Fonds de recherche du Quebec Awards: FRQNT, FRQSC and FRQS Compared
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Jun 05, 2026 • Scholarships & Funding, Canadian Universities & Colleges
Quebec runs three separate research funds: FRQNT for natural sciences and engineering, FRQSC for humanities and social sciences, and FRQS for health research. Master's scholarships pay $20,000 a year, doctoral pay $25,000 a year, across all three, but which one you apply to depends on your discipline, not your degree level.
💵 Master's: $20,000 a year, up to $40,000 total over 6 payments
💵 Doctoral: $25,000 a year, up to $100,000 total over 12 semesters
🎓 FRQNT covers natural sciences, math and engineering
🎓 FRQSC covers humanities, social sciences, art and letters
🎓 FRQS covers health research, with different rates for professional-degree applicants
Three funds, one province
The Fonds de recherche du Quebec (FRQ) splits its research funding into three sector-specific bodies. FRQNT (Nature et technologies) funds natural sciences, mathematics and engineering. FRQSC (Societe et culture) funds humanities, social sciences, art and letters. FRQS (Sante) funds health research. Each sets its own competition rules and deadlines, but they share a common scholarship structure at the master's and doctoral levels, according to the FRQ doctoral training scholarships program page .
You apply to whichever fund matches your discipline, not by degree level. A doctoral student in cell biology applies to FRQS, not FRQNT, even though FRQNT covers other lab sciences. Check your specific research area against each fund's eligible field list before choosing, since some interdisciplinary programs sit closer to one fund than the labels suggest.
Master's scholarship value
For the 2024-2025 competition year, the FRQ master's training scholarship pays $20,000 a year, with a maximum of six payments totaling $40,000, according to FRQNT's 2024-2025 master's training scholarship rules . This rate applies across FRQNT, FRQSC and FRQS master's competitions, so the fund you pick affects your eligible field and jury, not your award value.
Doctoral scholarship value
The doctoral scholarship pays $25,000 a year, with a lifetime maximum of $100,000 across 12 semesters, roughly four years of funding, according to FRQNT's 2025-2026 doctoral scholarship program rules . FRQSC runs the same value under its own 2025-2026 doctoral rules, and FRQS mirrors it for standard doctoral applicants.
FRQS carries one variation worth knowing. Applicants with a professional degree, such as a health professional pursuing a PhD, fall under a separate FRQS doctoral stream (BF4) with rates ranging from about $25,024 to $39,323 a year, according to the FRQS BF4 2025-2026 program rules . If you hold a professional health degree and plan doctoral research, check this stream before assuming the standard $25,000 rate applies to you.
Side by side
| Fund | Discipline | Master's rate | Doctoral rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRQNT | Natural sciences, math, engineering | $20,000/year, $40,000 max | $25,000/year, $100,000 max |
| FRQSC | Humanities, social sciences, art, letters | $20,000/year, $40,000 max | $25,000/year, $100,000 max |
| FRQS | Health research | $20,000/year, $40,000 max | $25,000/year standard, $25,024-$39,323/year for professional-degree applicants (BF4) |
Choosing which fund to apply to
Match your thesis discipline to the fund's mandate first, not your faculty's name, since some faculties house programs eligible for more than one fund
Check whether your supervisor already holds FRQ funding in a specific sector, which helps settle a genuinely ambiguous case
Read the specific 2025-2026 program rules for your target fund and degree level before applying, since eligibility criteria and required documents differ by sector
Health professionals moving into a PhD should confirm whether the BF4 stream applies to their case before assuming the standard doctoral rate
What stays the same across all three
Regardless of which FRQ fund you apply to, the training scholarships share a common purpose, supporting new researchers across Quebec's research sectors. Application timelines, required research proposals and supervisor endorsement letters follow a similar format across FRQNT, FRQSC and FRQS, even though eligibility and evaluation committees are sector-specific.
Confirm your specific competition year's rules directly on the FRQ program page before applying, since values and eligibility details get updated annually and a stale printout or forwarded email from a previous cycle can carry an outdated figure.