FRQS – Undergraduate Introduction to Research Award 2024-2025

• have Canadian citizenship or permanent residency

AND

• have a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card valid up to the competition deadline, or proof that a card has been requested from RAMQ and that its validity will cover the competition deadline;
• have been enrolled, at the time of application, in at least two consecutive full-time sessions or three consecutive part-time sessions in the same undergraduate program;
• be working on a research project in one of the research fields covered by the FRQS;
• be supervised by a university researcher meeting status 1 or 2 of the Common General Rules (CGR), section Definitions – Status and roles;
• submit a complete application (see Application section).

These eligibility conditions must be met throughout the duration of the fellowship.

• people who have not continued their studies in the year preceding their application;
• internships that are an integral part of the academic curriculum of the training program and lead to university credits;
• people who have already completed an undergraduate research internship;
• people who have already obtained a 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd cycle university diploma;
• people who have already received an FRQ bursary for an introductory research internship at 1^st cycle level (people who have already completed a research internship at college level are eligible to apply).

When an applicant is living with a disability within the meaning of the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, schools and workplace integration (R.S.Q E-20.1), the requirements related to the eligibility period shall not apply.

The internship must be carried out in a Quebec university environment. The FRQS reserves the right to refuse an internship that does not meet the program’s objectives:

• for each competition, only one application may be submitted for the same internship: it is not possible for several students to apply for funding for the same internship;
• for each competition, one person may supervise only one internship application submitted for that competition: an internship supervisor may not supervise several students applying for funding under this program;
• the FRQS reserves the right to refuse an application if it deems that there is too much similarity between the two internships.

• The duration of the internship is 2 to 6 months, but cannot exceed 280 hours. The internship may exceptionally be carried out in several stages subject to prior approval by the FRQS.
• It must start no later than 6 months after the application deadline*.

*The start and end dates of the internship may be modified and is  subject to the approval by the FRQ of a documented change request sent by email to the address for the program (bir-sante@staging.frq.gouv.qc.ca). The proposed change must comply with all the eligibility rules and must not change the nature of the internship, as assessed by the FRQ.

The time spent on the internship can vary between 1 and 5 days per week, to be broken down as needed.

We consider that a day of internship is equivalent to 7 hours.

Up to $2,500 per month for a total maximum of $5,000 per internship.

This amount will be adjusted according to the duration of the internship and the hours devoted to it. For example:

35 hours per week = $2,500/month for a maximum of 8 weeks or 280 hours

28 hours per week = $2,000/month for a maximum of 10 weeks or 280 hours

21 hours per week = $1500/month for a maximum of 13 weeks or 280 hours

14 hours per week = $1,000/month for a maximum of 20 weeks or 280 hours

7 hours per week = $500/month for a maximum of 24 weeks or 168 hours

Under this program, only one internship may be funded per person.

At the rate of one instalment per month, the grant is paid directly to the applicant.

If the internship is interrupted, you must promptly inform the FRQS. Payments will then be suspended.

From the internship setting

The individual who holds an Undergraduate Introduction to Research Award to carry out an internship shall not be employed and/or paid by the internship setting at any time during the internship period.

Important: It is the responsibility of the individuals carrying out the internships to ensure they have insurance coverage for the entire internship period. When the institution or practice setting does not provide coverage, the awardee must take out private insurance.

Accumulation of grants

If an Undergraduate introduction to research award is awarded, no accumulation with another grant that supports the same internship project is permitted.

This program does not benefit from the amount paid by the FRQS to cover the institutions’ indirect research costs.

• Undergraduate Introduction to Research Award e-form (PDF version for information purposes), including the following documents, which must be attached in the Other documents section:
  • Copy of valid Quebec health insurance card or proof of RAMQ eligibility (official document from RAMQ prior to receipt of card; must cover competition deadline) (critical for eligibility);
  • Proof of full-time enrolment in a Quebec university for at least 2 sessions (or equivalent) out of the 3 sessions preceding the competition closing date, or three consecutive part-time sessions in the same undergraduate program;
  • The competition session is excluded from the calculation. The summer session is automatically calculated even if the person is not registered. Proof of registration means an official transcript of grades or an official document from the registrar’s office;
  • If the session in progress at the time of application is not recorded on the transcript, please attach proof of registration. By proof of registration, we mean an official transcript or an official document from the registrar’s office;
  • Letter justifying the choice of internship and host environment (1 page maximum). Consult the evaluation grid and use it as a guide for writing your letter. The text may be written in French or English;
  • Copies of official transcripts for all years of university study (completed or not);
  • Formulaire pour le milieu d’accueil – Offre de stage (available in the Toolbox) duly completed by the person who will be supervising the internship. Once completed, the form should have a maximum of 5 pages;
  • A letter of reference (written by a professor, teacher or academic person who is not the person supervising the internship);
  • Curriculum vitae (free format, maximum 2 pages).

• Internship offer form (Formulaire pour le milieu d’accueil, available in the Toolbox) attached by the applicant to the application form. Once completed, the form should be no longer than 5 pages in length.
• This form should be written by the person supervising the internship and has two sections:
  • A description of the introductory research project with a defined description of the roles and tasks assigned to the intern.
  • A short description of the host environment, including the additional training and mentorship available to the student.
• This form from the person supervising the internship must be accompanied by a one-page schedule of planned activities related to the objectives of the internship and specify the number of hours per week that the intern is expected to spend at the research site.

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.

1. The candidate must create a user account: if this has not already been done, the candidate must create a user account in the e-Portfolio.
2. Then, complete and submit the electronic application form: the applicant.e may find the application form in their e-Portfolio, under Available competitions/Training and internship awards  (Concours disponibles/Bourses de formation). The completed form must include the supporting documents listed below.
3. Finally, attach any documentation justifying an exception to the eligibility requirements. The FRQ reserves the right to refuse any request for exception measures that are insufficiently justified.

For details on the measures of exception to eligibility, refer to Sections 3.1 and 4.2 of the Master’s Training Grants programs. It is important to check the correct transmission of the FRQnet electronic form from the Portfolio in the My forms (Mes formulaires) section. The statement: Submitted to the Fonds (Transmis au Fonds) must appear in the form status column.