Research Support Program

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Program objectives

The Research Support Program (RSP) aims to support the development and dissemination of knowledge to contribute to a better understanding of Québec and its approach to Canadian relations.

More specifically, it is designed to support

• an increase in research and studies focusing on intergovernmental affairs, Québec studies, and the Canadian Francophonie;
• more effective dissemination of research findings and studies, through seminars and publications;
• more joint participation, by researchers from Québec and other places in Canada, in the production and dissemination of knowledge on the above themes;
• 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.

Each project must target

• the completion of studies or research;
• the dissemination of knowledge through the publication of books or scientific articles, collaboration in university-level knowledge-sharing platforms, or the dissemination of scientific content from research projects using dynamic communication tools; or
• the organization of or participation in meetings to promote discussions between Québec, Canadian or international experts at major events held in Québec, elsewhere in Canada or around the world.

The Intergovernmental Affairs component primarily supports projects that, in compliance with the Québec government guidelines in the field of Canadian intergovernmental relations, help promote intergovernmental relations based on respect for the Constitution and recognition of Québec’s specificity. The projects may also enrich scrutiny and discussion of these themes in Canada, and focus on

• Québec and Canadian politics;
• intergovernmental relations;
• institutional, constitutional and geopolitical questions relating to federalism;
• economic and financial questions relating to fiscal autonomy, financial and fiscal transfers, and equalization payments; or
• comparative federalism.

The Québec Studies component primarily supports projects that contribute to an understanding of Québec, its institutions, identity issues, and the reality and future of Québec society in Canada (in fields such as history, political science, law and sociology). The projects must focus on

• institutional and public policy questions;
• inter-community relations, diversity and identity;
• civil society and political forces in Québec and Canada; or
• the history of Québec, civil society and political forces.

The Canadian Francophonie component primarily supports projects that, in compliance with the aims and objectives of the Québec Policy on the Canadian Francophonie, contribute to an understanding of the Canadian Francophonie and of the Francophone and Acadian communities, including the realities they face, and the issues relating to public policies and the relationship with Québec as French-speaking communities in Canada. The projects must focus on

• the Francophone and Acadian communities, their diversity and the various realities they face;
• the challenges that the Francophone and Acadian communities must address in various public policy areas;
• relations between Quebecers and Francophones elsewhere in Canada and between Québec and the Canadian Francophonie; or
• questions relating to language policies in Canada, history, the sociology of French-speaking communities in Canada, and changes in those communities.

Project duration

For all the components, projects can be single-year or multi-year projects.

Single-year projects take place within a period of twelve months, beginning at the project start date specified by the applicant.

Multi-year projects take place over a period of between one year and three years. A multi-year project must include phased steps that are interdependent, and must take more than one year to complete. The repetition of the same activity from year to year is not a multi-year project.

Financial support for a project is never renewed automatically at the end of the grant period. A new application must be submitted if further support is needed.

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Eligibility

Eligible applicants

Two categories of applicants are eligible:

1. An organization such as
   • an association of researchers in a recognized scientific discipline that has non-profit status and a majority of members who are individuals connected with an organization that meets the definition in the following paragraph;
   • a research centre affiliated with a post-secondary institution.
2. A researcher connected to an organization such as
   • a university-level institution;
   • a general and vocational college.

An applicant must be based at an organization in Québec or in Canada.

When a project is submitted by an applicant and one or more co-applicants, all the co-applicants must meet the eligibility conditions for the program, including the total number of active projects in the category concerned.

Ineligible applicants

The following organizations are not eligible:

• for-profit legal persons;
• government departments, budget-funded bodies and state-owned enterprises, and enterprises controlled directly or indirectly by a government (provincial or federal) or by a state-owned enterprise;
• enterprises listed in the register of enterprises ineligible for public contracts, including their subcontractors;
• authorized or registered political parties, and groups recognized by the electoral authorities;
• political education organizations;
• organizations that have failed to comply with the conditions for allocating SQRC grants in terms of reporting requirements;
• organizations that have failed to comply with their obligations after receiving formal warning in connection with financial assistance previously granted by a Québec government department or body;
• organizations that do not meet the high standards of integrity that the public is entitled to expect from the beneficiary of financial assistance paid out of public funds;
• organizations that do not meet their obligations under the Charter of the French Language.

Eligible projects

Only projects consistent with the defined objectives and themes of the RSP are eligible. The projects must also be consistent with the guidelines and priorities defined by the SQRC.

Cumulative number of active files

Organizations receiving a grant under the RSP must meet the following criteria at all times:

• have no more than 5 active projects under the RSP, with cumulative total funding from the SQRC of no more than $100,000;
• have submitted a final report, considered compliant by the SQRC, for every project financed under the RSP once its end date has occurred.

Researchers receiving a grant under the RSP must meet the following criteria at all times:

• have no more than 2 active projects as an applicant or co-applicant, with cumulative total funding from the SQRC of no more than $50,000;
• have submitted a final report, considered compliant by the SQRC, for every project financed under the RSP once its end date has occurred.

When a project is submitted by an applicant from an organization located in Québec, the application for a grant must be drafted in French.

Project submission process

Each project must be described in detail, using the form prescribed for that purpose and available on the SQRC website.

The form must contain all the following elements:

• 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 RSP’s objectives;
• a detailed budget showing the projected expenses, 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.

Projects submitted after January 1 of a given year will be considered for the following budget year beginning on April 1.

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

A 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 students or postdoctoral fellows, technicians responsible for dissemination or translation, and any person whose expert knowledge is needed for the purposes of the project, excluding research professionals), based on the institution’s pay scales;
• reasonable travel 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 materials and equipment 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;
• travel costs in business class, first class or any class other than economy class;
• expenses incurred before the application is submitted or the expenses identified in the call for projects become eligible, where applicable;
• 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 identified as such in the budget.

Indirect research costs for services

Under the RSP, indirect research costs for services are eligible, and 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:
  •  the match between the objectives of the project and those of the RSP;
  •  consistency with the components of the RSP;
  •  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 priorities and guidelines established by the SQRC;
  •  for projects submitted under calls for projects on priority research themes, the match between the project and the specified criteria;
• the project’s structuring impact and originality, based on
  •  its innovative aspects;
  •  its impact in Canada;
  •  joint participation from Québec and Canada;
  •  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 RSP.

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Financial assistance and terms and conditions of payment

Amount of the grant

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

Grants are paid subject to the availability of funds and appropriate or suitable and sufficient appropriations by the National Assembly.

A grant awarded under the RSP cannot exceed 80% of the eligible project expenses. The maximum grant for a single project is $100,000.

In addition, the cumulative total of all financial assistance received directly or indirectly for the project from government departments and bodies, state-owned enterprises of the governments of Québec and Canada, including tax credits, and municipal entities, cannot, with the grant under the RSP, exceed 100% of the eligible expenses. The grant awarded under the RSP may be adjusted to comply with this rule.

For the rules on cumulative funding from public sources, 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 asset referred to in subparagraph 1 of the first paragraph of section 89 of the la Act establishing the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government (RLRQ, c. G 1.04) is not taken into account for the rules on cumulative funding under the RSP.

For the purposes of the rules on cumulative funding, all forms of financial assistance granted by a public body must be calculated at 100% value, whether or not they are repayable.

In addition, where the cumulative public funding amounts to less than 100% of the eligible expenses, a minimum contribution by the beneficiary is required to ensure that the government funding does not cover all the eligible expenses for the project.

Financial assistance from the Business Development Bank of Canada, Farm Credit Canada and the Financière agricole du Québec is deemed to be a private contribution if it confers no advantage or is agreed at market rates.

Terms and conditions of payment

In all cases, the grant is paid to the institution with which the applicant is connected. Where the project is submitted by two or more applicants, the co-applicants must, in the grant application form, designate a principal applicant for payment purposes.

Every beneficiary must make a formal undertaking, as specified by the SQRC, to complete the project as agreed and to accept the grant with its terms and conditions.

Single-year projects

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

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 projects are paid in annual instalments, based on the terms and conditions for single-year projects. An instalment is only paid after the applicant has submitted a progress report for the previous year, considered to be compliant by the SQRC.

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Visibility

All documents, activities and communications products connected with the projects funded must mention the assistance received from the Québec government and offer it visibility in proportion to the funding granted.

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Responsibilities of applicant

By signing the form, the applicant

• certifies that all the information provided is accurate;
• undertakes to complete the project as presented in the application and as approved;
• undertakes to obtain consent from the SQRC before making any substantial change to the project as approved;
• undertakes, in all public communications for the activity, to mention the assistance obtained from the Québec government under the RSP;
• undertakes to provide a final report six months after the project end date or on the dates 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 SQRC. Failure to obtain prior approval may lead to the cancellation of the grant and a requirement to repay it to the SQRC.

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 SQRC, subject to the rules on the number of active projects.

The report must contain

• 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 impact (audience, publications: publisher, specialized journal, electronic link, 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 in terms of the RSP;
• 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 financial report on the project;
• the applicant’s handwritten or digital signature.

Multi-year project

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.

The report must contain

• a summary of the activities completed;
• a description of the state of progress of the project;
• a list 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 in terms of the RSP; 
• 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 SQRC 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 SQRC, subject to the rules on the number of active projets.

Financial statements and supporting documents

All organizations that receive a grant must include a detailed statement with their reports showing the use made of the amounts awarded.

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 SQRC 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 RSP cannot exceed the maximum cumulative percentage allowed for public grants, which is 100% of the eligible expenses.

Sustainable development

The SQRC encourages applicants to apply best practices in the area of sustainable development and to include sustainability criteria in their projects.

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Contact information

Application forms for financial assistance must be emailed to: programme.recherche@mce.gouv.qc.ca

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Forms and documents

For applications submitted after April 1, 2024 :

• Normative framework 2024-2027 (in French only) (PDF, 321 ko)

Grant application

• Form 2024-2027  (Word, 214 ko)
• Budget breakdown 2024-2027 (in French only) (Excel, 55 ko)
  (one budget breakdown per fiscal year must be completed for multi-year projects)
• Table of accommodation expenses (in French only) (PDF, 80 ko)
• Table of meal expenses (in French only) (PDF, 79 ko)
• Visibility protocol

Report

• Progress and final report (Word, 215 ko)
• Budget breakdown (Excel, 56 ko)
• Appendix - Indicators (Excel, 20 ko)

For applications submitted before March 31, 2024

• Normative framework 2021-2024 (PDF, 875 ko)
• Form used to file a progress or final report 2021-2024 - on request