Research Team Support Program (SE) 2022-2023

4.2 Renewal team

This stage of development is intended for teams already funded by the Fonds under this program and who received their final instalment in March 2020 or March 2021, as well as those whose funding is underway and ends in March 2022.

The Fonds recognizes that there are fields in which expertise is rare. In such cases, teams of three co-investigators with eligible statuses may be eligible, with appropriate justification. Teams in this situation must contact the program officer at the FRQSC before submitting a grant application.

5.1.4 Collaborators

In addition to its co-investigators, a team may include collaborators with any of the statuses applicable to grants (see the CGR, Definitions – Status and Roles) as well as researchers outside Québec. On the other hand, individuals with the training statuses defined in the CGR are not eligible for the role of collaborator.

5.2 Member eligibility

5.2.1 Intersectorality and membership in different types of research groups

Principal investigators or co-investigators of major infrastructures funded by the FRQSC (university institute, affiliated university centre or strategic cluster), the FRQNT (strategic cluster) or the FRQS (research centre or group) may also join a team funded under the Research Team Support program as co-investigator or principal investigator, in the interest of fostering intersectoral initiatives.

5.2.2 Membership in two teams funded by the FRQSC

A researcher may not be principal investigator of more than one applicant or funded team under the FRQSC Research Team Support Program. However, a principal investigator may be a co-investigator in another applicant or funded team under the program.

Co-investigators may belong to up to two applicant or funded teams under this program. Requests for dual membership must be supported by a letter sent to the Fonds (see Section 6.1.3.F).

Throughout the application process, applicants are encouraged to check that no correspondence from the Fonds has ended up in the “junk” or “spam” folder of their email Inbox.

6.1 Grant application

6.1.1 The application form and its 4 attachments

The application form, available in FRQnet, must be completed and submitted via the principal investigator’s E-portfolio. The following documents must be attached in the appropriate sections of this form:

A. SATISFACTION OF EVALUATION CRITERIA FILE

In the “Description du projet ou de la programmation” section, the team must attach a file in which it explicitly addresses all evaluation criteria that apply to its stage of development and configuration. To facilitate the work of the committee, the information must be presented in separate sections, following the title and order of the evaluation criteria. Any other procedure is irritating for the evaluation committee.

B. BIBLIOGRAPHY FILE (maximum 10 pages)

In the “Bibliography” section, the team must include a bibliography listing the texts cited as references, including those pertaining to the state of the knowledge in the field.

C. TABLEAUX DE SYNTHÈSE DE LA PROGRAMMATION SCIENTIFIQUE, DES COLLABORATIONS ET DES ACTIVITÉS SCIENTIFIQUES  FILE (maximum 10 pages)

This file is available in the program Toolbox. It must be completed, saved in PDF format and attached to the application form, in the “Tableaux de synthèse” section. This file contains several summary tables and is intended to provide evaluators with an overview of the collaborations and activities of co-investigators as they pertain to the proposed scientific program. “Partnership” teams must also present the expected collaboration of the co-investigator from the partner setting.

D. BUDGET JUSTIFICATION FILE (maximum 5 pages)

In the Budget section, the team must attach a file presenting:

• Base grant (see 8.1.2) – Explain all planned expenditures for each category of  base funding only, indicating the amounts and types of expense (maximum 3 pages).
• Optional funding relating to interregional teams (8.1.3 A) and partnerships (8.1.3 B) and the supplement for renewal teams with 12 members or more (8.1.4 B), where applicable. Justification should be provided for expenditures related to each optional amount or supplement requested. Be sure to clearly identify each type of funding in the text (maximum 2 pages).

6.1.2 Canadian Common CV (CCV) and Detailed Contributions attachment of the principal investigator and co-investigators

The Fonds requires the Common Canadian CV and the PDF Detailed Contributions file for each co-investigator to be included in the appropriate section of the E-portfolio. The co-investigator must complete the FRQSC version of the Common Canadian CV, update this document within 12 months prior to the competition deadline, and complete the Detailed Contributions file in due form. The documents Preparing a CV for the Fonds and Detailed Contributions attachment, available in the program’s Toolbox, can be consulted as needed.

Exception 

Co-investigators with status 4 of the CGR do not need to submit a CCV. However, they must provide an abridged CV (maximum 2 pages) that provides an overview of the following as they pertain to the theme of the team’s program (and in this order):

1) their training,

2) their experience,

3) their publications and scientific output where applicable.

The abridged CV must be created using word processing software, converted to PDF format and sent to the principal investigator, who will attach it to the application form by clicking on the “Other documents” section, on the left of the application form page. All the abridged CVs should be grouped and scanned into a single PDF document.

6.1.3 Additional documents

Additional documents are required for Partnership teams, interregional teams and teams that include retired researchers, college researchers or contracted researchers. These documents should be sent to the principal investigator who will attach them to the application form. All documents to be attached to the electronic form should be grouped and scanned into a single PDF document for each category of additional documents.

A. PROOF(S) OF PARTNERSHIP (for Partnership teams)

Attach in the “Other documents” section (see 8.1.2 B)

The proof(s) of partnership are used in the evaluation of the Partnership component of the application. They may take different forms, from a letter of support from a partner to a formal partnership agreement between the team and its partners. These documents should be concise (no more than a few pages), and explicitly detail the nature of the partnership and the role of the parties involved.

B. INTERREGIONAL INTEGRATION ACTION PLAN (maximum 1 page)

Attach in the “Other documents” section (see 8.1.2 A).

This plan must explain how the principal investigator intends to ensure the full participation of all co-investigators, whatever their geographic distance from the managing institution¹. Expenses related to this plan must be listed in the section of the BUDGET JUSTIFICATION file intended for optional funding.

C. LETTER FOR RETIRED UNIVERSITY RESEARCHER

Attach in the “Other documents” section.

Retired co-investigators must provide a letter from their university indicating that prior to retirement the researcher was a regular professor, and that for the term of the grant, he/she will have access to the facilities and logistical support required to carry out research activities and will continue to train/supervise students, where applicable. An insufficiently documented letter could render the retired researcher ineligible.

D. LETTER FOR CONTRACTED RESEARCHER

Attach in the “Other documents” section.

Co-investigators with statuses 1 and 2 of the CGR (Section Status and Roles) who hold a non-tenure track university position must provide a letter from the university indicating that they will maintain this status throughout the duration of the grant. An insufficiently documented letter could render the contracted researcher ineligible.

E. JUSTIFICATION FOR COLLEGE RESEARCHER (maximum 1 page)

Attach in the “Teaching release – college” section of the form (see also 8.1.4 A).

The principal investigator must identify each college-level co-investigator for whom a release from teaching duties and/or statutory supplement is being requested. The following information must be provided for each college-level co-investigator invited to join the team:

• The name of the person receiving the release from teaching duties and/or statutory supplement and his or her home college institution;
• An estimate of the amount claimed for the teaching release, if applicable²;
• The statutory supplement request, if applicable;
• The role played by the recipient in the consolidation or deployment of the team’s scientific program;
• Justification of the use of the funding allocated specifically for the recipient’s involvement in the project.

College researchers who are identified as co-investigators dot not need to complete a form at the full application stage. If the application is successful, and following the acceptance of funding by the principal investigator, a form to be completed by each college researcher will be made available in their e-Portfolios. However, their CCV and accompanying Detailed Contributions file must be submitted with the full application, along with those of all other co-investigators identified as taking part in the scientific program.

More information on this new procedure can be found in the Program to release college researchers from their teaching duties program rules.

F. LETTER FOR CO-INVESTIGATOR WITH DUAL MEMBERSHIP

Must be sent by email to equipes.sc before the competition deadline of 4 p.m. on October 14, 2021.

Co-investigators wishing to belong to two teams under the Research Team Support Program must send the Fonds a letter of no more than two pages, in which  they commit at least 40% of their research time to each of the two teams and justify the relevance of the dual membership (distinctive nature of the researcher’s contribution to each program; added value to both teams; conditions of the dual membership).

This letter must be sent to the Fonds before the application deadline, with copies to the principal investigators of the two teams concerned, for information.

Note that this document is required at the time of application and at any time during the funding period when a co-investigator wishes to join a second team.

6.2 Presentation standards

The grant application may be filled out in French or English. However, the title and summary must imperatively be in French (see CGR, 3.6)³.

Applications must be presented in a format that is clear and legible. Pages in excess of the number permitted in each section of the application will be removed from the application submitted for evaluation. PDF documents must not be read protected or have special double tab configuration. Any document that is not required by the rules will be removed from the application (see CGR , 3.2).

6.3 Internet references

Applicants may include links to web pages as bibliographic references, where relevant. These web addresses may also be listed in the bibliography. However, the application must not be based in whole or in part on online content available to members of the evaluation committee.

6.4 Submitting the application

All grant applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on October 14, 2021.

Any application that is incomplete or does not contain sufficient information to establish its eligibility or to evaluate its scientific quality will be declared ineligible by the Fonds. Elements missing from the application will not be requested and applications cannot be updated after the competition deadline.

The FRQSC reserves the right to verify the authenticity of all documents and information provided in the application with the organizations concerned.

As indicated in Section 3 of the CGR, applicants attest that the information provided is accurate and complete and agree to respect the rules and principles set out in the Fonds de recherche du Québec Policy for the responsible Conduct of Research. Applicants authorize their institution to transmit any personal information in accordance with this policy, if applicable.

THE APPLICANT MUST NOT FORGET TO TRANSMIT THE APPLICATION AFTER COMPLETING AND VALIDATING IT.

Applicants are advised to prepare their application well in advance to ensure that it is submitted before the deadline, given the large number of applications and requests received by the Fonds at the end of the competition.

At any time, applicants may verify the transmission status of their application in the “My forms” section of their E-portfolio:

• The form will be flagged “Transmis à l’établissement” once the applicant has transmitted the application to the managing institution;
• The form will be flagged “Transmis au Fonds” once the managing institution has transmitted the application to the Fonds.

^{1. The managing institution is the employing institution of the principal investigator.}

^{2. Reminder: this amount must not exceed 50% of the college-level co-investigator’s gross annual salary, or $40,000. For more details, refer to the Program to release college researchers from their teaching duties program rules.}

^{3. Any official document submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a certified translation of the original document. Any other document submitted in a language other than French or English must include a basic translation.}

7.2 Special case: evaluation of Partnership teams

Partnership team applications are evaluated by a committee of experts in collaborative research in the Québec context. This committee only looks at the eliminatory “Partnership” criterion and its various indicators, for which a minimum score of 70% is required.

The other criteria are evaluated by the multidisciplinary evaluation committees. The Partnership score is added to establish an overall score. The evaluation of the Partnership criteria is independent of the assessment of the other criteria by the multidisciplinary committee. The two committees are separate, and their decisions do not influence each other.

7.3 Evaluation criteria, indicators and weighting

Applicants are invited to consult the FRQSC Scores and Ratings Grid used by the evaluation committees.

All eligible applications are assessed according to four criteria that constitute the basis of the evaluation process:

• Scientific program (eliminatory criterion);
• Team composition;
• Integration of students and new academics;
• Budget.

In addition, criteria and indicators with specific weighting have been set up to ensure that the evaluation process is adapted to the teams’ configurations and stages of development. Applicants are advised to attach equal importance to both the evaluation criteria and their associated indicators.

Grant applications are evaluated solely on the basis of the information submitted in the application process. Applicants must therefore ensure that the documents submitted contain all necessary information to be taken into account when assessing the grant application.

**In the case where the principal investigator has been leading the team for more than two funding cycles, this criterion must include a justification of the relevance or necessity of his or her continued leadership Insufficient justification could be sanctioned by the evaluation committee.

8.2 Eligible expenses

Eligible expenses under this program are those listed in Section 8 of the CGR, with the exception of expenses related to the realization of research projects. Teams that incur this type of expense will not be reimbursed.

A release from teaching duties is authorized for the principal investigator. Note that it must be requested in the submitted budget. If this is not done, it cannot be requested during the funding period.

In the case of Partnership teams, a release from duties is also authorized for a team member representing the partner setting(s), subject to the same conditions.

^{*For example, an applicant with a gross salary of $76,000 cannot ask for more than 50% of this amount, i.e. a maximum of $38,000 per year. For a salary of $90,000 $, maximum funding is capped at $40,000.}

^{**Thus, a researcher acting as co-investigator in two teams funded by the FRQSC (or “parent” applications) could receive two statutory supplements of $7,000.}