CEN scholarships

Changes in competition dates and amounts awarded

As of September 2017, there is only one competition per year for CEN awards and scholarships. This is intended to facilitate budget management and ensure that all individuals who meet the eligibility criteria receive support from the CEN for its activities rather than establishing competitive criteria.

In addition, due to the increasing number of applications, the amount allocated to each of the awards is subject to change without notice based on the number of applications received. If the number of applications exceeds the budgeted amount, students will receive a percentage of the maximum amount of the award or scholarship for which they have applied. This percentage will vary depending on the total number of requests received. The amounts indicated on the CEN scholarships and awards web page are therefore indicative and represent the maximum amounts that may be awarded and not the amounts necessarily allocated.

All requests must be submitted via the CEN intranet. (http://www.cen.ulaval.ca/intranet)

Email requests will be refused.

For any questions regarding the scholarships and awards program, or if you would like to have your supporting documents pre-approved, please do not hesitate to contact your Dedicated Student Committee: etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca.

Distinction between CEN scholarships and awards

The student committee considers a scholarship as financial support to the student for training, an internship or conference registration for a postdoctoral fellow. It is therefore expected that the recipient will communicate the amount received to its director or other organization funding its participation in this activity, so that the funding obtained does not exceed the expenses incurred.

In contrast, an award is an amount given by the student committee to the recipient to recognize active participation in a conference, publication or graduation.

General eligibility requirements for the CEN student awards program (graduate and post-doc)

The CEN has several scholarship programs for its graduate students and a scholarship program for its postdoctoral fellows.

To receive the full amount of CEN scholarships and awards, the student or postdoctoral fellow must be a regular member of the CEN, that is, a member of the CEN and no other FRQNT group.

A student who is also part of another FRQNT group has associate membership status (see CEN membership rules). The latter may apply for prizes and a scholarship awarded to students who are regular members of the CEN, but is entitled to only 50% of the value of each scholarship or award.

General eligibility requirements for the CEN student awards program for regular and associate members

• The student must have completed his or her application for membership to the CEN within one year of the start date of the first master's or doctoral registration session.
• The activities concerned by the request must have been carried out in the year (365 days) preceding the date of submission.
• Eligibility for the CEN awards program continues until the date of final submission (except for the Publication excellence award).
• The student may apply more than once for all categories of scholarships (with the exception of graduation scholarships) during the course of his/her studies. However, some conditions apply for internship scholarships and conference paper awards (see the appropriate section).
• The student must meet all the eligibility requirements and provide all the required supporting documents (only pdf files are accepted). Please make sure you are well informed about all the supporting documents to be provided. Incomplete applications may be refused.
• The application must be submitted on the CEN intranet site.
• The deadline for applications is March 1^st only. Any activities carried out after this date will be processed the following year.
• If an activity is held concurrently with March 1^st (e.g., a conference from February 28 to March 4), the student may request an agreement in principle prior to the activity so that the request can be processed immediately rather than the following year.
• You will receive a cheque for the amount of the prize awarded 4 to 6 weeks after the announcement email is sent. For more information on payment terms and conditions, please contact France Levesque by email: france.levesque@cen.ulaval.ca or by phone at: 418-656-2131 ext. 7142.

ATTENTION: The student's affiliation with the CEN must be clearly indicated in publications and in oral or poster presentations to be eligible for scholarship programs. For oral or poster presentations, the affiliation must be indicated in the official program of the event. In the case where there is only one space to indicate affiliation at registration, the student must indicate the CEN or put, for example, "Laval University / Center for Northern Studies" or "Laval University / CEN". In addition, since it is impossible to know in advance if the organizing committee of a conference will put all or no affiliation, we strongly recommend that you take a "screenshot" when you complete the registration form. This ensures that you have proof that you have indicated the CEN in your official affiliations.

General eligibility requirements for the CEN student awards program (undergraduate)

To recognize the outstanding work done by undergraduate students, the CEN offers a scholarship of excellence for research work done during the bachelor's degree. More specifically, this scholarship is intended to support students attending conferences or being the first author of a scientific publication. The amounts awarded will be the same as for graduate students (see details in the following sections).

To be eligible for the award for participation in a national or international congress, the following supporting documents are required:

• A copy of the official acceptance letter to the national or international congress. The letter must clearly indicate the student's participation in oral or poster communication.
•  A document presented at the conference mentioning the names of the authors and the CEN affiliation of the researcher in charge of the project. This may be the official conference program, poster or Powerpoint presentation presented.
• Proof of the level (national/international) of the congress. The nationality or internationality of the congress is indicated in the title or objectives of the conference. Any other evidence will be deemed acceptable or not by the NEC Student Committee.
• A report of expenses and sources of funding, including a copy of supporting documents (copies of invoices, transport tickets, other funding granted).

To be eligible for the award for a publication as a first author, the following supporting documents are required:

• A copy of the official letter of acceptance of the article by the journal.
• A copy of the first page of the published article (or manuscript if the article is not yet published) including the authors and their affiliations as well as the abstract as submitted to the journal. The CEN affiliation of the researcher responsible for the project must be mentioned.

In addition to other supporting documents, the student must provide proof signed by the supervising researcher that he or she is working with a CEN researcher. If the student does not have an intranet account, the request can be sent directly to the CEN student committee by email (etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca).

Please note that only 10 undergraduate awards are available per year.

Scholarships and awards available

Jean Huot is an honorary member of CEN. His research focuses on reconciling the ecology and conservation of northern mammals with forest management practices. He has been a scientific advisor to several organizations and is still a member of the scientific review committees for environmental monitoring and research.

The Jean Huot Award of Excellence recognizes excellence in the performance of graduate students who have completed their studies within an exceptional time frame.

At the master's level, the initial deposit must take place before or during the 21st month of the studies concerned. At the doctorate level, the initial deposit must take place before or during the 48th month of the studies concerned (or 60th month in the case of a transition to a doctorate). All months count from registration, including field months, except for parental or sick leave, for which proof will be required.

The amounts allocated are $500 for the master's degree and $1,000 for the doctorate.

Supporting document to be provided:

• • An official university document attesting to your entry to a master's or doctoral degree (e.g., a transcript).
  • An official document from the university attesting to the exact date of the initial submission of the thesis.

Publication Excellence Award

The Publication Excellence Award is intended to encourage publication by CEN graduate students in peer-reviewed journals and scientific books (chapters). Publications must have the status "accepted" for the award of this prize. The student has two (2) years following the final submission of his or her thesis to submit his or her application for a publication excellence award. The student must be the first author of the publication on the work done at CEN. The student must indicate his membership of the CEN in his affiliation in the article. Articles at the master's and doctoral levels are not cumulative, except during a direct transition to the doctorate.

The amounts allocated for publication excellence are as follows:

Master:

• • 1^st paper accepted: $300
  • 2^nd paper accepted (and +): $500

Doctorate:

• • 1^st paper accepted: $300
  • 2^nd paper accepted: $400
  • 3^rd paper accepted (and +)* : $500

 * Up to a competition of 5 papers.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• A copy of the official letter of acceptance of the article by the journal.
  • A copy of the first page of the published article (or manuscript if the article is not yet published) including the authors and their affiliations as well as the abstract as submitted to the journal.

Other award:

Have you published in the last six months a paper (in a refereed journal), a book chapter, a book chapter, a book, etc., resulting from the work done as part of your research conducted in Quebec? You may also be interested in the FRQ's Étudiants-chercheurs étoiles Awards, which is awarded each month and has a value of $1,000.

Award for oral or poster communication at a national or international congress

These awards for oral or poster communication at national or international conferences aim to recognize the active participation of the graduate student on the national and international scientific scene. Presentations in workshop-type working groups are not accepted.

The request for this award can be made before or after the participation in the congress. A request for eligibility before attending the congress will allow an agreement in principle to be reached. In all cases, an application after participation in the congress must be duly completed and accompanied by all supporting documents. Only after receipt of the request and supporting documents will the prize be paid.

ATTENTION: If the student requires an agreement in principle before the next scholarship submission deadline, he or she must inform the student committee by email (etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca).

The student must be the first author of the oral or poster communication on work done at the CEN.The student must make the oral or poster presentation himself.

It is possible to receive an award for an oral and poster presentation presented at the same conference.

If the student wishes to submit applications for two oral presentations at two international conferences for the same scholarship and award competition (the year begins on March 1 and ends on February 28 or 29 of the following year), the second international oral presentation may be eligible for the award as a national presentation. The same applies to two poster presentations for two international congresses. It should be noted that these rules do not apply to participation in two national congresses: the second such congress will not be eligible for the prize

Amounts allocated:

• • A copy of the official acceptance letter to the national or international congress. The letter must clearly indicate the student's participation in oral or poster communication.
  • A document presented at the conference mentioning the student's affiliation with the Centre d'études nordiques. This may be the official program of the congress, or the poster/slideshow presented.
  • Proof of the level (national/international) of the congress. The nationality or internationality of the congress is indicated in the title or objectives of the conference. Any other evidence will be deemed acceptable or not by the CEN Student Committee.
  • A report of expenses and sources of funding, as well as at least one supporting document confirming your presence on site (e.g. copies of local invoices, boarding pass). Reservations and electronic tickets are not considered sufficient.

Note: Pan-canadian conventions are considered national conventions. Proof of an annual or bi-annual meeting of the Canadian association or professional group in question is required. Seminars from centres of excellence (e.g. ArcticNet) are not eligible, with some exceptions.

* En relation avec la situation actuelle due à la pandémie de COVID-19, les participations à des conférences en mode virtuel sont acceptées. Les conditions et les pièces justificatives sont toujours applicables, à l'exception de la pièce confirmant la présence sur place (la preuve d'inscription à la conférence est suffisante).

National or international congress registration scholarship for postdoctoral researchers

This scholarship is intended for postdoctoral researchers who wish to make an oral or poster presentation at a national or international conference. The request for this prize can be made before or after the participation in the congress. A request for eligibility before attending the congress will allow an agreement in principle to be reached. In all cases, an application after participation in the congress must be duly completed and accompanied by all supporting documents. Only after receipt of the request and supporting documents will the prize be paid.

ATTENTION: If the postdoctoral fellow requires an agreement in principle before the next award submission deadline, he or she must notify the student committee by email (etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca).

The postdoctoral researcher must be the first author of the oral communication or poster on work done at the CEN.

The postdoctoral researcher must make the oral or poster presentation himself.

Amount Awarded:

The award is offered to cover the cost of registration for one or more conferences. Registration fees may be accumulated up to a maximum of $300 for a scientific poster and $500 for an oral presentation for one year of awarding the prizes (March 1 to February 28-29).

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • A copy of the official acceptance letter to the national or international congress. The letter must clearly indicate the postdoctoral researcher's participation in oral or poster communication.
  • A copy of the congress registration clearly indicating the registration fees.
  • A document presented at the conference mentioning the postdoctoral researcher's affiliation with the Centre for Northern Studies. This may be the official conference program, poster or Powerpoint presentation presented.
  • A report of expenses and sources of funding, as well as at least one supporting document confirming your presence on site (e.g. copies of local invoices, boarding pass). Reservations and electronic tickets are not considered sufficient.

Scholarship for the realization of a training course

This scholarship is intended for graduate students who wish to complete training other than their course program, but which is related to their studies (example: ArcGIS software training, first aid training, etc.). Training must not be associated with university credits.

Amount awarded:

The scholarship is offered to cover the cost of registering for one or more training courses. Registration fees can be accumulated up to a maximum of $200 per year.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • A copy of the proof of registration for the training course clearly indicating the registration fees.
  • A copy of the training program.
  • A summary written by the student of the knowledge acquired and the main work done during the training (max 250 words).

Mobility scholarship for an internship or a participation in an exchange programme in another institution

This scholarship is intended for students who wish to spend a training or research stay in a university institution, centre or research unit in Nunavik or outside Quebec, while promoting inter-university exchanges between professors-researcher and teaching/reasearch units at the various universities. The application for this scholarship can be made before or after participation in the training course or exchange program. An application for eligibility before participation will allow agreement in principle to be reached. In all cases, an application after participation in the internship must be duly completed on the Intranet and accompanied by all supporting documents. Only after receipt of the request and supporting documents will the prize be paid.

It is possible to obtain the mobility scholarship more than once, but internships must be done at different locations and applications completed in different scholarship years (year begins on March 1 and ends on February 28 or 29 of the following year)

ATTENTION: If the student requires an agreement in principle before the next scholarship submission deadline, he or she must inform the student committee by email (etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca).

The minimum duration of the internship or exchange must be 3 weeks for a master's student and 6 weeks for a doctoral student. These weeks may or may not be consecutive (under certain conditions).

The amount allocated will cover the student's personal expenses up to a maximum of $500 for the master's degree and $1,000 for the doctorate.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • Letter of acceptance of research stay in Nunavik or outside Quebec signed by the research supervisor of the host institution.
  • A detailed report of expenses and other sources of funding, including a copy of supporting documents (copies of invoices, transport tickets, other funding granted).
  • Summary of the knowledge acquired and the main work carried out during the internship (max 250 words).

End of study Award

Finally, you have completed your graduate studies! The CEN is pleased to celebrate this important event in your career by awarding you the End of Study Award. The application for this prize can be made after the final submission of the master's thesis or doctoral thesis. The student will be required to submit a final version of his or her thesis to the CEN. Through this procedure, CEN will be able to collect information on the various research projects carried out as part of the centre's scientific activities. Note that this award may be in addition to the Jean Huot Award of Excellence for Performance.

The amount allocated is:

• 200$ for a master thesis
• 400$ for a doctoral thesis.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • Proof of the date of final submission of the thesis.
  • The copy (in PDF format) of the thesis or dissertation after the final submission.

Louis-Edmond-Hamelin Award for excellence in oral communication at the CEN symposium

According to the conference format, up to 4 prizes worth $200 each (2 for master's students, 2 for doctoral students) will be awarded for the best posters and/or oral presentations.

Founder's award

This brand new scholarship was launched in 2021 to recognize the importance of Professor Louis-Edmond Hamelin, founder of the CEN, for its interest to study the North. Reflecting Hamelin's ideologies, this award is intends to recognize student initiatives that contribute to "Knowing the North" (generating knowledge to better understand the North), "Doing the North" (contributing to the development of the North for the North) and "Telling the North" (sharing knowledge of the North and contributing to its visibility). The Founder's Award will be presented annually at the CEN Annual Conference to a CEN student or student-represented team for outstanding contributions to northern research. Application is done by e-mail (mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca) between March 1st and December 15 of each years.

To see the full description of the scholarship (in French).

Other scolarships

Northern Scientific Program (NSTP)

The purpose of the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) is to encourage and support Canadian university students with an interest in northern studies and conducting thesis research in Northern regions, by assisting them to gain northern professional experience and training, through the issuance of supplementary funds.

Universities receiving Northern Scientific Training Program support are encouraged to develop a special focus for training in northern studies, to orient students towards northern studies and northern careers, and to foster an exchange of information among scholars of various disciplines with an interest in the Canadian North.

You are :

• A Canadian citizen or a permanent resident and are registered at a Canadian university or a northern college ;
• A graduate student at the Master’s or PhD level or a Bachelor’s student in your final year of studies;
• You are planning to carry out a M.Sc. or Ph.D. research projects north of the southern limit of the discontinuous permafrost zone;

then you are eligible for the NSTP!

The Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) is administered by Polar Knowledge Canada (POLAR). It was established in 1961 to encourage Canadian universities to participate in training northern specialists to meet national needs.

This program interests you? Each fall, the program receives online applications from students all over Canada. All applications and reports (filled out by those who have received the grant the previous year) must be completed online by the last day of October every year.

Each university has its own NSTP chairperson. For more information, please contact the chairperson at your university or visit the NSTP website.

FRQ Étudiants-chercheurs étoiles award

Are you a university student or a postdoctoral fellow and in the past 6 months, have you published an article (in a peer-reviewed journal), a book, a book chapter, etc., resulting from research you carried out in the province of Québec? You might be interested in the FRQ Étudiants-chercheurs étoiles award of 1 000 $, which is awarded every month. 

Canadian Northern Studies Trust scholarships and prizes

The Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) is the student awards program of the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS). The Trust was established in 1982 to further the Association’s mandate to advance knowledge and understanding of Canada’s North by offering student awards for exceptional northern-based research. The purpose of the CNST is to foster scholars and scientists with northern experience and at the same time to enhance educational opportunities available for northern residents to obtain post-secondary education at Canadian colleges and universities.

Prizes and scholarships (ranging from 1 000$ to 50 000$) are awarded each year. For more information visit ACUNS website.