NSERC's New Policies

Compensation of Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows Paid Out of Grants

NSERC's policy that all research personnel paid out of research grants were to receive a salary has been rescinded. Either salary or a stipend such as a scholarship is now an eligible expense for NSERC research grants. This change will have an important impact on students and postdoctoral fellows as well as grantholders.

It is appropriate for personnel who provide services to the grantholder, in the context of an employer-employee relationship, to receive a salary. However, this type of relationship is different from that of a supervisor to a trainee, where the purpose is to assist a student in proceeding toward a degree, or a fellow in advancing his/her research experience. The appropriate form of compensation in these latter cases is a scholarship or a fellowship.

According to Revenue Canada: a salary is paid to an individual who performs duties or renders services under a contract of service. A salary is taxable income. Deductions are made for social programs (pensions, employment insurance, etc.). The individual receiving a salary can receive employment insurance, maternity, parental and sickness benefits and contribute to RRSPs. Scholarships are amounts paid or benefits given to students to enable them to pursue their education, usually at a post-secondary level or beyond. Scholarships normally assist the student in proceeding towards a degree, diploma, or other certificate of graduation. Scholarships excluding the first $500 are considered taxable income. Scholarship recipients are not eligible to receive employment insurance benefits, such as maternity or parental benefits, etc., nor can they contribute to RRSPs. Fellowships are similar to scholarships and are generally awarded for doctoral studies and postdoctoral work. For income tax purposes, the treatment depends upon the primary purpose for which the fellowship was granted as determined by reference to the terms and conditions attached to the award.

Parental Leave Policy

As of April 1, 1998, graduate students or postdoctoral fellows supported through NSERC funds may request a parental leave supplement. The new policy applies to students and fellows who are the primary caregiver for a child and take parental leave within six months after the child's birth or adoption. To qualify for the supplement, students and postdoctoral fellows must meet eligibility requirements defined by NSERC.

On request, holders of NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships (PGS), Industrial Postgraduate Scholarships (IPGS) and Postdoctoral Fellowships (PDF) awards receive a supplement equivalent to their current stipend for the period of time they spend on parental leave, up to a maximum of four months. (Please note that the option to defer or interrupt the scholarship for up to three years for maternity leave or child rearing is still available.) Students and fellows paid out of NSERC grants will receive a supplement to support parental leave for a period of up to four months at their current rate of compensation.

For more detailed information on NSERC's new policies, please contact RGO (3996) or the Office of Fellowships and Awards (3995), or consult the web sites of either office.

Conseil québécois de la recherche sociale (CQRS) - Call for proposals

CQRS / FCAR / MRQ / MES / MJQ

Action concertée sur l'évaluation des composantes psychosociales du programme de perception des pensions alimentaires / Joint venture for the evaluation of the psychosocial aspects of the program for the collection of alimony. This call for proposals is for social research with a multidisciplinary approach. The deadline for the Letter of Intent is May 15, 1998. Award: $150,000 - $200,000. For more information, contact RGO (3996) or http://www.msss.gouv.qc.ca/cqrs.

La programmation et l'évaluation des actions concertées du CQRS

The objective of this call for proposals is to review the overall program orientations of CQRS. The deadline for submission is May 15, 1998. Award: $100,000 per year for three years, renewable. For more information, contact Madame Charlotte Poirier at CQRS (514) 873-1298, or RGO (3996).

Killam Research Fellowships

Applicants for the Killam Research Fellowships program are requested to submit a draft of the application to RGO by May 7, 1998 so that the committee set up by FGSR can review the applications and provide input to the applicants to help optimize their proposals. Applications must be postmarked or received at the Canada Council no later than May 31, 1998.