Master’s Training / 2021-2022

To be eligible to apply, applicants must : 

• Hold an undergraduate degree

• be enrolled in a Québec university on a full-time basis (or equivalent) for 2 of the 3 semesters prior to the competition deadline (not including the semester of the competition), 

  OR
  have a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of eligibility for RAMQ covering the competition deadline (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

Health professionals with a valid licence to practice in Québec should apply to one of the following award programs:

• Master’s Training for Applicants with a Professional Degree in Human Health (see program rules)

• Professional Postgraduate Training in Research (Fellowship) (see program rules)

• Must be enrolled in a full-time research master’s program no later than January 15^th, 2022 and whose research project is directly concerned with human health.

To be considered as “a research program,” the master’s program must consist of a minimum of 18 credits dedicated to research and lead to the writing of a Master’s thesis.

Master’s awards are intended for applicants who have been enrolled in a master’s research program, for one year or less (three terms or less) as of April 30^th, 2021.

The number of enrolment terms is calculated from the first application date to a master’s program related to human health research

It is recommended that those undertaking a doctoral degree directly after a bachelor’s degree or a professional master’s degree, and those who are taking an accelerated path to the doctoral level without obtaining a Master’s degree, should apply to the Master’s competition if eligible to do so (3 terms or less as of April 30th 2021).

• At the time of applying, the applicant must have earned a grade point average (not rounded) of at least B+, or the equivalent, in a university undergraduate program.

Only the grades for the diploma that is used for the applicant’s admission to the master’s program will be considered.

• Individuals must be supervised by a university researcher or clinical university researcher (as defined in the Definitions section of the Common General Rules).

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 definition section of the Common General Rules)

• Individuals enrolling in a post-master’s qualification program in France (Diplôme d’études approfondies, D.E.A. or the equivalent) must apply for master’s award.

To use a training award outside Québec, you must have :

• a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of eligibility for RAMQ covering the competition deadline (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).
  AND
  Canadian citizenship at the time the application is submitted.

People who do not have a RAMQ card or a proof of eligibility for the RAMQ that is valid at the competition deadline, as well as those who are not Canadian citizens at the time the application is submitted, must do their training in Québec (see section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

• Students who suspended their master’s studies to take parental leave or because of serious illness or major family obligations may defer their eligibility period for up to one year.

• If the student is a person with disabilities in accordance with the Act ensuring handicapped persons their rights for academic, professional and social integration (L.R.C. chapter E-20-1), the rules pertaining to program registration do not apply.

• Professional master’s and doctoral programs are not eligible

• For a program in psychology, consult the document Eligibility of programs in psychology for FRQS training awards to check its eligibility.

•  An individual who already holds a research master’s degree in the field of human health is not eligible to submit an application in this program.

• Students who receive a master award in the regular competition and who are subsequently accepted into a Doctor in Medicine program with the agreement of their supervisor, are eligible for the first year of funding only. To obtain the second year of funding, they will have to apply to the MD-MSc program.

• An individual who has received financial support from a recognized funding agency (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC, etc.) over a period totaling six years (or 18 terms) cannot submit an application to the FRQS to undertake or pursue a master’s program (see section 6.1 of the Common General Rules).

Basic research ethics training is compulsory for all FRQS awardees conducting research projects that involve human beings.

Research on human beings involves :

• Participation of human beings
• Use of human biological materials (parts, products, tissue, cells, genetic materials, derived from a living or dead individual)
• Assisted procreation activities or the use of human embryos derived therefrom, within the meaning of the Act respecting clinical and research activities relating to assisted procreation (CQLR c. A-5.01)
• The use of administrative, scientific or descriptive data from human participants

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 in the year following the receipt of a confirmation from the FRQS that the award was granted.

The FRQS encourages awardees to follow a one-credit research ethics training course in addition to the compulsory basic research ethics training, whenever possible.

Au 15 octobre 2020, 16h30 (heure du Québec)

Aucun document transmis par courriel ou par courrier postal ne sera accepté

Aucune lettre de recommandation ne sera acceptée

Transmission via le Portfolio électronique du FRQS seulement

• CV commun canadien, version CV de financement pour le FRQS (mis à jour depuis juin 2019)

• Contributions détaillées mises à jour depuis juin 2019 (pièce à joindre dans le Portfolio électronique du FRQS à la page CV commun canadien), consulter le document Directives pour le fichier joint au CV dans la boîte à outils.

• Formulaire électronique de demande Formation de maîtrise
  version PDF – pour information

• Copie de la carte d’assurance maladie du Québec valide à la date limite du concours OU preuve d’admissibilité à la RAMQ 

  • À défaut de présenter la carte RAMQ ou la preuve d’admissibilité à la RAMQ, fournir une preuve d’inscription dans une université québécoise pour la session d’automne (critique pour l’admissibilité) couvrant la date limite du concours (document officiel de la RAMQ précédant la réception de la carte) (critique pour l’admissibilité)

• Formulaire de Calcul du nombre de sessions au programme de formation (disponible dans le menu Documents du Portfolio électronique du FRQS et dans la Boîte à outils) (critique pour l’admissibilité)

• Copies des relevés de notes officiels (la version électronique non officielle n’est pas acceptée) pour toutes les années d’études universitaires complétées ou non (critique pour l’admissibilité et l’évaluation)

• Pour un programme d’études en cours, le relevé de notes doit être le plus récent.
• Les relevés de notes doivent être complets et inclure les échelles de notation (verso du relevé), autant pour les candidats du Québec que pour les candidats étrangers.
• Dans le cas de relevés de notes obtenus à l’extérieur de l’Amérique du Nord, joindre un document expliquant le système de notation en vigueur dans l’établissement concerné.
• Si aucun relevé de notes n’est émis par l’institution dans laquelle les études ont été faites, une lettre explicative doit être jointe à la demande. 

• Accusés de réception d’articles soumis et notifications de l’éditeur des articles acceptés pour publication

• CV commun canadien, version CV de financement pour le FRQS (mis à jour depuis juin 2019)

• Contributions détaillées mises à jour depuis juin 2019 (pièce à joindre dans le Portfolio électronique du FRQS à la page CV commun canadien), consulter le document Directives pour le fichier joint au CV dans la boîte à outils.

• Formulaire électronique du directeur ou de la directrice (et du codirecteur ou de la codirectrice, s’il y a lieu)
  version PDF – pour information

Pour les personnes poursuivant leur formation au Québec : une confirmation d’inscription de la personne titulaire d’un octroi devra être effectuée par l’université.

Pour les personnes poursuivant leur formation hors Québec : la personne titulaire d’un octroi devra fournir une preuve d’inscription officielle de l’université.

Pour débuter la seconde année de sa bourse, la personne titulaire de l’octroi devra fournir :

• Une confirmation de la part du directeur ou de la directrice mentionnant que l’étudiant ou l’étudiante est toujours sous sa supervision (par courriel)

• Les certifications de formation en éthique (niveaux 1 et 3), s’il y a lieu (par courriel en un seul document PDF)

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

• Canadian Common CV ,  Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2019)

• Detailed contributions updated since June 2019 (attachment required through the FRQS Electronic Portfolio on the Canadian Common CV page),  consult the document entitled Guidelines for the CV attachment in the Toolbox

• Electronic application form : Formation de maîtrise/ Master’s training
  PDF version – for information

• A copy of a RAMQ card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of eligibility for RAMQ covering the competition deadline (official RAMQ document before the issuance of the card) (crucial for eligibility)
  • If the RAMQ card or a proof of eligibility to the RAMQ is not provided, please include a proof of registration at a Québec university for the fall trimester (crucial for eligibility)

• Form to calculate the number of training program sessions (calcul du nombre de sessions au programme de formation) available in the FRQS Electronic Portfolio, menu Documents and in the toolbox (crucial for eligibility)

• Copies of official academic transcripts (the unofficial electronic version is not accepted) for all years of university courses completed or not (crucial for eligibility and evaluation)

  • For a current program of study, the transcript must be the most recent. 

  • 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.

  • If no transcript is issued by the institution where the studies are pursued, an explanatory letter must be attached to the application.

• Acknowledgements from publishers for articles submitted and accepted for publication

• Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2019);

• Detailed contributions updated since June 2019 (attachment required through the FRQS Electronic Portfolio on the Canadian Common CV page), consult the document entitled Guidelines for the CV attachment in the Toolbox

• Supervisor’s (and if applicable, co-supervisor’s) electronic form
  PDF version – for information

For candidates pursuing their training in Québec : the university will have to confirm that the awardee is officially registered.

For candidates pursuing their training outside Québec : the awardee must provide an official proof of registration at the university.

To start the second year of the award, the awardee will have to provide:

• a confirmation from the supervisor indicating that the student is still under his/her supervision (by email)

• ethics training certificates (levels 1 and 3) , if applicable (by email in a single PDF document)

* except in some cases (see section on Awards offered in partnership)

The award will be paid to the awardee by installments. Three installments per year will be made at the end of May, end of September, and end of January.

Installments are conditional upon receipt of all required documents and compliance with eligibility requirements.

If all the required documents are not received or if the eligibility conditions are not met within two months of the start of the trimester and if no request for postponement has been received, the FRQS will cancel the installment for that trimester. The FRQS will terminate the scholarship if instalments must be cancelled for two consecutive trimesters due to missing documents or failure to meet the eligibility requirements. 

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 slip and Revenu Québec’s RL-1 slip are made available in the Manage My Funding module of the FRQS ePortfolio in February of the year following the taxation year in question.

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.

This program does not benefit from the amount paid out by FRQS to cover indirect costs of research of the institutions.

Avec l’accord de son directeur ou de sa directrice de recherche et à la condition que le travail ne nuise pas à ses activités de recherche, la personne titulaire d’un octroi est autorisée à donner une charge de cours de 45 heures par session ou à occuper un emploi rémunéré pour un maximum de 225 heures par session.

Le cumul de bourses n’est pas autorisé.

• Les titulaires d’un octroi du FRQS ayant sollicité et obtenu une bourse d’un autre organisme subventionnaire public ou d’une fondation reconnue par le FRQS doivent en informer le FRQS et décliner la bourse du Fonds et ce, dès qu’elle est offerte, sauf dans le cas du supplément offert par l’Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et sécurité du travail.
• Les titulaires d’un octroi du FRQS ayant sollicité et obtenu une bourse d’un cycle supérieur d’un des trois Fonds de recherche du Québec sont libres de déterminer le moment où ils veulent débuter leur bourse du cycle supérieur (applicable aux cas de passages directs à un programme de doctorat sans passer par un programme de maîtrise).

Cependant, si la valeur de la bourse de l’organisme est moindre que celle du FRQS, la personne titulaire de l’octroi est admissible à recevoir le montant permettant de combler la différence entre les deux bourses.

Le cumul d’une bourse de formation du FRQS et d’un stage de recherche d’un autre organisme, et ne faisant pas partie du programme d’études de la personne titulaire d’octroi, est permis sous certaines conditions.

Pour les stages d’un montant de 5 000 $ ou moins, les titulaires d’un octroi doivent en informer le FRQS par courriel avant le début du stage.

Pour les stages d’un montant de 5 000 $ et plus, les titulaires d’un octroi doivent demander, avant le début du stage, l’autorisation du FRQS, en remplissant le formulaire d’autorisation de stage (voir Boîte à outils). Si le stage est autorisé, il sera alors permis soit de 1) cumuler les montants de la bourse de formation et ceux du stage ou  2) reporter le montant de la bourse du FRQS pour une période équivalente à la durée du stage ou un maximum de 6 mois.

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 the research supervisor is in agreement and that the work does not interfere with their research activities.

Additional funding

An awardee may accept additional funds from the institution or his/her research supervisor.

It is the responsibility of the FRQS award holder to check whether this kind of additionnal funding is allowed by the institution or the research supervisor.

• 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).
• Holders of a FRQS award having applied for and obtained a scholarship for a higher cycle from one of the three Fonds de recherche du Québec are free to determine when they want to start their higher-level scholarship (applicable in cases of direct transfer to a doctoral program without going through a master’s program).

However, if the amount value of the other award is lower than the one given by the FRQS, the awardee is eligible to receive the amount needed to make up the difference between the two scholarships.

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 either to 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.

The FRQS offers a number of awards in collaboration with partners. The share of funding from the FRQS and the partner may vary according to the agreements in effect.

Eligible applicants are selected through a three-step process:

1. The applicant selects, in the Partnership [Partenariat] section of the application form, one or more partners whose targeted research areas correspond to the theme of their application.

2. The FRQS sends to the partners a list of candidates and useful information for them to assess the relevance of the request according to their research priorities and strategy.

3. After evaluation of the applications by a committee of experts or peers, applications having obtained the scientific excellence rating of 70 % and which have been deemed relevant by one or more partners, may receive a partnership award offer.

As with all the awards offered by FRQS, the awards granted in partnership are based on merit following a scientific evaluation by a committee of experts or peers. 

Note that by choosing to be considered for an award in partnership, and that you obtain such an award, you agree that the partner communicates with you for activities related to the award.

Training awards in the Pediatric research field, primarily in the area of early childhood diseases.

Training Awards in the Multiple Sclerosis research field.  All candidates must also submit an application to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.  Amount of the M.Sc. award: $20,000 per year.

Parkinson Québec

Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. Amount of the M.Sc. award: $20,000 per year.

Unité de soutien SRAP du Québec (SPOR Support Unit in Québec)

The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) in Quebec is to engage the various stakeholders involved, including patients, caregivers and the public, in the development and delivery of patient-oriented research projects (POR). The SPOR Support Unit in Quebec contributes to capacity building and professional development in POR of these stakeholders. The awards offered in partnership with the Unit allow award recipients to hone their skills and develop or consolidate valued expertise in POR, and to expand their network of collaborators and mentors in this area.

Priority themes: primary care, proximity care, integration of care and service trajectories.