Each year the Government of Canada offers doctoral research scholarships in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields for international students.  International students except Canada can apply for these scholarships.

Doctoral research scholarships program for foreign students (DE) aimed at foreign students who had been preselected by a Québec university and who wish to carry out their doctoral studies in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields.

The Doctoral Research Scholarships Program for Foreign Students (DE) of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologies (FRQNT) aims to stimulate international student’s interest in beginning or pursuing doctoral studies in Québec and provide financial support to leading international Ph.D. candidates in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields.

Scholarship Description:

• Application Deadline: November 1st, 2018
• Course Level: Scholarships are available for pursuing doctoral studies at Québec University.
• Study Subject: The scholarships are aimed at foreign students who had been preselected by a Québec university and who wish to carry out their doctoral studies in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering fields. To be eligible, applicants must specialize in the following areas:
  •    Aerospace
  •    Information and communication technologies
  •    Health technologies
  •    Genomics
  •    Nanotechnologies
• Scholarship Award: The FRQNT board of directors reserves the right to modify the value of scholarships at any time, without notice, notably in accordance with the credits annually allocated by the Assemblée nationale du Québec, its strategic priorities and budgetary process.The maximum annual value of the doctoral research scholarship for international students is 21 000 $. Within the eligibility period of twelve semesters or 48 months, a scholarship holder may receive a maximum of twelve installments for a total of 84 000 $. Each payment of up to 7 000 $ covers a period of four months or one semester. The 11th and 12th installments are conditional on the initial deposit of the thesis before the end of the 12th financed semester.
• Number of Scholarships: Not given
• Nationality: International students
• Scholarship can be taken in Canada

Eligibility for the Scholarship:

• Eligible Countries: International students except from Canada can apply for these scholarships.
• Entrance Requirements: Applicants must:
  •  Meet all eligibility criteria by the competition deadline;
  •  Have been preselected by a Québec university.
  •  Not have obtained a Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students from the Ministère de l’Education et de l’Enseignement supérieur du Québec (MEES) or from one of the Fonds de recherche du Québec.
  •  Not be a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
  •  Not have submitted an application for permanent residence under Canadian immigration laws.
• English Language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.

Application Procedure:

How to Apply:

Preselected applicants will have to create an account in the FRQnet website. The FRQNT will then communicate with all of the preselected candidates so they can fill out an electronic  form in the FRQnet system. Applicants may consult the document: Instructions for completing an application in the Toolbox.

Only the 2019-2020 competition e-forms and other required documents will be accepted. Any appendices or documents other than those required will not be transmitted to the evaluation committee.

The e-forms are only available in the secure section of the FRQnet website of the Fonds. These forms must be filled out and submitted electronically by the competition deadline. Applicants will not be able to update their applications after the competition deadline. It is recommended that applicants keep a hard copy of the e-form for their personal files.

The form may be written in French or English. Applicants who submit their applications in English must provide the French translation of the project title.

Important : Applications that do not include all required information will be deemed ineligible by the FRQNT.

Required supporting documents

Letters of reference (online)

Two letters of reference from referees should be transmitted to the program manager. To allow the referee to complete the reference letter, the candidate must enter the referee’s account information in the FRQnet form. The referee will then have access to the letter through his Portfolio in the “As a referee” section.

Documents to include in the electronic form (PDF)

The documents listed below must be attached to the electronic form in the section « Other documents » of the form. The student must ensure that the documents are not protected by a password. Documents submitted in a language other than French or English must be accompanied by a translation of the original.

•  A copy of transcripts for every year of the applicant’s university studies, whether they were completed or not (certificate, diploma, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, etc.).
•  A copy of the identification page of the applicant’s valid passport from his/her home country or any other official document that established the applicant’s citizenship;
•  A copy of your diploma unless there is a grade in this document. The applicant must also provide the transcripts for any equivalencies that were granted for courses taken in other institutions or as part of other programs. Any transcripts from institutions located outside North America must include a note from the applicant explaining the marking system. The FRQNT reserves the right to verify with institutions the authenticity of any information given by applicants. The transcripts must be organized chronologically from newest to oldest;
•  Acknowledgements of receipt or letters from editors for articles that are submitted, accepted or in press (acknowledgements for published articles will not be given to the committee);

Additional document for applicants who carried out part-time or unregistered semesters since first registering for their graduate studies

•  If applicable, an attestation from the registrar listing any unregistered or part-time semesters.

Additional document for applicants seeking an eligibility period exception

•  An official attestation of interrupted enrolment and, where applicable, a medical certificate indicating the duration and the reasons for the interruption;
•  For the parental leave exception, a copy of the child’s birth certificate or an official document demonstrating the adoption.

Submitting the required documents

The candidate must send the electronic form to the FRQNT before the competition deadline.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to verify that the documents attached to the electronic form (PDF) include all the required documents for the application to be considered acceptable. No document requested in the electronic form that would be sent by email or mail will be accepted.

The candidate must ensure that his referees send the letters of reference no later than the competition deadline.

Acknowledgment of receipt

In December, applicants will be informed by email of the receipt of their application. The candidate who has not received this notice should contact the program manager before December 15th.

Scholarship Link