Amount and Term

• Initial term: 1 year
• Maximum number of terms: 3 years
• Award amount per term (for Ph.D. holder): $41,000
• Award amount per term (for M.D. holder): $50,500

In order to receive funds for the additional terms, eligible awardees who hold an endMS Personnel Award must submit a progress report that is approved by the MSSC.

Eligibility

• Hold, or be candidates for a doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent). M.D. Applicants must hold degrees that are recognized by the Canadian medical regulatory authority. A Fellowship will not be activated for a doctoral candidate until the MS Society has received written notification from a university or professional school that an appropriate doctoral degree has been granted.
• Have completed their doctoral degree in the last three years or less by the time of the competition deadline in order to be eligible.
• Be enrolled in postdoctoral training* at a Canadian institution; or those interested in studying abroad must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• Hold a postdoctoral fellowship at a recognized institution; and be responsible to an appropriate supervisor who is in a field relevant to MS.

*Postdoctoral training must be conducted in a different laboratory and with a different supervisor than where a doctoral degree was obtained.

Important Dates

• Competition Opens: July 28, 2017
• Application Deadline: October 2, 2017 at 16:00 EDT
• Progress Report Deadline: November 1, 2017 at 16:00 EDT
• Anticipated Notice of Decision: March 2018
• Funding Start Date: July 1, 2018

Policies and Procedures

Program Guide
Application Guidelines
Policies

Guide to Writing a Lay Summary

Frequently Asked Questions

1. DOES MY APPLICATION HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED BY OCTOBER 2?

Yes, all applications must be submitted by October 2 ^nd at 16:00 EDT. The online system will not accept applications after October 2 ^nd. All required documents must be completed and submitted prior to the deadline, straggling documents will not be accepted. In addition, any documents that surpass the assigned page limits or fail to adhere to the formatting guidelines will be excluded from the application.

2. DOES MY PROGRESS REPORT HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED BY NOVEMBER 1?

Yes, all endMS Personnel Awards Progress Reports (fellowship and studentships) must be submitted by November 1 ^st at 16:00 EDT. The online system will not accept annual progress reports after November 1 ^st.

3. ARE BENEFITS SUCH AS VACATION PAY INCLUDED IN AWARDS?

Award recipients are not considered employees of the MSSC but rather of the institution where the research is conducted.The research award is to be administered in accordance with the prevailing policies of the sponsoring institution, including vacations, sick leaves, holidays, etc.

4. ARE ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES SUFFICIENT FOR THE SIGNATURE PAGE OF THE APPLICATION, OR DOES MSSC REQUIRE AN INK SIGNATURE PAGE?

Electronic signatures on a scanned copy of the signature page are sufficient for the application process. Please refer to the Application Guidelines for further details.

5. HOW MANY YEARS MUST I BE ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM (MASTERS OR PHD) IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A MSSC AWARD?

A studentship award is open to those who are working towards a Master’s, Doctoral or related degree and are conducting research in MS. For Master’s students who are transferring to a Doctoral program, the doctoral studentship will not be initiated until the MSSC has received written notification from a university or professional school and/or supervisor that an appropriate transfer of degree or Master’s degree has been granted.

6. HOW LONG AFTER OBTAINING A PHD DEGREE ARE PEOPLE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR A FELLOWSHIP?

Applicants must have completed their Doctoral degree within three years of the competition deadline in order to be eligible. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Award competition is open to those that hold, or are candidates for, a Doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent). M.D. applicants must hold degrees that are recognized by the medical regulatory authority in the Canadian province or territory where they practice. A Fellowship will not be initiated for a Doctoral candidate who has been accepted to a Postdoctoral position until the MSSC has received written notification from a university or professional school that the Doctoral degree has been granted. Please see the MSSC’s endMS Policies and Program Guide for more information.

7. DO I NEED A STUDENT VISA TO STUDY IN CANADA IF I AM NOT A CANADIAN CITIZEN?

Yes. Only those who have a student visa and have already been accepted for training in a Canadian university may apply.

8. CAN I TRAIN OUTSIDE OF CANADA FOR MY GRADUATE STUDIES OR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP?

Yes, but only if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The MSSC reserves the right to request documentation indicating citizenship and residency. The MSSC will require a statement from the applicant that they plan to return to Canada after the training is completed.

9. CAN I TRANSFER MY PERSONNEL AWARD TO ANOTHER INSTITUTION AND/OR SUPERVISOR?

You must obtain written permission from MSSC to transfer a personnel award to a different institution or supervisor. Please see the MSSC’s endMS Personnel Policies for more information.

10. IS RENEWAL FOR MY PERSONNEL AWARD AUTOMATIC?

MSSC does not provide automatic renewal funding or fixed funding award terms. It the responsibility of the trainee to apply for renewal funding via submission of a progress report that is subject to review.

11. I FORGOT TO APPLY FOR A RENEWAL OF MY AWARD IN THE PREVIOUS COMPETITION. CAN I APPLY FOR A RENEWAL THIS YEAR?

Trainees who did not submit a renewal application and experienced an interruption in funding must re-apply as a new applicant. If the application is successful, the awardee will be awarded funding for a new award or fellowship upon submission of an executed letter of agreement.

12. AM I ELIGIBLE FOR ADDITIONAL RENEWAL FUNDING?

Personnel award holders who are eligible for renewal funding must: 1) continue to meet MSSC’s eligibility criteria to hold a personnel award; 2) submit a completed progress report by November 1 ^st; and 3) demonstrate sufficient progress in the initially proposed research as determined by an independent review panel. Failure to submit a progress report will result in termination of the award.

13. AM I ABLE TO HOLD AN AWARD FROM ANOTHER AGENCY IN ADDITION TO AN AWARD FROM THE MSSC?

As per a new policy implemented in 2017, the MSSC does not permit awardees to hold an award from another agency while holding an MSSC award. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.

14. DOES THE MSSC OFFER A RESEARCH OR TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS OR STUDENTSHIPS?

No, the MSSC does not provide a research or travel allowance for postdoctoral fellows or students.

15. DOES MY SUPERVISOR NEED TO HOLD AN MSSC OPERATING GRANT?

No, but the supervisor must hold a grant from a recognized research institution and should be involved in MS research.

16. ARE THERE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS ON WHO CAN PROVIDE LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION?

Letters of recommendation for studentship and fellowship awards must come from academic supervisors and academic referees who have knowledge of the applicant’s research potential. All letters must be on institutional letterhead and signed. For more information on the number of letters of recommendation required, please see the endMS Personnel Application Guidelines. Additional recommendation letters beyond those requested will not be accepted.

17. MY WORK IS OVERSEEN BY TWO SUPERVISORS. WHAT DOCUMENTS HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED?

Ensure that all documents required for a supervisor in the endMS Personnel Application Guidelines are submitted for both supervisors. Failure to submit documents for both supervisors can lead to disqualification from the competition.

18. DOES MY SUPERVISOR’S CV HAVE TO BE SUBMITTED USING THE COMMON CV FORMAT?

For all Canadian supervisors and co-supervisors, the MS Society requires the use of the Canadian Common CV (CCV) Format. Please visit https://ccv-cvc.ca/. Please save your CCV to your desktop and upload into the Easy Grants Online Application Form. International Supervisors may use any appropriate CV format. For instructions on how to complete the CCV, visit the endMS Personnel Awards Application Guidelines or the Canadian Common CV website .

19. DO I HAVE TO SUBMIT A CV IN COMMON CV FORMAT?

Yes, the Research Experience Upload section will require the submission of the CCV to ensure consistency in requested information for all applicants. Please list your relevant publications in the CCV. It is optional to submit pdf versions of the publications, but is not required. For a full list of required sections for the CCV, please visit the endMS Personnel Awards Application Guidelines for more information. Instructions on how to complete the CCV are also within the endMS Personnel Awards Application Guidelines or the Canadian Common CV website.

20. DO I NEED TO SUBMIT AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OR WILL AN UNOFFICIAL COPY FROM THE INSTITUTIONS REGISTRATION WEBSITE MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS?

MSSC requires that you upload the most up-to-date official transcripts from the degrees specified in the endMS Personnel Application Guidelines. The official transcripts must be provided by scanning each page (front and back) and uploading them as a single document in the online application. Hard copies will not be accepted. Failure to submit official transcripts will result in a disqualification from the competition.

Students who have attended international institutions are required to submit a certified true copy of their official transcript in English or French. Transcripts in a language other than English or French must be translated to one of these two languages and students must submit a certified true copy of the translation. A certified true copy is a duplicate of an original document that has been verified as true by a commissioner of oath, such as a notary or lawyer. The certified true copy must bear the original signature and stamp of the official authority.

21. WHICH TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED?

If you are applying for a Master’s Studentship Award, the MSSC requires transcripts from your undergraduate degree and any current grades. If you are applying for a Doctoral Studentship Award, the MSSC requires transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate degrees and any current grades. If you are applying for a Postdoctoral Fellowship, the MSSC requires transcripts from your undergraduate and graduate degrees.

If the FAQ Guide did not answer your question, please direct inquiries and questions to msresearchgrants@mssociety.ca

MSSC Partnership with Fonds de Recherche du Québec - Santé (FRQS)

Partnership Objectives

To support a greater number of Postdoctoral students by providing training awards to outstanding individuals in Quebec who wish to commence or pursue their research training in the field of multiple sclerosis. This support will be delivered through the co-funding fellowship awards submitted to the regular competitions of both FRQS and MSSC.

Mechanisms of Support

The Postdoctoral Fellowship is 1 year in length with an opportunity to be renewed, which is dependent upon the submission and approval of a renewal application by both FRQS and MSSC.

Value of Awards

*Fellowships will be co-funded (50/50) by FRQS and MSSC.

**Postdoctoral Fellowships offered to those who conduct their training outside of Quebec will benefit from a supplement of $15,000 per year.

Program Eligibility

In order to be eligible for funding through this partnership applicants must:

• Apply to both FRQS and MSSC regular competitions.
• FRQS candidates must indicate in their application that they wish to be considered for a MSSOC partnership award and MSSC candidates must indicate that they wish to be considered for the FRQS partnership award.
• The FRQS application must be approved for relevance by the MSSC.
• The application must be approved for funding based on the peer review of both FRQS and MSSC research competitions.

Important Dates

• MSSC Competition Opens: July 28, 2017
• Application Deadline: October 2, 2017 at 16:00 EDT
• FRQS Competition Closes: October 16, 2017 at 16:30 EDT
• Anticipated Notice of Decision: March 2018
• Funding Start Date: July 1, 2018