AUDACE: A new funding opportunity for intersectoral, innovative and high-risk research

The chief scientist of Québec, Rémi Quirion, is pleased to announce the launch of a non theme-based intersectoral funding program to support bold, risky projects with high impact potential. As High Risk/High Reward (HR/HR) funding becomes increasingly widespread in Europe and elsewhere, it is important for the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) to provide a funding opportunity for unconventional and innovative projects: intersectoral initiatives of an exploratory nature that dare to break with established frameworks and patterns of thought and have the potential to radically transform research and creation.

Designed with the help of the research community, AUDACE is open to teams that include researchers from at least two of the three sectors covered by the FRQ (Nature and technology, Health, Society and culture). Funding under the program is set at a maximum of $100,000 per project over a period of one year (12 months). With a budget envelope of $1.5M for 2018-2019, the project can fund at least 15 projects. "We are going to proceed a little differently for this program," commented Rémi Quirion. "Applicants will submit a short application, just five pages, to an international evaluation committee. We expect to see projects that explore new fields of knowledge, that establish unusual collaboration between different domains of research. In short, projects that do not really fall within the scope of our regular sector-based funding programs."

The AUDACE program rules are now available on the FRQ websites. The funding application form will be published on line during the third week of September, immediately following a launch event for the academic community to acquaint interested researchers with the details of this intersectoral program.

From the time the application form becomes available, teams will have eight weeks to submit their project. The leaders of projects selected by the evaluation committee will be interviewed in February 2018, and the results will be announced in March. Funding is scheduled to begin in April.

All those interested in the new program are invited to join this mailing list to receive updates from the FRQ.

To obtain further information on this program, please contact: