Research-creation support program (RC), Fall 2018 (2019-2020)

1. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following do not qualify for this program:

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

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

2. COMPONENTS

The purpose of the team component is 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;
• Increase Québec’s research-creation capacity by facilitating interdisciplinary and intersectoral collaboration.

The person in charge of the team project application (Principal Investigator) must be known to work in research-creation.

2.2 Individual Project component

The purpose of the individual component is to support researcher- creators working individually, while encouraging them to train a new generation in their field.

3. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

3.1 Eligibility of the principal investigator

With this program, the Fonds is targeting creators and artists working as university research professors who are able to present both a portfolio of productions resulting from an artistic or creative practice and a body of  theoretical contributions.

The person in charge of the application (Individual or Team component) must have the status of University Researcher (CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles), be recognized for his/her work in research-creation and meet all eligibility requirements set out in the CGR.

3.2 Team configuration

To be eligible, a team must include, in addition to the person in charge of the application, one or more co-investigators with any of the statuses applicable to grants (CGR):

• University researcher;
• Clinical university researcher;
• College researcher;
• Other researcher, practitioner or artist.

At least 50% of the co-investigators must have one of the first three statuses applicable to grants:

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

In addition to co-investigators, a team may include collaborators with any of the statuses applicable to grants (see the CGR, Section “Definitions – Status and Roles).

Teams that do not meet these criteria are ineligible.

The activities of the research-creation project – carried out by an individual or a group – must include undergraduate, master’s and/or PhD student training

3.3 Participation in more than one research-creation project

No individual can be the Principal Investigator for more than one funding application (Individual component or Team component). However, it is possible to be part of more than one funding applications as follows:

as Principal Investigator under the “Individual component” and co- researcher in one or more teams under the “Team component”.

OR

as Principal Investigator under the “Team component” and co- researcher in one or more teams under the “Team 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.

4. APPLICATION

A complete application package consists of:

• Required e-forms, available in the E-portfolio;
• Required electronic attachments;
• Upload the Artist’s portfolio on the FRQSC’s cloud.

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

4.1 E-forms

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

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

Any documents that are not required and which are included with the application will not be submitted to the evaluation committee.

The following e-forms and documents must be transmitted before the competition deadline of October 12, 2018, 4:00 pm.

• the Research-creation support program e-form;
• the Common Canadian CV and Detailed Contributions attachment. The applicant’s Common Canadian CV and “Detailed contributions” attachment file, which are available in the Toolbox section on the fellowship program page or directly in the “Activity details” box in the E-portfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, you must save it in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the E-portfolio;

Only the official “Research-creation support” form, the Common Canadian CV and the other required documents will be accepted.

4.2 Required documents to be submitted electronically

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

The following documents are required and must be transmitted from the ”Autres documents” section :

1. If applicable, a letter from the relevant university authorities attesting to the formal agreement with the retired co-researcher.
2. If applicable, copy of the abridged cv.
3. 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.
4. Description of the achievements of the researcher-creator (individual configuration) or all co-investigators (team configuration) presented in the artist’s portfolio linking each one to the research-creation project (mandatory).

4.3 Artist’s Portfolio

A portfolio of artistic achievements that illustrates the applicants’ artistic accomplishments as they pertain to the proposed project (may include a press kit). The portfolio should include a table of contents for quick reference.

The digitalized portfolio must be sent to the FRQSC’s cloud : https://cloud.frq.gouv.qc.ca/u/d/6ea73ef68b9f4120a818/.

The digital file must be identified as follows : NAME OF APPLICANT – APPLICATION NUMBER.

Candidates are requested to send their accompanying documents only once in their final version. In case of duplicate transmission resulting from a manipulation error, the most recent version will be considered for the evaluation. The digital file must be smaller than 9,8 GB.

The portfolio will be kept by the Fonds for 90 days after the date on the letter announcing the results, after which the Fonds will dispose of it.

If the portfolio cannot be transmitted in digital form, it must be mailed in triplicate to the following address:

• Programme Appui à la Recherche-création
• Fonds de recherche – Société et culture
• 140 Grande Allée Est, Suite 470
• Québec (Québec) G1R 5M8

The Canada Post postmark or the dated stamp of a messenger service will be considered proof of delivery before the deadline, October 12, 2018.

The Fonds is not responsible for any loss or damage of any nature to the portfolio. It will only be returned to the applicant if it was sent along with a preaddressed stamped envelope or box. Otherwise, the portfolio will be kept by the Fonds for 90 days after the date on the letter announcing the results, after which the Fonds will dispose of it.

All applications received by the Fonds are assessed for eligibility. A notice will be sent via e-mail no later than December following the competition deadline, informing the applicant of the status of his/her application and, where applicable, its transmission to the evaluation committee.

Applicants whose application package is deemed incomplete or invalid will be notified by e-mail that their application has not been transmitted to the evaluation committee.

5. EVALUATION

As indicated in Section 4 of the CGR, the Fonds receives applications for financial assistance, checks their eligibility and submits them for scientific evaluation by multidisciplinary committees whose members are recognized for their expertise in the artistic disciplines and practices in question. The committee is primarily composed of researcher- creators working in a university setting but in different disciplines. The research-creation proposal must therefore be written in such a way as to be easily understandable. The committee may also include resource persons, university researchers or professional artists known for their expertise, skills and specific knowledge in the field. These committees may need to consult outside experts directly related to the application. Evaluation committee members and experts may be from Québec, Canada or elsewhere.

The research-creation project description must be written in such a way as to be easily understandable in a multidisciplinary context. The conditions governing funding decisions are described in article 4.5 of the CGR.

Applicants are advised to consult the Scores and Ratings Grid for Evaluation Committees and to attach equal importance to both the evaluation criteria and their associated indicators.

To be recommended for funding under either program component, an overall grade of 70% is required. Furthermore, a minimum of 70% is required for the ‘Research-creation project’ criterion.

5.1 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting for team component

The grant applications are evaluated according to the following criteria and weighting:

Research-creation project (50 points)

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field (15 points)
• Clarity of the problematization and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives (15 points)
• Soundness of the time frame and budget estimates and feasibility (10 points)
• Relevance of the dissemination plan (10 points)

Expertise of team members and relevance of the grouping (30 points)

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

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

Research-creation training (20 points)

• Diversity of the activities proposed for the research-creation training** of students and of the tasks and responsibilities planned for that purpose during the project (biennials, concerts, conferences, exchanges, exhibitions, festivals, meetings, performances, radio broadcasts, seminars, workshops, etc.) (10 points)
• Measures proposed during the project to allow students to develop their own research-creation practices (10 points)

** Beyond what is normally provided by the study program

5.2 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting for individual component

Research-creation project – 50 points

• Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field (15 points)
• Clarity of the problematization and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives (15 points)
• Soundness of the time frame and budget estimates and feasibility (10 points)
• Relevance of the dissemination plan (10 points)

Expertise – 30 points

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

• Diversity of the activities proposed for the research-creation training** of students and of the tasks and responsibilities planned for that purpose during the project (biennials, concerts, conferences, exchanges, exhibitions, festivals, meetings, performances, radio broadcasts, seminars, workshops, etc.) (10 points)
• Measures proposed during the project to allow students to develop their own research-creation practices (10 points)

** Beyond what is normally provided by the study program

6. GRANTING AND CONDITIONS

For further information on awards and conditions, refer to section 5 of the CGR.

7. DESCRIPTION AND NATURE OF THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

7.1 Operating grant

The financial support is an operating grant of up to $60,000 per year, for a maximum of $150,000 for 36 months. The grant is complementary to other sources of research funding (e.g. grants, contracts, sponsorships and other funds available for research).

The grant must be used to cover the expenses directly incurred through research and results dissemination activities as part of the research- creation program.

All budget items listed in the CGR (Section 8) are covered. However, the following restrictions apply:

• The awarding of scholarships or scholarship supplements;
• Expenses arising from the promotion or marketing of artistic works;
• Self-publishing costs.

7.2 Supplements

Each of these supplements, when presented in the budget, must be justified in an attachment in the e-form.

• College researchers*: $7,000 per year for each member of a funded team with college researcher status. This supplement is intended to cover part of their research expenses. It is paid out to the researcher’s institution on the condition that he/she takes part in the team’s research activities, regardless of whether he/she obtains a release from his/her teaching duties.

*Subject to budget availability for the Program to release college researchers from their teaching duties. College researchers are invited to contact the program officer to verify funding availability before submitting their application.

• Interregional teams: $3,000 to $10,000 per year per interregional team. This supplement 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 project leader and located in distinct administrative regions, as defined by the Government of Québec. Applications for the supplement for interregional teams are evaluated according to the justification for interregional team support in relation to expressed needs. Maximum $3,000 per university, excluding the managing institution, for a total of $10,000.
• Supplement for transfer support: 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.). Applications for the supplement for transfer support are evaluated according to the justification for transfer support in relation to expressed needs.
• Equipment supplement: A supplement of up to $30,000 to be paid out in the first year of funding may be awarded under the Individual or Team component 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 Sections 8.6 and 8.8 of the CGR.

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 to the researcher-creator’s institution;
• Equipment use time.

With the exception of the supplement for college researchers, 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 that requested.

8. TERM OF THE GRANT

Grants are awarded annually for the period from April 1 to March 31 for up to three years.

9. EFFECTIVE DATE

These rules apply to the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

Technical assistance

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Phone: 418 646-3669

Toll free: 1 866 621-7084

centre.assistance.sc@frq.gouv.qc.ca Priority will be given to e-mail enquiries. UPDATED June 2018