email Normative framework 2021-2024 - Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes
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Research Support Program
Normative framework 2021-2024

The new normative framework for the Research Support Program came into effect in April 2021. All applications must comply with the new conditions set out on this webpage. Applications accepted under the previous framework (2018-2019 to 2020-2021) remain subject to the former conditions, which can be viewed here  along with the forms to be used when filing a progress report or a final report.

Les demandeurs rattachés à une institution universitaire, un collège d’enseignement général et professionnel, un centre de recherche affilié à un établissement postsecondaire ou une association de chercheurs situé au Québec doivent soumettre la demande et tous les documents requis en français.

Program objectives

The Research Support Program supports the development and dissemination of knowledge to contribute to a better understanding of Québec and its Canadian relations.

More specifically, the Program targets

  • an increase in research and other activities on the themes of intergovernmental affairs, Québec studies, and the Canadian Francophonie;
  • more visibility for research findings and studies, through symposiums and publications;
  • increased participation by researchers from Québec and elsewhere in Canada in activities to produce and disseminate knowledge;
  • the emergence of a new generation of researchers working on intergovernmental affairs, Québec studies and the Canadian Francophonie.

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Program components

The Program has three components:

  • Intergovernmental affairs;
  • Québec studies;
  • the Canadian Francophonie.

The projects submitted must involve:

  • the implementation of research projects and studies;
  • the dissemination of knowledge through the publication of books, participation in knowledge-sharing via academic platforms, and the dissemination of scientific research findings using dynamic communication tools;
  • the organization of or participation in meetings to trigger discussions between Québec, Canadian and/or international experts at major events held in Québec or elsewhere in Canada or the world.

The Intergovernmental Affairs component primarily supports projects that will contribute to the promotion of Canadian intergovernmental relations based on the application of the Constitution and recognition for Québec’s specificity, in order to enrich discussion and debate on intergovernmental issues. The projects may focus on:

  • Québec and Canadian politics;
  • intergovernmental relations;
  • institutional, constitutional and geopolitical issues related to Canadian federalism;
  • economic and financial issues related to fiscal autonomy, financial and fiscal transfers et equalization;
  • comparative federalism.

The Québec Studies component primarily supports projects that will contribute to an understanding of Québec, its institutions, its identity, and the realities and perspectives of Québec society in Canada (in fields such as history, political science, law and sociology). The projects may focus on:

  • institutional questions and public policy;
  • relationships between communities, diversity and identity;
  • civil society and political forces in Québec and Canada;
  • the history of Québec and its civil society and political forces.

The Canadian Francophonie component primarily supports projects that will contribute to an understanding of the Canadian Francophonie, the Francophone and Acadian communities, the realities they face, and the issues resulting from public policy and their relationship with Québec as French-speaking communities in Canada. The projects may focus on

  • the Francophone and Acadian communities, their diversity and their respective realities;
  • the challenges facing Francophone and Acadian communities in various public policy areas;
  • the relations between Quebecers and Francophones elsewhere in Canada, and between Québec and the Canadian Francophonie;
  • questions relating to language policy in Canada, and to the history and sociology of French-speaking communities in Canada and their development.

Project duration

Projects submitted under any of the three components can be single-year or multi-year projects.

Single-year projects must be completed within twelve months (from the project start date indicated by the applicant), unless otherwise specified by the SQRC.

Multi-year projects can take longer than one year, but must be completed within three years.

Financial support for a project will not be renewed automatically at the end of the grant period. A new application must be submitted to obtain renewed support.

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Eligibility

To be eligible for the Program, applicants must have a connection with

  • a university-level institution;
  • a general and vocational college (CÉGEP);
  • a research centre affiliated with a post-secondary institution;
  • an association of researchers.

The applicant may also be an organization incorporated in Canada or elsewhere. However, it must be an incorporated, non-profit organization, or its equivalent in the state or country concerned, and be able to provide documentary evidence of its status.

When a project is submitted by two or more co-applicants, at least one of them must work for an incorporated non-profit organization located in Canada.

Only projects consistent with the defined objectives and themes of the Program (intergovernmental affairs, Québec studies, or the Canadian Francophonie) will be accepted. They must also be consistent with the guidelines and priorities defined by the SQRC.

An applicant who has previously received a grant under the Program must, to remain eligible, have submitted a final report for any previous project funded by the Program, and the report must have been accepted by the Secretariat.

A project funded under the Program cannot receive funding from another program financed by the Secretariat. However, it may receive funding from other government programs.

Project submission

Projects must be described in detail using the prescribed form, available on the SQRC website.

All the following elements must be covered in the description:

  • full contact information for the applicant(s) and, where relevant, of any organizations associated with the project, including their postal and email addresses and websites, if any;
  • the function, title, experience, communications and publications of the applicant(s) (including a detailed CV);
  • a description of the proposed activities;
  • a description of the expected results/outcomes and their contribution to the Program’s objectives;
  • a detailed budget showing the projected expenditures, the schedule of disbursements, and the sources of funding;
  • the handwritten or digital signature of the applicant(s), attesting that all the information provided is true and correct and, where applicable, authorizing the Québec government (or its mandatary) to audit the use of the grant;
  • the handwritten or digital signature of a representative of the organization’s research office, where applicable.

Projects may be submitted at any time during the year, except in the case of projects on a priority research theme for which a call for projects has been issued.

Unless otherwise indicated by the Secretariat, all projects submitted after January 1 of a given year will be considered for the following budget year beginning on 1 April.

Applications must be submitted at least 60 business days before the project or activity is scheduled to begin.

A response to each application for funding will be sent within 60 business days after all the documents needed to analyze the application have been provided.

Expenses

Eligible expenses

The grant can only be used to reimburse eligible expenses incurred to complete the activities, studies or research planned as part of the project.

The following expenses are eligible:

  • Fees and wages paid to individuals specifically hired for the project (research assistants, meaning undergraduate or graduate students1 or postdoctoral fellows2, technicians responsible for dissemination or translation, and any person whose expert knowledge is needed for the purposes of the project, excluding research professionals3);
  • reasonable transport and accommodation expenses, based on the institution’s own rates or, if none, the Québec government rates;
  • translation, printing and publication expenses.
  • communication and promotional expenses directly related to the project;
  • expenses incurred for the rental of material and equipment required for the project, including for virtual activities.

Non-eligible expenses

The following expenses are non-eligible:

  • administration expenses;
  • office rent;
  • equipment purchases;
  • capital expenditure;
  • cocktail or reception related expenses;
  • any other day-to-day operating expenses;
  • fees and wages paid to researchers and research professionals;
  • any other expense that the organization generally pays for in the normal course of its operations.

Expenses incurred before the application is submitted must be clearly indicated as such in the budget.

Indirect research costs for services

The Program takes into account the fact that up to $27 in indirect research costs for services can be levied by Québec universities on each $100 of eligible expenses, provided the costs cannot be reclaimed under another financial assistance program offered by another Québec government department or body.

The costs cannot be levied for research promotion activities (knowledge dissemination).

The costs are recognized only for colleges and universities in Québec.

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Project evaluation

Projects are evaluated by the SQRC with assistance from outside experts if needed.

Projects are evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:

  • project relevance:
    • based on the match between the objectives of the project and those of the Program;
    • for projects submitted under the Intergovernmental Affairs, Québec Studies and Canadian Francophonie components, the match between the project and the themes for the component concerned and between the project and the SQRC research aims;
    • in addition, for projects submitted under calls for projects on priority research themes, the match between the project and the specified criteria;
  • the project’s structuring impact4 and originality5, based on :
    • its innovative aspects;
    • its impact in Canada6;
    • joint participation from Québec and Canada7;
    • positive impacts and visibility for Québec;
  • the applicant’s background and the financial aspect, based on
    • the applicant’s ability to complete the project;
    • the degree to which the budget is realistic;
    • the degree to which the schedule for the activity is realistic;
    • the range of funding obtained.

The decision on whether or not to award a grant, and the amount of the grant, depend on the result of the evaluation and the funds available for the Program.

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Financial assistance and terms and conditions of payment

Amount of the grant

Eligibility for the Program does not necessarily mean that a project will be granted financial assistance and creates no obligation for the Secretariat.

Payment of a grant remains subject to the availability of funds and appropriate and sufficient approval of appropriations by the National Assembly.

A project funded under the Program cannot be funded under other standards-based programs of the Secretariat.

An organization that has previously obtained a grant under the Program must, to remain eligible, have submitted a compliant final report for any previous project.

A grant awarded under the Program cannot exceed 80% of the eligible project expenses.

In addition, the cumulative total of all public grants awarded to the project, including those under the Program, cannot exceed 80% of the eligible expenses. The grant awarded under the Program may therefore be adjusted to ensure compliance with this rule.

For the purposes of the cumulative rule, other sources of government funding are the federal government (including public agencies and Crown corporations), municipal entities in Québec, and the departments, bodies and state-owned enterprises of the Québec government.

In connection with cumulative funding, the term “municipal entity” includes all municipal bodies within the meaning of section 5 of the Act respecting access to documents held by public bodies and the protection of personal information (CQLR, chapter A-2.1).

The maximum annual amount that may be awarded for a project is $100,000.

Terms and conditions for the payment of a grant

Financial assistance is always paid to the institution with which the principal applicant is connected.

Every beneficiary must make a formal undertaking, as required by the Secretariat, to complete the project as agreed and to accept the grant and the terms and conditions of payment.

Single-year projects

Grants of less than $15,000 are paid in a single instalment, according to the terms and conditions specified by the Secretariat.

Grants of $15,000 or more are paid in two instalments: 80% of the grant is paid after the beneficiary accepts the terms and conditions, and 20% at the end of the project, after the SQRC accepts the final project report.

Multi-year projects

Grants for all multi-year project are paid in instalments, as set out in the document Formulaire d’engagement du bénéficiaire et d’acceptation des modalités de versement.

As a result, grants are paid annually according to the terms and conditions specified for single-year projects.

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Visibility

All documents, activities and communications connected with subsidized projects must mention the assistance received from the Québec government and give it visibility in keeping with the grant awarded.

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Responsibilities of applicant

Undertaking by applicant

By signing the form, the applicant or applicants undertake to comply with the following:

I certify that all the information provided is accurate.
I undertake to complete the project as presented in this application and as approved.
I undertake to obtain consent from the Secretariat before making any substantial change to the project as approved.
I undertake, in all public communications for the activity, to mention the assistance obtained from the Québec government under the Research Support Program SQRC.
I undertake to provide a final report six months after the end date for the project or on the date approved by the SQRC.

Changes to the project

The project must be completed as approved. Any substantial change to the project, including its implementation schedule, and any change that adds other activities, must have prior approval from the Secretariat. Failure to obtain prior approval may lead to the cancellation of the grant and a requirement to repay it to the Secretariat.

Filing of reports

Single-year project

A final report must be filed with the SQRC, using the form provided for that purpose, not later than six months after the end date for the project, as approved. The final report must have been filed within the prescribed time and accepted by the SQRC before an application for a new project may be submitted by the same applicant under the financial support programs of the Secretariat. The report must cover the following elements:

  • a summary of the main activities completed as part of the project;
  • a description of the extent of participation in the project (identity, number and origin of participants) and its outreach (audience, publications, publishers, specialized journals, electronic links, publication of a book, media exposure);
  • a description of the results obtained with respect to the project’s initial objectives;
  • all the data needed to assess the results of the Program and measure the indicators provided for in this normative framework; 
  • the research reports, documents, articles, books, papers and blogs relating to the project;
  • a description of the visibility gained by the Québec government;
  • a detailed interim financial report on the project;
  • the applicant’s handwritten or digital signature.

Multi-year projects

For a multi-year project, a progress report (see the form supplied for this purpose) must be filed on the dates determined in the document Formulaire d’acceptation des modalités de versement et engagement du bénéficiaire, covering the following elements:

  • a summary of the activities completed;
  • the state of progress of the project;
  • the activities planned for the next fiscal year;
  • a description of the interim results obtained with respect to the project’s initial objectives;
  • all the data needed to assess the results of the Program and measure the indicators provided for in this normative framework; 
  • a description of the visibility gained by the Québec government;
  • a detailed interim financial report on the project, using the form provided for that purpose;
  • the applicant’s handwritten or digital signature.

A final report must be filed with the Secretariat six months after the end date of the project, or on the date approved in the document Formulaire d’engagement du bénéficiaire et d’acceptation des modalités de versement. The final report must have been filed within the prescribed time and accepted by the SQRC before an application for a new project may be submitted under the financial support programs of the Secretariat.

The required forms for filing a report are available on the SQRC website.

Financial statements and supporting documents

All organizations that receive support must include a detailed statement setting out the use made of the amounts awarded by the Secretariat with the reports filed on the project.

For grants of $50,000 or more, a detailed financial statement for the project must be filed with the SQRC with the final project report.

The Secretariat reserves the right to claim supporting documents at any time, which may include invoices, statements of account, and audited financial statements for the organization receiving support, its partners and any related organizations.

Repayment

If the eligible expenses that have effectively been incurred for the project are lower than the amount of the grant or if the effective revenues are higher than forecast, the unused portion of the grant must be repaid to the SQRC at the end of the project.

In every case, based on the detailed budget in the final report, the total amount initially awarded under the Program cannot exceed the maximum cumulative percentage allowed for public grants, which is 80% of the eligible expenses. If the 80% limit is exceeded, the final grant will be adjusted either through the repayment of the excess amount, or by a reduction in the last payment made by the Secretariat.

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Contact information

Application forms for financial assistance and final reports must be sent to the E-mail address for the Program: programme.recherche@mce.gouv.qc.ca.

The secretariat also accepts applications mailed to:

Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes
Programme d’appui à la recherche
Direction de la francophonie, de la réflexion stratégique
et des affaires publiques canadiennes
875, Grande Allée Est, 3e étage
Québec (Québec)  G1R 4Y8

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Forms and Documents

For applications submitted after April 1st 2021 :

Application
Progress and final reports
  • Progress report – form 2021-2024 [to come]
  • Final report – form 2021-2024 [to come]
  • Progress report – Revenues and expenditures 2021-2024 [to come]
  • Final report – Revenues and expenditures 2021-2024 [to come]
  • Visibility protocol

For applications submitted before March 31th 2021

Footnotes

Footnotes 1

Students enrolled full-time at the undergraduate level or graduate students, generally enrolled full-time, who are hired on a part-time basis to assist in the research work of faculty members, researchers and administrative units.

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Footnotes 2

Individuals who have completed a doctorate within the last five years and are asked to participate in research work at a university under the direction of a faculty member.

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Footnotes 3

Individuals holding a university degree as a minimum, who receive a salary paid by a research fund or special fund and are hired mainly to take part in the research work of faculty members, researchers and administrative units. Depending on the position held, they may be referred to as research assistants, advisors, analysts, etc.

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Footnotes 4

A project’s structuring impact is measured by its impact within the university context (dissemination of knowledge, instruction, generation of new research focuses).

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Footnotes 5

A project’s originality is measured by the unusual or under-explored nature of the research topics, research them or research focus.

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Footnotes 6

When an assessment of a project’s impact in Canada is not relevant to the type of project submitted, the mark given for a project’s structuring impact and originality is the average of the three other elements.

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Footnotes 7

The impact in Canada is measured by a project’s impact on issues outside Québec. When this criterion is not relevant to the type of project submitted, the mark given is the average of the three other elements.

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