Next Generation Scholarship Program - 2025

Obvia offers $1,500 research initiation scholarships for college-level students. These scholarships are awarded for a 12-month period and are non-renewable.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria of the program, applicants for a college-level scholarship must fulfill the following conditions by the application deadline:

• Propose a research or research-creation activity aligned with Obvia’s mission, focusing on the societal impacts of AI and digital technology.
• Be enrolled in a college-level program at a Quebec institution (part-time enrollment is permitted for continuing education programs).
• Be supervised by a faculty member from a college or CEGEP in Quebec. Priority will be given to students from Obvia member institutions: Collège Ahuntsic, Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne, Collège de Brébeuf, Collège Dawson, Collège John Abbott, Cégep de Limoilou, Collège de Rosemont, Cégep de Sainte-Foy, Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance of the project in relation to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 40%
• Project quality: 40%
• Academic record (college-level grades): 20%

Obvia offers $5,000 scholarships for undergraduate students. These scholarships are awarded for a 12-month period and are non-renewable.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria of the program, applicants for an undergraduate scholarship must fulfill the following conditions by the application deadline:

• Propose a research or research-creation activity aligned with Obvia’s mission, focusing on the societal impacts of AI and digital technology.
• Be enrolled in or have an offer of admission to an undergraduate program at a university in Quebec.
• Be supervised by a researcher who is a member of Obvia.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance of the project to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 20%
• Project quality: 50%
• Potential impact of the project on the societal effects of AI and digital technology: 10%
• Academic record (undergraduate grades): 20%

Obvia offers $20,000 scholarships for master’s students. These scholarships are awarded for a 12-month period and are non-renewable.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria of the program, applicants for a master’s scholarship must fulfill the following conditions by the application deadline:

• Propose a project aligned with Obvia’s mission, focusing on the societal impacts of AI and digital technology.
• Be enrolled full-time in a master’s program at a Quebec university for no more than three terms (one year) as of September 1, 2025, OR hold an offer of admission to a master’s program at a Quebec university.
• Conduct their master’s research under the supervision or co-supervision of a researcher who is a member of Obvia.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance of the project to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 20%
• Project quality: 50%, including:
  • Clarity and coherence of the research problem and objectives
  • Relevance of the methodology
  • Feasibility of the project and realism of the timeline
• Potential impact of the project on the societal effects of AI and digital technology: 10%
• Applicant’s academic record (publications, presentations, achievements, social engagement, and academic performance): 20%

Obvia offers $25,000 scholarships for doctoral students. These scholarships are awarded for a 12-month period and may be renewed twice, subject to the submission of satisfactory progress reports.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility criteria of the program, applicants for a doctoral scholarship must fulfill the following conditions by the application deadline:

• Propose a project aligned with Obvia’s mission, focusing on the societal impacts of AI and digital technology.
• Be enrolled full-time in a doctoral program at a Quebec university for no more than three years (nine terms) as of September 1, 2025, OR hold an offer of admission to a doctoral program at a Quebec university.
• Conduct their doctoral research under the supervision or co-supervision of a researcher who is a member of Obvia.

Evaluation Criteria

• Relevance of the project to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 20%
• Project quality: 40%, including:
  • Clarity and coherence of the research problem and objectives
  • Relevance of the methodology
  • Feasibility of the project and realism of the timeline
• Potential impact of the project on the societal effects of AI and digital technology: 20%
• Applicant’s academic record (publications, presentations, achievements, societal engagement, and academic performance): 20%

The competition is open to all applicants, regardless of citizenship or residency. However, priority will be given to candidates who have not previously received funding from Obvia.

Scholarship recipients must remain enrolled full-time at a postsecondary institution in Quebec and continue to meet the program’s requirements for the entire duration of the scholarship to maintain their eligibility.

The research or research-creation project must align with Obvia’s mission. Its primary focus must be directly related to the societal impacts of artificial intelligence and digital technology. Projects that are purely technical in nature or that use AI solely for modeling or analysis purposes are not eligible for this program.

Projects that do not align with Obvia’s mission will not be forwarded to the evaluation committee (eliminatory criterion).

Applicants must be supervised by a member of Obvia (regular, associate, or college researcher) that also holds one of the following statuses recognized by the Fonds de recherche du Québec: University researcher, Clinical university researcher or College researcher.

Due to the high number of applications and limited scholarships available, supervisors may endorse only one applicant per scholarship level per year.

Recipients of an Obvia scholarship cannot simultaneously hold other scholarships or funding for the same research project from the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) or from one of the three federal agencies (SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR).

However, cumulative funding is allowed in the following cases:

• Scholarships from Canadian and Quebec government ministries or agencies other than those mentioned above
• Scholarships supporting international mobility, such as cotutelle programs or internships within or outside Quebec
• Funding from the Canada Council for the Arts (CAC) or the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), as long as it is not for the same project
• Private-sector scholarships, university or affiliated research center internal scholarships, and supplementary funding from the research supervisor

Any paid work undertaken alongside studies is allowed without time restrictions per academic term. However, the employment must be approved by the research supervisor and must not interfere with research activities. The research project must remain the primary focus.

A salary paid by the research supervisor exclusively for work on the recipient’s research project is considered an eligible source of funding and can be combined with the scholarship.

Obvia’s Scientific Committee, based on the recommendations of the evaluation committee, reserves the right to determine the number of scholarships awarded in each category, considering application evaluations and available funding.

The scholarship period must begin at the start of an academic term and within eight months of the award date. For students already enrolled in their program, the scholarship will take effect at the start of the next academic term.

The scholarship is not retroactive—terms completed before the scholarship start date cannot be funded.

Additionally, the scholarship cannot be used for full-time preparatory studies (propedeutics).

Scholarships are paid directly to recipients twice per year (fall and winter), but the amounts cover all three academic terms.

Doctoral scholarship recipients must remain enrolled full-time for the entire duration of the scholarship, including the summer term.

Doctoral scholarships may be renewed for up to two additional years. However, renewal cannot extend beyond the 6th year of enrollment (18 terms) and is subject to: continued eligibility compliance, satisfactory progress in research, scholarship funding rules, available budget.

Scholarships for college, undergraduate, and master’s students are non-renewable.

If a scholarship recipient modifies their research project or supervision after receiving the award, they must notify Obvia in writing.

Obvia’s Research Directorate will assess whether the proposed change complies with program rules and whether it impacts the project’s original evaluation. Based on this review, a recommendation will be made regarding the continuation of funding and potential renewal.