Canada–Québec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students Program (PBEEE) 2026–2027

If you're an ambitious international student or researcher, the 2026–2027 Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students (PBEEE) in Québec is now open—and your chance to pursue advanced study and research in Canada!

This prestigious merit-based program, managed by the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ), aims to internationalize Québec’s research community, attract top talent, and foster future scientific and cultural partnerships. The 2026–2027 competition is open—don’t miss out on this opportunity to study or conduct research in Québec’s renowned institutions. Read on for details.

🎓 Scholarship Summary

• Location: Québec, Canada

• Host Institution: Québec universities or College Centres for the Transfer of Technologies (CCTT)

• Study Level / Component(s):

  • Master’s research (VM)

  • Doctoral research (V1 and country-specific: 1B, 1C, 1I, 1IS, 1W)

  • Postdoctoral (V2, 2B, 2C, 2I)

  • Short-term research/professional development (V3, 3B, 3C, 3I, 3IS, 3W)

  • Available both in “all-countries” and specific components (Brazil, China, India, Israel, Wallonia)

• Target Group: International (non-Canadian citizens or permanent residents) students or researchers, preselected by Québec university, CCTT network, or, for China, by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) .

• Fields of Study: All research disciplines—health, humanities & social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, arts & letters .

• Value & Coverage:

  • Master’s (VM): CA $20,000 per year; up to 6 semesters (max CA $40,000) .

  • Doctoral (V1, etc.): CA $25,000/year for first 9 sessions; CA $12,000/year for up to 3 additional sessions (total up to CA $87,000) .

  • Postdoctoral (V2, etc.): CA $35,000 for one year (not renewable) .

  • Short-term (V3, etc.): CA $3,000/month, up to 4 months (max CA $12,000) .

  • Exemptions from international tuition fees and RAMQ (provincial health insurance) provided by MES .

• Award Duration: Varies by component—see above.

• Application Deadline: December 2, 2025 at 16:00 EST .

• Start Date: Scholarship period must begin between May 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027; payments start earliest May 30, 2026 .

• Eligible To: International students/researchers preselected by a Québec institution or CSC (for China-specific), and not Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or applicants for permanent residence .

🧭 Scholarship Overview

The program has a component open to students of all countries and five specific components reserved for students from Brazil, China, India, Israel and Wallonia. These specific components arise from agreements concluded between Québec and foreign governments.

• Administration & Objective: Administered by FRQ (merged from FRQNT, FRQS, FRQSC as of June 2024), on behalf of Québec’s Ministère de l’Enseignement supérieur (MES). It aims to further Québec’s science policy, internationalize research, attract top scholars, and build cultural-scientific bridges .

• Program Components

  • All-countries: VM, V1, V2, V3

  • Country-specific:

    • Brazil: 1B, 2B, 3B

    • China: 1C, 2C, 3C

    • India: 1I, 2I, 3I

    • Israel: 1IS, 3IS

    • Wallonia: 1W, 3W .

• Preselection & Nomination

  • Must be preselected by a Québec university or CCTT by October 23, 2025 (for general components) .

  • For Québec–China, CSC preselection is required by March 31, 2026 .

  • Institutions have quota-based nomination limits depending on component and country partnership .

• Application Submission: Preselected candidates create an FRQnet account and submit required documents electronically by the deadline; no late applications accepted .

• Evaluation & Announcement: Applications are reviewed for eligibility; eligible ones forwarded to multidisciplinary evaluation committees, and results announced in April 2026. Recipients must accept or decline within 30 days .

🎁 Scholarship Benefits

• Significant funding tailored to each academic level

• Tuition waiver for international fees and health insurance coverage via RAMQ .

• Promotes open access: Master’s & doctoral theses and related publications must be openly accessible without embargo .

• Strong institutional support: Applicants must be preselected by universities or CCTT, ensuring institutional backing.

✅ Eligibility Criteria

• Citizenship: Non-Canadian citizens and non-permanent residents; must not have applied for Canadian permanent residence by application deadline .

• Degree-specific eligibility:

  • Master's (VM): ≤3 full-time semesters completed before May 1, 2026; must be thesis-based program only .

  • Doctoral (V1, etc.): ≤9 doctoral semesters completed before effective date; prior PhD counts; second PhD allowed if prior not PBEEE-funded and discipline differs .

  • Postdoctoral (V2, etc.): PhD completed within 2 years before deadline or dissertation submitted by Jan 15, 2026; research must be at a different institution; supervisor cannot be same as doctoral supervisor .

  • Short-term (V3, etc.): For students or researchers: PhD obtained ≤5 years before deadline (Nov 1, 2025) or students in technical/university training; research at different institution .

• No cotutelle (joint degree) eligibility .

• Exception requests: Possible for study delays due to illness, parental leave, disability, etc.—requires documentation, submitted with application, and pre-approved by FRQ .

• Exclusion: Candidates who already received a PBEEE scholarship are ineligible .

📝 Application Procedure

1. Preselection: Secure nomination by your Québec institution (or CSC for China-specific applicants) by the applicable deadlines - Only candidates preselected by a Québec university or the CCTT network as of October 23, 2025 can be part of this competition

2. Create FRQnet Account and complete electronic forms before Dec 2, 2025 (16:00 EST) .

3. Attach required documents: (ensure readability and language compliance)

   • ID (passport page or equivalent)

   • Full academic transcripts (with grading system explanation for non-North American institutions)

   • Acknowledgements of receipt/acceptance for any publications

   • Additional component-specific docs:

     • VM/V1: Registrar attestations, interruption documentation if applicable

     • V2: Doctoral diploma or dissertation attestation, supervisor’s acceptance letter

     • V3: Supervisor’s acceptance letter

   • Exception documentation if applying for eligibility extension/exemption .

4. Submit: No document updates accepted after deadline; ineligible or incomplete applications will be rejected .

5. Notification: By December 2025, FRQ will inform on eligibility screening status. If not received, contact the program manager by December 15 .

6. Evaluation & Results: Submission to evaluation committee (for eligible applicants); results announced April 2026; acceptance required within 30 days .

7. Permit Submission: Study permit (for doctoral) or work permit (for postdoctoral) must be provided before scholarship payments begin .

🚀 Final Advice & Additional Insights

• Start early: Internal preselection deadlines vary by university—some, like Université Laval, closed May/June 2025; Concordia’s internal deadline is July 31, 2025; McGill’s internal process varies by unit into summer 2025 .

• Understand quotas & process: Institutions have limited slots per component and nationality—don’t assume automatic forwarding .

• Supervision & eligibility: Secure a research supervisor in Québec early; necessary for internal nomination; ensure eligibility for your specific category (e.g., thesis-based, time since PhD, etc.).

• Read thoroughly: Thoroughly read and understand the program's characteristics and criteria on this webpage

🔗 Official Link

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