Competition year : 
2019-2020

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

Announcement of results : 
April 2019

Amount : 
$45,000 per year

Duration : 
2 years

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 program is open to human health care professionals with a professional degree who wish to undertake research training in order to prepare for parallel careers as clinicians and research investigators.

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.

1. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Eligible applicants
  • Applicants with a professional university degree in healthcare and a valid license to practice in Québec.

  • Canadian citizens or permanent residents, domiciled in Québec (as defined in the Common General Rules, art. 2.1)

Canadian citizens or permanent residents who did not reside in Québec previously OR 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.

Professionals interested in enrolling in a master or doctoral program must apply to:

  • Master Training for Applicants with a professional Degree in Human Health (see program rules)
  • Doctoral Training for Applicants with a professional Degree in Human Health (see program rules)

Applicants with both a professional degree and a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) who are interested in pursuing research training must apply to:

  • Postdoctoral Training program
Terms and conditions
  • Must devote at least 75% of his/her time to the research project.
  • 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 Definitions section of the Common General Rules).

Restrictions

Not eligible :

  • Those who hold an academic position, unless they take unpaid leave for the duration of the training award. An official letter confirming their employment status for the period and stating that they will resume their position once the training is completed should be provided by the employer
  • Individuals who have received or are currently receiving a Professional Postgraduate Training in Research (Fellowship) from a Québec granting agency (e.g. FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC) are not eligible for this competition (except 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 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.

2. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Before 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
  • Canadian Common CV, Funding CV version, for the FRQS (updated since June 2016);
  • Detailed contributions updated since June 2016 (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 en recherche post-diplôme professionnel (fellowship)
    PDF version – for information

  • A copy of official academic transcripts (except renewal applications)
  • Copies of all award, honours and distinction notices, including FRQS awards
  • Acknowledgements from publishers for articles that are submitted or accepted for publication

For individuals with a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and domiciled in Québec:

  • a 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)

For individuals without a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and domiciled in a province other than Québec:

  • an official document confirming that the individual lives in Québec on a regular and daily basis for at least 6 months within the 7 months preceeding the submission deadline of the competition (see the list of accepted documentation in the Toolbox)

For individuals without a Canadian citizenship or permanent residency:

  • an official document confirming that the individual lived in Québec on a regular and daily basis for at least six months within the seven months preceding the submission deadline of the competition (see the list of accepted documentationn in the Toolbox)
Research supervisor (and co-supervisor, if applicable)
At the start date of the award
At the start date of the award and annually thereafter

The awardee must submit:

  • proof of membership to a professional corporation certifying that the applicant is entitled to practice in Québec

  • a written confirmation of the beginning or the continuation of the project from the research supervisor

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 applicable (by email in a single PDF document)

3. TRAINING LOCATION

Choice of training location
  • in a Québec research environment

OR

  • in a internationally recognized Canadian or foreign research environment exclusively for individuals who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents AND have a valid Quebec health insurance card OR evidence of eligibility to the RAMQ

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

Change of training location, research project or supervisor

Awardees who wish to change their research project, supervisor or training institution must submit the FRQS modification request form Change of research project, supervisor or training location (see Toolbox) and the required documents in a single PDF.

4. DURATION OF THE FELLOWSHIP

Effective date 

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

Duration

2 years and possibly a third year, 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 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 installments of the award planned for each month of the parental leave will be rescheduled at the end of the funding period.

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.

Acquiring relevant experienceIt is possible, for each full year of funding provided by the FRQS, to suspend and postpone the award installments for a maximum of 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. 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 reject any request that is not properly justified or relevant.

5. AMOUNT OF THE FELLOWSHIP

Amount$45,000/year*

* except in some cases (see the section Awards in partnership)

A $10,000 supplement is added for professional postgraduate training outside Québec

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.

Revenue Canada’s T4A form and Revenue 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

Authorized paid workAwardees may supplement their income through professional activities, provided that they devote at least 75% of their time to research or research training and that the source of the income is not an FRQS grant.
Institution or supervisor

Awardees may accept additional funding from the 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. 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 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.

Travel expenses

The travel expenses (one return economy airline ticket) of awardees and their close family (spouse and children) carrying out their projects in institutions located outside Québec may be reimbursed upon the presentation of supporting documents, as long as these expenses are not reimbursed by another organization.

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 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
30
10
20
Academic record
– Awards, honours, and distinctions
15
15
Skills and experiences
– Lectures, presentations and publications
25
25
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 the
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

  • Required documents
  • Duration of the award

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:

  • Applicants must select by priority order, one or more partners whose research areas are in line with the themes of their application in order of preference (see section Partenariats [partnerships] on the form).

  • The FRQS sends the partners a list of applications for relevancy review based on their interests and research priorities.

  • Applications are then reviewed by the regular FRQS committees of experts or peers. Applications with a scientific excellence score of at least 70% and also relevant to one or more partners may be considered for funding in partnership.

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 diseaseAlzheimer Society of Canada
Candidates must also submit an application to the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
Amount of the award: $51,500 per year.
Child HealthCanadian Child Health Clinician Scientist Program (CCHPSP)

Candidates must also submit an application to the CCHCSP.

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

Hypertension

Société québécoise d’hypertension artérielle (SQHA) – Jacques de Champlain Award
The Jacques de Champlain Award in Cardiovascular Health and Hypertension fields includes a research support supplement (maximum of $10,000 per year).

Kidney Health

The Kidney Foundation of Canada – KRESCENT Research Program

All candidates must also submit an application to the KRESCENT Program (Kidney Research Scientist Core Education and National Training).  Amount of the award: $55,000 per year.

Macular DegenerationFondation Antoine-Turmel
Priority will be given to doctoral and postdoctoral training.
Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada
Training Awards in the Multiple Sclerosis research field. Candidates must also submit an application to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. Only physicians are eligible. Amount of the award: minimum of $50,500 per year.

OsteoporosisFondation Antoine-Turmel
Priority will be given to doctoral and posdoctoral training awards.
Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson Canada
Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field. All candidates must also submit an application to the Parkinson Canada. Amount of the award: maximum of $50,000 per year.
Parkinson’s diseaseParkinson Québec
Training Awards in the Parkinson’s Disease research field.