Canada: Québec Government Master’s/PhD/Postdoctoral Scholarship Program 2025/2026 for International Students

The Québec Government opens the Merit Scholarship Program for Foreign Students (PBEEE) to support the internationalization of research activities in Québec’s institutions of higher education, to attract the best foreign researchers and students, and to promote abroad Québec universities and College Centres for the Transfer of Technologies (CCTT).

Application Deadlines:

• Submission of applications for pre-selection: variable (see in the Toolbox). 
• Submission to the FRQNT of applications preselected by the responsible entities (universities, CCTT Network):  September 30, 2024, 4 p.m. 
• Submission to the FRQNT of applications pre-selected by the CSC: before March 31, 2025 . 
• Submission of scholarship applications to the FRQNT by pre-selected candidates: November 5, 2024, 4 p.m.

Eligible Countries: International

To be Taken at (Country): Universities in Québec, Canada

About the Québec Government Merit Scholarship Program: The program covers higher education as a whole by giving to the CCTT researchers and administrators the opportunity to participate.

In a more generic way, the attribution of scholarships for foreign students aims at creating cultural links and allowing the setting up of possible common scientific research projects.

The program also represents an instrument for the MEES to support the Government of Québec’s scientific policy.

The excellence scholarship program for foreign students is structured around four components: 

• Master’s Research Scholarships (VM) 
• Doctoral research scholarships (V1, 1B, 1C,1I, 1IS, 1W) 
• Postdoctoral fellowships (V2, 2B, 2C, 2I) 
• Short-term research or training grants (V3, 3B, 3C, 3I, 3IS, 3W) 

Scholarships for all countries 

• Master of Research (VM) 
• Doctorate in research (V1) 
• Postdoctoral internship (V2) 
• Short research or training stay (V3) 

Quebec-Brazil Scholarships 

• Doctorate in Quebec-Brazil research (1B) 
• Quebec-Brazil postdoctoral internship (2B) 
• Short research or training stay Quebec-Brazil (3B) 

Quebec-China Scholarships 

• Doctorate in Quebec-China research (1C) 
• Postdoctoral internship Quebec-China (2C) 
• Short research or training stay Quebec-China (3C) 

Quebec-India Scholarship 

• Doctorate in Quebec-India research (1I) 
• Postdoctoral internship Quebec-India (2I) 
• Short research or training stay Quebec-India (3I) 

Quebec-Israel Scholarship 

• Doctorate in Quebec-Israel research (1IS) 
• Short research or training stay in Quebec-Israel (3IS) 

Quebec-Wallonia Scholarship 

• Doctorate in Quebec-Wallonia research (1W) 
• Short research or training stay Quebec-Wallonia (3W) 

Type: Doctoral, Research, Postdoctoral

Who can apply for Québec Government Merit Scholarship Program:

Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements in effect at the time of application submission according to the program rules and the RGC. 

3.1 Persons concerned and eligibility period 

These scholarships are intended for foreign students or researchers from all research sectors (health, human and social sciences, arts and letters, natural sciences and engineering), pre-selected by a Quebec university institution or by the CCTT Network or the China Scholarship Council who wish to undertake or continue studies or research activities in Quebec. There is no preferred research sector. 

Master’s Research Scholarships (VM) component 

Master’s research scholarships are intended for students who wish to undertake or continue a graduate program in research. To be considered a “research” program, a master’s program must lead to the writing of a research paper (for example, an essay, a research report, a dissertation or an article are not accepted). Professional master’s programs are not eligible.  

The eligibility period corresponds to the first six sessions of graduate studies. To apply, you must have been registered for a maximum of 3 full-time sessions (1 year) or less in a master’s program before May 1, 2025. Sessions already completed in a master’s program (or equivalent) at the time the scholarship takes effect are subtracted from the duration of the funding. 

Doctoral research scholarship component (V1, 1B, 1C, 1I, 1IS, 1W) 

The eligibility period corresponds to the first nine sessions of postgraduate studies. All doctoral sessions completed before the scholarship comes into effect (corresponding to the first payment), whether funded or not, are subtracted from the eligibility period. 

Candidates admitted to the doctorate after bachelor’s studies and those who make an accelerated transition to the doctorate without having submitted a dissertation must apply for the doctoral competition to obtain a scholarship during their 3rd, 4th and 5th years of graduate studies (between the 7th and 15th study session). In this case, candidates may first apply for a master’s scholarship (VM) to obtain a scholarship during the first six graduate sessions. 

Postdoctoral internship grant component (V2, 2 B, 2C, 2I) 

Postdoctoral research grants are aimed at researchers in training who have obtained their doctorate two years or less before the closing date of the competition or who will have submitted their doctoral thesis by January 15, 2026 at the latest. 

Postdoctoral research must be carried out at an institution other than the one that awarded the doctorate. The candidate’s doctoral supervisors and co-supervisors cannot act as supervisors of the postdoctoral internship, even if they have changed institutions. 

The maximum eligibility period for this non-renewable scholarship covers a period of 12 months. 

Short-term research or training component (V3, 3B, 3C, 3I, 3IS, 3W) 

Short-term research or development grants are aimed at technical and university level students (option A) and researchers who have completed a doctorate no more than five years before the competition closing date (option B). 

Where applicable, the research or training stay must be carried out in an establishment other than the one where the student is registered at the time of submitting the application. 

The maximum eligibility period for this non-renewable scholarship covers a period of four months. 

Selection Criteria:

Scholarships are offered through competition, based on the excellence of the applications. 

Scholarship recipients are selected by multidisciplinary evaluation committees made up of professor-researchers. 

Number of Awards: Not specified (There are no quotas per country)

Value of Québec Government Merit Scholarship Program:

• The annual value of the Master of Research (VM) scholarship is $20,000. The maximum amount that can be awarded is 6 installments (6 sessions) totaling $40,000. 
• The annual value of the doctoral research scholarship (V1, 1B, 1C, 1I, 1IS, 1W) is $25,000. The maximum amount that can be awarded is 9 payments (9 sessions) totaling $75,000. It is also possible to obtain an extension of up to 12 months. The annual value of the extension is $12,000. 
• The annual value of the postdoctoral fellowship (V2, 2B, 2C, 2I) is $35,000. The maximum amount that can be awarded is 3 installments (one year) totaling $35,000. 
• The value of the short-term research or development scholarship (V3, 3B, 3C, 3I, 3IS, 3W) is $3,000 per month. The maximum amount that can be awarded is 4 payments (4 months) totaling $12,000. 
• In addition to the scholarship, the MES offers all scholarship recipients in this program exemption from the increased tuition fees applicable to foreign students as well as health insurance coverage offered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec. 

Duration of Award: The period of validity of the scholarships is between May 1, 2025 and January 15, 2026. 

• Master of Research scholarships: The maximum duration of the scholarship is two years
• Doctoral research scholarships: The maximum duration of the scholarship is three years (nine semesters), with a possible extension of up to 12 months.
• Postdoctoral scholarships: The duration of this scholarship is one year. This scholarship is not renewable.
• Short-term research or professional development scholarships: The duration of this scholarship is four months. The scholarship is not renewable. A scholarship of lesser duration can be granted if the duration of the research is less than four months.

How to Apply: Apply in link below

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details