Next Generation Scholarship Program - 2026

Deadline : April 1, 2026

The Next Generation Scholarship Program aims to encourage the best candidates, from college to doctoral level, to undertake or pursue research or research-creation activities in the field of the societal impacts of AI and digital technology, responsible innovation, and to support their success. Students who stand out for their background and the innovative and interdisciplinary potential of their research or research-creation project are invited to submit their application.

Obvia's mission

Obvia is an open research network whose mission is to identify the societal challenges posed by AI and digital technology through critical inquiry and to contribute to solutions that place living beings and the biosphere at the center of their development and use cycle. The Obvia research community, in collaboration with civil society, public actors, industry, and developers, produces open knowledge and supports the strengthening of individual and collective capabilities.

Program Objectives

The Next Generation Scholarship Program (the Program) aims to encourage the best candidates, from college to doctoral level, to undertake or pursue research or research-creation activities in the field of the societal impacts of AI and digital technology, responsible innovation, and to support their success. Students who stand out for their background and the innovative and interdisciplinary potential of their research or research-creation project are invited to submit their application.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are central to Obvia's values and activities. We firmly believe that a diverse and inclusive research community is essential to integrating the voices and perspectives of historically disadvantaged and underrepresented individuals. As such, Obvia is actively committed to welcoming and supporting individuals and projects that reflect a commitment to EDI principles, thereby contributing to greater representation in research topics and within teams. 

Scholarships offered 

Obvia offers scholarships to students from college to doctoral level, distributed as follows: 

  • College scholarships ($1,500 for 12 months, non-renewable) ;
  • Undergraduate scholarships ($5,000 for 12 months, non-renewable) ;
  • Master's scholarships ($20,000 for 12 months, non-renewable) ;
  • Doctoral scholarships ($25,000 for 12 months, renewable twice).

For more details on each of the scholarships offered, see the dedicated sections below.

Submitting an application

Applicants must use the electronic form available on the Obvia website to submit their application and follow the instructions.  

  • Depending on the program level, applicants must provide the following information in the form :
    • Contact details ;
    • Information about the program, host institution, and Obvia supervisor ;
    • Information about the research project or research activity ;
    • Information about their background, involvement, and achievements.
  • In addition, depending on the program level, applicants must attach the following documents to the electronic form (in PDF format only) :
    • Proof of enrollment, issued recently, showing the date you started the program or the offer of admission to the program ;
    • A cover letter ;
    • A copy of transcripts for all years of university studies completed or not completed (combined into a single PDF file). For the current program of study, the transcript must be up to date ;
    • Acknowledgments of receipt from the publisher for all articles accepted for publication but not yet published (combined into a single PDF file).
  • The person supervising or agreeing to supervise the project must send a letter of recommendation directly to bourses@obvia.ca before the competition deadline.

AccESS THE FORM

You can save your form and come back to complete, revise, and submit your application until the program submission deadline. Please refer to the instructions on the first page of the form. It is important to validate each section and confirm the final submission of your application (Application Registration and Submission section) before the program submission deadline. 

Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the evaluation committee.  

No documents received after the competition deadline will be considered.

Timeline 

  • Application deadline: Wednesday, April 1, 2026, 4:00 p.m (EDT)
  • Announcement of results: July 2026

For more information, please contact bourses@obvia.ca. 

Scholarships offered in 2026

Obvia offers scholarships to students from college to doctoral level, distributed as follows: 

College scholarships ($1,500 for twelve months, non-renewable)

Obvia offers $1,500 research initiation scholarships for college students. The scholarship is awarded for a period of 12 months and is non-renewable.

Eligibility requirements  

In addition to meeting the general eligibility requirements of the Program, applicants for a college grant must meet all of the following conditions by the closing date of the competition to be eligible:

  • Propose a research or research-creation activity that is consistent with Obvia's mission, related to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology ;
  • Be enrolled in a college program at a Quebec institution (part-time enrollment is permitted as part of a continuing education program) ;
  • Be supervised by a teacher at a college or CEGEP located in Quebec. Priority will be given to students enrolled in Obvia member institutions: Ahuntsic College, Bois-de-Boulogne College, Brébeuf College, Dawson College, John Abbott College, Cégep de Limoilou, Rosemont College, Cégep de Sainte-Foy, and Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe. 

Evaluation criteria

  • Relevance of the project in relation to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 40%
  • Quality of the project: 40%
  • Quality of the college student's file (academic results): 20% 

Undergraduate scholarships ($5,000 for twelve months, non-renewable)

Obvia offers $5,000 scholarships for undergraduate students. The scholarship is awarded for a period of 12 months and is non-renewable.

Eligibility requirements 

In addition to meeting the general eligibility requirements of the Program, applicants for an undergraduate scholarship must meet all of the following conditions by the closing date of the competition to be eligible:

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

Evaluation criteria 

  • Relevance of the project in relation to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 20%
  • Quality of the project: 50%
  • Potential impact of the project on the societal impacts of AI and digital technology: 10%
  • Quality of the undergraduate student's file (academic results): 20%

Master's scholarships ($20,000 for twelve months, non-renewable)

Obvia offers $20,000 scholarships for master's students. The scholarship is awarded for a period of 12 months and is non-renewable. 

Eligibility requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility requirements for the Program, applicants for a master's scholarship must meet all of the following requirements by the closing date of the competition to be eligible:

  • Propose a project that is in line with Obvia's mission, related to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology ;
  • Be enrolled full-time in a master's program at a Quebec university for a maximum of three semesters (one year) or less as of September 1, 2026, OR have an offer of admission to a master's program at a Quebec university;
  • Complete your master's degree under the supervision or co-supervision of a researcher who is a member of Obvia.

Evaluation criteria

  • Relevance of the project in relation to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology (20%)
  • Quality of the project (50%), including:
  • Clarity and consistency of the research question and objectives
  • Relevance of the methodology
  • Feasibility of the project and realism of the timeline
  • Potential impact of the project in terms of the societal impacts of AI and digital technology (10%)
  • Quality of the master's student's portfolio (publications, presentations, other achievements, involvement in society, and academic results) (20%)

Doctoral scholarships ($25,000 for twelve months, renewable twice)

Obvia offers $25,000 scholarships for doctoral students. The scholarship is awarded for a period of 12 months and may be renewed twice, subject to the submission of progress reports deemed satisfactory by the Obvia evaluation committee and the research director. 

Eligibility requirements

In addition to meeting the general eligibility requirements of the Program, applicants for a doctoral scholarship must meet all of the following requirements by the closing date of the competition to be eligible:

  • Propose a project that is in line with Obvia's mission, related to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology
  • Be enrolled full-time in a doctoral program at a Quebec university for a maximum of three years (nine semesters) as of September 1, 2026, OR have an offer of admission to a doctoral program at a Quebec university. ;
  • Complete your doctoral studies under the supervision or co-supervision of a researcher who is a member of Obvia. 

Evaluation criteria

  • Relevance of the project in relation to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology (20%)
  • Quality of the project (40%), including:
    • Clarity and consistency of the research question and objectives
    • Relevance of the methodology
    • Feasibility of the project and realism of the timeline
    • Potential impact of the project in terms of the societal impacts of AI and digital technology (20%)
  • Quality of the application (publications, presentations, other achievements, involvement in society, and academic results) (20%)

General Terms and Conditions of the Next Generation Scholarship Program

Eligibility of candidates

The competition is open to everyone, regardless of citizenship or residence. Priority is given to candidates who have not yet received support from Obvia.

To remain eligible, scholarship recipients must maintain full-time enrollment at a post-secondary educational institution located in Quebec and meet the program requirements throughout the duration of their scholarship.

Project eligibility

Applicants must propose a project that is directly in line with Obvia's mission, related to the societal impacts of AI and digital technology.  

Technical projects or research projects that use AI solely for modeling or analysis purposes are not eligible for this program.

If the project does not fit with Obvia's mission, it will not be forwarded to the evaluation committee (eliminatory criterion).

Supervision

Applicants must be supervised by a regular, associate, or college researcher member of Obvia who qualifies for one of the following statuses recognized by the Fonds de recherche du Québec: University researcher; University clinical researcher; College researcher.  

Due to the large number of applications and the number of scholarships available, supervisors may only refer one candidate per scholarship level each year.

Combination of scholarships and other remuneration

Recipients of Obvia scholarships may not receive other scholarships or funding from the Fonds de recherche du Québec or the three federal councils (SSHRC, NSERC, and CIHR) during the same period. 

However, multiple scholarships or grants are permitted in the following cases: 

  • Grants from government departments and agencies of Canada and Quebec, other than those mentioned above;
  • Grants supporting international mobility in joint supervision or for internships in or outside Quebec;
  • Grants from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) or the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), if the funding is not for the same project;
  • Private sector scholarships, internal scholarships from universities and affiliated centers, and additional scholarships from the research supervisor. 

Any paid work performed in addition to the training is permitted without time limits per semester. This employment must be approved by the research supervisor and must not interfere with research activities. The research project must remain the primary activity. 

The salary that a scholarship recipient receives from their supervisor for working solely on their research project is considered a scholarship that may be combined with other scholarships.

Awarding of scholarships

The Obvia Scientific Committee, on the recommendation of the evaluation committee, reserves the right to award the number of grants in each category based on the evaluation of applications and available budgets.

Period of use

The scholarship period must begin at the start of a semester and within eight months of the scholarship being awarded. For students who have already begun their program of study, the scholarship period will begin at the start of the next semester. The scholarship is not retroactive, and semesters completed before the scholarship's effective date cannot be funded.

The scholarship cannot be used to pursue full-time preparatory studies (propaedeutic).

Payment

Scholarships are paid directly to scholarship recipients twice a year (fall and winter), but the amounts cover all three semesters, and doctoral scholarship recipients must maintain full-time enrollment during all semesters, including the summer semester.

Renewal of scholarships

Doctoral scholarships may be renewed for two additional years. The scholarship may not be renewed beyond the sixth year of enrollment (18 semesters) and is conditional on the scholarship recipient meeting the eligibility requirements, demonstrating satisfactory progress in their work, complying with the rules for combining scholarships, and the availability of funds at Obvia.

College scholarships, undergraduate scholarships, and master's scholarships are non-renewable.

Interruptions

Individuals who interrupt their studies due to the birth or adoption of a child may request unpaid parental leave for a continuous period of twelve months. The leave will be approved if the scholarship coverage period does not exceed the period for which Obvia is funded by the FRQ. It may begin during the expected delivery or adoption period and ends no later than one year after the birth of the child.

Doctoral scholarship recipients may obtain a scholarship supplement in an amount corresponding to one payment. Those eligible to apply for this supplement must have received their first payment.

Modification of the research project

For any changes to the research project or supervision after a scholarship has been awarded, the scholarship recipient must notify Obvia in writing. The Research Department will verify whether the nature of the requested change contravenes the program rules or affects the outcome of the project evaluation in order to recommend whether or not to maintain its funding and possibly renew it.

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