NOTICE – The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) was established on June 1, 2024, in accordance with the Act to amend the Act respecting the Ministère de l’Économie et de l’Innovation with respect to research. The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT), the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) have since been regrouped into the new FRQ, which continues their existence. The rights and obligations of the FRQNT, FRQS and FRQSC have become those of the FRQ; activities continue as usual.

Please note that if you come across an old name or logo of one of the Fonds de recherche du Québec in the program rules or on the website, it should now read as follows:

  • The FRQNT becomes the Nature et technologies sector;
  • The FRQS becomes the Santé sector;
  • The FRQSC becomes the Société et culture sector.

Thank you for your understanding.

Competition year : 
2017-2018

Deadline (pre-request) : 
May 4th, 2016 at 16:00 (EST)

Deadline (application) : 
November 16th, 2016 at 16:00 (EST)

Announcement of results : 
End of april 2017

Amount : 
Up to $250,000 per year

Duration : 
Up to 6 years

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NOTE : In the event of a discrepancy between the English and French versions of this program, the French version prevails.

The Strategic Clusters (Regroupements stratégiques) program to support large-scale research projects was launched in 2000. The ambitious initiative involves a wide array of program components and significant funding for extended periods in an effort to substantially increase the transfer credits of the Fonds de recherche and provide a unique key means to structure research. Alongside this triennial program, the Fonds has also implemented an annuel, more flexible complementary structuring option, the Team Support program (Soutien aux équipes de recherche).

The Strategic Clusters program is aimed at two types of structures. The centres and networks have distinct goals and meet different structuring needs. The strategic clusters (centres and networks) must set out ambitious scientific objectives, bring together a critical mass of researchers and meet the highest standards of excellence with regards to their research and research training activities. The centres must develop a scientific program to understand complex phenomena through the concerted efforts of researchers in different fields. With the implementation of large-scale projects, the networks seek to meet the research structuring needs of a specific field by deploying a structuring initiative to create ties between research environments and practice settings.

The types of activities led by the centres and networks (research expertise pooling, scientific activities, research training, broad results dissemination) have a collaborative scope that reaches beyond the teams’ responsibilities to their members.

The Strategic Clusters program aims to foster:

  • The optimal use of major scientific facilities in the social sciences, humanities, arts and literature;
  • The commercialization of research results for potential users and society as a whole;
  • The development of formal and structured international ties.

The Strategic Clusters program was implemented as a key leveraging tool to structure research and position Québec researchers on the international stage and in national research programs led, for example, by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Canada Research Chairs

Table of contents

  1. Program rules

1. Program rules

These rules apply to the 2017-2018 fiscal year.

Updated April 18, 2016

Program rules (for print)