The FRQNT's (Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies) international internship aims to foster international mobility of students whose research activities are part of the scientific program of a strategic cluster funded by the FRQNT.

The internship is a supplementary tool available to a strategic cluster to strengthen its position at the international level through research projects and partnerships that have already been established or which are under development.

The international internship is intended for Master's or doctoral students enrolled full-time in a Quebec university or in an university outside Québec who meets the requirements of their program.

The proposed research outlined in the application as part of the internship must be part of the scientific program of the strategic cluster.

All of the strategic clusters supported by the FRQNT may submit an application to this program.

The applicant proposed by the strategic cluster must meet all of the eligibility requirements listed here after.

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.

For foreign students enrolled in an university outside Québec

The applicant must have the valid study permits or visa for the entire duration of the internship;

The applicant can't be enrolled in a co-degree from more than one institution including a Québec university. For the students enrolled in a co-degree see the rules of the Frontenac program.

Location of the internship

The internship must take place outside Quebec for students enrolled in a Quebec university or Quebec for students from abroad.

Duration of the internship

The internship must be of a minimum duration of 2 months and a maximum of 6 months.

Start date of the internship

The internship must start no later than March 31, 2017.

Restrictions

Students who are jointly supervised by a researcher in a foreign university (co-degree) are not eligible to apply for an international internship scholarship to visit one of their home universities.

Candidates interested within this program must file their application within their strategic cluster (see list on FRQNT's Web Site) Validate the list of documents required for this application with the specific strategic cluster.

The strategic clusters which recommend a candidate must fill the specific form available on FRQNT's Web site as well as transmit it electronically. The form includes the complete addresses of the student, the academic supervisor, and the internship supervisor. A brief description of the nature of the internship is also required.

The strategic clusters must also submit the selection committee report that states the results for each of the three criteria in effect, the assessment process and the names of the committee members.

The strategic clusters must also send in the electronic form, a letter signed by the supervisor of the student specifying the start and end dates of the internship.

Any internship application must be filed by the strategic cluster and approved by the FRQNT before the leaving of the trainee.

Application deadlines

Each strategic cluster may submit applications at all time until March 1, 2017.

Limited number of applications

Each strategic cluster may generally submit up to three applications during the period up to March 31, 2017.

This limit can be re-examined and increased at all time until March 31, 2017.

Each strategic cluster can propose the application of no more than two foreign students enrolled outside Québec so they can pursue their internship within the strategic cluster.

The same rules for evaluating candidates, duration of the course and the value of scholarship apply to application. The application of a foreign student enrolled outside Québec doesn't modify the total limit of three candidates per cluster.

The scholarship for internship is of a maximum value of $15,000. However, the FRQNT will allow no more than the equivalent of $2,500/month in living expenses.

Criteria

Applications are evaluated by the strategic clusters according to the following criteria:

The process and evaluation criteria are the sole responsibility of the FRQNT.

Candidates are selected by the strategic clusters which recommend them to the FRQNT. It is the FRQNT that makes the final decision on the grants to be awarded under the international internship program. The allocation of internships by the FRQNT is made on a first come, first served basis and the funds available for this program.

The FRQNT reserves itself the right to refuse any application that does not meet eligibility requirements or for which the selection committee report is not sufficiently detailed.

The Strategic cluster must be able to provide to the FRQNT, if required, supporting documents related to the internship expenses (ex.: airfare, room rental agreement, etc.).

A report detailing the activities carried out during the internship must be sent to the FRQNT's program administrator no later than one month after the end of the internship. This report is done in an open format of about one page and must present the following: 1) a presentation of the training site; 2) a description of (or) project to which the trainee worked and contribution; 3) a general assessment of the course and acquired research skills; 4) developed collaborations and potential impact for the strategic cluster.

The clusters, whose student will be in default of having submitted the internship report according to the rules, cannot file new applications to the international internship program as long as the situation is not rectified.

The FRQNT reserves the right to change, without notice, the program rules. In addition, it may terminate the program at any given time when available funds are exhausted.

All projects involving human subjects or biological materials (body parts, products, tissues, cells or genetic material from a human body, of a person living or dead) or administrative, scientific or descriptive data from human subjects, require the approval of the research ethics board of the principal applicant's institution (Common General Rules, article 5.3). Furthermore, if applicable, researchers must report any environmental impacts of their research and employ reasonable efforts to minimize them. To this end, they must obtain the required authorization and permit before the start of the project.

Under the Act respecting the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche, de la Science et de la Technologie (L.R.Q., C.m-15, 1, 0, 1), any applicant who gives false or misleading information to obtain or procure financial support is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine. If found guilty, the individual is barred from receiving financial support for a five-year period.

Where a legal entity commits an offence, any of its directors or representatives who knew about the offence are considered to be parties to the offence and are also subject to a fine, unless they prove to the court's satisfaction that they did not agree with the commission of the offence.

The Fonds have the right to impose any penalty or take any additional measures they deem expedient. They may also take legal action to recover fraudulently obtained funds and collect damages.

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The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) is not responsible for any direct or indirect damages resulting from the processing of any application with regards to any fellowship, funding or any other type of request. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the FRQNT is not responsible for any direct or indirect damages resulting from the unauthorized disclosure of any information contained in an application. Despite all of the precautions taken by the FRQNT to preserve the confidentiality of all information that should remain as such, it is possible that certain countries to which the information is communicated do not follow the same protection processes (e.g.: asymmetric cryptography, enciphering, etc.).

Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information

The FRQNT is subject to the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information (R.S.Q., c. A-2.1). Applicants can obtain information on access procedures, the protection of personal information and the rights of recourse stipulated in the Act by contacting the person responsible for the Act at the FRQNT.

The responsible authority for access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information:

M^e Mylène Deschênes, B.C.L., LL.B., LL.M.
Director of Ethical and Legal Affairs
responsableacces.nt@frq.gouv.qc.ca