Postdoctoral Fellowship Program – Sustainable Aerospace – 2025 edition

In case of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of the rules, the French version shall prevail.

Funders and details the fellowship

The Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature and Technologies sector (FRQ) and CRIAQ are joining forces to launch this postdoctoral fellowship program. The program offers an opportunity for a candidate, who is pursuing a postdoctoral research internship of an average duration of two (2) years, to carry out their postdoctoral project in the aerospace field. The maximum financial support is $40,000.

The mission of the FRQ is to support and promote research and its next generation in their excellence, diversity, and openness, to stimulate discovery and innovation. CRIAQ’s mission is to increase the competitiveness of the aerospace industry by stimulating business innovation through collaborative R&D. This mission is achieved through an ecosystem that brings together diverse talents and fosters entrepreneurship in technologies.

The program is entirely administered by CRIAQ.

Eligibility

1. Programme postdoctoral 

To be eligible for the postdoctoral fellowship, the candidate must, by the competition deadline:

1.1. have obtained a doctoral degree within the last two years ago
or
1.2. plan to submit their initial thesis before starting their postdoctoral program and no later than March 1, 2026.
If a person holds more than one research doctorate, the date of the most recent doctorate will be used to determine eligibility.
or
1.3. having obtained a contract concerning a postdoctoral research project.

The postdoctoral study project, subject of the fellowship, must be at least 12 months long. It must start no earlier than May 1, 2025, and no later than March 1, 2026

2. Citizenship and internship location

The fellowship can be used in Quebec or outside Quebec under the following conditions:

2.1. The person must hold the Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and possess a valid Quebec Health Insurance Plan (RAMQ) card by the April 28^th 2025 or a proof that a card has been requested from RAMQ and will be valid by that date. The person can carry out the postdoctoral internship in Quebec and/or outside Quebec

2.2 If the person is not eligible according to 2.1 above, they remain eligible for the fellowship, but the postdoctoral internship must be entirely carried out in Quebec. Continuous physical presence in Quebec is required throughout the funding period, excluding breaks according to the university calendar.

Evaluation criteria

• Academic record and path (35 %)
  Recognitions (awards, distinctions, and scholarships received); Achievements (scientific, professional, social, etc.) and relevant experiences (related to the project or career path); Capacity for engagement and leadership (within and outside the academic environment); Ability to engage the dialogue between science and society in dialogue
• Research project (50%)
  Originality of the project and potential contribution to the advancement of knowledge; Clarity and coherence of the research problem; Relevance of the methodology; Feasibility of the project and realism of the schedule
• Host environnement (15%)
  Justification and relevance of the host location(s) for the project’s completion; added value for career development

Application submission

Submission process

The process of submitting a complete application involves three steps that must be completed by April 28, 2025, at 4:00 PM EST.

1. The applicant must submit the completed application form (link);
2. CRIAQ will share a secure Team Work link with the applicant via email within 24 business hours of the submission of the online form;
3. The applicant have to upload the documents listed below via this link.

Documents to be sent via the Teamwork link

The documents listed below must be submitted to CRIAQ via the Team Work link and be in Word or PDF format. They can be submitted in French or English. It is possible to submit unofficial documents at the time of application (not signed by the registrar, without the institution’s seal, with a watermark, etc.). However, any fellowship award is conditional upon the submission of the official version of these same documents.

Missing information, a missing document, or a document not meeting the required format may result, at any time, in the rejection of the document or even the application being deemed ineligible.

1. A cover letter of a maximum of 3,000 words, including a description of the postdoctoral project and a demonstration of the link between the project and the theme of sustainable aerospace. It is allowed to include hyperlinks leading to web pages, in the manner of bibliographic references, when relevant.
2. A resume of a maximum of 2 pages in letter format.Applications submitting resume in other formats, such as legal or A4 format, will be deemed ineligible.
3. Documents related to the person’s status, if they are eligible according to the situation described at 2.1 in the Eligibility section:
   a) Proof of permanent residence or Canadian citizenship (passport, birth certificate, etc.).
   b) A photocopy of the valid Quebec Health Insurance Plan (RAMQ) card at the competition deadline OR proof that a card has been requested from RAMQ and will be valid at the competition deadline.
4. The persons responsible for supervising the postdoctoral project must complete the fellowship attestation form (link). This form is not a letter of recommendation. It collects the following information:
   a) An attestation that the candidate will carry out their postdoctoral project at the identified host environment;
   b)How the candidate’s research project fits into their research activities;
   c) The type of supervision offered to the candidate;
   d) How the supervision or co-supervision environment will allow the candidate to enrich their experiences and broaden their skills set;
   e) The material resources available to the candidate for the realization of their project.
5. A similar form will also be required to unlock the 2nd and 3rd payment of the fellowship.
   A support letter from an official representative (researcher, professor, or head of a Quebec university institution) supporting the application. Applications submitting more than one letter may be deemed ineligible.

Selection process and additional information

Applications will be analyzed by a selection committee composed of individuals from the academic and industrial research sector. The results will be communicated no later than June 12, 2025, by CRIAQ.

By submitting its application, the candidate allows the CRIAQ to communicate his or her information to the FRQ. By accepting the fellowship, the person allow both organisations to use his or her name and photo to promote this fellowship program.

Rules for the use of the fellowship

The fellowship holder must remain eligible according to the criteria stated in the Eligibility section for the entire duration of the fellowship. Among other things, they must respect the conditions related to citizenship and be present full-time at the host location to pursue the project described in the application file.

The fellowship holder must notify the CRIAQ if a criterion or condition is no longer met or if any change in their situation affects his or her eligibility to the fellowship. Failure to comply or omission to notify such change within a reasonable time could result in the cancellation of the fellowship and/or a request for full reimbursement of the amounts received.

For information, the following situations must be notified to CRIAQ: change of citizenship, change of location, change of duration, change of supervisor, change of status from postdoctoral researcher or postdoctoral student to employee status, changes to the postdoctoral project objectives, etc. This list is not exhaustive.

Payments and reports

The fellowship will consist of three payments. The first will take place no earlier than 31 days before the first day of the planned period to carry out the postdoctoral study project. The 2nd will take place before the 2nd third of this period, and the 3rd before the last third.

A mid-term research report explaining the work done so far, the results achieved, and any updates to the initial project will be required no later than 31 days after the 2nd half of the planned period to complete the project.

A final report explaining the work done, the results achieved or not achieved is required no later than 60 days after the end of the internship project.

CRIAQ reserves the right to cancel a payment, after notice, if it is neither claimed nor postponed or when the required documents are not received within a reasonable time.