The Chief Scientist of Québec and the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture (FRQSC) are pleased to confirm that the credits allocated under the Stratégie québécoise de recherche et d’investissement en innovation 2022-2027 (SQRI2) announced on May 19 by the Minister of Economy and Innovation of Québec will provide new funding for nearly 150 research groups: centres, networks, teams, institutes and university-affiliated centres.

The research groups reflect the commitment of the Ministry of Economy and Innovation and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) to enhance, sustain and build on the research being led in the major infrastructures they support. The funding objectives include the aim to raise awareness among researchers of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

The support will help develop and consolidate centres of excellence by stimulating discovery and innovation in all their forms so Québec researchers can take on a leadership role in a number of areas and join national and international networks they could not have accessed on an individual basis. With that in mind, the FRQ will foster cooperation between teams and intersectoral and interspeciality networking. 

The funding initially granted to the 27 research centres and networks supported by the FRQSC as part of the last two competitions of the Strategic Clusters program was raised significantly to a base amount of $300,000 for current clusters and $100,000 for emerging clusters. The increase is effective April 1, 2022 and will apply until the end of the funding periods. 

The base amounts granted to the 35 research teams funded under the FRQSC’s Research Team Support Program and to the other 71 funded teams will rise by 20%. 

The ten university institutes and university-affiliated centres funded by the FRQSC (Soutien aux infrastructures de recherche des Instituts et des Centres affiliés universitaires du secteur social) will receive an extra $50,0000 in 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 for a total increase of $1M.

Letters officialising the additional extraordinary funding will soon be available in the FRQnet E-portfolios of the teams’ principal investigators, who will also be notified personally.  

Information

Marie-Frédérique Desbiens and Bernard Vandal
Program Managers
Fonds de recherche du Québec – Société et culture
418 643-7582, ext. 3142 or 3210