Competition year : 
2019-2020

Deadline (application) : 
October 15th, 2018 at 16:30 (EST)

Announcement of results : 
April 2019

Amount : 
According to the NIH scale

Duration : 
2 years

Partnership

National Institutes of Health - États-Unis 

REMINDER

In addition to these program rules, it is the responsibility of the applicant to financial support to consult the Common General Rules (CGR) of the Fonds de recherche du Québec, which apply to all FRQS programs. If special conditions apply to this program, they are described below and take precedence over the CGR.

Objectives

This two-phase program is aimed at postdoctoral fellows seeking to perfect their training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) before pursuing careers as independent researchers in Québec.

This career transition awards program aims to establish a long-term career path for postdoctoral fellows from Québec who possess exceptional scientific abilities and ensure that awardees receive the support required to pursue careers as independent researchers upon their return to Québec.

The program (4 to 5 years) is composed of  two phases:

  • Phase 1 (2 to 3 years): Postdoctoral training/career advancement at the NIH;
  • Phase 2 (2 years): Salary support (career award) and operating grant to facilitate the awardees return to Québec after training at the NIH and provide support as they embark on a career as an independent researcher (faculty position in a Québec university or research centre).
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 file eligibility review.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligible applicants
  • Applicants with a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) Applicants must have obtained their doctorate no more than two years before October 15, 2018 (except for renewal applications).

This period could be extended by a maximum of one year if the candidate has been on a parental leave after the doctorate.

  • Canadian citizens or permanent residents domiciled in Québec, within the meaning of the Quebec Health Insurance Act (RLRQ, c.A-29).This status must remain in effect for the duration of the award.

Not eligible : incumbents of a university position.

Terms and conditions
  • Must pursue full-time postdoctoral training in human health sciences research

  • Must be supervised by a researcher  whose laboratory or clinic is located on an NIH research campus (the location must be identified prior to submitting the application form);

The candidate’s supervisor must 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).

  • Applicants that did not submit their doctoral thesis at the time of applying must provide, no later than September 30, 2019, an attestation that the thesis has been submitted.
Restrictions
  • Current and former holders of a postdoctoral fellowship from a Quebec granting agency (for example, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC) are not eligible for this competition (except for a renewal application).
  • Applicants are not eligible for a renewal if they have already received 3 or more years of postdoctoral fellowships since the initial offer of the FRQS postdoctoral fellowship, regardless of the granting agency.
Basic research ethics training

Basic research ethics training is mandatory 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 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 15, 2018, 4:30 pm (EDT)

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.

IMPORTANT : Once the application is submitted, it will no longer be possible to modify it.

Applicants
  • Copies of all award, honours and distinction notices, including FRQS awards

  • Acknowledgements from publishers for articles that are submitted or accepted for publication

  • Copy of a valid Quebec health insurance card OR evidence of eligibility to the RAMQ (official RAMQ document before the issuance of the card) (except renewal applications)

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 supervisors (and co-supervisors, if applicable)
At the start date of the award
At the start date of the award
and annually thereafter

The awardee must submit PDF file by email:

  • A written confirmation of the beginning or the continuation of the project from the research supervisor by email
Before the start of the second
year of the award

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

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

3. TRAINING LOCATION

Choice of training locationNational Institutes of Health laboratory or clinical centre
Partner (training location) obligations

The NIH will:

  • Appoint the award recipient as a Supplemental Visiting Fellow, fulfilling the requirements as described in the NIH policy manual;

  • Provide assistance in obtaining the appropriate work-authorized immigration status required by the research fellow;

  • After obtaining the scientific supervisor’s approval, provide each Fellow with laboratory and/or clinical space as well as access to databases, computers and other relevant scientific resources available as provided to similar trainees;

  • Ensure that the award recipient and his/her mentor are aware of NIH guidelines regarding oversight and progress review of each Fellow in the program.

4. DURATION OF THE AWARD

Effective date 

Between May 2019 and January 2020, first day of the month

Duration
(Phase 1)

2 years and possibly 3 years, conditional upon the evaluation of a renewal application (renewal may be requested only once)

Applicants are not eligible for a renewal if they have already received 3 or more years of postdoctoral fellowships since the initial offer of the FRQS postdoctoral fellowship, regardless of the granting agency.

Parental leave

The awardee may benefit from an award payment deferral during parental leave (maternity, paternity or adoption) for a maximum period of 12 months as described in Section 6.13 of the Common General Rules.

Awardees must fill out the Award payment deferral form (Report de versement de bourse), accompagnied by the documents supporting the leave, to inform the FRQS of their intention to receive a supplement to their award for a parental leave.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any request that is not properly justified.

Sick leave or other reasonsAwardees 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 reject any request that is not properly justified.

5. AMOUNT OF THE AWARD

Amount

FRQS’s stipends will be according to the NIH scale for post-doctoral fellows

Up to six awards (phase 1) will be granted.

Administration

The award will be paid to the awardee by installments.

Income Tax

The awardee is responsible for paying the income tax due on amounts received from the FRQS. No taxes are withheld at source by the FRQS on amounts disbursed during the taxation year in question.

The date the amount is granted determines the year in which the awardee must declare the amounts received as income for personal tax calculations.

Revenu Canada’s T4A form and Revenu Québec’s form 1 are sent to the awardee’s mailing address (the one shown 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 form are for information purposes only. The FRQS is not responsible for the validity of the information given about income tax.

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

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.

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.

Relocation and travel expenses

The awardee will be reimbursed for any relocation expenses at the start and end of the first phase of the award, up to US $3,000.

In addition, every year, the awardee will be reimbursed for travel expenses (economy class) to Québec upon the presentation of supporting documents (up to two return trips per year).

Benefits

Standard health insurance coverage provided by the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences (FAES)-NIH for the awardee and his/her close family (spouse and children, if applicable) will be paid for by the FRQS.

7. EVALUATION

Process

All applications are reviewed by committees of experts representing various health research disciplines and methodologies.

Criteria and weighting
First application

Quality and scientific value 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 the training environment
– Justification of the candidate’s choice
– Quality of supervisor’s publication record related to student training record

15
5
10

Excellence of academic record
– Awards, honours, and distinctions

15
15

Skills and experiences
– Publications
– Lectures, presentations and internships

40
30
10
Criteria and weighting
Renewal application

Research project’s state of advancement since the start of postdoctoral training
– Level of completion of the project in view of the methodology and research area
– Justification for renewal and potential for successful outcome
– Research supervisor’s evaluation

60
20
20
20

Achievements since the start of postdoctoral training
– Lectures and presentations
– Publications

40
20
20

8. FINAL REPORT

Final Report

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 :

10. SUPERVISOR'S AND CO-SUPERVISOR'S AGREEMENT

The supervisor and co-supervisor must:

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

13. PARTNER

National Institutes of Health (NIH)