Ph.D. Scholarships

Applicants must meet all the following conditions to be eligible for the program:

• Be registered or to plan to register into a Université Laval Ph.D. program
• Be supervised by a research supervisor and co-supervisor from different disciplines or have an agreement with a research supervisor and co-supervisor from different disciplines to supervise the doctorate
• Present a Ph.D. research project whose results and outcomes have potential applications and impact in the North, consistent with Sentinel North’s research program.
• Have at least a B grade point average (3.0/4.3) at the bachelor’s level and an A- (3.6/4.3) at the Master’s level

This competition is open to all applicants, with no citizenship or residency restrictions. Applicants whose research proposals are not covered by projects already funded by Sentinel North are eligible and encouraged to apply.

No competition is currently open. Thank you!

No competition is currently open. Thank you!

Scholarship validity period

• The maximum term of a scholarship is three years. A scholarship is granted for the duration of the validity period and renewed annually subject to the presentation of annual progress reports deemed satisfactory by the Sentinel North evaluation committee and the research supervisor. 
• The tenure of a scholarship begins at the start of a semester and runs for four months, following the grant date. For applicants whose program of study is already underway, tenure will begin at the start of the following semester (January, May, or September).
• Scholarships are not retroactive. Semesters completed before the effective date of a scholarship cannot be funded.
• The term of the award cannot extend beyond the deadline for which the Canada First Research Excellence Fund is funding Sentinel North.

Value of a doctoral scholarship and payment arrangements

• The maximum annual value of a Sentinel North doctoral scholarship is $21,000. Each payment of up to $7,000 covers a period of four months or one semester. A scholarship holder may receive up to nine payments totaling $63,000 within the eligibility period.
• Eligible students can receive doctoral scholarship payments for a period of three years or until their Ph.D. programs are completed, whichever comes first.
• International students must pay their tuition and health and hospitalization insurance costs, if applicable.

Required documents

• Scholarships are awarded upon proof of registration in a Ph.D. program at Université Laval.
• Scholarships are awarded on the condition that students obtain the required legal travel documents (visa, work permit, etc.), if applicable. Obtaining such documents is the sole responsibility of students. Scholarship payments will not be authorized without proof that the required legal documents have been obtained.

Change in program or proposal

• Scholarship holders must request permission from Sentinel North in writing prior to making any change in their program or proposal. Sentinel North will verify whether the nature of the change affects the results of the evaluation the applicant received so that it can recommend whether their funding should be maintained.

Restrictions

• Students may not apply for a scholarship to complete full-time preparatory studies (propedeutics).

Concurrent scholarships

• Applicants who receive scholarships from a provincial or federal agency, or any other private sources, including universities, research chairs, consortiums, private, international, and foreign foundations, governments of other Canadian provinces, and foreign governments, and/or loans and bursaries from MÉES may combine such sources of support with a Sentinel North doctoral research scholarship if permitted under the rules of concurrence of such bodies. However, the accumulation of a Sentinel North scholarship is not authorized with funds from the CFREF Program, including Sentinel North.

Compensation

• Scholarship holders may take a position that does not exceed 150 working hours per semester (equivalent to a period of four months or 15 weeks) provided that the research supervisors approve and such activities do not hinder their research program.
• The salary that a student receives from their director of studies to work solely on their research proposal is considered to be a scholarship that may be held concurrently.

Parental leave

• Applicants who interrupt their studies for the birth or adoption of a child may request paid parental leave from Sentinel North, as may recipients of awards from the federal granting agencies (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Paid parental leave is for a maximum period of 12 months, the equivalent of 3 semesters. It may begin during the planned session of childbirth or adoption and ends no later than one year after the birth of the child.
• Candidates must have already begun at least one semesters as a Sentinel North scholarship holder in order to receive paid parental leave. The period of coverage of the award cannot extend beyond the deadline date for which the Canada First Research Excellence Fund funds the Sentinel North program. It is important to note that only one parental leave may be granted per couple of parents for each birth or adoption.
• Individuals affected by this situation must notify the Sentinel North Training Programs Coordinator as soon as possible so that administrative steps can be taken.

Further details on the procedure for awarding scholarships

• The number of Ph.D. scholarships available is different for each competition. However, the selection committee reserves the right not to grant all available scholarships in the event that the number of available scholarships exceeds the number of applicants who meet the requirements.
• Scholarship holders must meet program conditions throughout the term of their scholarships to remain eligible.
• Applications presented by a supervising team where at least one member (supervisor or co-supervisor) has not received research funds from Sentinel North are encouraged.
• The selection criteria and the specific program terms and conditions to the next. In such cases, modifications will be duly posted at the start of each competition.