Quebec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students (PBEEE) 2026/2027

Overview

The Quebec government’s Fonds de recherche du Quebec (FRQ) offers annual merit scholarships to outstanding international students pursuing graduate or postdoctoral research at Quebec universities. The programme covers Master’s, Doctoral, and Postdoctoral levels, plus short-term research stays. Applications for the 2026/2027 cycle are due 1 November 2026. Awards are announced in spring 2027.

Eligible institutions include McGill, Universite de Montreal, Laval, Concordia, UQAM, Universite de Sherbrooke, and other Quebec universities.

Benefits

Annual award values by level:

• Master’s: CAD 20,000 per year (up to 2 years)
• Doctoral: CAD 25,000 per year (up to 3 years)
• Postdoctoral: CAD 35,000 for 1 year
• Short-term research: CAD 3,000 per month (up to 4 months)

The scholarship supplements, but does not replace, tuition fees. Quebec international tuition fees apply separately.

Eligibility

• Non-Canadian citizens and non-permanent residents only
• Master’s: fewer than 3 full-time terms completed by 1 May 2027 and enrolled at a Quebec university
• Doctoral: fewer than 9 full-time terms completed by 1 May 2027
• Postdoctoral: PhD awarded within 2 years before the start of the fellowship; research must be conducted at a different institution from where the PhD was completed
• Short-term: PhD awarded within 5 years; research conducted at a Quebec institution separate from your current affiliation
• Career breaks, parental leave, and periods outside research do not count toward the term limits

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through the Quebec university where you will study or conduct research. Each institution sets its own internal submission deadline, which is typically several weeks before 1 November 2026.

Steps:

1. Confirm admission or enrollment at a Quebec university for the 2026/2027 academic year.
2. Contact your institution’s graduate studies or research office to obtain the institutional application form and confirm the internal deadline.
3. Prepare a research proposal, academic CV, transcripts, and two academic references.
4. Submit the completed dossier through your host institution before its internal cut-off.
5. The institution then forwards nominations to FRQ by 1 November 2026.

Results are published by FRQ in early 2027. Check the Concordia, McGill, or Universite de Montreal graduate funding pages for institution-specific guidance.