Research Support for New Academics (FRQNT)

1. Objectives

The Research Support for New Academics program in natural sciences, mathematics and engineering has the following objectives:

• Contribute to fostering a new generation of researchers within the university research and teaching community by assisting new researchers who have just launched their academic career to become established as independent researchers and become competitive nationally and internationally;
• Strengthen the research system by encouraging new researchers to develop original avenues of research;
• Foster the mobilization of technological and scientific knowledge to user communities and the general public;
• Encourage university students to do research.

2. Characteristics

The grant is for a maximum of two years and:

• A maximum of $30,000 per year for new researchers from institutions located within the metropolitan communities of Montréal and Québec (NCM);
• A maximum of $40,000 per year for new researchers from institutions in the regions, i.e., those located outside the metropolitan communities of Montréal and Québec (NCR).

This grant is not renewable.

Indirect costs of research (FIR) of 27% are paid to the managing institution in addition to these amounts.

The Research Support for New Academics program is part of a continuum of funding and career advancement within a portfolio of three FRQNT programs:

• Research Support for New Academics
• NOVA
• Team Research Project

Each of the three programs has eligibility requirements related to the career stage of the principal investigator (PI) of the application. Please refer to the diagram below to verify that the Research Support for New Academics program applies to your situation.

3. Eligibility

The principal investigator (PI) must meet the eligibility requirements as per the program rules and the CGR in effect at the time of submitting the funding application and throughout the funding period covered by the grant. A PI who does not meet, or no longer meets, the eligibility requirements set out below is not, or is no longer, eligible. Applications that do not comply with the program rules or do not contain the information needed to determine eligibility or to be evaluated will be deemed ineligible.

As this program is highly competitive, it is in the applicants’ best interest to apply at the appropriate time in their career.

To be eligible, the PI must have Status 1 as defined in the CGR and meet the following conditions:

• The PI has occupied this position for less than 3 years, i.e. as of September 2, 2019 or later. An applicant who will occupy such a position no later than September 2, 2023 is also eligible.
• Similar positions held outside Québec must be included in this 3-year eligibility period.
• A contracted researcher (“chercheur ou chercheuse sous octroi”) must occupy a position or have received a firm offer of appointment to a position with an annually renewable contract in a Québec university. The appointment must have been ratified by the person or the authority responsible for approval of university appointments (or their representatives) in accordance with the constitution of the university concerned. The position held must allow the contracted professor to perform research without any supervision from another researcher and to individually supervise undergraduate or graduate students or postdoctoral fellows.
• A PI who has interrupted or delayed his/her career for parental leave, major family obligations, a disability or serious health reasons may be granted an eligibility period extension after assessment of the supporting documents provided. These documents must be sent to the program administrator before the competition deadline in order to determine the duration of the extension.
• The PI has obtained his/her doctorate or PhD or successfully defended his/her doctoral dissertation at the competition deadline, i.e. no later than September 14, 2022.
• The PI benefits from a teaching release of at least 25% in order to carry out the research project for the duration of the grant, i.e. from April 2023 to March 31, 2025. The managing institution must provide a letter of confirmation. This condition cannot be met retroactively.

The PI may submit a maximum of two funding applications during their eligibility period.

The following are not eligible for this program:

• A PI whose work is in a field that is not covered by the mission and research fields of the Fonds de recherche du Québec — Nature et technologies (FRQNT);
• A PI who is applying for, or has been or is currently funded under, one of the following programs:
  • Research Support for New Academics and Research-Creation Support for New Academics (Fonds de recherche du Québec — Société et culture (FRQSC));
  • Research Support for New Academics program (Fonds de recherche du Québec — Nature et technologies (FRQNT));
  • Research Scholars, Junior 1 program (Fonds de recherche du Québec — Santé (FRQS)).

A notice of the application’s transmission for evaluation or of its non-eligibility will be sent to the PI by email in November. 

4. Application

Applicants will not be notified of any element missing from their application. Any documents received after the application deadline will not be considered and applications cannot be updated. Pages that exceed the maximum page limit will be removed. These rules will be strictly applied. An incomplete application will be deemed ineligible. See Section 3 of the CRG for instructions on completing and submitting an application. For applications written in English, the title and summary must be provided in both French and English.

NCM-Metropolitan Community and NCR-Region forms

Two forms are available corresponding to the geographic location of your university’s head office:

NCM form: Universities located in the metropolitan communities of Montréal (MMC) and Québec (QMC).

NCR form: Universities in the rest of Québec (outside the MMC and QMC).

A complete application includes the following documents:

The funding application form (FRQnet Electronic Portfolio) including the following sections:

• Selection of the multidisciplinary evaluation committee: Select the multidisciplinary evaluation committee best suited to the research topic of your proposal. Please consult the list in the program Toolbox with descriptions of the different research areas covered by each committee.

The FRQNT scientific council will confirm the allocation of applications to the different committees, as well as compliance with eligibility requirements.

• Description of the research project (maximum 7 pages): Attach a document describing the project proposal (including figures and tables).
• Bibliography (maximum 1 page): Attach the references related to the project proposal description.
• Consideration of equity, diversity and inclusion (500 words): Refer to evaluation criterion 3 for details on what this section should contain.
• Justification of planned expenditures (maximum 1 page): Complete list of eligible expenses (Section 8 of the CGR and Section 6 of the program rules).
• Description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant (maximum 2 pages) (if applicable).

This complement to the grant covers requests for equipment whose total cost exceeds $7,000. The equipment grant must be spent during the first year of the research project.

Equipment that requires an assembly of modules or accessories in order to be functional may be accepted. The relevance of the assembly must be clearly indicated in the application (diagram, etc.).

This justification will be evaluated under the Methodology criterion.

Be sure to clearly explain the following:

a) The relevance of the requested equipment for the successful completion of the research project;

b) Lack of overlap between this equipment request and all other sources of funding already obtained by the applicant since taking up his or her position (CFI or NSERC equipment grant, etc.);

c) The availability (physical or usage) of similar equipment in the PI’s institution or in the region;

d) The structuring impact of the equipment for the sustainability of the laboratory and the training plan for users;

e) The possibility of repairing or refurbishing existing equipment (if applicable);

f) The possibility of using computing or genomics platforms (if applicable);

g) Risk management plan if the equipment is not funded.

For each of the following categories, a description and appropriate supporting documents are also required:

$7,001 to $25,000: No quote required.

$25,001 to $50,000:

When the cost of a single piece of equipment exceeds $25,000 (including taxes, in Canadian dollars), two quotes from suppliers must be provided in the appropriate section (20 pages).

Exceptionally, a single quote may be accepted provided this is fully justified.

The assembly of equipment whose total cost exceeds $25,000 (including taxes, in Canadian dollars) requires at least one quote.

Over $50,000:

For equipment whose total cost exceeds $50,000, two quotes from suppliers must be provided in the appropriate section.

Furthermore, the applicant must specify the source(s) of complementary funding in the description of planned expenditures for the equipment grant.

If, at the time of application, the applicant does not have the complementary funding, the managing institution must undertake to pay the necessary amount before the first instalment of the grant year (June 1).

A letter of undertaking from the managing institution must be included with the application in the “Other documents” section.

• List of suggested experts: The PI must suggest 10 experts who will be able to assess the scientific merit of the project (see the FAQ for details). The experts must have no current or recent (five years or less) collaborative relationship with the PI (see Section 4.2 of the CGR for examples).
• Other documents:  Letter from the applicant’s institution.

A letter written and signed by the managing institution, attesting to the following:

a) That the applicant holds or will hold a full-time tenure-track position (no later than September 1, 2023);

b) That the applicant will be released from at least 25% of his/her teaching duties in order to carry out the research project for the duration of the grant (2023-2025).

c) The hiring date and position held (day-month-year).

d) Where applicable, employment start and end dates (day-month-year) for all full-time tenure-track professorial positions previously held by the applicant at other universities in Canada or abroad.
Include any official documents that provide a definition of the position occupied at another Canadian or a foreign university.

In case of doubt as to the nature and duration of previous positions, the FRQNT reserves the right to contact the appropriate university authorities to obtain further information.

e) If applicable, that the applicant’s salary will be paid by the university or another source for the duration of the grant, in the case of a contracted professor.

f) If applicable, that the applicant has successfully defended his/her dissertation and that graduation is a mere formality.

Canadian Common CV and list of detailed contributions (FRQnet Electronic Portfolio)

The Canadian Common CV of the PI, including the PDF file of detailed contributions, must be attached in the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio.

The detailed contributions should cover the last 5 years (calculated from the date of application, September 14) in FRQNT format. The Canadian Common CV and detailed contributions must have been updated since June 2021.

Proof for publications that are submitted, accepted or in press must be included with the Canadian Common CV PDF file of detailed contributions.

IMPORTANT

• Please note that institutional approval is required before the application is submitted to the FRQNT. It is therefore likely that your institution has established an internal deadline that is earlier than that of the competition. It is your responsibility to be informed of this in order to ensure that your application is submitted to the FRQNT before the competition deadline.

5. Evaluation

Applications are evaluated by multidisciplinary evaluation committees, which may call on other experts to complement the committee’s expertise.

The internal evaluation process including funding decisions is explained in Section 4 of the CGR.

Funding applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:

Criterion 1: Quality of the project (65 pts)

Sub-criterion 1.1 Excellence in research (15 pts)

• Originality

Creativity, potential for disruption and advancement in the field (relevance of the theme and issues addressed, theoretical approach, new approach, risk-taking, etc.).

• Scientific scope

Scope of the objectives for the community and users and contributions within the field of research (applied and fundamental)

• Collaborations and partnerships

Cooperation in Québec and/or internationally (relevance, added value for the project, the institution or Québec, etc.).

Sub-criterion 1.2 Project presentation (30 pts)

• Methodology

Relevance in relation to the objectives; scientific and technical feasibility. Availability of infrastructure and equipment. Ethical and environmental considerations.

Justification for the equipment grant, if applicable 
Relevance of the requested equipment for the successful completion of the research project.

• Realism of the time frame and budget

Appropriateness of budget and time frame: budget justification (details, quantification, etc.), relevance of the project duration to the research question and budget, risk management plan.

• Quality of presentation

Project structure and understanding: description of objectives and keywords, clarity, popularization, quality of writing, compliance with the presentation standards.

Sub-criterion 1.3 Project benefits (20 pts)

• Strengthening research capacity

Detailed training and mentoring plan: feasibility of the project for the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP), recruitment, tasks, pedagogical scope.

• Democratization of knowledge

Valorization, plan for the dissemination of the results to scientific and user communities and the general public. Consideration for access to data (open access, etc.).

Criterion 2: Applicant’s scientific competence (30 pts)

Sub-criterion 2.1 Scientific capacity (15 pts)

• Scientific expertise

Relevance of CV to the project: The applicant must possess the expertise and knowledge necessary to successfully carry out the proposed project. Risk-taking through the exploration of a new research topic must be accompanied by a risk management plan in relation to the skills required to carry out the proposal.

• Experience and potential

Applicant’s research experience: Quantity and quality of scientific contributions and achievements within the reality of the field of research, mentoring experience. Potential demonstrated by the applicant throughout his/her career and activities related to research and science: originality of academic background, risk-taking, engagement, collaborative network, leadership, etc.

Sub-criterion 2.2: Track record in knowledge dissemination (15 pts)

Knowledge dissemination activities for the scientific community, the user community and a wide audience.

Criterion 3: Integration of the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (5 pts)

This criterion will be assessed by focusing on the PI’s efforts to promote equity, diversity and inclusion, not on the composition of the research team¹.

• Training: Specific actions already taken and/or planned to promote EDI in the training of the next generation (recruitment practices, mentoring and career development, etc.);
• Research: Where relevant, the consideration of EDI in the design and execution of research projects (research questions, methodology, etc.) and the dissemination and mobilization of knowledge to a diverse audience;
• Involvement: Specific actions already taken and/or planned to promote EDI in the applicant’s community or field or within the research community in general (committees, inclusive scientific events, outreach activities, etc.).

¹The PI should not provide any information as to whether they, or members of the team, belong to marginalized or underrepresented groups.

For more details about EDI, please refer to the document Considering equity, diversity and inclusion in the evaluation of FRQNT grant applications in the Documents section of the FRQnet Electronic Portfolio.

6. Expenses

The grant must be used for funding the operating expenses directly related to carrying out of the research project.

All budget items listed in the CGR (Section 8) are eligible. Specific details for this program are described below. The use of computing and genomics platforms such as Calcul Québec and Génome Québec is encouraged where applicable.

Supplement – student maternity leave

The student maternity leave supplement is designed to encourage the retention of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, where they have historically been under-represented.

A female student enrolled in a Québec postsecondary institution who receives a scholarship (not in the form of a salary) funded by a grant under this program may receive a maternity supplement paid by the FRQNT for a period of up to eight months for the birth or adoption of a child. To be eligible, the student must have been receiving the scholarship under the FRQNT grant for at least six months. In addition, she may not hold an award from another granting agency and may not be receiving benefits from the Québec Parental Insurance Plan.

To obtain the maternity leave supplement, the student must make the request by email to the FRQNT program officer and provide a copy of a medical certificate attesting to the pregnancy. Also, when the time comes, copies of the birth certificate or proof of adoption of the child, as well as proof of suspension of enrolment at the Québec postsecondary institution, should be sent to the FRQNT program officer. In addition, a copy of the student’s scholarship contract must be provided. The maternity supplement may begin up to eight months before the birth or adoption of the child. The FRQNT will transfer the student’s maternity leave supplement to the postsecondary institution upon receipt of the required documents.

The FRQNT authorizes the maternity leave supplement on the condition that the student’s post-secondary institution allows the time to be taken off. In addition, the PI of the grant must agree to resume supervision of the student after the absence. The FRQNT reserves the right to reject any application that does not provide adequate explanation.

7. Management and follow-up

See Sections 5 to 7 of the CGR.

Grants are awarded for a maximum of 2 years. Grants are disbursed annually for the period from April 1 to March 31 of each year.

The unspent balance remaining at the end of the grant period may be carried forward for an additional period of one year only, subject to Section 6.10 of the CGR.

Funding condition for professors who will occupy a position as of September 1, 2023

A principal investigator who will occupy a Status 1 position no later than September 1 of the year following this competition must have legal status to work in Québec no later than April 30, 2022 (see Section 2.1 of the CGR).

Funding condition for equipment grants over $50,000

The equipment grant can only be used to purchase the equipment originally requested in the application (any equivalent purchases will need to be justified).

In order for the contribution of the FRQNT to come into effect, the PI must provide supporting documents indicating the sources of complementary funding for the purchase of the requested equipment before June 1 of the grant starting year.

Final report

The final report is administrative in nature and allows the FRQNT to document the impact of the grants it offers. The PI must complete and submit the final report, which is available in his/her FRQnet Electronic Portfolio, no later than 6 months after the submission of the last financial report.

If the final report is not submitted within the time prescribed by the FRQNT, or the report is not to the satisfaction of the FRQNT, the funding holder is not eligible to receive new funding from any of the three branches of the FRQ or may have his/her payments suspended until the situation has been remedied.

8. Open access policy

Peer-reviewed publications resulting from the research made possible by this grant must be released as immediate open access (without embargo), under an open license, in accordance with the FRQ Open Access Policy (revised in 2022).

9. Effective date

These rules apply to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.

10. Contact person

Leira Retamal Covarrubias Ph.D.
Program administrator
Research Support for New Academics 
Phone : 418 643-8560, ext: 3355
Email: Releve.professorale.nt@frq.gouv.qc.ca