Québec’s Chief Scientist and the three Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) would like to invite members of the scientific community to respond to a call for proposals to create a collaborative interinstitutional, intercommunity and cross-sectoral research network focused on flood risk management in a changing climate. The network will build on a cooperative partnership approach with stakeholders in practice settings and decision-making processes to set out common, relevant and applicable solutions in response to flood risks. Not only will the network pool current research strengths, it will also take cross-cutting research one step further by breaking down silos to link the academic, practical and government areas.
The call for proposals arose following the spring 2017 floods that severely tested citizens and municipal and provincial authorities. Now more than ever, research and government action must come together more closely to fill the knowledge gap and develop innovative solutions in response to the needs expressed by the affected communities. This effort serves to complement the activities led by the Chief Scientist to foster research links related to flood management in a climate change context and the forums organized by the MDDELCC (Ensemble planifions l'avenir autrement, octobre 2017) and MSP (Inondations du printemps 2017: bilan + perspectives, décembre 2017), which highlighted needs in terms of flood-risk area mapping and management, land use and urban planning and prevention. Additionally, a civil security flood response action plan was tabled in early March to help increase Québec’s resilience to flooding.
This call for proposals is therefore an evolution of the discussions held as part of these various platforms and reflects the commitment to become more efficient and relevant in view of the urgency of better understanding Québec’s specificities regarding floods and supporting research initiatives that could draw together stakeholders from a range of sectors and settings. The new network must undertake monitoring, training and knowledge mobilization activities, particularly to support decision making and inform public policy. In addition, it must involve at least five university or college institutions and include the participation of government, private, public and civil society representatives.
This call for proposals is part of the cross-sector research program developed by the social challenges and intersectoral networking group of the Office of the Chief Scientist.
Launch of the call for proposals: May 17, 2018.
See the call for proposals (in French) for further details.
The online application form will be available in FRQnet in early June 2018.
The submission deadline is July 31, 2018.
The notice of decision will be issued in mid-September 2018.
Information:
Denise Pérusse
Directrice aux défis de société et aux maillages intersectoriels
Office of the Chief Scientist
140, Grande-Allée Est, 4e étage, bureau 450,
Québec, G1R 5M8
Sophie Gauthier-Clerc
Chargée de programmes
Direction des défis de société et des maillages intersectoriels
Office of the Chief Scientist
140, Grande-Allée Est, 4e étage, bureau 470,
Québec, G1R 5M8
