Postdoctoral Training – Career Transition Award - National Institutes of Health (NIH) - FRQS (Phase 1) - Fonds de recherche du Québec

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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.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
DURATION OF THE AWARD
AMOUNT OF THE AWARD
OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING
EVALUATION
FINAL REPORT
COMMITMENTS
TRAINING LOCATION (PARTNER) OBLIGATIONS
OPEN ACCESS
KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION
EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE LAST COMPETITION
PARTNER

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^th, 2019 (except for renewal applications).

Applicants must have :

a valid RAMQ card or proof of eligibility for the RAMQ
AND
Canadian citizenship at the time the application is submitted.

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^th, 2020, an attestation that the thesis has been submitted.

Training location

National Institutes of Health laboratory or clinical centre

Awardees must complete their research training in the physical location of the host institution. Distance learning is not allowed.

Restrictions

Not eligible :

Those who hold an academic position
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

HINT: Take the time to read in the Toolbox the document Tips for filling out your application. Without being exhaustive, these valuable tips are based on recurring comments made by the evaluators. They therefore point out critical elements for the evaluation of your application. By October 15, 2019, 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 document missing or non-compliant with program rules and electronic forms, but deemed crucial for eligibility or evaluation, makes the funding application ineligible. Applicants will not be contacted to provide the missing documents or information. Any document received after the submission deadline will not be added to the application file as no update is allowed once submitted. Any unrequested document transmitted with the application will be removed from the file before its evaluation. No extension will be granted. After the deadline application, 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	Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2018); Detailed contributions updated since June 2018 (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 IMPORTANT and crucial for evaluation : in the CCV : scholarships or fellowships must be listed in the Research Funding History section, and honours and distinctions in the Recognitions section; in Detailed contributions : there is a new summary table regarding scholarships/fellowships, honours and distinctions at a university level, as reported in the appropriate sections of the CCV. Electronic application form : Formation postdoctorale (citoyens canadiens et résidents permanents)/ Postdoctoral Training (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) PDF version – for information A copy of doctoral degree. If not available, a copy of official doctoral transcripts (except renewal applications) (crucial for eligibility) 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) (crucial for eligibility) Acknowledgements from publishers for articles that are submitted or accepted for publication (crucial for eligibility) Candidates will be notified by email regarding the eligibility or ineligibility of their applications in November.
Research supervisors (and co-supervisors, if applicable)	Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2018); Detailed contributions updated since June 2018 (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 electronic form (and if applicable, co-supervisor’s) PDF version – for information
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. DURATION OF THE AWARD

Effective date	Between May 2020 and January 2021, 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 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 reject any request that is not properly justified.

4. 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. There are three installments per year. Installments are conditional upon receipt of all required documents.
Cancellation of an installment or the scholarship	Failure to receive all required documents within two months of the scheduled start of installment and no postponement has been requested, the FRQS cancels the installment. FRQS terminates the scholarship if two consecutive installments have to be canceled due to missing documents.
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.

5. 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.

6. 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 of the research problem and concordance of the hypotheses and objectives – Relevance of the methods and analyses – Feasibility – Originality of the project and contribution to the advancement of knowledge	30 97 7 7
	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 – Scholarships/fellowships, 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
Criteria and weighting Renewal application	Achievements since the start of postdoctoral training – Lectures and presentations – Publications	40 20 20

7. 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.

8. COMMITMENTS

Any application submitted to this program is subject to compliance with the conditions set out in the FRQnet electronic portals and forms.

9. TRAINING LOCATION (PARTNER) 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.

10. OPEN ACCESS

In accordance with the Fonds de recherche du Québec Open access policy for the dissemination of research, all funding recipients must agree to make their publications freely available in open access within 12 months of publication. For further information concerning FRQ requirements on the subject, please consult our Open science Web page.

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. EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

The Fonds de recherche du Québec wish to contribute to supporting a research ecosystem based on equity, diversity and inclusion. Measures have been put in place to strengthen the integration of these principles. Funding recipients are also encouraged to consider them in the context of their research activities. For more information, see our statements on equity, diversity and inclusion.

13. IMPORTANT MODIFICATIONS SINCE THE LAST COMPETITION

Eligibility Requirements
Required documents
Amount of the award : Cancellation of an installment or the scholarship
Evaluation
New sections: Open access and Equity, diversity and inclusion

14. PARTNER

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Note: By accepting an award in partnership under this program, the awardee agrees to be contacted by the partner for activities related to the award.