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Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes

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General Information

The PAR’s normative framework is currently being revised, and a new version will soon come into effect, subject to the approval of the Conseil du Trésor. Consequently, the Programme is at present closed to new grant applications.

All applications submitted from the 1st of April 2021 must use the new, updated forms, and must respect the Programme’s new conditions. Full details of these, as well as the updated forms, will be published on our website shortly.

Objectives of the Program

The Research support program (PAR) aims to support the development and dissemination of knowledge contributing to a better understanding of Québec and its Canadian relations.

Administered by the Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC), the program has three components.

The Intergovernmental Affairs component primarily supports projects that will contribute to the promotion of Canadian intergovernmental relations based on the respect of the Constitution and the recognition of Québec’s specificity and enhance the reflection and discussion on intergovernmental issues in Canada. These projects may concern:

  • 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 Identity component primarily supports projects that will contribute to the understanding of Québec in Canada, its national identity, its institutions and of Québec’s perspectives and realities among its partners of the Canadian federation. These projects may concern:

  • Québec political institutions;
  • Québec nation and its constituent elements;
  • Québec public policies;
  • identities issues;
  • the history of Québec and of its diverse societal components;
  • sense of common citizenship in Québec;
  • relations between civil society in Québec and elsewhere in Canada.

The Canadian Francophonie component primarily supports projects that will contribute to the understanding of the Canadian Francophonie, in particular the Francophone and Acadian communities as French-speaking communities in Canada. These projects may concern:

  • Francophone and Acadian communities, their diversity, their realities and their vitality;
  • the challenges facing Francophone and Acadian communities in various areas (immigration, education, health, economic development, etc.);
  • the relations between Quebecers and Francophones elsewhere in Canada, and between Québec and the Canadian Francophonie;
  • questions relating to language policy in Canada; the history, sociology, etc. of French-speaking communities in Canada and their development.

The projects under the PAR program are intended to:

  • undertake research, analyses and other experts works and disseminate knowledge through, among others, the publication of books and academic collaboration through knowledge-sharing platforms;
  • organize, or participate to, meetings enabling exchanges among Québec and Canadian or international experts at important events held in Québec or elsewhere in Canada and in the world.

Projects can be single-year or multi-year. Single-year projects must be completed within twelve months (from the project start date indicated by the applicant). Multi-year projects can take longer than one year, but must be completed within three years. In no case will financial support for a project be renewed automatically.

Eligible Projects

Only researchers from recognized organizations (institutions, associations, institutes, research centres) can submit a project to the PAR

Research centres affiliated with a university-level institution, and associations of researchers, can submit a project to receive funding under the PAR The applicant must hold non-profit status with the enterprise registrar or be affiliated with a postsecondary and/or research institution, and must provide the relevant supporting documents.

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

Only projects meeting the objectives of the program and the orientations and priorities defined by the SQRC are eligible.

Please submit your project request from 8 to 10 weeks before the beginning of your event.

Description of the Project

Projects must be described in sufficient details, in the prescribed form.

All of the following elements must be covered in the description:

  • full address of the applicant(s) and, where relevant, of any organizations that are associated with the project, including their postal and email addresses as well as reference to their Web sites;
  • function, title, experience, communications and publications of the applicant (join detailled curriculum vitae);
  • description of the proposed activities;
  • description of the expected results/outcomes and their contribution to the program’s objectives;
  • detailled budget showing projected expenditures and schedule of disbursements;
  • the project’s financing package and funding sources;
  • original signature of the applicants attesting that all information provided is true and correct and, where applicable, authorizing the Government du Québec (or its agent) to audit the use of the grant;
  • the original signature of a contact person at the research office of the organization.

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Eligible Expenses

The grant can only be used for the reimbursement of eligible expenses reasonably incurred to realize the activities, analyses and research as described in the project.

Eligible expenses are:

  • Fees and salaries paid to individuals specifically hired for the realization of the project (for example, research assistant, i.e. undergraduate and graduate students, or postdoctoral fellows).
  • Reasonable transport and accommodation expenses.
  • Translation, printing and publication expenses.
  • Communication and promotional expenses directly related to the project.
  • Expenses incurred for the rental of material and equipment necessary to the realization of the project.

Non-eligible expenses:

  • Administration expenses.
  • Office rent.
  • Equipment purchase.
  • Capital expenditures.
  • Cocktail or reception related expenses.
  • Any other day-to-day operating expenses.
  • Any expenditure that the organization would otherwise have assumed in the normal course of its operations.

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Evaluation of Projects

Projects are evaluated by the SQRC on the extent of their relevancy with regard to the objectives, orientations and priorities of the Program, their originality and articulation, the achievements of participant researchers, their capacity to realize the project and the realism of the financial aspects of the project.

The grant is determined on the basis of the result of the evaluation and taking into account the orientations and priorities of the SQRC and availability of funds.

Payment of the Grant

Single-year projects

Grants of less than 15 000 $ are paid in a single instalment.

Grants of 15 000 $ or more are paid in two instalments: 80% of the grant is paid after confirmation of the approval of the project by the SQRC and 20% at the end of the project, upon acceptance of the final report by the SQRC.

Other terms and conditions of payment may be determined by the SQRC depending on the nature and development of the project.

Multi-year projects

The first instalment of each year represents the funding that applies for one project year, and is paid 60 days after the signing of the memorandum of agreement by the parties or after the SQRC has accepted the progress report filed each year by the applicant, on the date determined in the memorandum of agreement.

The second instalment is paid for the year concerned in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the memorandum of agreement.

 

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Other Conditions

The combined total of public grants can cover up to 80% of eligible expenses. The total includes amounts paid directly or indirectly by the departments and bodies of a provincial or federal government, state-owned corporations and municipal bodies.

The project must be carried out as approved. Prior approval by the SQRC is required for any substantial change to the project.

For funding of 50 000 $ or more, audited financial statements of the project must be provided to SQRC with the final report.

The SQRC also reserves the right to require audited financial statements of any project that it subsidizes and may, at any time, verify the information and supporting documents related to the project.

Applicants who receive funding for a multi-year project must agree to sign a memorandum of agreement with the SQRC, setting out, in particular, the terms and conditions for visibility, the filing of reports and the payment of a multi-year grant.

For single-year projects, after completion of the project, a final report must be transmitted to the SQRC, no later that March 31st of the financial year in which it has been completed. The final report must have been transmitted on time and approved by the SQRC before any proposal for a new project can be submitted to the PAR.

For multi-year projects, a progress report must be filed each year on the dates determined in the memorandum of agreement, and a final report must be filed with the SQRC at the end of the project and no later than March 31st of the financial year in which it is completed. The final report must have been transmitted on time and approved by the SQRC before any proposal for a new project can be submitted under the PAR.

If the eligible expenses that have effectively been incurred for the realization of the project are lower than the amount of the grant, effective revenues are higher than forecasted or the project has been cancelled, the unused portion of the grant must be repaid to the SQRC.

All documents, activities and communication products related to the project must include an acknowledgement the Government of Québec’s contribution with a prominence commensurate to the level of support provided.

Coordinates

All documents related to a request for funding support for a project under the PSRAIIQ must be mailed to:

Secrétariat du Québec aux relations canadiennes (SQRC)
Direction de la francophonie, de la réflexion stratégique et des affaires publiques canadiennes
875, Grande Allée Est, 3e étage
Québec (Québec)  G1R 4Y8
Phone: 418 528-7915

Reach us by email

Because of a technical difficulty, some E-mails sent by the SQRC may fail to reach your E-mail inbox. Please check your spam folder. The SQRC is working to resolve the problem and apologizes for any inconvenience.

The SQRC adheres to the Government Sustainable Development Strategy and encourages responsible practices in this regard.

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Forms: