Funding Resources for Québec Energy Researchers
This page is designed as a resource for researchers from Québec. Here you can find the different funding agencies pages where calls will be published. Also on this page are opportunities for mobility funding, both incoming and outgoing, funding for training young researchers, and fellowship and scholarship opportunities for PhD and graduate students from Québec who want to study in the other RLS regions.
Multilateral Funding for International Projects
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Horizon 2020 | European Union
According to the European Commission, Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020) – in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. EU member states are automatically eligible to compete for funding. Non-EU RLS partners can participate in Horizon 2020 either by providing a unique competence that cannot be found in the EU, or through bilateral agreements between their home countries and the European Union. Canadian researchers can participate in collaborative research and innovation projects in Horizon 2020, and are sometimes eligible for funding. Funding can be granted when one of the following conditions are met:
Visit the Horizon 2020 energy website here. |
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Research Support Program (PSR)- Support for International Research and Innovation Initiatives (SIIRI) | Ministère de l'Économie, de la Science et l'Innovation Québec
(Please note this call is now closed). Value: Up to $1.5 Million CAD, over five years This program supports international research and innovation projects between higher education, research and industry stakeholders and promotes high-level industrial research partnerships built on strategic international initiatives. Projects must be aligned with the government’s strategic policy directions for research and innovation. Priority will be given to projects touching on prioritized fields, including information and communication technologies. Projects with at least one of the following zones, countries, or groups of countries deemed strategic by the Ministry’s Direction des partenariats internationaux (DPI) will have priority (Brazil, Canada (outside Québec), United States, China, Germany). Eligible organizations: - Québec businesses or subsidiaries of foreign companies that are legally incorporated and carry out R&D activities in Québec, with priority given to those with under 250 employees - Non-profit organizations (NPOs) in a variety of sectors, niches, and industries involved in research, innovation, promotion, and dissemination of science and technology - Québec public-sector research institutions Projects involving Québec and foreign companies with financial ties are not eligible. The Ministry reserves the right to reject any financial aid application from organizations or companies whose ongoing PSR-SIIRI projects are in default or whose projects have already been rejected twice in the past. Eligible projects: 1. Bilateral research projects (between Quebec and a country, or between Quebec and another Canadian province, maximum aid $150,000 over three years). 2. Multilateral research projects (between Quebec and at least two countries or other Canadian provinces, maximum aid $250,000 over three years). 3. Large-scale projects (maximum aid of $1.5 million over three years): projects eligible in the Horizon 2020 EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation. Eligible expenses are those of the Quebec team and cover the production costs of project. No additional financial assistance may be granted for cost overruns approved projects. Financial aid granted generally varies by project type and does not exceed 50% of eligible expenses for Québec activities (part of the budget for activities carried out and paid in Québec). The financing package may include a maximum of 80% assistance from various levels of government. A minimum monetary contribution is expected from the Québec partner’s community (20% of eligible project expenses). The overall project must be balanced among the partners. The portion carried out in Québec may not exceed 70% of the total budget for the international project including Québec and the partner countries and regions. Program website. |
Bilateral Funding for International Projects
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Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE)/International Graduate Research Training (IRTG) | National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and DFG
Applications open annually- Letters of intent must be submitted by May 1 Value: Up to $150,000 in the first year and up to $300,000 for up to five subsequent years, for a maximum of $1.65M over 6 years. The Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) Program supports the training of teams of highly qualified students and postdoctoral fellows from Canada and abroad through the development of innovative training programs that: - encourage collaborative and integrative approaches, and address significant scientific challenges associated with Canada’s research priorities; and - facilitate the transition of new researchers from trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce. Successful applicants will consist of a group of accomplished researchers who will work collaboratively to offer a defined research training program to a group of trainees. This environment will provide trainees with experience relevant to both academic and non-academic careers. The research training experience should focus on providing an enriched training experience for graduate (master’s and doctoral) students. To build on Canada’s research strengths and priorities, and to enhance our success, at least 60 percent of the CREATE funding will be directed toward the following NSERC priority areas: - Environmental science and technologies; - Natural resources and energy; - Manufacturing; and - Information and communications technologies. An agreement between NSERC and the German Research Foundation, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), has been concluded to establish a formal mechanism for supporting a bilateral training program that involves an exchange of students between Germany and Canada. In order to be considered for this opportunity, Canadian candidates should follow these steps: - Canadian researchers should first establish a collaboration with German researchers. - Since the DFG International Research Training Groups (IRTG) process requires more time than the NSERC application process, the German researchers must start by submitting a pre-proposal to the DFG. - Applicants with a successful DFG IRTG pre-proposal can proceed directly to submitting a full application to NSERC. - Because of NSERC’s system requirements, applicants must provide the basic information in their LOI as it is used to generate a Form 102. Please contact NSERC for further details. - Proposals will be evaluated through the agencies’ (NSERC and DFG) respective peer review processes. The CREATE application should stand alone and contain all the necessary details about the Canadian side of the collaboration. - CREATE Grant applications involving a collaboration with researchers applying to the DFG’s IRTG program compete with the applications of the other applicants invited to submit a CREATE Grant application in the same competition. - DFG IRTG/NSERC CREATE proposals will be funded only if both are successful in their individual competitions. CREATE Website. DFG Website. |
Unilateral Funding for International Projects
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Discovery Frontiers | Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
(Please note this call is now closed). Value: $1 million CAD for four years Current Call: Biodiversity and Adaptation of Biosystems Discovery Frontiers (DF) grants are initiatives that identify and capitalize on emerging opportunities where Canada can benefit from its world-class capacity to take a leadership role in key areas of research and innovation. Discovery Frontiers address national research priorities and global challenges by supporting a small number of major new transformative and integrative activities. These initiatives will generate substantial impact from a one-time injection of funding for a defined period, addressing challenges and seizing leadership opportunities in areas of national importance. This Discovery Frontiers initiative spans a range of disciplines including: evolution, climate change, productivity in managed systems, population dynamics, conservation, invasive species, extinctions, adaptation, and the diversity of life. It will bring diverse researchers together to conduct transformative and integrative research of international impact through studies, assessments, comprehensive experiments and the development of models that will inform and ultimately provide solutions to the global biodiversity-loss crisis and generate new knowledge on the nature of adaptation. This will also be an opportunity to develop improved methods for understanding and facilitating the adaptation, conservation, and health of ecosystems. The anticipated outcomes of this collaborative research initiative will redefine biodiversity science and likely lead to the following benefits:
There is no annual competition cycle. Calls for proposals will be issued periodically by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). A limited number of proposals for large undertakings with a high level of impact and visibility will be accepted in each competition. Proposals should be for concerted, broad-based, collaborative efforts and not individual research projects. Discovery Frontiers grants support a limited number of large international activities, opportunities or projects that are of high priority in the context of advanced research in Canada. These will be led by world-class Canadian researchers and will comprise teams that will generate substantial impact for the benefit of Canada. Suitable initiatives include: - high risk/high pay-off activities; - transformative/disruptive, paradigm-shifting research; new strategies to tackle an important problem of broad interest; - research that opens new fields or integrates existing fields in new ways; - research that accelerates the establishment of expertise and capacity that is in demand; and - research that provides solutions and breaks down barriers at the forefront of significant scientific problems and research questions. Future areas of research for DF grants will be determined by NSERC, with advice from its Committee on Grants and Scholarships. The process will emphasize the flexibility to respond to new opportunities as they arise. Previous Calls for Proposals have been: 2017 - "Biodiversity and Adaptation of Biosystems" 2015 - "New Materials for Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency" 2013 - "Exploring Big Data" 2011 - "Northern Earth System Research" In addition to the usual NSERC eligibility criteria for applicants and co-applicants, each Call for Proposals may identify mandatory eligibility criteria specific to that call. These will be used to screen applications and are pre-requisites for proposals to be accepted, at the Letter of Intent stage, within a specific Discovery Frontiers competition. Discovery Frontiers grants are not tied to the annual Discovery Grants (DG) competition cycle. Grants awarded under the Discovery Frontiers initiative can be held concurrently with an individual or a team DG. A DF grant must add value, building on excellence. The following criteria will apply to all DF applications: - The activity will encompass discovery research and must involve international collaboration; it can involve industrial or receptor sector participation capacity, if appropriate. - The activity should encourage collaboration and integration across several disciplines within the natural sciences and engineering (NSE) and may include aspects of social science and health research. - The activity will be distinct from, and will not duplicate, what is being done through other existing NSERC programs such as, but not limited to, the Discovery Accelerator Supplements, CREATE, Strategic Networks or Networks of Centres of Excellence programs. - The proposal should demonstrate that the one-time research contribution has the potential to generate substantial and important advances in knowledge. There may be additional criteria depending on the goals of a specific Discovery Frontiers competition (e.g., collaborative, multidisciplinary, industrial or receptor sector participation). Program website. |
Incoming Mobility Funding
Bringing RLS-Sciences counterparts to Québec
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Bavaria-Québec Program for Short-Term Research Missions | Bavarian Research Alliance and Fonds de recherche du Québec Nature et technologies
(Please note this call is currently closed) Value: individual per programme and applicant The objectives of this program for short-term missions are to promote international mobility between Quebec and Bavaria and to foster sustained cooperation between researchers from Bavaria and Quebec in specific research areas, including digital technologies. The bilateral aspect of this program funds research visits from universities and research institutions in Bavaria for a period of one to three months at a university or research institution in Québec. Programme Website. |
Bringing RLS-Sciences students to Québec
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Merit scholarship program for foreign students (PBEEE) | Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT)
(Please note this call is now closed) Value: dependent on program stream- please see below. The objective of the Merit Scholarship Programs for Foreign Students (PBEEE) is to support the internationalization of research activities in Québec's institutions of higher education, to attract the best foreign researchers and students, and to promote Québec universities and College Centers for the Transfer of Technologies (CCTT), abroad. Candidates must be preselected by a university, the Réseau Trans-Tech (a CCTT), TERI University, the SER or CONACYT. There are three streams within the program: Doctoral research, post-doctoral research, or Short-term research or professional development. Universities can recommend four candidates per year for each of these three components. There are no quotas per country. The Réseau Trans-tech can recommend four candidates for Postdoctoral scholarships and Short-term research or professional development scholarships. Doctoral research component Candidates are eligible for doctoral merit program scholarships from MEESR in the first nine sessions of their doctoral studies. All doctoral sessions, funded or unfunded, completed before the scholarship takes effect, are used in calculating the eligibility period. The maximum duration of the scholarship is three years (nine sessions), with a possible extension of up to 12 months, for up to $25,000 (Canadian) per year Postdoctoral component Postdoctoral scholarships are intended for researchers who have obtained their degree no more than two years before the deadline of the competition or who submitted their dissertation by the deadline for the beginning of scholarship use. Postdoctoral research must be conducted in an institution other than the one that granted the Doctorate. The applicant's doctoral supervisors and co-supervisors may not act as his/her postdoctoral supervisor, even if they have changed institutions. The duration of this scholarship is for up to one year, for $35,000 (Canadian). This scholarship is not renewable. Short-term research or professional development component Short-term research or professional development scholarships are intended for technical and university students (option A) or researchers who have completed a doctorate no more than five years before the deadline for the competition (option B). The research or professional development must be conducted in an institution other than the one at which the student was enrolled when he or she applied. The duration of this scholarship is for up to four months, for $3,000 (Canadian) per month. The scholarship is not renewable. Visit the programme website here. |
Outgoing Mobility Funding
Visiting RLS-Sciences colleagues outside of Québec
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Bavaria-Québec Program for Short-Term Research Missions | Bavarian Research Alliance and Fonds de recherche du Québec Nature et technologies
(Please note this call is now closed) Value: Up to $2 500 for transportation plus daily living allowance, for 1-3 months The objectives of this program for short-term missions are to promote international mobility between Quebec and Bavaria and to foster sustained cooperation between researchers from Bavaria and Quebec in specific research areas, including digital technologies. The bilateral aspect of this program funds research visits from universities and research institutions in Québec for a period of one to three months at a university or research institution in Bavaria. This program is open to: - FRQNT researchers: university researchers (CHU and CHUN) or institutional researchers (CE) - FRQS researchers: independent investigators and independent clinical investigators. For a definition of each status, consult the FRQ Common General Rules. The researchers must: - Be affiliated with a Quebec university - Be Canadian citizens or permanent residents as defined in section 2.1 of the FRQ Common General Rules - Be domiciled in Québec - Have received an invitation letter from a researcher from Bavaria affiliated with a university or a university of applied sciences that receives funding from the Bavarian government, or a researcher from KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, ESFH, or KSFH. Visit the program website here. |
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PPP Canada Programme for Project-Related Personal Exchange | German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
(Please note this call is currently closed, but reopens in late Spring) Value: Up to € 15,000 per year Through its PPP programmes DAAD supports joint bi-national research projects of a high academic standard in order to strengthen academic relations between a German institution and an institution abroad and to promote cooperative research activities. The provided project funding is intended to cover mobility costs for German participants arising from the research project, and in particular to enable young academics involved in the project to conduct a research stay at the partner institution abroad, thereby supporting them in their international training. The allowance covers all expenditures within the scope of mobility and the stay. Eligible for funding are short-term stays of academics (up to 30 days) and young academics (up to 50 days). On the German side, DAAD provides funding for members of the German research group for stays at the foreign partner institution if no other arrangement was made with the foreign partner institution. For the purposes of this programme, young academics are defined as junior researchers currently completing their doctorate and academics at the outset of their academic careers who completed their doctorate no more than five years ago. An application must present a specific academic research project of high quality, on which the partners from Germany and the foreign partner country intend to work together in an ideally complementary manner. Proposals involving research into general scientific questions of interest to both research groups are not sufficient. Basic financing of the project (personal and material expenses on both sides) must be ensured. The application will only be considered if written confirmation of the cooperation from the Canadian institution is included. Visit the program website. |
Sending Québec students to RLS-Sciences colleagues outside of Québec
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International Internships - Energy | Fonds de recherche du Québec-Nature et technologies
(Please note this call is now closed). Value: $30 000 CND for a minimum of six months and a maximum of twelve months The objective of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies International Internships-Energy program is to promote the international mobility of doctoral students whose research is in an area related to energy. The studies funded by this scholarship must take place at an eligible institution (see the Appendix in link) in one of the following regions or states:
Eligibility: Applicants must meet all of the eligibility requirements at the competition deadline. Enrolment in a Québec educational institution Applicants must be registered full-time in a doctoral program at a Québec university, in a field covered by the International Internships/Energy-Digital/Aerospace program. Citizenship For full-time students enrolled in a Québec university, the applicant must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident of Canada or a foreign student who has a valid study permit for the province of Québec. Restrictions It should be noted that the scholarship cannot be used for qualifying studies. Eligibility period The student is eligible to receive scholarship instalments for a period of one year or until the end of his/her doctoral program or his/her stay at an eligible institution. Duration of the funded studies The funded studies must have a minimum duration of 6 months and a maximum of 12 months. Start date of the funded studies The funded studies must begin no later than March 31 of the year following the offer of financial support. Learn more here (English) and here (French). |
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Mitacs Accelerate International | Mitacs
Applications accepted at any time. Applicants should submit their applications approximately 16 weeks prior to the start of the project to ensure enough time for adjudication, filing of appropriate documentation, and travel and accommodation arrangements. Value: $15,000 CAD for 16-24 weeks The Mitacs Globalink Partnership Award offers graduate students at Mitacs full and associate partner universities in Canada the opportunity to participate in a 16- to 24-week research project with an international industry partner located in any country except the United States. The Partnership Award is open to all academic disciplines including both the social sciences and humanities and STEM. The Partnership Award provides an opportunity for faculty at Canadian universities to strengthen existing international research collaborations and connect with colleagues and industry around the world through the mobility of graduate students. The Partnership Award offers the following benefits to participating universities and students: - Mitacs will award successful applicants $15,000 CAD in funding to cover the direct costs of research. Funding will be in the form of a research grant to the home university academic supervisor; - All academic disciplines are eligible; - Simple and quick application process with results typically announced in six weeks; - Open to international graduate students studying in Canada, Canadian citizens or permanent residents; - Funding is provided to support the student’s research; - Students and faculty gain real-world and international exposure: apply the latest tools and innovations to real issues; and - International research collaborations are strengthened. Student Eligibility In order to be eligible for a Partnership Award, a student must: - Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or international student (Effective September 30, 2015, students in Canada on a study permit cannot undertake a research project in a country where they hold citizenship. Students with Canadian citizenship and Permanent Residents can undertake research in any partner country, regardless of additional citizenship status.) - Be registered for full-time graduate studies at a Mitacs full or associate partner university in Canada. Postdoctoral fellows are not eligible for the Partnership Award. - Demonstrate skills and interest suitable to the project(s) in question - Remain a student of their university; students cannot be employed by their partner organization during their research projects - Have an academic supervisor with a faculty appointment at an eligible Canadian university - Spend a minimum of 25% of the research project at their home university and up to 75% with the industry partner abroad. - Meet all necessary travel requirements for the intended destination The Partnership Award offers the following benefits to participating industry partners: - Applications are peer reviewed to ensure high-quality research - Increased innovation: participants gain novel solutions to research challenges - Mitacs matches the $7,500 CAD industry partner contribution Industry Partner Eligibility The international industry partner for the Partnership Award must be a for-profit company in any country except the United States where the student can undertake the research project. Visit the program website here. |
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Globalink Research Award | Mitacs
Applications accepted at any time, starting in January 2018 Value: $6,000 CAD for 12-24 weeks The Globalink Research Award provides an opportunity for faculty at Canadian universities to strengthen existing international research collaborations and connect with colleagues around the world through the mobility of senior undergraduate and graduate students. The Mitacs Globalink Research Award provides funding to support senior undergraduate and graduate student research projects abroad. Student recipients of the Globalink Research Award will develop research skills, cultural fluency, and professional networks, becoming part of Canada’s generation of global innovators. The benefits include: - A $6,000 research award to the Canadian supervisor to support student travel and accommodation expenses, research related expenses, and student stipend. - Open to all disciplines - For joint research projects with academic collaborators for a minimum of 12 weeks to a maximum of 24 weeks abroad - Partner countries: Brazil and China Student Eligibility In order to be eligible for a Globalink Research Award for research at a university outside of Canada, a student must: - Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or international student Students cannot undertake a research project at an institution where they have previously completed a degree or been employed Effective September 30, 2015, students in Canada on a study permit cannot undertake a research project in a country where they hold citizenship. Students with Canadian citizenship and permanent residents can undertake research in any partner country, regardless of additional citizenship status. - Be registered for full-time studies at a Canadian university as a senior undergraduate student or graduate student. - Be the legal age of majority in Canada (18 years or older). - Demonstrate skills and interest suitable to the project(s) in question. - Have identified a faculty member at their home university to supervise the project and administer the funds. - Have identified a host academic supervisor with a faculty appointment at an accredited university in a Mitacs partner country. - Meet all necessary travel requirements for the intended destination. - Have not previously been awarded a Globalink Research Award. Senior undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to receive ONE Mitacs Globalink Research Award per academic life time. - Undergraduate students must: Have completed their second year of studies prior to departure Be enrolled in full-time studies and remain as such throughout the duration of the Globalink Research Award Maintain a B average or equivalent thereof for the last two semesters of study Program website. |
