CEN scholarships

Objectives

CEN's scholarship, awards and financial assistance aims to:

• encourage excellence in its student members, 
• support student members in their training, 
• recognize their academic achievements and involvement,
• increase their income,
• contribute to the visibility of the CEN.

Students who benefiate of CEN awards are encouraged to include these recognitions in their resume. 

These awards, scholarships and financial assistance are made possible through funding provided to the CEN Strategic Cluster by the Fonds de Recherche du Québec Nature et Technologies (FRQNT). The objective of the CEN Strategic Cluster is to promote synergy and collaboration among its members.

Recent changes (2022)

In Spring 2022, the student committee reviewed the program and made the following changes:

• The associate membership was abolished;
• The value of some price and scholarship was changed, as well as the submission date
• New awards and financial assistance were created
  • Award for scientific vulgarisation (200$)
  • Award for student implication (2 prices of 500$)
  • Financial assistance for parental leave.

Deadline for applications and amounts awarded

In order to ensure that students receive their funding in a more timely manner, the Training Course scholarship and the Mobility scholarship for the completion of an internship or participation in an exchange program at another institution will now be evaluated three times a year, on January 1, March 1 and September 1. 

All other awards, scholarships and financial aid will be evaluated once a year, on March 1st.

Applications for awards, scholarships and financial assistance must be submitted by the above dates in order to be eligible for that year's competition. Any applications submitted after the dates listed will be evaluated in the following year. This is done to facilitate budget management and to ensure that all eligible applicants receive support from the CEN rather than establishing competitive criteria, and to avoid prioritization on a first come, first served basis.

The amount awarded for each award can be subject to change without notice based on the number of applications received. If the number of applications exceeds the budget, students will receive a percentage of the maximum amount of the award for which they have applied. This percentage will vary depending on the total number of applications received. The amounts indicated on the CEN Awards webpage are therefore indicative and represent the maximum amounts that can be awarded and not the amounts necessarily awarded. 

All applications must be submitted via the CEN intranet (http://www.cen.ulaval.ca/intranet/). Email applications will not be accepted (with the exception of undergraduate student applications, and applications for the Founder's Award).
If you have any questions about the awards program, or if you would like to have your supporting documents pre-approved, please 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 a fixed amount given by the student committee to the recipient to recognize active participation in a conference, publication or graduation.

The CEN also provide financial assistance to graduate students who become parents following birth or adoption.

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

• 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 Nathalie Roy by email: nathalie.roy@cen.ulaval.ca.

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.

Awards available for undergraduate students

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).

Please note that only 10 undergraduate awards are available per year. A student can application for more than one award on a given year.

Publication Excellence Award

The Publication Excellence Award is intended to encourage publication by CEN 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.

All CEN's member are highly encouraged to ackowledge the CEN and the FRQNT in their publications. The following sentence can be used:

We gratefully acknowledge the Center for Northern Studies (CEN), a strategic cluster funded by the Fonds québécois de recherche Nature et Technologie

Can be complemented by:

• for access to its research infrastructures
• for professional and logistical support
• for financial support to this project.

Date for application: March 1st of each year

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).

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 student on the national and international scientific scene.

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. 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). 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: 

• Presentation in work groups or workshops are not accepted.
• 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.
• Each student can receive 2 awards for posters and 2 awards for presentation maximum each year.
• Because of budgetary constraints, seminars from centres of excellence (e.g. ArcticNet) are not eligible, with some exceptions.

The amount allocated depends on the type of presentation (oral or poster) and if it was performed in person, or virtually.

A bonus of 100$ is awarded if you publish a conference proceedings that is pair-reviewed.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • 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.
  • A proof that acknowledge of your participation in person or virtually.
  • If you publish in the conference proceedings:
    • A copy of the official acceptance letter of the article
    • A copy of the first page of the article where your affiliation to the CEN is clearly visible.
    • A proof that the manuscript has been peer-reviewed.

All CEN's member are highly encouraged to add the CEN and FRQNT logos to their presentations

To download the logos: CEN

To download the logos: FRQNT

Date for application: March 1st of each year

Scholarships and awards available for graduate students

The Jean Huot Award of Excellence for performance

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 44th month of the studies concerned (or 48th 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.

All CEN's member are highly encouraged to ackowledge the CEN and the FRQNT in their publications. The following sentence can be used:

We gratefully acknowledge the Center for Northern Studies (CEN), a strategic cluster funded by the Fonds québécois de recherche Nature et Technologie

Can be complemented by:

• for access to its research infrastructures
• for professional and logistical support
• for financial support to this project.

Date for application: March 1st of each year

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.

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. 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). 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: 

• Presentation in work groups or workshops are not accepted.
• 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.
• Each student can receive 2 awards for posters and 2 awards for presentation maximum each year.
• Because of budgetary constraints, seminars from centres of excellence (e.g. ArcticNet) are not eligible, with some exceptions.

The amount allocated depends on the type of presentation (oral or poster) and if it was performed in person, or virtually.

A bonus of 100$ is awarded if you publish a conference proceedings that is pair-reviewed.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • 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.
  • A proof that acknowledge of your participation in person or virtually.
  • If you publish in the conference proceedings:
    • A copy of the official acceptance letter of the article
    • A copy of the first page of the article where your affiliation to the CEN is clearly visible.
    • A proof that the manuscript has been peer-reviewed.

All CEN's member are highly encouraged to add the CEN and FRQNT logos to their presentations

To download the logos: CEN

To download the logos: FRQNT

Date for application: March 1st of each year

Award for scientific vulgarization

This award is intended for graduate students who promote the CEN through outreach and vulgarization activities. To be eligible, activities must be local, regional or international in scope. 

Examples of activities that are eligible: 

• Newspaper, radio, television coverage;
• Workshops conducted/shared with northern communities;
• Public lectures (e.g. Pint of Science);
• Presentations to students in the North or South;
• Scientific vulgarization articles, where the student member is the lead author

Examples that are not eligible:

• A Facebook/Twitter/Instagram post;
• An article in your university newspaper;
• Submission to competitions such as My Thesis in 180 Seconds or My Northern Project;
• CEN organized outreach activities;
• A video on your personal YouTube channel (unless you show us that your video has had significant or meaningful visibility/reach; the student committee will decide whether to accept your request) ;
• A post on your personal blog (unless you can show us that your blog has had significant or meaningful visibility/impact; the student committee will decide whether to accept your application).

The amount allocated for the CEN Outreach Award is $200. A limit of 3 activities will be awarded for Master's students during their program, and 5 activities for PhD students. There is no limit per year. The outreach activity must be on a northern topic (related to the research topic or not) and can be done up to one year after the final submission. The application must also be made up to one year after final submission.

Supporting documents:

• A summary of the activity (e.g., schedule, activity plan) ...

• A copy of an article, audio recording or video clip sent to the Dedicated Student Committee. Affiliation with the Center for Northern Studies must be clearly stated.

• In the event that a copy cannot be sent to the Dedicated Student Committee (at an unrecorded face-to-face event or on a radio/TV station where access to the recording is limited), the student may either:

  • Inform the Dedicated Student Committee of the extension activity at least 8 working days prior to the extension activity so that verification can be made

  • OR

  • Have a letter signed by a participant of the activity attesting to the holding of the activity and the mention of the NEC during the activity.

Date for application: March 1st of each year

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 $500 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).

Date for application: January 1rst, March 1rst, September 1rst of each year.

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 (credited or not, and unpaid) 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 send by email its acceptation letter to (etudiants@cen.ulaval.ca).

The amount allocated will cover the student's expenses up to a maximum of $1000. Internships of less than 3 weeks are not eligible.

Supporting documents to be provided:

• • Letter of acceptance of research stay.
  • A detailed report of expenses and other sources of funding, including a copy of supporting documents (copies of invoices, transport tickets, other funding granted).
  • Proof of other funding sources (Fonds de recherche du Québec, director, Sentinelle Nord, etc.), because this scholarship is intended to be a financial complement and not the sole source of funding.
  • Summary of the knowledge acquired and the main work carried out during the internship (max 250 words).

Date for application: January 1rst, March 1rst, September 1rst of each year.

End of study Award

Congratulations, 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 up to one year 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.

Date for application: March 1st of each year

Financial assistance for parental leave

This financial aid is intended to support students who have parental responsibilities following the birth of a child or an adoption. It is intended for CEN members who had their child at least 6 months after the beginning of their program (master's or doctorate), and at least 3 months before their final deposit. If two parents are CEN members, only one of them can benefit from this financial support. This financial support can only be claimed once during their program (once at the Master's level and once at the Doctoral level). The application must be submitted within two years of the birth or adoption of your child or up to one year after the final deposit (whichever comes first).
The amount awarded is $1500. However, the CEN Student Committee reserves the right to lower this amount depending on the number of applications made per year, as a fixed proportion of the total amount allocated to awards, scholarships and financial aid is devoted to this financial aid.
The financial aid will only be awarded upon the student-parent's return to school (full or part-time), as it is intended for students returning to school after having a child. Please apply only after you have returned from your parental leave.

Supporting documents:

• Child's birth or adoption certificate (please contact DCÉ for more information).

• Proof of having returned to school following your parental leave, if applicable (for example, proof of enrolment (official or unofficial) in the university session upon your return).

Date for application: March 1st of each year

Award for student involvement

The purpose of this award is to recognize the outstanding involvement of two students at CEN each year. Each year, a call for nominations will be sent out by email, and students, researchers, and employees of the CEN will be invited to nominate a student member who has distinguished him/herself through his/her involvement in one or more of the CEN committees or other northern committees or activities. Nominations will be judged by professionnal members of the CEN, and two prizes of $500 will be awarded.

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

Awards for the best posters and/or oral presentations at the CEN annual symposium.

These awards do not require an application via the intranet.

Founder's award

This brand new award 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).

Scolarships and awards for postdoctoral fellows 

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 $500 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.

Date for application: March 1st of each year

Founder's award

This brand new award 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.