Last updated: October 18, 2026 | Category: Canada Scholarships | Study Tribune Team
Quick answer: The Québec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students, called PBEEE, pays $20,000 a year at master’s level, $25,000 at doctoral level and $35,000 for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship. You cannot apply directly: a Québec university must preselect you first. For 2027-2028, universities send nominations to FRQ by 27 October 2026, and preselected candidates apply on FRQnet by 2 December 2026 at 4 p.m.
This guide uses FRQ’s own 2027-2028 program page and replaces older versions of this article that gave no deadline and quoted a 2024 postdoctoral date. We also flag what FRQ does not publish, such as the number of awards.
Table of Contents
Québec Merit Scholarship (PBEEE) at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Program | Merit Scholarship Program for Foreign Students (PBEEE) |
| Funder and manager | Québec’s higher education ministry funds it, and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) manages it |
| Levels | Master’s, doctorate, postdoctoral fellowship, short research stay |
| Master’s | $20,000 a year, up to 6 payments, maximum $40,000 |
| Doctorate | $25,000 a year, up to 12 payments, maximum $100,000 |
| Postdoctoral | $35,000 for one year, not renewable |
| Short stay | $3,000 a month for up to 4 months |
| Extra benefits | Exemption from higher foreign-student tuition and RAMQ health coverage |
| Who can apply | Foreign students and researchers preselected by a Québec university, the CCTT network or the China Scholarship Council |
| FRQ nomination deadline | 27 October 2026, 4 p.m. |
| Application deadline | 2 December 2026, 4 p.m. (stated as EST) |
| Results | April 2027 |
| Start window | 1 May 2027 to 15 January 2028 |
What Is the Québec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students?
The Québec Merit Scholarship exists to support the internationalization of research in Québec’s higher education institutions, attract foreign researchers and students, and build scientific partnerships. All research fields are eligible and none is preferred. It covers universities and the CCTT network, the college centres for technology transfer. Older pages call the manager FRQNT, but FRQ now presents the competition under the Fonds de recherche du Québec.
Québec Merit Scholarship Components: All Countries and Five Bilateral Tracks
The main component is open to students of all countries. Five bilateral components arise from agreements between Québec and foreign governments:
- Brazil (1B, 2B, 3B)
- China (1C, 2C, 3C), with candidates preselected by the China Scholarship Council
- India (1I, 2I, 3I)
- Israel (1IS, 3IS), with no postdoctoral track
- Wallonia in Belgium (1W, 3W), with no postdoctoral track
Within each track the codes run by level: 1 is doctoral, 2 is postdoctoral and 3 is a short stay. Candidates preselected for the main component can also be considered for the bilateral tracks. Wallonia candidates must have studied at a French-language university-level institution in Belgium.
How Much the Québec Merit Scholarship Pays
| Level | Annual value | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s research (VM) | $20,000 | 6 payments, $40,000 |
| Doctorate (V1 and bilateral codes) | $25,000 | 12 payments, $100,000 |
| Postdoctoral (V2 and bilateral codes) | $35,000 | 3 payments (one year), $35,000 |
| Short stay (V3 and bilateral codes) | $3,000 a month | 4 months, $12,000 |
All recipients receive an exemption from the higher tuition rate for foreign students and RAMQ health coverage for the funded period. FRQ shows the amounts with a dollar sign, which in Québec means Canadian dollars. The doctoral maximum equals four years at the annual rate, which is our own arithmetic from the stated figures.
What changed from 2026-2027: last year’s rules paid doctoral students $25,000 a year for the first nine sessions and $12,000 a year for the last three if an extension was requested, up to $87,000. For 2027-2028 the page states a flat $25,000 a year, up to 12 payments and $100,000. Check which version applies to you before budgeting.
Québec Merit Scholarship Eligibility
To be eligible for the Québec Merit Scholarship you must:
- Not be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and not have applied for permanent residence
- Be preselected by a Québec university, the CCTT network or, for China, the China Scholarship Council
- Not have previously received an MES excellence scholarship
- Meet every eligibility condition at the time you apply
Level-specific rules
- Master’s: a research programme that leads to a thesis. Professional and cotutelle programmes are excluded. You may have been enrolled full-time for no more than three sessions before 1 May 2027.
- Doctorate: a research programme with a thesis, enrolled for no more than 14 full-time sessions before 1 May 2027, with payments within the first 15 sessions.
- Postdoctoral: a doctorate earned no more than two years before the deadline. The fellowship must be at a different institution from the one that granted your doctorate, and your doctoral supervisors cannot supervise it.
- Short stay: technical and university students (option A), or researchers whose doctorate is no more than five years old (option B), at an institution other than their own.
FRQ may grant extensions or exemptions for illness, family obligations or disability. Ask the program manager before applying, and attach a one-page justification that is not shown to the evaluation committee.
Preselection: How to Be Nominated by a Québec University
This is the step most guides skip. FRQ accepts applications only from candidates preselected by a Québec university or the CCTT network. Each university may nominate up to 16 candidates across the master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral and short-stay components, and the CCTT network up to four. Brazil, India, Israel and Wallonia allow one nomination per university for each component. The China Scholarship Council proposes at least ten candidates per component.
Universities set their own internal deadlines, which may already have passed for this competition. Check your university’s scholarship page today, and ask whether you can still be nominated. FRQ’s 27 October 2026 deadline is for universities to submit nominations, not for candidates.
Québec Merit Scholarship Deadline and Timeline for 2027-2028
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| July 2026 | Competition launched |
| 27 October 2026, 4 p.m. | Universities and CCTT network submit nominations to FRQ |
| 2 December 2026, 4 p.m. (EST) | Application deadline for preselected candidates |
| By January 2027 | Eligibility notice by email |
| Before 15 January 2027 | Contact the program manager if you received no notice |
| 31 March 2027 | China Scholarship Council nominations due |
| April 2027 | Results announced |
| Within 30 days of notice | Accept or decline on FRQnet |
| 1 May 2027 to 15 January 2028 | Scholarship start window |
A 4 p.m. EST deadline on 2 December 2026 falls at 21:00 UTC, which is 02:00 on 3 December in Pakistan. Late applications are deemed ineligible and files cannot be updated after the deadline.
Québec Merit Scholarship Application Documents
- Passport identification page or other official proof of citizenship
- Transcripts for all university studies, newest to oldest, with a grading-system explanation if they are from outside North America
- Publisher acknowledgements for submitted articles and acceptance notices for accepted ones
- Master’s and doctoral: registrar attestation for part-time or unregistered sessions, if applicable
- Postdoctoral: doctoral diploma or proof of thesis deposit, and a supervisor’s acceptance letter
- Short stay: a supervisor’s acceptance letter
The supervisor must submit the acceptance letter personally through FRQnet, and you cannot submit it for them. Documents not in French or English need a simple French translation. Illegible or poor-resolution files are rejected.
How to Apply for the Québec Merit Scholarship, Step by Step
- Find your Québec university and supervisor. Choose the institution where you will study, and for postdoctoral or short-stay applications secure a supervisor who will provide an acceptance letter.
- Get preselected. Contact your university’s research or scholarship office, because each institution runs its own internal selection and sets its own deadline before nominating you to FRQ.
- Check your level and eligibility. Confirm that you meet the master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral or short-stay rules, including your citizenship status and the number of sessions you have completed.
- Create your FRQnet account. Register on FRQnet with the same email address your university used for your nomination, and wait for FRQ to contact you.
- Choose the correct form. Select the right application form, since an application sent to the wrong program cannot be transferred and is ineligible.
- Attach your documents and submit. Upload your passport page, transcripts and other required files, and submit before 4 p.m. on 2 December 2026.
- Respond to your result. Watch for your eligibility notice by January 2027 and results in April 2027, then accept or decline on FRQnet within 30 days.
How Applications Are Scored
Multidisciplinary committees of professors and researchers select recipients on excellence and available funds. FRQ’s 2027-2028 page shows the weighting only as an image, so we report the 2026-2027 rules, which were:
| Criterion | Master’s | Doctorate | Postdoctoral | Short stay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University record | 45 | 30 | 20 | 30 |
| Research aptitude and experience | none | 40 | 30 | 30 |
| Project and environment | 55 | 30 | 50 | 40 |
Confirm the 2027-2028 weights in the program rules. Decisions are final.
Conditions While You Hold the Scholarship
- Study full-time at the Québec institution that nominated you, and live in Québec for the funding period
- Time outside Québec is limited to 180 days a year or 180 consecutive days, with prior authorisation
- Payment starts only after FRQ receives your study permit, or your work permit for a postdoctoral fellowship
- Awards are not retroactive, and sessions before summer 2027 cannot be funded
- No stacking with Canadian or Québec government scholarships, but private, home-government and university awards are allowed
- Theses and peer-reviewed articles must be open access without embargo
Mistakes That Cost Candidates the Scholarship
- Applying without preselection. FRQ cannot accept direct applications.
- Missing the internal deadline. Your university’s date comes long before FRQ’s.
- Choosing the wrong form. Applications cannot be transferred between programs.
- Letting the supervisor’s letter slip. Postdoctoral and short-stay applications are incomplete without it.
- Holding a competing government award. It cannot be combined with this scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Québec Merit Scholarship (PBEEE)
What is the Québec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students?
It is the Merit Scholarship Program for Foreign Students, known by its French acronym PBEEE. The Québec government’s higher education ministry funds it and the Fonds de recherche du Québec manages it. It supports master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral and short research stays by foreign students and researchers at Québec universities and college technology-transfer centres.
How much does the Québec Merit Scholarship pay?
For 2027-2028 the annual values are $20,000 for a master’s, $25,000 for a doctorate and $35,000 for a one-year postdoctoral fellowship, plus $3,000 a month for a short stay of up to four months. The master’s cap is $40,000 and the doctoral cap is $100,000. Recipients also get an exemption from the higher tuition rate for foreign students and RAMQ health coverage.
Can I apply directly to PBEEE?
No. Only candidates preselected by a Québec university or the college technology-transfer centre network can apply, and Québec-China candidates are preselected by the China Scholarship Council. Contact the scholarship or research office at the Québec university where you plan to study.
What is the PBEEE deadline for 2027-2028?
Universities must send their nominations to FRQ by 27 October 2026 at 4 p.m. Preselected candidates must then submit their application on FRQnet by 2 December 2026 at 4 p.m. (stated as EST). Late applications are ineligible, and files cannot be changed after the deadline.
Who can apply for the PBEEE scholarship?
You must not be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, and must not have applied for permanent residence when you apply. You must be preselected, must not have previously received an MES excellence scholarship, and must meet the rules for your level. The program is open to all research fields and all countries.
Which countries are eligible for PBEEE?
The main component is open to students of all countries. Five bilateral components are reserved for Brazil, China, India, Israel and Wallonia in Belgium, and they have their own nomination quotas. Candidates preselected for the main component can also be considered for the bilateral ones.
Is the PBEEE scholarship available for a master’s degree?
Yes, through the master’s research component (VM), worth $20,000 a year. The program must lead to a thesis, so professional master’s and cotutelle programmes are excluded. You must have been enrolled full-time for no more than three sessions before 1 May 2027, or start between 1 May 2027 and 15 January 2028.
Can I combine PBEEE with other funding?
You cannot hold it together with scholarships from Canadian or Québec government departments or agencies, including FRQ. You can combine it with private-sector scholarships, awards from your home government and university scholarships. Part-time work must follow your permit and your supervisor must not object.
How many PBEEE scholarships are awarded each year?
FRQ does not publish the number of awards, which depend on available funds. Each university may nominate up to 16 candidates across the master’s, doctoral, postdoctoral and short-stay components, and the college technology-transfer network up to four.
What documents do I need for PBEEE?
Everyone submits a passport identification page or other proof of citizenship, transcripts for all university studies from newest to oldest, and publisher acknowledgements for submitted or accepted articles. Postdoctoral and short-stay candidates also need a supervisor’s acceptance letter, which the supervisor must submit through FRQnet. Documents not in French or English need a simple French translation.
Do I need French to apply for PBEEE?
The form and documents can be in French or English, and documents in other languages need a simple French translation. Earlier rules also asked English-language applicants for a French project title, so check the current form. FRQ does not state a French-language requirement for the scholarship itself.
When are PBEEE results announced?
FRQ announces results in April 2027 for the 2027-2028 competition. You have 30 days to accept the offer on FRQnet, and a declined offer cannot be reactivated. Decisions are final with no appeal.
Can I leave Québec while holding the scholarship?
You must live and study in Québec for the funding period at the institution that nominated you. A trip outside Québec may be authorised if it does not exceed 180 days a year or 180 consecutive days, and you must request it with your research supervisor’s endorsement.
What if I missed my university’s preselection deadline?
Only preselected candidates can apply, so you cannot apply directly to FRQ. Ask your university’s research or scholarship office whether any nomination place remains before 27 October 2026, and otherwise prepare for the next competition.
Official Sources
- PBEEE 2027-2028 program page (FRQ)
- PBEEE 2027-2028 preselection instructions (FRQ)
- PBEEE 2026-2027 rules (FRQ)
- PBEEE 2026-2027 program page (FRQ, English)
- FRQnet portal
Related Guides
Canada scholarships. How to get a master’s degree scholarship. How to write a CV for a scholarship. English proficiency certificate. Graduate scholarships for international students.
Amounts, deadlines and rules change every year. Always confirm them on the FRQ website and with your Québec university before applying.