Master’s Training / 2022-2023

• completed or intend to complete an undergraduate university degree;
• at the time of filing the application, had an overall average of at least B+ or the equivalent (not rounded up) in their undergraduate university program (only grades related to the degree on which students are admitted to the master’s degree program shall be considered);
• were enrolled in a Québec university for at least two (2) full-time semesters (or the equivalent) in the three (3) semesters prior to the competition deadline OR have a health insurance card from the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) that is valid at the competition deadline or proof that an application for a health insurance card was filed with the RAMQ and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline (see Section 2.1 of the Common General Rules);

• are currently enrolled in a master’s research program on a full-time basis or intend to enrol in a master’s research program on a full-time basis before January 15, 2023, and whose research project has a direct bearing on human health. To be considered research-based, the master’s program must consist of at least 18 credits related to research and lead to a thesis;
• on April 30, 2022, will have completed no more than three (3) semesters of their master’s degree program (the number of registered sessions is calculated from the first date of enrolment in a research-based master’s degree program in human health). The summer semester is calculated as a matter of course, even if the student is not registered.

IMPORTANT NOTES

1. Health professionals with a license valid in Québec will benefit from applying to one of the following award programs:
   • Master’s degree program for individuals who completed a professional diploma (see program rules)
   • Fellowship training (post-professional diploma) (see program rules)
2. Individuals who began doctoral training after completing an undergraduate degree or professional master’s degree and individuals who are fast-tracked to a doctoral program without completing a master’s degree would benefit from applying to master’s competition if they are eligible to do so (up to three semesters on April 30, 2022).
3. Individuals who enrol in France in a master’s of advanced studies (diplôme d’études approfondies) or the equivalent must submit their applications to master’s degree competitions.

These requirements shall remain in effect for the tenure of the award.

• Individuals who discontinued their master’s degree studies due to parental leave or special leave for serious illness or major family obligations may seek to defer the eligibility period for up to one (1) year.
• When an individual has a disability within the meaning of the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (CQLR c E-20.1), the eligibility period shall not apply.

• be university researchers or clinical university researchers (see definitions section of the Common General Rules). *

*When an applicant’s research supervisor is located outside Québec, the supervisor must still meet the requirements of the university researcher or clinical university researcher status in terms of university affiliation and autonomy (see definitions section of the Common General Rules).

The training location may be a university located in or outside Québec. To use a training award outside Québec, the awardee must:

• have a health insurance card from the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) that is valid at the competition deadline or proof that an application for a health insurance card was filed with the RAMQ and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline (see Section 2.1 of the Common General Rules). The name and expiry date must be legible. Proof of private insurance shall not be accepted

AND

• be a Canadian citizen at the time of filing the application.

Individuals who do not have a valid health insurance card from the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) or proof that an application for a health insurance card was filed with the RAMQ and individuals who are not Canadian citizens at the time of filing the application must follow training in Québec (see Section 2.1 of the Common General Rules).

Awardees must be physically present at the training location to carry out their research training. Distance learning is not permitted.

• individuals enrolled in a professional master’s or doctoral program;
• individuals enrolled in certain psychology programs (see the page: Eligibility of psychology programs to FRQS training grants);
• individuals who have already completed a master’s research program in human health;
• individuals who received funding from a recognized agency (e.g. SSHCR, NSERC, CIRH, FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC, etc.) over a total period of six (6) years (or 18 semesters) (see section 6.1 of the Common General Rules).

With the support of their supervisor, students who are granted a regular master’s degree award and who are then accepted in a doctor of medicine program are entitled to only one year of funding. To receive a second year of funding, they must enrol in an MD-MSc program.

Basic research ethics training is mandatory for all FRQS awardees whose project or research program involves humans.

Research involving humans implies:

• the participation of humans;
• the use of human biological material (parts, products, tissues, cells, human genetic material from a living or deceased person);
• assisted human reproduction activities and/or the use of resulting embryos 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 humans.

Developed by the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux (MSSS), the program includes levels 1 and 3 of the research ethics courseware.

Awardees must complete the training program to receive the first payment of the second year of their FRQS funding (see Required documents section).

Applicants

• Master’s training application e-form PDF version – for information
• Copy of a health insurance card from the Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) that is valid at the competition deadline or proof that an application for a health insurance card was filed with the RAMQ and that the card will be valid at the competition deadline. The name and expiry date must be legible. Proof of private insurance shall not be accepted OR proof of full-time (or equivalent) enrolment in a Québec university for two (2) of the three (3) semesters prior to the competition deadline. The semester of the competition shall not be used to calculate the two full-time semesters of the three prior to the deadline;

• Copies of official transcripts (unofficial transcripts in electronic format not accepted) for all years of study (completed and incomplete)
  • For an ongoing study program, the transcripts must be the most recent
  • The transcripts must be complete and include the rating scales (back of the transcript), for both Quebec and foreign applicants.
  • Transcripts obtained outside of North America must be accompanied by a letter explaining the grading system in effect at the institution concerned.
  • Transcripts issued in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a professional translation certified as true to the original.
• Attestation from the registrar confirming enrolment in each full-time semester that does not appear on the transcript, as well as for each part-time and/or unregistered semester;
• Acknowledgements of submitted articles and notifications from editors for accepted articles;
• Required documents for exceptions, as the case may be (e.g. medical certificate).

Research supervisors (and co- supervisors)

• Supervisor’s (or co- supervisor’s) e-form, as the case may be   PDF version – for information

The elements that make up an official transcript vary from one academic institution to another. However, to be deemed official by the Fonds, the requirements are as follows:

• Transcript is issued by the university;
• Transcript includes elements indicating it is an official document issued by the university (e.g. university seal AND/OR signature of the registrar AND/OR the official transcript reference, etc.);
• A watermark does not make a transcript non-official, providing the requirements listed here are met;
• The transcript may be a scan of a transcript delivered by the registrar in a sealed envelope. Opening the envelope to scan the transcript does not make the document non-official for the Fonds.

A transcript that does not meet the requirements listed here or does not include official elements shall be considered NON-OFFICIAL, and the application shall therefore be deemed ineligible.

If the university does not issue transcripts:

• Supporting letter from the university (office of the registrar or equivalent administrative authority) specifying the reasons for which a transcript is not available;

If no transcript is issued and the applicant cannot obtain a letter from the university:

• Supporting letter from the applicant endorsed by the director of the department with which the host institution is affiliated explaining why a transcript is not issued.

AT THE START DATE OF THE AWARD AND IN EVERY FOLLOWING SEMESTER

• official proof of enrolment (applicants in universities outside Québec)

Applicants who are pursuing their training in Québec are not required to provide proof of enrolment, since universities send confirmations to the Fonds directly.

AT THE START OF THE SECOND YEAR OF THE AWARD

• confirmation of supervision form from the supervisor – master’s and doctoral degrees
• Ethics training certifications (levels 1 and 3), as the case may be

If all the required documents are not received in the two (2) months following the start of the semester or should the applicant fail to meet the eligibility requirements and not request a deferral, the FRQS shall cancel the payment for the semester. When the payments for two consecutive sessions are cancelled because required documents are missing or the applicant has failed to meet eligibility requirements, the FRQS shall terminate the award.

Up to $17 500 per year*

*Exceptions apply (see partnership awards section 14)

• The award is paid to the awardee in three payments per year.
• The payments are made on May 30, September 30 and January 30.
• The payments are conditional upon the submission of all required documents through the ePortfolio and compliance with eligibility requirements.
• When an application remains incomplete and/or does not meet eligibility requirements in the two (2) months following the start of the payment period and a deferral is not requested, the FRQS will cancel the payment.
• The FRQS will terminate the award if two consecutive payments are cancelled due to missing documents and/or failure to meet eligibility requirements.

Read the awardee’s guide for more information on the requirements to receive award payments and the payment schedule.

The awardee is responsible for paying income tax on the amounts received from the FRQS. The FRQS does not make any deductions at the source on the amounts paid in a taxation year.

The payment date determines the year in which the awardee must file income tax returns for the amounts paid as income.

The T4A slip issued by Revenue Canada and Relevé 1 issued by Revenu Québec are available in the award management section of the FRQS ePortfolio in late February following the tax year.

The information provided in the program rules is for information purposes only. The FRQS shall not be held responsible for the validity of any information pertaining to income tax.

This program does not provide FRQS funding to cover institutions’ indirect research costs.

The award may begin in May 2022 (summer semester), September 2022 (fall semester) or January 2023 (winter semester) depending on the start date of the study program.

However, if a master’s program is already underway in May 2022, the award must begin in May 2022 (exceptions apply).

The award covers a period of two (2) years or until the master’s degree program is completed (final submission of thesis), whichever the earlier. The award is non-renewable.

Use of the remaining payment

Awardees who complete their master’s degree without using all the payments may use one unused master’s award payment to begin a research doctorate, providing the program begins in the following semester, that the payment is made during the tenure of the initial award and all eligibility requirements are met.

Fast-tracking to a doctorate

Master’s awardees who plan to pursue doctoral studies without completing a master’s program may use the remaining master’s program payments to begin a research doctorate, providing the program begins in the following semester and all eligibility requirements are met. The payments must be made during the tenure of the initial award, and the awardee must have received at least one master’s award payment.

Master’s awardees who are fast-tracked to a research doctorate before beginning a master’s shall be entitled to up to one year (three semesters) of master’s award payments to transition to the doctoral program providing the eligibility requirements are met.

These situations shall not apply if an applicant accepts a doctoral award from the FRQS.

Parental leave

Awardees may defer an award payment during a parental leave (maternity, paternity or adoption) for a period of up to twelve (12) months. An awardee who has already received payments for an FRQS award and requests parental leave may receive an amount equal to six (6) months of the FRQS funding.

In such cases, awardees must complete and attach the award deferral form and supporting documents to their ePortfolio to inform the FRQS of their plan to request a supplement for a parental leave.

Sick leave and other types of leave

Awardees may defer an award during sick leave or for other reasons stipulated in the Act respecting labour standards under the terms set out in Section 6.14 of the Common General Rules. In such cases, awardees must complete and attach the award deferral form to their ePortfolio.

Relevant experience

For every full year of FRQS funding, an awardee may suspend the award payments for the equivalent of one semester (four months) to gain relevant experience (work with a research team, teaching experience in her/his field of study, language stay, etc.). The payments are then deferred to the end of the tenure of the award.

Deferrals to gain relevant experience may be consecutive when approved by the research supervisor.

For a deferral to gain experience, the awardee must first submit a request to the FRQS by completing the award payment deferral form. In addition, the research supervisor must provide a letter confirming her/his approval and the relevance of the awardee’s activities to gain experience.

Any changes to an awardee’s status must be reported in the funding management module of the ePortfolio, as specified in Section 6.5 of the Common General Rules. Read the awardee’s guide (Document menu, ePortfolio blue banner) to learn where to find the required documents and attach them to the ePortfolio.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any irrelevant or incomplete request.

Only family caregivers, parents and persons with a disability may be part-time students.

Family caregivers

This measure applies only to awardees who are family caregivers for a member of their close family or who are the primary caregivers of a young child.

During part-time semesters, the awardee will receive 50% of the value of the regular award payments.

The awardee must complete the part-time studies form and attach it to her/his ePortfolio along with these documents:

• an attestation of part-time studies from the university
• a letter of support from the research supervisor
• a copy of a medical certificate (family caregiver), birth certificate or adoption order (parent)

This measure may be cumulated with parental insurance plan benefits, as the case may be.

Person with a disability

This measure only applies to awardees who have a disability within the meaning of the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school and workplace integration (CQLR c E-20.1).

During their part-time studies, awardees will receive full award payments, provided the university authorizes part-time studies.

The awardee must complete the part-time studies form and attach it to her/his ePortfolio with the following documents:

• attestation of part-time studies from the university
• letter of support from the research supervisor
• medical certificate attesting to the condition

Any changes to an awardee’s status must be reported in the funding management module of the ePortfolio, as specified in Section 6.5 of the Common General Rules.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any incomplete request.

• In addition to their master’s degree training, awardees may undertake up to 225 hours of paid work per semester (45 hours per semester for a course assignment). One semester is equivalent to four months.
• The employment must be approved by the research supervisor, and the work must not have a negative impact on the awardee’s research activities.
• The hours worked must be reported to the Fonds with each request for payment through the ePortfolio.

The institution or research supervisor may grant an award supplement, which should not be reported in the ePortfolio.

It is the FRQS awardee’s responsibility to determine if the award supplement is allowed by the institution or research supervisor.

• Awardees may not hold concurrent awards.
• FRQS awardees who sought and received an award from another public funding agency or foundation recognized by the FRQS must inform the FRQS and decline the Fonds’ award when it is offered, except in the case of a supplement from the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et sécurité du travail (IRSST). However, if the other award has a lesser value or shorter funding period, the recipient is eligible to receive an amount to cover the difference.
• FRQS awardees who sought and received a graduate award from one of the three Fonds de recherche du Québec may choose the start date of the graduate award (for holders who are fast-tracked to a doctoral program without completing a master’s).

FRQS training awardees may hold a concurrent research internship award that is not part of their study program from another organization provided certain conditions are met.

For an internship valued at $5 000 or less, the awardee must inform the FRQS by email prior to the start of the internship.

For an internship valued at $5 000 or more, before the start of the internship, the awardee must obtain approval from the FRQS by completing the internship authorization form. When approval is granted, the awardee may:

• receive the training and internship awards payments concurrently

OR

• defer the amount of the FRQS award for a period equivalent to the internship period, up to six months.

Awardees who seek to change their research project, supervisor, program or training location must submit the request for changes form and required documents in a single PDF file (see awardee’s guide).

Any changes to an awardee’s status must be reported in the funding management module of the ePortfolio, as specified in Section 6.5 of the Common General Rules. Read the awardee’s guide for further details on informing the FRQS of any changes.

In the interest of fairness, the Fonds shall ensure the requested change does not challenge the outcome of the scientific review and meets all eligibility requirements and program rules. The request shall be reviewed by the Fonds, which may decide to pursue, reduce, suspend or terminate the payments. The Fonds may also require that the amounts paid be reimbursed. The decision shall be communicated by email.

The FRQS reserves the right to reject any incomplete request.