Conference assistance and guest speakers (or artists)

This category is aimed at encouraging the organization of conferences and/or the hosting of guest speakers (or artists) on the themes targeted in components 1 or 2. The activity may be held as a conference or as part of a university course.

The goal is to raise awareness among the academic community, students, and the general public surrounding questions and issues that have been raised by these various themes that impact both Québec and the United States.

This category is designed for accredited American universities and colleges that offer four-year programs as well as for research institutes that organize conferences aimed at fostering a better understanding of the issues addressed by the targeted themes.

The grant from the Ministry of International Relations and la Francophonie (MRIF) may not exceed $12,000 USD for a single selected project.

MRIF’s financial commitment, subject to the prerogatives of the National Assembly with regard to the adoption of annual appropriations, covers a fiscal year beginning April 1 and ending March 31. MRIF will grant funding solely to the American partner in charge of the project.

Organizations whose projects have been selected will need to produce a financial report detailing the usage of the funds, as well as a description of the funded project, noting the impact generated; this will constitute the final report 

In the case of organizing a conference or artistic event, a seminar, or a training or similar activity, the grant will be paid in two installments:  first 75% of the total amount upon reception of the signed letter of agreement or grant agreement, and the remainder upon reception and acceptance of the final report.

In the case of hosting a guest speaker (or artist), the grant will be paid in two installments: 50% of the total amount upon reception of the signed letter of agreement or grant agreement, and the remainder upon reception and acceptance of the final report.

If the project involves both the organization of an event and the hosting of a guest speaker (or artist), the grant will be paid in two installments: 75% of the total amount upon reception of the signed letter of agreement or grant agreement, and the remainder upon reception and acceptance of the final report.

Failure to provide the final report within 60 days of the end of the project may result in the cancellation of the second installment. Any extension of the deadline must be agreed upon beforehand with the Québec office concerned with the project.

Applications must clearly fall into one of the categories of the two components, and touch on one or more of the themes of the component in question. A grant agreement must be signed by the parties for all grants equal to or greater than CAD $10,000. In all other cases, the partner must sign a letter of agreement and return it to the Québec office in their territory, which will then send the first installment.

Eligible

• Round-trip airfare (economy class) between Québec and the United States for the guest speaker (or artist)
• Transportation costs (to and from the airport) in the United States
• An honorarium not exceeding US$ 2,000
• Daily subsistence allowances for each person on the mission, as per Québec government standards in effect, for a maximum of 7 days
• Costs related to the production, creation, organization, or promotion of a conference or artistic event, seminar, training or other similar activity
• Costs related to the publication or distribution of the project results of the project,  requiring prior justification and approval
• Costs of renting equipment or premises

Ineligible

• Expenses related to the regular financing of an institution or the remuneration of its staff
• Expenses that have already received support from another government program for the same expenses
• First class airfare and excess baggage fees
• Travel expenses and daily subsistence allowances for stays outside the American territory where the project takes place
• General overhead or administrative costs

The main project evaluation criteria:

• The relevance of the project with regard to the objectives, target sectors and expected benefits
• Links with Québec’s International Policy
• The innovative nature of the project
• The justification for the grant application and the rigor of the proposed budget
• The feasibility of the timeline and the work program
• The contribution of the partner(s) and the complementarity of their expertise with regard to that of the applicant
• The expected visibility, the promotion of the project and the results and the enhancement of Québec’s image in the United States and abroad

The funding requested may not exceed $12,000 USD and must make up no more than 50% of the total budget of the project.

The application must include:

• The grant application form (PDF 1.08 Mb)
• A letter of support from the applicant’s home university
• The CV of the American(s) in charge of the project
• Any other relevant documents

To apply or for further details concerning the Québec government’s Québec studies programs in the United States, contact the Québec Government Office serving your state.