Competition year :
2018-2019
Deadline (application) :
October 16th, 2017 at 16:30 (EST)
Announcement of results :
April 2018
Amount :
$21,000 per year
Duration :
4 years
Objectives
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The link to the FRQS electronic Portfolio (forms) will become functional only with the opening of the new FRQnet system scheduled by the end of July 2017. More details are available in the About FRQnet section |
This program aims to support university students seeking to pursue health research training in a doctoral university program. All human health themes are eligible, regardless of the proposed methodology or models. |
Important note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to choose the right program and the right form for the award application. No program transfer will be made following the applicant’s file eligibility review. |
Table of contents
- ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
- REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- TRAINING LOCATION
- DURATION OF THE AWARD
- AMOUNT OF THE AWARD
- OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING
- EVALUATION
- FINAL REPORT
- APPLICANT'S AGREEMENT
- SUPERVISOR'S AND CO-SUPERVISOR'S AGREEMENT
- KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION
- IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE LAST COMPETITION
- AWARDS IN PARTNERSHIP
1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Eligible applicants |
Canadian citizens or permanent residents that did not reside in Québec previously and individuals who are not currently Canadian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to submit an application for training awards under certain conditions (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules). Citizenship and residency in Québec status must remain in effect for the entire duration of the award. Health professionals with a valid licence to practice in Québec should apply to one of the following award programs:
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Terms and regulations |
Doctoral awards are intended for applicants who have been enrolled in a doctoral research program for less than 14 terms as of April 30, 2018 The number of enrolment terms is calculated from the first application date to a research doctoral program related to human health. Individuals who enroll directly in a doctoral research program after their undergraduate degree or after a professional master’s program and individuals who are taking an accelerated path into a doctoral research program without having received a master’s diploma must first apply to the master’s research award if they are eligible.
If the candidate’s supervisor is located outside of Québec, that person should still meet the criteria of university researcher or clinical university researcher in terms of university affiliation and autonomy (see the Definitions section of the Common General Rules).
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Exceptions |
Part time studies are permitted in the following cases:
The affiliated University and the research supervisor should both authorize the request for part time studies (see the section Duration of the Award). |
Restrictions |
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Basic research ethics training | Basic research ethics training is mandatory for all FRQS awardees conducting research projectsthat involve human subjects. Research that involves human subjects includes work on :
Awardees must therefore successfully complete levels 1 and 3 of the Online Tutorial in Research Ethics developed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux. This training must be completed within one year of the date of confirmation by the FRQS that the award was granted. The FRQS encourages awardees to follow a one-credit research ethics training course in addition to the mandatory basic research ethics training, whenever possible. |
2. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
By October 16, 2017, 4:30 pm (EST) Documents sent via mail or e-mail will not be accepted. Letters of recommendation will not be accepted. Transmission via the FRQS electronic Portfolio only Any missing document or document that is not in conformity with the program rules and forms may result in the ineligibility of the funding application. No extension will be permitted. After the application deadline, forms that are not already submitted, will be automatically rejected. New with FRQnet : Once the application is submitted, it will no longer be possible to modify it. | |
Applicants |
Academic transcripts must be complete and include grading scales (at the back of the transcript), for candidates from Québec as well as for candidates outside of Québec. For transcripts from institutions located outside North America, the applicant must include a note explaining the institution’s marking system
For individuals with a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency:
OTHERWISE
AND
For individuals without a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency:
AND
Candidates will be notified of the reception of their application and of their eligibility via email by the month of November at the latest. |
Research supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable) |
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At the start date of the award | |
At the start date of the award and for each subsequent term | New with FRQnet: At the start date of the award and for each subsequent term, the university will have to confirm that the awardee is officially registered. |
Before the start of the second year of the award | To start the second year of the award , the awardee will have to provide:
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3. TRAINING LOCATION
Choice of training location | Full time registration in a research doctoral program related to human health is allowed:
OR
Awardees must complete their research training in the physical location of the host institution. Distance learning is not allowed. |
Change of training location | Awardees who wish to change their research project, supervisor, program or training institution must submit to the FRQS the Change of research project, supervisor or training location form (see Toolbox) and the required documents in a single PDF file. |
4. DURATION OF THE AWARD
Effective start date | May 2018 (Summer term), September 2018 (Fall term) or January 2019 (Winter term) |
Duration | 3 years (9 terms) or until the completion of the awardee’s doctoral studies (final submission of the thesis), whichever the earliest, with a possibility of a fourth year of funding based on the date of the first submission of the thesis (details to come). The period of validity during which doctoral awards may be issued is limited to the first 15 terms of enrollment in the doctoral program that is the subject of the award (see section 6.1 of the Common General Rules). |
Parental leave | In accordance to section 6.13 of the Common General Rules, the awardee may benefit from an award payment deferral during parental leave (maternity, paternity or adoption) for a maximum period of 12 months. In addition, during this deferral period, the awardee may obtain an award supplement for the parental leave for up to six months, provided that the awardee held the FRQS award for at least 4 months, unless the awardee is already holding another FRQS award. Awardees must fill out the Award payment deferral form (Report de versement de bourse) to inform the FRQS of their intention to receive a supplement to their award for a parental leave. In addition to this form, awardees will need to include a statement from their research supervisor confirming the training interruption for parental leave and a midwife’s or doctor’s confirmation of the approximate date of birth or a copy of the adoption proposal. Only one parental leave is allowed per child even if both parents are recipients of a FRQ award. The parents are free, however, to organize and share this leave at their convenience. The installments of the award planned for each month of the parental leave will be rescheduled at the end of the funding period. |
Sick leave or other reasons | Awardees may defer their award due to illness or other reasons provided by the Loi sur les normes du travail as described in section 6.14 of the Common General Rules. Awardees must fill out the Award payment deferral form (Report de versement de bourse) to indicate the length of time and reason for the deferral request and include a medical certificate when applicable. Payments will be suspended during this period and will be rescheduled at the end of the award. The FRQS reserves the right to refuse any request that is not properly justified. |
Acquiring relevant experience | It is possible, for each full year of funding provided by the FRQS, to suspend and postpone award installments for one term (4 months) in order to acquire relevant experience (working with a research team, acquiring teaching experience in the awardee’s field of study or research, language development trip, etc.). These installments are then rescheduled at the end of the funding period. Deferrals with the goal of acquiring relevant experience can be consecutive if they are approved by the research supervisor. To benefit from this measure, the award holder must submit a request to the FRQS by filling out the Award payment deferral form (Report de versement de bourse). Furthermore, the research supervisor should provide a letter confirming his or her agreement and the relevance of the paid activities that are involved. The FRQS reserves the right to refuse any request that is not properly justified or relevant. |
Part-Time | Part-time studies are permitted exclusively for caregivers, parents and handicapped individuals. To benefit from this measure, the award holder must submit a request to the FRQS by filling out the Part-time studies form (Études à temps partiel) and provide the required documentation. Caregiver or Parent This measure applies only to the award holder who acts as the caregiver for a close family member or for a person that is the main care provider for a young child. During the terms that will be part-time, the awardee will receive 50 % of the value of the regular award installments. In addition to the Part-time studies form (Études à temps partiel), the awardee will need to provide the following documents to the FRQS:
If applicable, this can be cumulated with the benefits paid by the Parental Insurance Plan. Handicapped person This measure applies only to a handicapped person in accordance with the Act ensuring handicapped persons their rights for academic, professional and social integration (L.R.C. chapter E-20-1) During the terms that will be part-time, the awardee will receive the full value of the regular award installments as long as the University authorizes the part-time studies of the individual. In addition to the Part-time studies form (Études à temps partiel), the awardee will need to provide the following documents to the FRQS:
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5. AMOUNT OF THE AWARD
Amount | $ 21,000 / year* * except in some cases (see section on Awards in partnership) |
Administration | The award will be paid to the awardee by installments. Three installments per year will be made in May, September, and January. New with FRQnet : at predetermined times, award holders will need to complete a Payment Request Report (Rapport de versement) in their FRQS electronic Portfolio to initiate the payment process. |
Income Tax | The awardee is responsible for paying the income tax due on the amounts received from the FRQS. The FRQS does not make any deductions on the amounts disbursed during the taxation year. The payment date determines the year in which the awardee must declare the amounts received as income for personal tax calculations. Revenue Canada’s T4A form and Revenue Québec’s Relevé 1will be sent to the awardee’s mailing address (the one specified in the module My funding (Gérer mon financement) in the FRQS Electronic Portfolio) in February of the following year of taxation. The details provided in this program rules are for information purposes only. The FRQS is not responsible for the validity of any income tax information. |
Indirect Costs of Research | This program does not benefit from the amount paid out by FRQS to cover indirect costs of research of the institutions. |
6. OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING
Authorized paid work | Awardees may accept a teaching load of 45 hours per session or a position that does not involve more than 225 hours of remunerated work per term, provided their research supervisor is in agreement and that the work does not interfere with their research activities. |
Additional funding | Awardees may accept additional funds from their institution or their research supervisor. |
Concurrent funding | Holding several scholarships is not allowed. Awardees who obtained an award from another public agency or a foundation recognized by the FRQS must notify the FRQS and decline the FRQS funding as soon as the award is offered, except in the case of the supplement given by the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST). However, if the amount of the other award is lower than the one given by the FRQS, the awardee is eligible to receive the difference. |
Research internship | Holding an FRQS training award concurrently with a research internship to be done in another organization and that is not part of the training program of the awardee, is allowed under certain conditions. For internships of $5,000 or less, awardees must notify the FRQS by email before the beginning of the internship. For internships of $5,000 and more, awardees must ask the FRQS for authorization by completing the Internship authorization form (see Toolbox) before the internship begins. If the internship is approved, it will be allowed to either 1) combine the training award and internships amounts or 2) defer the amount of the FRQS award for a period equal to the duration of the internship or a maximum of 6 months. |
7. EVALUATION
Process | All applications are reviewed by committees of experts representing various disciplines and institutions. | |
Criteria and weighting | Quality of the research project – Clarity and conciseness of the research topic – Clarity and consistency between the hypotheses and objectives – Relevance of the methods and analyses – Feasibility – Originality of the project and contribution to the advancement of knowledge | 30 6 6 6 6 6 |
Quality of training environment – Justification of the applicant’s choice – Quality of supervisor’s publication record as it pertains to student training | 15 8 7 | |
Excellence of academic record – Excellence of academic record – Awards, honours, and distinctions | 25 15 10 | |
Skills and experiences – Publications – Lectures and presentations – Research projects and research training programs | 30 15 7 8 |
8. FINAL REPORT
Final Report (New in FRQnet) | A final report is required at the end of the payment of the award, approximately one month following the last funded term. Award holders are notified by email of the availability of the form to be completed in their FRQS electronic portfolio. It is required to fill out and submit this form with respect to the mentioned deadline. Further funding in other FRQS programs is conditional to the reception of the duly completed report. |
9. APPLICANT'S AGREEMENT
By submitting an application, the applicant must :
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10. SUPERVISOR'S AND CO-SUPERVISOR'S AGREEMENT
The supervisor and co-supervisor must :
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11. KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION
The FRQS encourages awardees to conduct and participate in knowledge mobilization activities (transfer, sharing, development, enhancement and dissemination) with practice settings and the general public, where such activities are relevant. Please read the document Knowledge Mobilization in the toolbox.
12. IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE LAST COMPETITION
- Eligibility requirements
- Required documents
- Duration of the award
- Amount of the award
- Other sources of funding
- Final report
13. AWARDS IN PARTNERSHIP
The FRQS offers a number of awards in collaboration with partners. The financial contribution of FRQS and the partner as well as other funding conditions (i.e. funding period and renewal option) may vary according to the agreements in effect. Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:
Like all other FRQS awards, the awards in partnership are granted based on merit following a scientific evaluation by a committee of experts or peers. | |
Alzheimer’s disease | Alzheimer Society of Canada All candidates must also submit an application to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. Amount of the award: $22,000 per year. |
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health | Heart and Stroke Foundation of Québec Priority will be given to applicants collaborating with a new researcher currently funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. |
Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis | Crohn’s and Colitis Canada (CCC) Training Awards in the Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis research fields. |
Early childhood diseases (diagnosis) | Foundation of Stars |
Hypertension | Société québécoise d’hypertension artérielle (SQHA) – Jacques de Champlain Award |
Macular Degeneration | Fondation Antoine-Turmel Training Awards in the Macular Degeneration research field. Priority will be given to doctoral and postdoctoral training. |
Multiple Sclerosis | Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada |
Osteoporosis | Fondation Antoine-Turmel Training Awards in the Osteoporosis research field. Priority will be given to doctoral and posdoctoral training awards. |
Parkinson’s disease | Parkinson Canada Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. All candidates must also submit an application to the Parkinson Canada. Amount of the Ph.D. award: $20,000 to $25,000 per year. |
Parkinson’s disease | Parkinson Québec Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. Amount of the Ph.D. award: 25,000 per year. |
Traumatology | Traumatology Research Consortium Training Awards in the Traumatology research field.Consortium partners:
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