expertise; complementarity and balance of skills (10 points)
• Efficacy of planned coordination and collaboration methods and leadership ability of the principal investigator (10 points)

** Depending on the potential for supervision offered by the institution.

Research-creation training – 20 points

• Educational value of the activities offered to research-creation students*** and diversity of the tasks and responsibilities planned for that purpose during the project (workshops, symposia, concerts, conferences, exchanges, radio broadcasts, exhibitions, festivals, rencontres, shows, etc.) (10 points)
• Measures proposed during the project to allow students to develop original or autonomous research-creation practices (10 points)

*** Beyond what is normally provided by the program of study.

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

Its duration is a minimum of 6 months and a maximum of 24 months, for a total of $90,000. Recipients of a FRQSC postdoctoral scholarship are eligible to apply for an extension of funding for an additional year through the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship – Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B5R) program. See the terms and conditions of this program in Section 9.11 of these rules.

The scholarship must begin between May 1 of the year of the offer and March 1 of the following year.

8.1 Supplement for host environment outside Québec

A supplement of $10,000 per year will be granted if the host environment and, should the scholarship be awarded, the awardee’s  place of residence, are located outside Québec (see Section 4.4 for conditions governing the use of the scholarship outside Québec).

In the case of a co-supervising institution outside Québec, the annual supplement is conditional on the awardee spending a minimum of 180 days per year at the co-supervising institution.

Awardees who are eligible for this supplement are also entitled to reimbursement of certain travel expenses (see Section 9.7).

8.2 Supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs

The Fonds 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 justification of the expenses with the application form. The supplement may also cover costs related to the dissemination and promotion of the research and/or creation also upon justification in the application form.

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 already reimbursed by another organization are not eligible.

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.

8.3 Partnership scholarships

The scholarship may be offered in partnership. For this, applicants must select, in the Partnerships section of the application form, one or more partners whose research areas are in line with their research theme. They must also ensure that they meet the conditions set out in the partner description, where applicable. If the scholarship is awarded, the Fonds sends the selected partners the information needed to assess the relevance of the partnership to their strategic and research priorities (project title, abstract, areas of research). If the applicant’s research project is deemed relevant by one or more partners, the scholarship will be offered in partnership.

The maximum value of the grant is $15,000/year, including expenditures for the equipment necessary to carry out the proposed research, but excluding indirect costs of research (FIR). FIR will be paid to the grant’s managing institution on top of the grant.

The funding must be used to cover current expenses directly related to the production and dissemination of the results of the research-creation project.

All expenses listed in the CGR (Section 8) are eligible with the following exceptions:

• Expenses arising from the promotion or commercialization of artistic works;
• The costs of publishing artistic works (literary, musical, etc.).

The funding is awarded annually for the period from April 1 to March 31 for up to three years and is not renewable.

The maximum value of the grant is $50,000 per year, up to a total of $150,000 for 36 months. This funding is complementary to other sources of research funding (e.g. grants, contracts, sponsorships and other funds available for research).

The funding must be used to cover current expenses directly related to the production and dissemination of the results of the research-creation project.

All budget items listed in the CGR (Section 8) are eligible with the following exceptions:

• Expenses arising from the promotion or commercialization of artistic works;
• The costs of publishing artistic works (literary, musical, etc.).

The funding is awarded annually for the period from April 1st to March 31st for up to three years and is not renewable.

8.4 Supplements

Each of the following supplements, when presented in the budget, must be justified in a document attached to the application form.

Supplement requests are assessed qualitatively by the evaluation committee during the application evaluation process. The committee makes a positive or negative recommendation for supplemental funding and, if positive, also recommends the amount to be awarded, which may be less than the amount requested.

Equipment supplement

A supplement of up to $30,000 to be paid out in the first year of funding* may be awarded for the acquisition (purchase or rental) of equipment. Other expenses related to equipment acquired through this supplement may also be eligible; these are listed in the CGR (Sections 8.6 and 8.8).

Applications for the equipment supplement are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The relevance of the equipment to the research-creation activities;
• The availability of similar equipment at the university or in other institutions in the area;
• The importance of the equipment for the researcher-creator’s institution;
• Anticipated equipment use time.

* The amount requested for the equipment supplement must be entered in the first year of the budget on the form, even if its use is planned over three years.

Supplement for knowledge mobilization

Additional funding of up to $7,000 per year may be granted under the Individual Project or Team Project component to support transfer initiatives (e.g. dissemination activities, exchanges and knowledge-sharing between researchers and users, etc.). Requests for the supplement for transfer support are evaluated according to the justification for transfer support in relation to expressed needs.

The maximum value of the grant is $50,000 per year, up to a total of $150,000 for 36 months. This funding is complementary to other sources of research funding (e.g. grants, contracts, sponsorships and other funds available for research).

The funding must be used to cover current expenses directly related to the production and dissemination of the results of the research-creation project.

All budget items listed in the CGR (Section 8) are eligible with the following exceptions:

• Expenses arising from the promotion or commercialization of artistic works;
• The costs of publishing artistic works (literary, musical, etc.).

The funding is awarded annually for the period from April 1 to March 31 for up to three years and is not renewable.

8.5 Supplements

Each of the following supplements, when presented in the budget, must be justified in a document attached to the application form.

Supplement requests are assessed qualitatively by the peer committee during the application evaluation process. The committee makes a positive or negative recommendation for supplemental funding and, if positive, also recommends the amount to be awarded, which may be less than the amount requested.

Equipment supplement

A supplement of up to $30,000 to be paid out in the first year of funding* may be awarded for the acquisition (purchase or rental) of equipment. Other expenses related to equipment acquired through this supplement may also be eligible; these are listed in the CGR (Sections 8.6 and 8.8).

Applications for the equipment supplement are evaluated according to the following criteria:

• The relevance of the equipment to the research-creation activities;
• The availability of similar equipment at the university or in other institutions in the area;
• The importance of the equipment for the researcher-creator’s institution;
• Anticipated equipment use time.

* The amount requested for the equipment supplement must be entered in the first year of the budget on the form, even if its use is planned over three years.

Supplement for knowledge mobilization

Additional funding of up to $7,000 per year may be granted under the Individual Project or Team Project component to support transfer initiatives (e.g. dissemination activities, exchanges and knowledge-sharing between researchers and users, etc.). Requests for the supplement for transfer support are evaluated according to the justification for transfer support in relation to expressed needs.

Supplements for college researchers

Additional funding may also be granted for each college researcher with Status 3 of the CGR who holds a PhD and acts as co-investigator on a funded team. This supplement is intended to defray part of the costs associated with their participation in the project.

Subject to the availability of the necessary funding, this annual supplement of $25,000 may be used, at the discretion of the college-level co-investigator, for a release of teaching duties or for any expenses eligible under the CGR, Section 8.

This supplement may be accumulated across multiple programs up to a maximum of $50,000 in a single fiscal year. In accordance with Section 6.10 of the CGR, any balance remaining at the end of one funding year may be carried over to the following year, to a maximum of $50,000.

To be authorized by the Fonds, this supplement, unlike other optional funding, must be requested and justified in the College Support section of the FRQnet application form. Otherwise, it cannot be claimed or paid out during the funding period. If awarded, this supplement is paid directly to the college researcher’s managing institution.

Finally, a portion of the grant may be used for salary support for Status 3 co-investigators without teaching duties. This amount, which is left to the discretion of the principal investigator, must be included in the budget. In the case of a researcher working in a college centre for technology transfer (CCTT), the amount may be transferred by the principal investigator’s institution directly to the college institution with which the CCTT is affiliated. This amount is subject to approval by the evaluation committee.

Supplement for Principal Investigator

A release of teaching duties is authorized for the principal investigator for the purpose of carrying out research or coordination activities relevant to the submitted team project. It must be requested in the submitted budget and is subject to approval by the evaluation committee. If not included in the budget, it cannot be requested during the funding period.

Interregional supplement*

This supplement of up to $10,000 per year ($2,500 per university considered in the calculation, excluding the managing institution) is intended to defray distance-related expenses (travel and living expenses, videoconferencing, etc.) between regular team members including students involved in the team’s work. To qualify as interregional, a team must include co-investigators working in different universities than that of the principal investigator and located in distinct administrative regions, as defined by the Government of Québec. Requests for the supplement for interregional teams are evaluated according to the justification for interregional team support in relation to expressed needs.

* The Fonds reserves the right to analyze the geographic distribution of the co-investigators before awarding this optional funding.

9.1 Rules for using the postdoctoral scholarship

Competition results are announced at the end of April. In accordance with Section 5.2 of the CGR, applicants who are offered funding are required to indicate their acceptance or refusal within 30 days after the notice is posted to their FRQnet ePortfolio. Once a funding offer has been refused by the applicant it cannot be reactivated.

To retain the scholarship, awardees must meet all eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application. In addition, the following conditions must be met throughout the funding period:

• Be engaged in the postdoctoral project on a full-time basis, subject to the rules governing paid employment and internships described in Section 9.3.2
• Comply with the rules pertaining to concurrent funding described in Section 9.3.1.

Awardees must notify the Fonds as soon as one of these conditions is no longer met and of any change in their situation that could affect compliance with the conditions of the scholarship. Failure to meet these conditions (or failure to inform the Fonds of such a change) may result in the cancellation of the scholarship and the obligation to reimburse the sums received.

9.2 Part-time postdoctoral internship

A part-time postdoctoral internship is permitted only in the cases listed below, on the condition that the postdoctoral supervisor authorizes it and on presentation of supporting documents:

Family obligations or medical condition: family obligations (e.g., family caregiver, primary caregiver for a young child) or a medical condition that prevents the awardee from pursuing the postdoctoral project on a full-time basis. During part-time periods, awardees may receive 50% of the value of the scholarship payments.

Diasbility: handicap 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 (CQLR, c. E-20.1) that prevents the awardee from pursuing the postdoctoral project on a full-time basis. The awardee may receive full scholarship payments.

In both cases, the total value of the scholarship is not affected.

9.3 Rules for concurrent funding

9.3.1 Concurrent awards

The following table details the rules for concurrent awards.

*Partial concurrent funding with a scholarship from a federal granting agency

Partial concurrent funding with a scholarship from a federal granting agency is possible when the Fonds scholarship is of a higher annual value or longer duration than the scholarship from the federal agency. In such cases, the awardee must accept the federal scholarship. However, the awardee may also accept the Fonds scholarship to take advantage of additional benefits that are not covered by the federal scholarship, as applicable:

• When the annual value of the Fonds scholarship is higher than that of the other scholarship, the amount will be adjusted to make up for the shortfall.
• When the duration of the Fonds scholarship is longer than that of the other scholarship, the Fonds will extend the term of the scholarship to make up for the shortfall when the other scholarship ends, unless the total value of the other scholarship is equal to or higher than the total value of the Fonds scholarship.
• If the requirements governing the start date of the federal scholarship do not allow the first instalment to be paid as soon as the thesis is submitted, the awardee may receive one instalment of the Fonds scholarship while waiting to meet the conditions for obtaining the first instalment of the federal scholarship. However, the federal scholarship cannot be delayed in order to benefit from this first payment from the Fonds.
  All the financial benefits associated with the Fonds scholarship will also be available to the awardee.

It is not possible to defer a payment or the start of a scholarship in order to receive another scholarship with which concurrent funding is prohibited.

Awardees who receive payments in a situation in which concurrent funding is prohibited will be required to reimburse the sums paid.

9.3.2 Paid employment and internships

Paid employment or internships undertaken alongside the postdoctoral internship and that do not interfere with research activities are permitted, without time restrictions, provided they are approved by the postdoctoral supervisor.

In addition, awardees may be paid a salary by their postdoctoral supervisor or co-supervisor to work on the research-creation project funded by the Fonds while holding the scholarship. Excellence awards paid by the Fonds do not constitute a salary.

9.4 Payments and management

9.4.1 Payment schedule

The annual scholarship amount is paid to the awardee in three instalments. Each instalment covers a four-month period.

The first payment must be claimed between May 1 of the year of the offer and March 1 of the following year, failing which the scholarship will be immediately cancelled (see Section 9.4.3).

Within this period, the postdoctoral internship may begin at any time. The payment schedule allows payments to be made on the 15th or 30th of each month, with the exception of July 30 and December 30. A detailed schedule of payments, including the periods for claiming them, can be found in the scholarship user guide. Once the scholarship has been awarded, awardees will be able to consult the payment schedule in their FRQnet ePortfolio.

9.4.2 Payment conditions

Awardees must comply with all the conditions associated with their payments. In particular, they must make their initial doctoral thesis submission before claiming the first payment and must meet all requirements for obtaining the doctoral degree before claiming the third payment. All payment conditions are described in the scholarship user guide and in the FRQnet ePortfolio.

In addition, the postdoctoral supervisor must provide an attendance certificate each year. A PDF version of this document is available in the Toolbox.

9.4.3 Cancellation of a payment or scholarship

The first scholarship payment must be claimed no later than March 1 following the year in which it is awarded, failing which the scholarship will be immediately cancelled. Starting with the second payment, a payment will be cancelled, after prior notice, if it is not claimed or deferred or if required documents are not received within two months of the scheduled date of the payment concerned.

The Fonds will cancel a scholarship, after prior notice, if the awardee has not taken any action in the FRQnet ePortfolio for two consecutive payment periods.

The Fonds will cancel a scholarship, after prior notice, if two consecutive payments must be cancelled due to non-compliance with the eligibility requirements or failure to submit required documents in the two months following the start of the periods concerned.

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

9.5 Deferral of payments

9.5.1 Gaining relevant experience

The Fonds may authorize the suspension of the postdoctoral internship for the acquisition of relevant experience (experience within a research team, teaching experience related to the field of research, language stay, etc.), for a period of four months for each full year of funding granted. The scholarship payment for this period is then deferred until the end of the funding period. The Fonds reserves the right to deny any request that is insufficiently justified or inappropriate.

The deferral periods authorized for the entire duration of the postdoctoral scholarship may be taken consecutively if this is approved by the supervisor.

Awardees cannot use this provision for their first payment, to accept another scholarship with which concurrent funding is prohibited, or to accept paid employment.

9.5.2 Sick leave or family obligations

In accordance with Section 6.14 of the CGR, awardees may obtain a deferment of payment if their postdoctoral internship is suspended due to illness or family obligations, for as long as the university permits.

9.5.3 Parental leave

In accordance with Section 6.13 of the CGR, awardees may obtain a deferment of payment for the birth or adoption of a child for a maximum period of 12 months.

9.6 Scholarship supplement for parental leave

In accordance with Section 6.13 of the CGR, during the authorized suspension of the postdoctoral internship for parental leave (see Section 9.5.3), awardees may apply for a scholarship supplement for a continuous period of eight months (i.e., for a maximum of two payments).

To be eligible for this supplement, awardees must have already received their first scholarship payment and have suspended their postdoctoral internship. In addition, the awardee must not hold paid employment for the duration of the leave.

In the case of partial concurrent funding with an award received from a federal agency, the awardee must take the parental leave allowance offered by the federal program.

9.7 Reimbursement of travel expenses

Awardees who are eligible for the $10,000 supplement for a host environment outside Québec (see Section 8.1) are also entitled to reimbursement of the following travel expenses, provided that they are not already reimbursed by another organization:

• travel expenses for the applicant for one round trip between Québec and the supervising or co-supervising institution outside Québec at the beginning and end of the postdoctoral internship
• travel expenses for the applicant’s spouse and children, for the same round trip.

The Fonds will reimburse the cost of one additional round trip if the awardee’s thesis defense takes place during the postdoctoral internship.

9.7.1 Air travel

The Fonds will purchase airline tickets for the awardee as well as the awardee’s spouse and children.

If the airline tickets were purchased prior to the award, the maximum reimbursement amount is equivalent to the price of a round-trip economy ticket. The awardee is responsible for providing proof that the airline tickets purchased correspond to the average price of a round-trip economy ticket.

9.7.2 Road or train travel

Awardees who travel by car receive a per-kilometre allowance, up to the cost of a one-way economy airfare.

Awardees who travel by bus or train, in economy class, are entitled to reimbursement of the cost of their ticket.

9.7.3 Non-eligible expenses

The following expenses are not reimbursed by the Fonds:

• Airline tickets purchased directly by the awardee after the scholarship is awarded
• Moving costs for personal effects
• Transportation of research materials
• Any additional baggage fees imposed by airlines
• Vehicle rental
• Parking fees
• Urban public transportation/commuter train fees
• Taxi fare
• Meals and accommodation

9.8 Request for changes during the funding period

Any change in the awardee’s situation must be communicated to the Fonds. In accordance with Section 6.5 of the CGR, 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 may also require that the awardee reimburse the sums paid.

The decision to accept or refuse the requested changes is sent by email.

9.8.1 Change in scholarship duration or start date 

The duration of funding is based on the information provided in the application form.

If a change in the start date of the internship is required, the awardee must request this before the first payment is made. It is strongly recommended that the change be requested at the time of accepting the scholarship. Increases in the duration of funding are not permitted.

9.8.2 Change in host environment

The new host environment must comply with the relevant program rules (see Section 4.5). The awardee must justify the suitability of the new host environment and demonstrate that this choice is equivalent to the initial proposal.

The Fonds will take into account the evaluation criteria used to assess the initial choice of host environment when analysing the request.

9.8.3 Change in supervisor

The new supervisor must comply with the relevant program rules (see Section 4.6). The awardee must justify the relevance of the new supervisor’s expertise and demonstrate that this choice is equivalent to the initial proposal.

The new supervisor must also attach a letter of acceptance. The Fonds will take into account the evaluation criteria used to assess the initial choice of supervisor when analysing the request.

9.8.4 Addition of a co-supervising institution

The addition of a co-supervising institution and a co-supervisor must comply with the relevant program rules (see Sections 4.5 and 4.6). The awardee must justify the added value of this co-supervising institution.

The co-supervisor must also attach a letter of acceptance.

9.8.5 Change in research-creation project

To change research-creation project, the awardee must:

• demonstrate that the new project remains in the same field of research, i.e., that it would be evaluated by the same evaluation committee as the one that evaluated the initial project
• demonstrate that the new project is of the same scientific quality as the initial project.

It must also be indicated whether the awardee intends to stay with the same research supervisor, at the same host environment and in the same department.

In addition, the project supervisor must agree to and justify the proposed change.

The Fonds will take into account the evaluation criteria used to assess the initial project when analysing the request.

9.8.6 Withdrawal or part-time postdoctoral internship

An awardee who withdraws from the postdoctoral internship during the course of funding, or who decides to pursue it on a part-time basis, with the exception of the cases described in Sections 9.2, is no longer eligible for the scholarship and must notify the Fonds to terminate it. The awardee may be required to reimburse the last payment received.

9.9 Final report

In accordance with Section 7.2 of the CGR, a final report is required three months after the last payment. The final report allows the Fonds to document the impact of the scholarship and the value of the postdoctoral internship. Future funding under a different program is contingent upon receipt of this final report.

9.10 Converting the scholarship into a start-up grant

Part of the postdoctoral scholarship (up to $15,000) can be used as a start-up grant by an awardee who is offered a position as a regular professor in a Québec university. The awardee must have completed a full year (12 months) of funding under the postdoctoral scholarship or received 3 full scholarship payments before requesting conversion of the scholarship. The effective date of the start-up grant is the awardee’s employment start date.

A copy of the letter of employment must be sent to the Fonds via the awardee’s FRQnet ePortfolio.  It is not necessary to provide salary information.

The rules for the use of the start-up grant are the same as those for the New Academics component. Awardees who benefit from this conversion remain eligible to apply for this support program

A recipient of a postdoctoral award from a federal granting agency who also received and accepted a funding offer from the FRQSC under this program may benefit from this conversion, if applicable.

9.11 Funding extension

Recipients of a scholarship under this competition may apply for an extension of funding for an additional year through the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship – Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B5R) program.

During the second year of the scholarship, a plan for the mobilization of knowledge stemming from the postdoctoral research can be submitted to the Fonds via a funding competition. The plan will be subject to evaluation. This funding extension may only be requested once.

It is the responsibility of the research-creation postdoctoral scholarship (B5) recipient to consult the rules of the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowoship – Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B5R) program to obtain all the necessary information to apply for the extension. These rules are available on the Fonds website and are updated every fiscal year.