Fonds de recherche du Québec - Nature and technologies

Maryse LassondeScientific Director

The Conference Board of CanadaNovember 5, 2013

The Next Generation of Researchers,

Central to our Actions

Post-Secondary Education

Of crucial importance for a developed society like Canada.Knowledge transfer and training of individuals will contribute to tomorrow’s society.A competent and qualified skilled labour force, in tune with the needs of society.The importance of developing a scientific culture → the PNRI (Quebec National research and innovation policy).

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The Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ)

Quebec Chief Scientist: Rémi Quirion

FRQS- Health Sciences Scientific Director: Renaldo Battista

FRQSC- Social Sciences Scientific Director: Normand Labrie

FRQNT- Natural Sciences and Engineering Scientific Director: Maryse Lassonde

The FRQ Mission with a Focus on New Researchers

To fund and promote university and college research.Programs aimed at new generations of researchers.Close to 4000 master’s and doctoral students funded in 2012-2013.New researchers: a priority for the renewal of ideas, approaches and expertise.

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FRQ Research Funding: A Global Portrait

Budget : $196,3MResearch Funding Agencys’s Annual Reports 2012-2013

More thant 1,000 Research Projects• College’s Researchers• Partnership projects• Innovation networks• Team’s projects• Career Awards• Reviews• Etc…

Infrastructure of Clusters• 238 Research Centres, Networks,

Groups, Institutes, etc.

$80,7M41%

$76,6M39%

The New Generation• 3,659 Scholarships (Master’s,

Ph.D. and Post-doc• 990 Start-up funding

for new researchers$39M20%

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Future Generations of Researchers

As granting agencies, the three Fonds de recherche du Québec are committed to promoting discussion and debate around the issue of the training of future generations of Québec researchers.

April 30, 2013: A one-day symposium on research training.• 95 participants from universities and colleges.

• Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, representatives of student federations and associations, government ministries and public agencies.

General Findings about postgraduate studies

Stabilization of graduate enrolment of Québec students → due to demographic changes.Average length of study at the master’s level is particularly long.Dropout rates for doctoral studies are high.Doctoral programs are long and intensive.Necessity of acquiring cross-disciplinary skills in addition to scientific expertise.

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Some Quebec Contextual Elements

Student enrolmentGraduation ratesForeign studentsSituation of women in NSEJob market

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Student Enrolment: Perspectives

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Evolution of Student Enrolment in NSE in Québec Universities

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2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012p20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000Full-time students - QC

Baccalauréat

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012p0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000Full-time students - QC

Maîtrise

Doctorat

Graduation Rates

Slow-down in the growth of master’s and doctoral graduation rates → R&D performance indicator.The PhD graduation rate in Canada is lower than the OECD average (Jenkins report (2008 data) and Education at a Glance 2012 (2010 data)).Wide disparity between different Canadian provinces: Québec has the highest PhD graduation rate in Canada. The Québec rate for 2010 is 1.5%, higher than the Canadian rate (1.2%).The PhD graduation rate in Québec (1.5%) is close to the OECD average (1.6%) for 2010.

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Graduation Rates

Graduation rates for Québec students: 74.0% at the master’s level and 61.4% at the doctoral level. (2009-2010 data, Indicateurs de l’éducation 2012, MESRST)The proportion of university graduates in NSE is around 30% at the undergraduate and master’s levels, and between 50% and 60% at the doctoral level. (OST 2010)

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Foreign Students

Foreign students represented 21.8% of full-time students at the master’s level and 30.1% at the doctoral level in 2011-2012. The increase in the number of foreign students over the next 10 years is estimated at 31% at the master’s level (+1150 students) and 68 % at the doctoral level (+1980 students). (Prévisions du MELS, June 2011)The percentage of foreign students is higher in NSE (43.7% at the doctoral level, 37.5% at the master’s level). (MESRST, GDEU September 2013 for autumn 2012)Attracting foreign students is a priority for Québec and Canadian universities.Higher graduation rates are increasingly dependent on attracting foreign students.

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Underrepresentation of women in NSE

⅓ of registrations.Economic impact: low retention of female students leads to annual losses of 3 billion dollars (United Kingdom).Proportion of women at different academic levels in Canada.

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Source: Council of Canadian Academies, 2012

Labour Market

Need for workers with the knowledge and expertise to fill jobs requiring scientific and technological skills.Demands versatility and adaptability → acquired through a collaborative and multidisciplinary research training environment.⅓ of doctoral graduates pursue an academic career; ⅔ work in industrial and public R&D or other professions.The unemployment rate for PhD graduates was lower than that of Québec’s active population, at 5.5% compared with 9.3%, in 2012. Men had a higher unemployment rate than women (6.8% vs. 4.4%).

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Labour Market

Employers are unaware of the skills acquired by students through research training; companies do not recognize the benefits of investing in research and innovation.Industry could play a greater role in the definition of training needs.

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A new generation of researchers

Once fully trained, the new generation of researchers will take its place within colleges, universities, government ministries and businesses.In its next strategic plan, the FRQNT intends to address the issue of attracting a new generation of researchers.

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A new generation of researchers

Begin the introduction to research at the college and undergraduate levels.

→ Acquire skills and experiencePay particular attention to encouraging female researchers

Boost the development of a new generation in all NSE fields.Increase support for internships in the workplace to facilitate the integration of new researchers into the workforce.Foster the mobility of NSE students.Sustain efforts to attract the best foreign students.

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Industrial Innovation Scholarship BMP Innovation

Program offered jointly by FRQNT and NSERC; provides an alternative to traditional university education.Objectives: To foster the development of companies' innovation capacity and to improve employment prospects for recent graduates of master's and doctoral programs through university-industry partnerships:

by enabling students to acquire experience, as well as personal and employment skills;by developing innovative training initiatives;by building networks of collaboration and knowledge-transfer;by encouraging companies to invest in training and R&D; and by contributing to increased innovation in key sectors of the various regions in Quebec.

Value:Master’s: NSERC: $7,000 + FQRNT: $7,000 + Private: minimum $7,000 = $21,000 or more per

yearDoctoral: NSERC: $9,000 + FQRNT: $9,000 + Private: minimum $9,000 = $27,000 or more per

year

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New scholarships awarded in 2012-2013 Master’s Doctoral Total

SME 25 15 40Large companies 26 6 32Non-profit organizations 9 4 13Government agencies 2 4 6Total 62 29 91

Accelerate Québec – FRQNT-MITACS

ObjectiveTo provide an opportunity for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to apply their specialized expertise to business research challenges.

ValueEach 4-month internship project receives $15,000 in direct funding, with the partner organization and Mitacs each providing $7,500. Renewable. It is required that the intern receive a stipend of a minimum of $10,000 of the total grant per 4-month internship; any remaining funds will be used to support research related to the internship.

In 2012-2013:

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Program administered by Mitacs (Mathematics of Information Technology and Complex Systems).

Number of internshipsNature and technology

Society and culture Health Total

Master’s 134 9 11 154

Doctoral 136 4 9 149

Postdoctoral 158 0 65 223

Total 428 internships 13 internships 85 internships 526 internships 258 students

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In addition, with the PNRI...

Increase the number of internships:At the college levelAt the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels → with NSERC

Build new programs with Mitacs.Establish an industrial research fellowship program.

Centre for Skills and Post-Secondary Education

Great initiative of the Conference Board of Canada in the current context.Importance of tracking PSE with studies.Importance of building a national strategy for PSE.The participation of Québec universities and agencies should increase in the future.

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Thank you for your attention!maryse.lassonde@frq.gouv.qc.ca

www.frqnt.gouv.qc.ca

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