Research support for new academics (NP), (Fall 2018)

1. Submission of a notice of intent
2. Submission of the funding application

Before completing a notice of intent or a grant application, applicants must create a user account on the Fonds website, if this has not already been done. Individuals who already have a personal identification number (PIN) have direct access to a FRQnet account and must update their profile in the E-Portfolio.

3.1 Notice of intent

The main purpose of the notice of intent is to provide the information required to assemble the peer committee that will assess the grant application. To that end, applicants are invited to select from the list of committees the one that corresponds the best to their research topic. At this stage, the notice of intent will not be used to assess the eligibility of the applicant or the scientific merit of the project.

The notice of intent form, available under “concours disponibles” in the E-Portfolio, must be submitted before 4 p.m. on August 1st, 2018.

The applicant must ensure that the notice of intent is submitted within the prescribed time, and that it is complete and in compliance with program specifications. A notice of intent that does not satisfy these requirements will not be considered.

3.2 Grant application

All required forms and documents  must be transmitted before the competition deadline, which is 4:00 p.m. on September 27th, 2018.

The latter must be scanned individually in PDF format, identified with the name of the researcher and attached to the form at the place indicated:

• A description of the research project;
• A bibliography;
• A letter from the university attesting that the applicant holds or will occupy a full time regular position leading to tenure by June 1, 2019. The letter must specify the date on which the applicant will be hired and the position held, as well as previous positions held at other universities, where applicable. No other document will be accepted;
• Applicants who have not obtained their doctorate by the competition deadline must attach a letter from the appropriate authorities of their university stating that their dissertation defense will take place before June 1st, 2019;
• If applicable, the necessary authorizations providing access to data or letters from partners attesting to partnership agreements, etc.;

If applicable, appropriate supporting documents attesting to the circumstances of any leave, in the case where an extension of the eligibility period is requested for family or health reasons.

The Canadian Common CV and the “Detailed Contributions” attachment available in the E-Portfolio.

Any part of the application, including the annexes, that exceeds the maximum number of authorized pages will be removed from the application.

Any missing documents will render the application ineligible.

An incomplete application that do not contain  the  information necessary to establish eligibility or which cannot be evaluated will be deemed invalid by the Fonds. Any documents that are not required and which are included with the application will not be submitted to the evaluation committee. Applicants will not be notified of any information or documents missing from the application. Any documents received after the deadline for application will not be considered and applications cannot be updated.

The signing applicants attest that the information provided is accurate and complete and agree to respect the rules and principles set out in the Policy for the Responsible Conduct of Research of the Fonds Société et culture. The researchers therefore authorize the institution to transmit any personal information in accordance with this policy, if applicable.

4.1 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting

Applications for financial assistance are evaluated according to the following criteria, indicators and weighting:

Research project – 60 points

• Originality and contribution to the advancement of knowledge (10 points);
• Clarity of the research problem, relevance of the theoretical approach and precision of the stated objectives (20 points);
• Relevance, rigour and rationale of the methodological approach (20 points);
• Soundness of the time frame and relevance of planned dissemination activities (10 points).

Expertise – 30 points

• Quality of scientific achievements and research activities, peer recognition and renown (communications, grants,  mobilization activities, publications, scholarships, seminars, student supervision*, etc.) (15 points);
• Relevance of scientific achievements, research activities, experience and training to the project (15 points).

Research training – 10 points

Diversity of the activities proposed for the research training** of students and of the tasks and responsibilities planned for that purpose during the project (10 points).

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

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

Applicants are invited to consult the Scores and ratings grid for evaluation committees used by the evaluation committees.

An overall passing grade of 70% is required for the application to be recommended for funding. A passing grade of 70% is also required for the ‘Research project’ criterion.

As indicated in section 4 of the CGR, the Fonds receives applications for financial assistance, checks their eligibility and submits them for evaluation by specially formed committees. These committees may need to consult outside experts.