Under the 2010-2013 Québec Research and Innovation Strategy (MDEIE, June 2010), Québec has set aside $1.2M for college researchers. These investments will fund releases from teaching duties and the statutory supplements granted by the Fonds under its regular programs.

The grants awarded to the college researchers will be paid  directly to the college institutions by the Fonds.

The objectives of the program to release college researchers from their teaching duties aim to:

• enable college professors and researchers to contribute to Québec's technological, social and cultural  development;
• support collaborations between university and college professors on research projects, programs and topics;
• foster the emergence and consolidation of research activities in colleges;
• help college researchers initiate their students to research; ensure that college researchers contribute to regional development in collaboration with local stakeholders.

Full-time college researchers and professors in general and vocational colleges, private colleges of public interest and government schools that provide post-secondary education in Québec are eligible. A college researcher may also be a regular full-time researcher in a college centre for research and technology transfer. Retired college researchers are eligible for statutory supplements only.

Under the responsibility of the applicant, a college researcher may request a release from his/her teaching duties and statutory supplement in a funding application submitted to one of the following programs:

• Strategic Clusters program (Regroupements stratégiques);
• Concerted Actions program (Actions concertées), whenever stated in the call for proposals;
• Research Team Support program (Soutien aux équipes de recherche);
• Support for Innovative Projects program (Appui aux projets novateurs);
• Support for Media Arts and Technologies program (Appui aux arts et technologies médiatiques);
• Research-Creation Support program (Appui à la recherche-création);
• Research Infrastructure Support for University-Affiliated Centres and Institutions (Soutien aux infrastructures de recherche des Instituts et des Centres affiliés universitaires).

The applications for releases and statutory supplements are assessed with the applications for funding submitted to one of the aforementioned programs. Evaluation committee members will consider the applications based on program-specific criteria and indicators. Members must also rank the applications according to merit, determining the ones that may be eligible and recommending a release percentage and statutory supplement for each college researcher.

For each program, applications will be assessed by a multidisciplinary committee that may call upon external experts whenever necessary.

The results will be announced on the dates set out in the rules of each program.

There are two funding options:

1) Release from teaching duties

The release from teaching duties will be paid out to the college to cover the actual cost of the college researcher's salary. The maximum percentage granted for a release from teaching duties is 50%, which represents a maximum salary of $40 000. A college researcher may hold two concurrent grants under different programs that release him/her from his/her teaching duties. In such cases, teaching load reductions must not exceed 60% of the college researcher's work load. There is no limit to the number of college researchers on an application, and all researchers involved in a project may apply for a release.

2) Statutory supplement

Each statutory supplement totals $7 000/year. One statutory supplement may be granted for each college researcher on a funding application. There is no limit to the number of statutory supplements that a college researcher may cumulate. However, only one statutory supplement will be granted to each college researcher on an application. The statutory supplement is exclusively meant for college researchers to cover research activities that are not funded by the college. Expense eligibility is based on program-specific budgetary items. The salaries of researchers, postdoctoral trainees, research professionals, research technicians and
administrative staff, travel expenses, research material and supplies, telecommunications fees, computer supplies, the purchase of databases, production, editing and reproduction fees, premise and equipment rental fees, translation fees and the purchase of equipment all constitute eligible expenses.

The grant for a release from teaching duties cannot be terminated.

The release is granted on a yearly basis for the grant period, providing that the college researcher continues to meet the eligibility criteria.

These rules apply to the 2014-2015 fiscal year.