Postdoctoral Research Creation Fellowship (B5) FRQSC 2024-2025

Competition year :
2024-2025

Deadline (application) :
October 12^th, 2023 at 16:00 (EST)

Announcement of results :
End of April 2024

Amount :
$45,000/year + $10,000/year if the host environment is more than 250 km from Québec + supplement for production costs

Duration :
6 to 24 months + possibility of additional 12 months (conditions apply)

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

This program refers to the Common General Rules (CGR) of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), which are applicable to all Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) programs. It is the responsibility of applicants and/or funding holders to read the CGR, which set out all rules governing competitions and managing awards. Only the special conditions applicable to the FRQSC Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship program (B5) are indicated in this document and these prevail over the CGR.

The link to the FRQnet E-portfolio and the forms associated with this competition is available under Portals access on the website. Further details are available in the “Documents” menu of the FRQnet E-portfolio.

AT THE COMPETITION DEADLINE OF 4 P.M. ON OCTOBER 12, 2023, THE STATUS OF THE APPLICATION IN THE FRQnet SYSTEM MUST BE “SUBMITTED TO THE FONDS”. AN APPLICATION WITH ANY OTHER STATUS WILL BE CONSIDERED INADMISSIBLE.

IN ADDITION, A CREATION PORTFOLIO MUST BE UPLOADED ON THE COMPETITION DEADLINE TO THE FRQSC’s “Répertoire de partage sécurisé de documents “, AS INSTRUCTED IN SECTION 4.3 OF THESE RULES. IN THE ABSENCE OF THE CREATION PORTFOLIO, THE APPLICATION WILL BE DEEMED INELIGIBLE.

Should you have any questions while preparing your application, do not hesitate to contact the program officer.

This version was updated on July 20, 2023, subject to the approval of the Ministre de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie.

OBJECTIVES
VALUE AND DURATION
ELIGIBILITY
APPLICATION
ASSESSMENT
FUNDING AND CONDITIONS
SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP
FUNDING EXTENSION – KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATON PLAN (B5R)
EFFECTIVE DATE

1. OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship program are as follows:

Contribute to the development of a new generation of researcher-creators within the academic and artistic communities;
Help new doctoral graduates to strengthen their research-creation skills, enhance their creative processes and promote and disseminate their work. In this respect, the postdoctoral internship must constitute an added value to the applicant’s doctoral research-creation work;
Encourage mobility towards stimulating and dynamic academic and artistic environments for research-creation, both nationally and internationally.

The Fonds uses the term research-creation to designate any research process or approach that fosters creation and aims at producing new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge. All of these processes and approaches must include, to varying degrees (depending on the practices and temporalities specific to each project):

1) Creative or artistic activities (design, experimentation, technology, prototype, etc.)

AND

2) The problematization of these activities (critical and theoretical analysis of the creative process, conceptualisation, etc.).

As there can be no research-creation without give and take between the work of art and the creation process by which it exists, the Fonds requires that the creative or artistic activities and their problematization be carried out by the same person.

For the purposes of the Fonds, a research-creation approach is based on:

A sustained creative or artistic practice;
The problematization of this creative or artistic practice;
The transmission, presentation and dissemination of the experimentation and/or results of research-creation projects of all types to students, peers and the general public.

Specifically, the research-creation activities carried out under this program must contribute to the development of productions or works resulting from a creative or artistic practice, provided that they offer an element of renewal or innovation in terms of approach, process, technology, materials, form of presentation or experimentation, repertory or interpretative style. These productions must lend themselves to problematization leading to the development of new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge.

For the purposes of this program, performance in the context of a theatrical, choreographic or musical presentation is considered to be creation provided that it is innovative and gives rise to a problematization.

The following do not qualify for this program:

Performance as exegesis or as an analysis of a creator’s artistic works or productions;
The development of productions resulting from an artistic or creative practice that are not accompanied by problematization leading to the development of new aesthetic, theoretical, methodological, epistemological or technical knowledge.

2. VALUE AND DURATION

The annual value of the postdoctoral research fellowship is $45,000.

The duration of the postdoctoral research fellowship is a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 24 months. Recipients of a FRQSC postdoctoral fellowship are also eligible to apply for a funding extension for an additional year through the Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship – Knowledge Mobilization Plan (B5R) program. See Section 8 of these rules for the terms and conditions of this program.

If the postdoctoral research is being carried out more than 250 km from Québec’s borders, an annual supplement of $10,000 will be granted for a total of $55,000 per year. In the case of co-supervision with a Québec institution, the amount will be adjusted in proportion to the number of months spent outside Québec.

Supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs

The Fonds also offers a supplement of up to $5,000 per year for costs relating to the conduct of the research-creation project (studio rental, purchase of materials and supplies, equipment rental, transport costs for works and/or equipment, etc.) on submission of a justification of the expenses with the application form. The supplement may also cover costs related to the dissemination and promotion of the research and/or creation also upon justification in the application form.

Variable costs incurred by a non-academic host organization for expenses related to the research-creation project may also be claimed. The organization’s fixed costs are not eligible. Expenses already reimbursed by another organization are not eligible.

The evaluation committee recommends the amount of the supplement based on the submitted justification and taking into account the objectives of the research-creation project. As a result, the recommended amount may be less than the amount indicated in the application.

The Fonds will also reimburse the purchase cost of books and reference documents to a maximum of $500 per year.

3. ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application as stipulated in the program rules and the CGR.

3.1 Eligibility period and target group

This program is aimed at applicants who:

obtained their doctorate in the 5 years prior to the competition deadline*;

have not yet completed their doctorate but will make their initial thesis submission no later than March 1st, 2025, the deadline by which grant payments must begin.

* Eligibility will be determined based on the date indicated on the doctoral diploma.

3.2 Eligibility period exceptions

Exceptions regarding postdoctoral fellowship eligibility periods will only be considered in circumstances that are beyond the applicant’s control. Applicants may have suspended or postponed their studies for parental leave, major family obligations, serious illness, or because of a disability. In all such cases, supporting documents must be submitted along with the application, in the sections intended for this purpose (see Section 4.2 – “Required Documents” below). The Fonds reserves the right to refuse any request that is not adequately justified.

Parental leave, major family obligations or serious illness

Applicants who have interrupted or delayed their studies for parental leave, major family obligations or serious illness may be granted an eligibility period extension. In the case of parental leave, the eligibility period may be extended for up to one year per parental leave. In the case of major family obligations or a career interruption due to serious illness, the Fonds will determine the extension to be granted based on the supporting documents provided by the applicant.

Persons with disabilities

Applicants who have suspended or postponed their studies for reasons related to a disability may also be granted an eligibility period extension. This exemption is in accordance with 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). Supporting documents are required and must be submitted with the application.

3.3 Citizenship and residence

The following section is based on Section 2.1 of the CGR.

3.3.1 Basic conditions

To be eligible to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship, applicants must:

be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

AND

have a Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline.

If either of the above conditions is not met, the applicant must submit the following document to be eligible:

an acceptance form from their fellowship supervisor at a Québec university (see section 4.1 of these rules for more information about this document).

3.3.2 Conditions for postdoctoral research outside Québec

An applicant may carry out their postdoctoral research outside Québec only if they:

are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

AND

have a Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline or proof of application for a RAMQ card and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline.

If either of the above conditions is not met, applicants must pursue their postdoctoral internship in Québec. Those under co-supervision are also subject to this rule. Continued physical presence in Québec is required throughout the duration of funding, apart from break periods listed in the university calendar, unless the institution approves* travel outside Québec deemed necessary for the proper implementation of activities related to the postdoctoral research.

* To avail themselves of this option if the fellowship is awarded, applicants must provide a Declaration of travel outside Québec (Déclaration de séjour hors Québec ) approved by the Québec university in the Manage my funding section of the FRQnet E-portfolio.

IMPORTANT: FRQSC scholarship holders must meet the citizenship and residency requirements throughout the duration of their scholarship. Applicants who are not eligible to use their fellowship outside Québec at the time of application will remain ineligible for the duration of the funding period, even if their citizenship and residency conditions change.

3.4 Restrictions

Applicants may only submit an application to one of the following FRQSC scholarship programs in the same year:

Master’s Research Scholarships (B1Z)
Doctoral Research Scholarships (B2Z)
Scholarships for re-entering the Research Community (A2Z)
Postdoctoral Fellowship (B3Z)
Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship (B5)

Applicants may only hold a scholarship from one of the Fonds (CGR, Section 3.1).

Applicants who receive or have received postdoctoral funding from a recognized agency in Québec or Canada (e.g. SSHRC, NSERC, CIHR, FRQSC, FRQNT, FRQS, FCAR, CQRS, etc.) are not eligible for this competition.

Applicants who hold a regular professorial position at a university are not eligible for this program, as per Section 2.2 of the CGR.

3.5 Choice of host environment (supervision and co-supervision, if applicable)

The research-creation postdoctoral internship may be carried out in an academic and/or artistic environment. The host organization(s) must enable applicants to join new networks, enhance their research-creation prospects and expose them to new approaches in a quality research and creation environment.

The postdoctoral research-creation internship may take place in a variety of settings: artists’ centre, cultural outreach agency, cultural journal, university research centre with programs that include and support research-creation, etc. The postdoctoral research-creation internship may also take the form of a collaboration with an artist or a group of artists. The applicant must plan to be present at the host environment throughout the duration of the fellowship, in accordance with the host environment integration objectives of this program.

The postdoctoral research can be co-supervised, provided that the applicant spends a minimum of 6 months of the 2 years at the co-supervisory environment. Co-supervision of the postdoctoral fellowship by members of academic and artistic environments is encouraged.

The host environment agrees to provide the artist with conditions that are conducive to artistic creation, production and dissemination. In certain cases, workspaces (e.g. studios) and other material resources needed for the internship will be requested. The host environment must also ensure ample opportunity for artistic and theoritical exchanges between creators and collaborators.

The choice of host environment(s) must comply with the conditions relating to citizenship and residency set out in Section 3.3 of these rules.

The Fonds encourages mobility outside Québec and internationally, when permitted by the program’s eligibility requirements. However, the research can be carried out in Québec if the project brings added value to the applicant’s research training AND the choice is clearly justified.

3.5.1 Internship supervisor

The fellowship must be supervised by a person whose position or university affiliation qualifies them to act as the sole supervisor of graduate students and independently lead research projects.

A fellowship holder cannot be supervised by their doctoral research supervisor. Similarly, the supervisor cannot be affiliated with the institution where the applicant carried out their doctoral studies.

3.5.2 Internship co-supervisor (if applicable)

The fellowship may be co-supervised by a person whose expertise is considered relevant to the postdoctoral research, and who holds a regular university position or a full-time paid position in a public, parapublic, community, private, or practice sector organization, or other setting deemed appropriate.

A fellowship holder cannot be co-supervised by their doctoral research supervisor. Similarly, the co-supervisor cannot be affiliated with the institution where the applicant carried out their doctoral studies.

3.5.3 Supervising institution

The supervised internship must take place at the supervisor’s institution of affiliation.

The supervised postdoctoral fellowship must be carried out at an institution other than the awarding institution or the co-supervisory/cotutelle institution (if applicable) of the doctoral degree.

IMPORTANT: Applicants who completed a joint doctoral program offered by multiple universities are encouraged to choose a host environment that is not at one of these associated universities. If not, this choice must be fully justified in the application.

3.5.4 Co-supervising institution (if applicable)

The co-supervising institution may be a university; a university-affiliated service centre; a public, parapublic, community, private or practice sector organization; or any other setting deemed appropriate.

A co-supervised postdoctoral fellowship must be carried out at an institution other than the awarding institution or the co-supervisory/cotutelle institution (if applicable) of the doctoral degree.

The restriction regarding the supervising institution for applicants who completed a joint doctoral program offered by multiple universities, as set out above, also applies to the choice of co-supervising institution, where applicable.

An exception may be made in the case of major family obligations, a disability or for serious health reasons. Following analysis by the Fonds, an applicant may be authorized to propose a postdoctoral research project at the same institution that awarded their doctorate, but under a different supervisor. In order for the application to be considered admissible at the eligibility stage, it is the applicant’s responsibility to provide the necessary explanations in an attachment in the “Host environment” section of the form and to upload relevant supporting documents (medical certificate, certificate of disability, proof of tax credit for caregivers, etc.) in the “Other documents” section. Note that only the explanatory document will be given to the scientific evaluation committee.

Applicants wishing to request an exception are advised to verify the admissibility of the exception with the program manager before submitting their application form.

3.5.5 Field research and data collection trips

Field research and data collection trips are permitted*. However, when these exceed a period of 6 months, a co-supervision agreement must be formalized in the application. A letter of acceptance must then be provided by the co-supervisor (see Section 4.1 below).

^{* In the case of applicants who are not eligible to use their fellowship outside Québec, all trips for field research or data collection must take place within Québec, unless the institution approves travel outside Québec deemed necessary for the proper implementation of activities related to the postdoctoral research (see Section 3.3.2 above for more information).}

4. APPLICATION

This section draws on Section 3 of the CGR “Submitting an Application”.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It is strongly recommended that all individuals who apply for a postdoctoral fellowship with the FRQSC simultaneously submit a similar application at the federal level.

As indicated in Section 3.1 of the CGR, applicants are responsible for sending their application package to the appropriate Fonds by referring to the list of Research areas of the three Fonds.

With regard to the language of submitted forms and documents, please refer to Section 3.6 of the CGR.

The form and all required documents, including the creation portfolio, must be transmitted before the competition deadline.

4.1 Forms

The Postdoctoral Research-Creation Fellowship (B5) application form is available in the FRQnet portal no later than one month before the competition deadline, under “Available competitions”.

Applicants must create an FRQnet user account on the Fonds website before applying, if they have not already done so.

The following forms are required:

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH-CREATION FELLOWSHIP(B5) APPLICATION FORM;
CANADIAN COMMON CV and DETAILED CONTRIBUTIONS: The Canadian Common CV and “Detailed contributions” attachment file are available in the Toolbox section on the fellowship program page or directly in the “Activity details” box in the FRQnet E-portfolio. The Canadian Common CV— “Fonds Société et culture” version—must be updated within the 12 months prior to the competition deadline. The Detailed Contributions attachment must be duly completed using the template specific to postdoctoral fellowship programs, available in the program Toolbox. Once completed, it must be attached to the application in the appropriate section of the FRQnet E-portfolio To ensure that the attachment is properly transmitted to the Fonds, it must be saved in PDF format under “Canadian Common CV” in the FRQnet E-portfolio.
For more information, please refer to Preparing a CV for the Fonds and Detailed Contributions attachment to the Canadian Common CV in the program Toolbox;

SUPERVISOR ACCEPTANCE FORM(S) AND LETTER(S): Supervisors, and co-supervisors where applicable, must complete the form provided for that purpose in their own FRQnet E-portfolio and attach the required file (letter of acceptance). A supervisor or co-supervisor who does not have an FRQnet account must first create a user account. Once they have been transmitted electronically in accordance with the instructions provided in the supervisor acceptance form, the form and letter will be automatically attached to the applicant’s fellowship application.

NOTE: this letter is mandatory even if the letter of invitation from the host environment is written by the same person.

Supervisors’ and co-supervisors’ must complete and submit their letters and forms prior to the submission of the applicant’s application, no later than the competition deadline. If any of these letters are not received by the Fonds, the application will be deemed ineligible.

Only letters completed using the supervisor acceptance form in the FRQnet E-portfolio will be accepted. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide the persons concerned with instructions for creating an account and writing the letter, and to ensure that the letters and forms are submitted before the deadline.

These letters of acceptance support the application but should in no way serve to fill any gaps in the applicant’s demonstration of alignment with the “Host environment” criterion.

ATTENTION: The supervisor’s acceptance form and the attached letter are a mandatory part of the funding application for all applicants. For applicants who, under the eligibility conditions relating to citizenship and residency, must do their postdoctoral research in Quebec (see 3.3), these two documents also allow the supervisor to certify that they will be hosting the applicant at the Québec university with which they are affiliated. A PDF version of the supervisor acceptance form is available in the program Toolbox, for information purposes only.

4.2 Required documents

All the required documents, detailed below, must be scanned (PDF file) without read protection or special double tab configuration and inserted directly into the application in the appropriate sections of the form under “Activity details”. Do not include any documents that are not required.

Any official document submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a professional translation certified as a true copy of the original document. Any other document submitted in a language other than French or English must include a basic translation.

It is required to refer to the FRQNet Application Presentation Standards document to properly format any documents to be attached to the application.

The number of pages required for each document may vary and is specified in the form.

The following documents are required:

4.2.1 “PRE-ELIGIBILITY” SECTION

RAMQ CARD (if applicable)
Applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents AND have

a Régie d’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) card that is valid at the competition deadline;

an official document from the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) that establishes their status as a resident of Québec within the meaning of the Health Insurance Act;

proof that a card has been requested from the RAMQ and that the new card will be valid at the competition deadline,
must provide one of these documents.

4.2.2 “UNIVERSITY RECORD” SECTION

The following documents must be scanned and grouped into a single PDF document in the order listed below, before attaching them in the “University record” section:

DOCTORAL TRANSCRIPTS (mandatory)

Any doctoral transcripts that are missing, incomplete, unofficial, not certified as a true copy, or out-of-date transcripts, as well as the absence of any other required document listed below, will render the application ineligible.

A copy of all transcripts is required, for all doctoral studies pursued by the applicant, whether completed or not. This includes transcripts from exchange programs or courses (equivalencies), where applicable.

Transcripts must be up-to-date and include all completed semesters and grading scales (back of transcript).

Transcripts sent to the Fonds must be official. What makes a transcript official may differ from one academic institution to another. Nonetheless, to be deemed official by the Fonds, each transcript must:

be issued by the institution in question;
include elements indicating that it is an official transcript for that academic institution. This may be the seal or stamp of the issuing institution AND/OR the registrar’s signature AND/OR the notation “Official Transcript”, etc.

THE PRESENCE OF A WATERMARK will not render a transcript unofficial, as long as it meets the requirements specified above.

A transcript delivered in a sealed envelope by the registrar’s office can be opened and its contents scanned. Opening the envelope to scan the transcript will not render it unofficial for the purposes of the Fonds.

PLEASE NOTE: For a current program of study, the transcript must include the last semester completed before the competition deadline, including the summer session, if applicable. In this context, the Fonds will validate this document based on the date of issue indicated on the transcript. This date must be after the last session completed before the competition deadline in order to be considered up-to-date.

Transcripts must be in vertical (portrait) orientation.

Other documents to be provided with the transcripts, where applicable:

For transcripts from institutions outside North America, the applicant must include a document (short letter) explaining the institution’s grading system, in order to allow a clear understanding of the transcripts.

If the institution where the applicant’s studies took place does not provide a transcript, the applicant must attach a letter of explanation from this institution (registrar’s office or equivalent administrative body) stating the reasons for the missing transcripts.

If such a letter from the institution is not available, a letter of explanation written by the applicant, justifying the absence of a transcript and endorsed by the department director at the host institution, must be attached to the application.

Either of these two last documents should allow the Fonds to verify the eligibility of the application, and then allow the evaluation committee to understand the situation and take it into consideration. The absence of either of these two letters, when required under the circumstances described above, will automatically render the application ineligible.

The following documents are mandatory and must be included in the appropriate sections of the form:

4.2.3 RESEARCH-CREATION PROJECT DESCRIPTION SECTION (3 pages)

Refer to the evaluation criteria for the research-creation project (5.2) to be sure of including all necessary elements.

4.2.4 BIBLIOGRAPHY SECTION (1 page)

List the full references of the works used in the project description. Links to web pages may be included as bibliographic references where relevant.

4.2.5 HOST ENVIRONMENT SECTION (2 pages)

Justification of the host environment (mandatory)

This justification must demonstrate the quality of the integration plan. Refer to the evaluation criteria for the host environment (5.2) to be sure of including all necessary elements. The benefits of co-supervision must also be demonstrated, if applicable.

4.2.6 REQUESTED SUPPLEMENT SECTION (1 page)

Justification and relevance of the supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs (if applicable) (see article 2 above)

4.2.7 “OTHER DOCUMENTS” SECTION

More specifically, the following documents must be attached in the “Other documents” section of the form.

DOCTORAL DIPLOMA OR OTHER OFFICIAL DOCUMENT (if applicable):

If the doctoral program has been completed, a copy of the applicant’s original doctoral diploma issued by the registrar’s office is required.

If the doctoral diploma has not yet been obtained, the applicant must include proof that the thesis has been successfully defended or proof of the final thesis submission.

If the thesis has not been defended, proof of the initial thesis submission* must be provided.

If the thesis has not been submitted at the time of application, no document is required.

* The document attesting to the official submission must be provided before the beginning of the fellowship.

LETTER OF INVITATION FROM THE HOST ENVIRONMENT:

An official letter of invitation from the head of an arts centre, cultural outreach agency, cultural magazine, research centre, university department or other organization authorized to supervise the internship confirming that the applicant has been accepted.

NOTE: this letter may be written by the research supervisor. In this case, the supervisor’s letter is still required.

PROOF OF REGISTRATION OR INVITATION (if applicable):

Proof of registration or invitation to participate in a workshop, lecture, colloquium, meeting, biennale, festival, symposium or any other relevant event.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENT FOR ELIGIBILITY PERIOD EXCEPTION (if applicable):

Applicants seeking eligibility period exceptions in accordance with Section 3.2 above must provide an official document for each birth since the thesis submission or a medical certificate attesting to serious health reasons or disability.

Similarly, applicants seeking an exception to the host environment rule (see Section 3.5 above) must include the required supporting documents (medical certificate, certificate of disability, proof of tax credit for caregivers, etc.).

4.3. Creation portfolio (mandatory)

ATTENTION: In the absence of the creation portfolio, the application will be deemed ineligible.

A portfolio is required, illustrating the applicant’s relevant creative achievements.

IMPORTANT: The creation portfolio must be transmitted in digital form, with all its component documents assembled into a single compressed file (ZIP file). Each document must be compressed, if required.

The digital file must be smaller than 2 GB.

The file must be identified as follows:

LAST NAME OF APPLICANT_APPLICATION NUMBER (e.g., SIMARD_654321).

It must be uploaded before the competition deadline to the FRQSC’s “Répertoire de partage sécurisé de documents “:

https://repertoire.staging.frq.gouv.qc.ca/partage

The applicant must authenticate using their email and password information used to access the FRQnet account.

It must include a description of the items presented (a maximum of one to two-page PDF document). This document must allow easy identification of the different items making up the creation portfolio and may contain links to one or more websites for large files. The creation portfolio may include files of various formats: PDF, MPEG, PNG, MP3, MP4, MOV, etc. A press kit – maximum of 15 pages – may also be included (PDF document).

The person evaluating the application should not need to spend more than fifteen minutes reading and assessing the creation portfolio.

Applicants are requested to send their accompanying documents only once, in their final version. A successful upload message will appear in a pop-up confirmation window. No other acknowledgement of receipt shall be sent.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If the portfolio cannot be transmitted in digital form, the applicant must notify the program officer sufficiently in advance to determine an alternative method of transmission.

If the portfolio is to be transmitted by post, the applicant must mail all documents being submitted for evaluation in triplicate to the following address:

Programme Bourse postdoctorale en recherche-création
Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture
140, Grande Allée Est, bureau 470
Québec (Québec) G1R 5M8

The Fonds will keep the documents submitted electronically or by post for a period of 90 days from the date on the letter announcing the results of the evaluation. After this time, unless otherwise requested, they will be disposed of.

The Canada Post postmark or the dated stamp of a messenger service will be considered proof of submission before the deadline of October 12, 2023.

All applications received by the Fonds are assessed for eligibility. A notice will be sent via email no later than December following the competition deadline, informing the applicant of the status of their application and, where applicable, its transmission to the evaluation committee.

Applicants whose application package is deemed incomplete or invalid will be notified by email that their application has not been transmitted to the evaluation committee.

An incomplete application that does not contain the information necessary to establish eligibility or which cannot be evaluated will be deemed invalid by the Fonds. Any documents that are not required will not be submitted to the evaluation committee. Applicants will not be notified of any information or documents missing from the application and no reminder will be made.

Any documents received after the competition deadline will not be considered and applications cannot be updated after this deadline.

5. ASSESSMENT

5.1 Evaluation process

Research-creation project description must be written in such a way as to be easily understandable in a multidisciplinary context. The role of the evaluation committees and the conditions governing funding decisions are specified in the CGR, Sections 4.4 and 4.5).

Committee members evaluate the applications according to the evaluation criteria, sub-criteria and weighting specified in these program rules, based on the Fonds Scoring System Grid.

To be recommended, an application must obtain an overall score of 70% or more.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants are advised to attach equal importance to both the evaluation criteria and their associated sub-criteria.

Applications are evaluated according to the following criteria, sub-criteria and weighting:

5.2 Evaluation criteria, sub-criteria and weighting

Research-creation project (45 points)

Originality and impact on the development or renewal of the field, and added value to the applicant’s doctoral work;

Problematization of the creative or artistic practice, and appropriateness of the methodology for the stated objectives;
Realism of the time frame, feasibility and relevance of the supplement for production, dissemination and promotion costs, if applicable;
Relevance of the planned dissemination activities.

Host environment (20 points)

Quality of the plan for integration into the host environment (planned research, creation, teaching and dissemination activities, development of a network of contacts beyond the supervisor, proximity to other potential research and creation environments, access to documentary, material and financial resources, etc.);

Quality and relevance of the chosen environment to the project (including supervisors’ and co- supervisors’ letters).

Expertise (35 points)

Quality of academic record and recognition (scholarships, awards and distinctions, training, academic standing);

Quality of achievements: production/dissemination (compositions, choreographic creations, recordings, environments, exhibitions, installations, works, etc.) and research-creation activities (design or development of creation or interpretation tools, publications, writing of articles, reviews and educational/instructional documents, etc.);
Relevance of professional academic and/or non-academic and/or artistic experience related to the project (e.g. research or teaching assistantships, teaching assignments, internships, employment, volunteer involvement, etc.).

6. FUNDING AND CONDITIONS

The conditions regarding the announcement and management of funding are set out in the CGR (Sections 5 to 8).

Peer-reviewed publications resulting from the research made possible by this award must be released as immediate open access (without embargo), under an open license, in accordance with the FRQ Open Access Policy for the Dissemination of Research (revised in 2022).

To retain the fellowship, fellowship holders must meet the following basic conditions throughout the duration of funding:

Respect the conditions relating to citizenship and place of residence.
Have made an initial thesis submission before starting the fellowship and meet all requirements for the doctoral degree at the time of the third instalment.
Be present at the host environment for the duration of the fellowship and devote himself/herself full-time to the postdoctoral research.
Respect the rules relating to concurrent funding.
Respect the rules relating to paid employment.

Fellowship holders must also comply with all applicable requirements specified in the program rules and the CGR.

The conditions and privileges attached to the fellowship in relation to citizenship status at the time of application (see 3.3) will continue to apply throughout the fellowship, even if citizenship status changes during the funding period.

Fellowship holders are required to inform the Fonds immediately if they cease to satisfy any of these conditions. Should any of these basic conditions no longer be met, the Fonds will be obliged to withdraw the fellowship and could request reimbursement.

6.1 Fellowship period and instalments

The fellowship period must begin between May 1st, 2024 and March 1st, 2025.

More specifically, the first payment may be made as of one of the following dates:

May 30 following the award (summer term)
September 30 following the award (fall term)
January 30 following the award (winter term)

Each fellowship instalment covers a period of 4 months (the equivalent of one university term). Instalments must be requested each term in the “Manage my funding” section of the FRQnet E-portfolio.

Triannual instalment payments are made for the duration of the fellowship eligibility period. Payments are conditional on compliance with the basic requirements and submission of all requirements documents in the FRQnet E-portfolio.

With the exception of the first instalment, which must be claimed no later than March 1 of the year following the awarding of the fellowship under penalty of immediate cancellation of the fellowship, the Fonds will cancel a payment after prior notice if it is not claimed or deferred or if required documents are not received in the two months following the deadline for the instalment in question.

The Fonds will cancel a fellowship after prior notice if the fellowship holder has not taken any action in their FRQnet E-portfolio for two consecutive periods.

The Fonds will cancel a fellowship after prior notice if two consecutive payments must be cancelled due to non-compliance with the basic requirements or if required documents have not been submitted in the two months following the start of the period in question.

In addition, the FRQ reserves the right to cancel any payment or fellowship in accordance with the Policy for the responsible conduct of research.

A funding offer that is declined by the applicant cannot be reactivated.

The fellowship is non-transferrable from one year to the next (CGR, Section 6.3).

The fellowship is not retroactive and any work conducted in the months prior to May 2024 will not be funded.

6.2 Presence at the host environment

To retain the fellowship, the fellowship holder must be present at the host environment for the duration of the fellowship and devote themself full-time to carrying out the research activities. Failure to respect this rule could result in the withdrawal of the fellowship. If, under exceptional circumstances, these conditions cannot be respected, the Fonds must be advised as soon as possible and will determine whether the fellowship should be maintained or cancelled.

A 4-week annual vacation period is permitted.

6.3 Exceptions for part-time postdoctoral research

In all the following cases, the Fonds reserve the right to deny an insufficiently justified request.

Part-time postdoctoral research is permitted only in the cases mentioned below:

6.3.1 Family caregiver, parenthood or medical condition

This exception is only available to a fellowship holder who is the caregiver for a close family member, who is the primary caregiver for a young child (5 years and under), or who has a medical condition that prevents them from pursuing postdoctoral research on a full-time basis (in the case of a disability, see Section 6.3.2). While enrolled part time, the fellowship holder may receive 50% of the value of the fellowship payments.

Fellowship holders who want to avail themselves of this exception must make a request in their FRQnet E-portfolio and attach the following documents:

Letter from their supervisor confirming approval of part-time enrolment;
Copy of the medical certificate (caregiver, medical condition) or the birth or adoption certificate of a child (parent).

It is possible to receive concurrent parental insurance plan benefits, as applicable.

6.3.2 Disability

A person with a disability who is unable to pursue their postdoctoral research on a full-time basis may choose to enrol part-time while benefitting from full fellowship payments, provided that the supervisor authorizes part-time status and upon presentation of a medical certificate or other official document attesting to the situation. This exception is in accordance with 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) and reserved for persons who meet the definition of “handicapped person” in the Act.

The fellowship holder must complete a request in their FRQnet E-portfolio and attach the following documents:

Letter from their supervisor confirming approval of part-time enrolment;
Medical certificate attesting to the condition.

6.4 Paid employment

Paid work carried out while pursuing the Postdoctoral Fellowship program is permitted with no time limit per semester. This employment must be approved by the fellowship supervisor and must not interfere with the fellowship holder’s research activities.

In addition to the paid work permitted per semester, a fellowship holder may accept remuneration to work exclusively on the research-creation project funded by the Fonds. For the sole purpose of interpreting the rules for concurrent funding (see 6.10), this remuneration is considered a scholarship for which concurrent funding is permitted when confirmed by the fellowship supervisor.

6.5 Instalment deferral

Deferral of payment is permitted for sick leave (CGR, Section 6.14), parental leave (CGR, Section 6.13) or family leave or to gain relevant experience.

6.5.1 Gaining relevant experience

For each full year of funding, the Fonds may authorize the suspension of one fellowship payment (four months) during which the fellowship holder gains relevant experience (experience within a research team, teaching experience related in the field of training, language stay, etc.). The payment is then deferred until the end of the funding period. This provision cannot be used for the first instalment, and fellowship holders cannot use this provision to accept another scholarship with which concurrent funding is prohibited or to return to work while on study leave.

Deferrals to gain relevant experience may be consecutive if approved by the fellowship holder’s research supervisor.

To avail themselves of this measure, fellowship holders must submit a request to the Fonds that granted the fellowship. In addition, the research supervisor must provide a letter confirming their approval and the relevance of the activities that will be undertaken. The Fond reserves the right to deny any request that is insufficiently justified or inappropriate.

6.5.2 Leave for major family or parental obligations

The Fonds will authorize the deferral of one or more payments when a fellowship holder pauses their postdoctoral research to undertake major family or parental obligations, for as long as the fellowship holder’s university permits.

6.6 Parental leave

In addition to the suspension and deferral of funding du to force majeure, a postdoctoral fellowship holder may also suspend their research for an unpaid parental leave of up to one year.

During this leave, it is possible to receive an additional instalment for parental leave for a maximum of 8 continuous months, if the research is interrupted in the 6 months following the birth or adoption of a child and the first instalment of the fellowship has already been paid. If the fellowship holder receives this additional 8-month instalment, the unpaid leave is reduced to 4 months for a total of one year.

This supplement cannot be divided. In case of a parental leave of a shorter duration, the supplement will be adjusted. To receive the supplement for parental leave, the fellowship holder must suspend their postdoctoral research and not hold paid employment for the duration of the leave. Pursuant to the rules for concurrent funding (see 6.9), in the context of double funding with a Canadian granting agency, the fellowship supplement cannot be granted when a parental leave allowance is received from the federal agency. In such a case, the fellowship holder must accept the paid leave offered by the federal agency. For more information about conditions regarding parental leave, refer to Section 6.13 of the CGR.

6.7 Change request

As indicated in Section 6.5 of the CGR, any modification to the research project, environment or (co)supervisor requires prior authorization from the Fonds. The fellowship holder must submit a change request in their FRQnet E-portfolio in the “Manage my funding” section. The Fonds will analyze the request and ensure that it does not affect the outcome of the initial application evaluation or its eligibility for the award program. The decision to accept or refuse the request will be communicated via email.

6.8 Reimbursement of travel expenses

Travel expenses to and from the host environment outside Québec at the start and end of the postdoctoral program are reimbursed when supported by receipts, provided they were not reimbursed by another agency. The maximum travel allowance is equivalent to the price of one economy airline ticket.

Fellowship holders who have not yet defended their thesis may be reimbursed for an additional round trip.

In addition, at the beginning and end of the postdoctoral fellowship, travel expenses outside Québec for the spouse and children of the fellowship holder may also be covered by the Fonds, provided they are not reimbursed by any other agency.

6.9 Convertibility of the fellowship as start-up grant

A fellowship can be used as a start-up grant by a fellowship holder who is offered a position as a regular professor in a Québec university. The fellowship holder must have completed a full year of funding under the postdoctoral fellowship (12 months) or received 3 full fellowship instalments before requesting to convert part of the fellowship (up to $15,000) into a start-up grant for the new position. The effective date of the start-up grant is the fellowship holder’s employment start date.

This grant is subject to the same rules as those of the Research-Creation Support for New Academics program. A person who benefits from this conversion remains eligible to apply for this program.

A SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship holder who has also received a FRQSC funding offer under this program and accepted it, may benefit from this conversion, if applicable.