FRQSC - Postdoctoral Fellowship - Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B3ZR) - February 2022 (Call 1) and August 2022 (Call 2)

An application consists of the following documents:

1. The application form entitled Postdoctoral Fellowship – Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B3ZR), available in the FRQnet portal (Bourse postdoctorale – Plan de mobilisation des connaissances);
2. The Canadian Common CV and Detailed Contributions file;
3. Required documents to be submitted with the form.

3.1  Application form

As indicated in the CGR (Section  3.6), it is preferable that forms be filled out in French, but they can also be filled out in English. However, the project title and abstract must imperatively be in French. This information may be used by the Fonds for promotional and dissemination purposes.

3.2  Canadian Common CV and Detailed Contributions attachment

The Canadian Common CV and “Detailed Contributions” attachment file are available in the Toolbox section on the program page or directly in the “Activity details” box in the FRQnet E-portfolio. The Canadian Common CV (“Fonds Société et culture” version) must be up-to-date. The Detailed Contributions file, also up-to-date, must be completed in due form and attached to the application in the appropriate section of the FRQnet E-portfolio. To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, it must be saved in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the FRQnet E-portfolio.

For more information, refer to Preparing a CV for the Fonds in the program Toolbox.

3.3  Required documents

The description of the mobilization plan (maximum 6 pages) must be attached in the appropriate section of the application form.

The following documents are also required and must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form:

•  LETTER(S) OF SUPPORT (mandatory): A letter of support from each of the persons designated to (co)supervise the postdoctoral fellowship in an academic setting, attesting to the relevance of the mobilization project and confirming (co)supervision for the additional year of funding (in the form, document referred to as: LETTRE DU SUPERVISEUR OU DE LA SUPERVISEURE).
• LETTER OF INVITATION FROM THE HOST ENVIRONMENT (if applicable): If the fellowship will be taking place in a non-academic setting, an official letter of support from a person representing the practice setting that has agreed to host the applicant for his/her mobilization activities must be included with the application. This letter must indicate the added value of this collaboration and describe the planned support and guidance mechanisms (in the form, document referred to as: LETTRE D’INVITATION DU MILIEU).
• POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT SUMMARY (mandatory): A summary of the current funded postdoctoral research project that is the subject of the mobilization plan.
• PROOF OF REGISTRATION OR INVITATION (if applicable): Proof of registration or invitation to participate in an event relevant to the proposed knowledge mobilization activities.
• SUPPORTING DOCUMENT FOR THE $5,000 SUPPLEMENT FOR MOBILIZATION OUTSIDE QUÉBEC (if applicable): Applicants who plan to implement their mobilization plan in whole or in part in a host environment located more than 250 km from Québec’s borders and who wish to take advantage of the $5,000 supplement for mobilization outside Québec must include a demonstration of the added value and relevance of carrying out the mobilization activities in the intended location outside Québec. It is up to the evaluation committee to recommend that the Fonds grant this supplement if adequately justified. (See Section 5.2, Value and duration of funding.)
• A RAMQ CARD THAT IS VALID AT THE COMPETITION DEADLINE OR PROOF OF APPLICATION FOR A RAMQ CARD AND THAT THE NEW CARD WILL BE VALID AT THE COMPETITION DEADLINE, OR OTHER OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS (mandatory): If the applicant does not have a valid RAMQ card or proof that he or she has requested a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline, the applicant must provide a copy of two different documents, each of which demonstrates that he or she lived in Québec throughout the postdoctoral fellowship (see List of accepted documents )
• SUPPORTING DOCUMENT FOR ELIGIBILITY PERIOD EXCEPTION (if applicable): Applicants seeking eligibility period exceptions (see Section 2.4) must provide an official document attesting to a parental leave authorized by the Fonds during the Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z), a medical certificate attesting to serious health reasons or a disability, or a supporting document attesting to major family obligations.

The number of pages requested for each document is specified in the form.

For each of the relevant sections under “Activity details”, all required documents must be assembled and scanned into a single PDF document  and attached to the form in the section concerned.

To be accepted, scanned PDF copies must be legible and without read protection or special double tab  configuration.

Refer to the Presentation standards for PDF attachments to FRQnet forms document to properly format any documents to be attached to the application.

3.4 Submitting the application

An incomplete application that does not contain the information necessary to establish eligibility or which cannot be evaluated will be deemed ineligible by the Fonds. The applicant is responsible for ensuring that all required documents have been included and submitted with the application. No reminder will be made.

No documents received after the competition deadline of 4 p.m. on February 17, 2022 (Call 1) or 4 p.m. on August 18, 2022 (Call 2) will be considered and applications cannot be updated after this deadline.

No document other than those listed here will be accepted.

THE APPLICANT MUST NOT FORGET TO TRANSMIT THE APPLICATION AFTER COMPLETING AND VALIDATING IT, BY CLICKING THE “SUBMIT” BUTTON IN THE FORM.

At any time, applicants may verify in their FRQnet E-portfolio that the most recent version of their application has been successfully submitted. The application file in “My forms” should be flagged as “Submitted to the Fonds” before the competition deadline. This indicates that the application has been received by the Fonds.

All applications received by the Fonds are assessed for eligibility. A notice will be sent via email, at the latest within one month 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 invalid will also be notified by email that their application has not been transmitted to the evaluation committee.

To retain the fellowship, fellowship holders must meet the following basic conditions throughout the duration of funding:

• Meet the conditions relating to citizenship and place of residence.
• Have completed the Postdoctoral Fellowship funding period before beginning the mobilization activities.
• Begin the mobilization activities no later than 3 months after the end of the Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z) funding period and pursue them on a full-time basis.
• Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding.
• Respect the rules relating to paid employment.

Fellowship holders are required to inform the Fonds immediately if they cease to satisfy any of these conditions. Should any of these conditions no longer be met, the Fonds will be obliged to withdraw the fellowship and could request reimbursement.

6.1  Fellowship period

The fellowship must begin no later than 3 months after the end of the Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z) funding  period.

The fellowship is non-transferrable from one year to the next.

The fellowship is not retroactive.

6.2  Fellowship payments

Fellowship payments must be requested by the fellowship holder for each 4-month period, in the “Manage my funding” section of the FRQnet E- portfolio.

Any unclaimed payment can be cancelled at the end of the period it covers, without advance notice.

6.3  Full-time rule

To retain the fellowship, the fellowship holder must devote himself/herself full-time to carrying out the mobilization activities. Failure to respect this rule could result in the withdrawal of the fellowship. If, under exceptional circumstances, these conditions cannot  be  respected, the Fonds must be advised as soon as possible and will determine whether the fellowship should be maintained or cancelled.

Note that the postdoctoral fellowship cannot be suspended during the funding period. Under exceptional circumstances, the fellowship holder should contact the Fonds, which will analyze the situation on reception of the required supporting documents and approve or refuse the requested suspension.

6.4  Convertibility of the fellowship into a start-up grant

This fellowship can be used as a start-up grant by a fellowship holder who is offered a position as a regular professor in a Québec university. The fellowship holder must have completed 4 full months of planned transfer activities before requesting to convert part of the fellowship (up to $15,000) into a start-up grant for the new position. The effective date of the start-up grant is the fellowship holder’s employment start date.

This grant is subject to the same rules as those of the Research Support for New Academics program. A person who benefits from this conversion remains eligible to apply for this  program.

6.5  Parental leave

The conditions regarding parental leave are the same as those for the Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z).

6.6  Concurrent awards

6.7  Paid employment

A fellowship holder may accept paid employment provided that the employment does not exceed 250 hours per 4-month period and that the employment does not interfere with the mobilization activities.

The Fonds considers teaching a 45-hour course to be equivalent to 150 hours of employment. Note that the same course given to two different groups during the same term is considered to be equivalent to 250 hours of employment.

6.8 Changes during funding period

As indicated in Section 6.5 of the CGR, any changes to the conditions of the fellowship, the mobilization plan, the host environment or the (co)supervisor(s) require prior authorization from the Fonds. To that end, the applicant must submit a change request in the “Manage my funding” section of his or her FRQnet E-Portfolio. The program manager will analyze the request and ensure that the proposed changes do not affect the outcome of the initial evaluation. The decision to accept or refuse the requested changes is sent by email.