Financial support

Objective

Encourage the recruitment of new postdoctoral trainees in INAF’s research teams

Nature of financial support (One salary supplement available)

Contribution of $10,000 to the candidate’s salary, non-renewable[1].

Eligibility conditions

• The candidate must complete an internship of at least 12 months under the supervision of a researcher who is a regular member of INAF;
• The candidate must begin his or her internship before March 31, 2024;
• Postdoctoral fellows already at INAF at the time of application are not eligible;
• This salary supplement cannot be combined with the postdoctoral salary supplement awarded by the Centre NUTRISS;
• The applicant must not hold a named award from a granting agency at the time of application (e.g. Mitacs, FRQNT, FRQS, CIHR, NSERC, etc.).

Submitting applications

The researcher who will supervise the trainee will submit the application. The application must be submitted in PDF format and include the following information:

1. Identification of the candidate and the researcher (director of internship);
2. Description of the candidate’s research background (max. 25 lines)[2];
3. Title of the INAF researcher’s project;
4. Title candidate’s project;
5. Project summary (max. 25 lines);
6. The project plan for the postdoctoral fellow within the researcher’s project (max. 25 lines);
7. Expected scientific spin‐offs (max 25 lines);
8. The structuring impact of the candidate’s presence for INAF (max. 25 lines);
9. Financial arrangement of the candidate’s salary;
10. A letter of presentation by the researcher to demonstrate the impact of the financial support on its capacity to recruit the candidate;
11. A letter of motivation from the candidate;
12. The CV of the candidate.

Evaluation of applications

Evaluation procedure

Each application will be evaluated by an evaluation committee composed of INAF member researchers who have not submitted projects in the context of this competition. The evaluation committee will ensure that the diverse backgrounds and profiles of the next generation are taken into account in their evaluation. The funded projects will be announced by April 2023 to the researcher who will supervise the applicant.

Assessment criteria (passing score: 80%)

·       Excellence of the candidate and relevance of the application to the project (30 pts);

·       Structuring effect for the team and for INAF (construction of research teams, new inter-axis or inter-university collaborations, strategic or emerging sectors) (30 pts);

·       Relevance and innovative aspect of the project (20 pts);

·       Project implementation plan (objectives, duration and schedule, budget, expected benefits, realism) (20 pts).

IMPORTANT :

o For equal quality, applications from researchers who have not benefited from this salary supplement in the last 5 years will be prioritized;

Deadline for receipt of applications

The investigator who will lead the applicant must submit the application in PDF format (with all sections merged in the order indicated for application assembly) to annie.lapointe@fsaa.ulaval.ca by Friday March 10, 2023 at 11:59 pm. Only one application per researcher may be submitted.

[1] Tax deductions and union dues will be withheld from each pay in accordance with the rules of the current collective agreement.

[2]  Description of the applicant’s academic and professional background, highlighting the strengths, circumstances, positive influences, and opportunities that have helped to shape the applicant’s training, consolidate knowledge acquisition, and strengthen skills applicable to career development. If applicable, demonstrate how the applicant’s academic, professional and personal experiences have enriched his/her intellectual experience. If applicable, describe the reasons for any unforeseen interruptions or delays in the applicant’s studies. If there were particular obstacles along the way, explain how he/she overcame them.

CONTEST 2023-2024 : CLOSED

(Date to come for next contest)

Objective

Promote the recruitment and co-direction of new graduate students in INAF research teams.

Nature of financial support

• A one-time contribution of $5000 to the scholarship of the newly enrolled graduate student;
• The number of scholarships awarded annually by cycle of study remains flexible and will be determined in proportion to the number of applications received per cycle.

Eligibility criteria

• The candidate must conduct his or her studies under the direction of a regular INAF member and the co-direction of another regular or associate member of INAF;
• The research project must be in line with INAF’s scientific program;
• The candidate must begin his or her program of study in the summer 2024, fall 2024 or winter 2025;
• The candidate must not hold any other scholarship or salary from a granting agency at the time of application (e.g. Mitacs, FRQNT, FRQS, CIHR, NSERC, etc.);
• Co-supervision of an intersectoral nature is an added value;
• A candidate supervised by a researcher at the beginning of his/her career (less than 5 years between the date of hiring and the date of submission of this application) is an asset;
• Projects of an inter-institutional nature will have access to a mobility envelope of a maximum value of $2000;
• The INAF scholarship supplement cannot be combined with a graduate scholarship from the Centre NUTRISS, for the duration of the candidate’s studies.

How to submit an application

The application must be submitted by the researcher who will supervise the candidate, and must include the following information:

1. Identification of the candidate;
2. Identification of the candidate’s director, co-director and other researchers involved in the project, if applicable, and their institution;
3. The candidate’s program of study;
4. Title and abstract of the candidate’s project (max. 25 lines);
5. Start of studies (Summer 2024, Fall 2024 or Winter 2025);
6. Impact of the award on the candidate’s recruitment and research environment (justify the financial support requested);
7. Financial arrangement for the candidate’s salary;
8. A letter of motivation from the candidate including a description of his/her research pathway*;
9. The candidate’s CV;
10. The candidate transcript.

The application must be complete and submitted in a single PDF document. An incomplete application will not be considered.

Evaluation Criteria

Each application will be evaluated by a committee composed of members of the INAF Scientific Committee and INAF researchers who have not submitted projects to the competition. The evaluation criteria will be as follows:

• Relevance and added value of the project to the INAF scientific program (45pts);
• Justification and impact of the financial support requested (20 pts);
• Quality of the applicant and ability to present his/her research pathway (35 pts).

Deadline for applications

The researcher who will be supervising the candidate must submit his or her application no later than (Date to come) to annie.lapointe@fsaa.ulaval.ca. Only one application per researcher may be submitted.

*Research pathway

(This criterion is adapted from the evaluation criteria of the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ))

The paths that lead a person to become interested in a field of research are multiple. Some paths are straight, others are more atypical. The purpose of this sub-criterion is to show the links between the experiences you have acquired, your fields of interest and your training path. We therefore invite you to describe your academic and professional background by focusing on the elements you wish to highlight. Highlight your strengths, circumstances, positive influences and opportunities that have helped shape your education, consolidate your knowledge acquisition and strengthen your skills applicable to your career development. If applicable, show how the experiences that have marked your academic, professional and personal life have enriched your intellectual experience. If necessary, explain the reasons for interrupting your studies. If there were particular obstacles along the way, explain how you overcame them.

CONTEST CLOSED
(Date to come for next contest)

The Transfo: Inno scholarship program is a collaborative effort between INAF, the Conseil de la transformation alimentaire du Québec (CTAQ) and the fondation INITIA. Its primary objective is to foster the development of young researchers in fields relevant to the Quebec food processing industry.

The Transfo: Inno scholarships aim to recognize and support outstanding students with a keen interest in the field of food science at both the college and university levels. By providing financial assistance to graduate students (M.Sc. and Ph.D.), the program aims to facilitate the continuation of their studies and research.

EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIPS

Twelve scholarships with a total value of $15,000 will be awarded to students who demonstrate a strong commitment to pursuing studies in food science and exhibit exceptional academic achievements. These scholarships aim to acknowledge both academic excellence and the exceptional qualities of the students.

• Three $500 scholarships at the college level
• Three $1,000 scholarships at the bachelor’s level
• Three $1,500 scholarships at the master’s level
• Three $2,000 scholarships at the Ph.D. level.

BOURSES LEVIER

Three graduate students (2nd and 3rd cycle) will receive personalized financial support to aid them in their pursuit of higher education. This financial contribution will cover a portion of the student’s salary during periods when they are not recipients of grants from funding organizations. Other sources of funding will be sought to support the experimental aspects of their projects. Applicants and their supervisors are required to demonstrate the essential nature of the requested support.

• Three $5,000 scholarships at the master’s and Ph.D. levels.

Documents and eligibility criteria

Visit the INITIA Foundation website by

clicking here.

Student members from the Centre NUTRISS,  an INAF affiliated entity, can be on specific support programs.

For more information

The Globalink-MITACS  student programs fund international research internships. INAF student members can complete a paid internship outside Canada.

International students can also benefit from these programs to do an internship at INAF.

For more information

Objectives

To increase the visibility and influence of INAF on the international scene through an oral or written presentation by our graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Eligibility criteria

• The candidate must be supervised by an INAF research member and present an oral or written communication as first author in an international conference.
• The topic of the presentation must be in line with one of the themes of INAF’s scientific programming.
• INAF’s financial support cannot be combined with financial support from Centre NUTRISS.
• The visibility of INAF and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologie (FRQNT) required on the abstract and on the presentation material must comply with all the following requirements:

Mandatory visibility in the abstract

• The student’s affiliation or address must clearly state “Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods”. This affiliation must be indicated for all co-authors who are members of INAF.

Mandatory visibility in presentation materials

• Oral Communication: Title slide must include the INAF logo. Acknowledgement slide must include the FRQNT name.
• Poster communication: The INAF logo must be present and clearly visible at the top of the poster. FRQNT’s contribution should be acknowledged in the acknowledgement section.
• INAF logos are available here.

Submission of the application

• The application must be submitted at least one month prior to the conference start date and must include:
  • The Application Form2023 completed by the student and signed by the student and his/her supervisor;
  • A copy of the preliminary program of the conference;
  • A copy of the abstract of the presentation as submitted to the conference.
• Within one month of the end of the conference, the student must provide the following supporting evidence:
  • Final version of the presentation (oral or written) demonstrating that the visibility given to INAF and FRQNT complies with all requirements described above;
  • Official conference program identifying the section in which the presentation appears;
  • Relevant invoices (registration fees, accommodation fees, transportation fees, meal fees);
  • For Université Laval students: it is the student’s responsibility to apply for reimbursement of all these travel expenses from the supervisor’s unit and to provide the expense report. The amount of financial assistance will then be paid to the supervisor from this claim.
  • For students from institutions outside of Université Laval: a specimen cheque.
• Please note that failure to comply with these rules will result in the cancellation of the financial support.

Nature of the financial assistance

• INAF will reimburse the registration fees incurred by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who present at a virtual conference up to a maximum of $150

or

INAF will reimburse 50% of the costs incurred by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows presenting at a face-to-face conference up to a maximum of $750 (e.g., registration fees, accommodation, transportation and meals);

• Funding may be awarded once at the 2^nd cycle, twice at the 3^rd cycle, and once at the postdoctoral level.
• Limit of 1 participation per 12-month period
• Financial support is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis and is subject to the availability of funds for this program.
• The student must submit his or her request at least one month before the conference and must submit the supporting documents no later than one month after the conference to Annie Lapointe (annie.lapointe@fsaa.ulaval.ca).