Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

A call for proposals is currently open under the Research Support Program until June 12, 2026. Submitted proposals must address one of the following three themes and respond to one of the questions listed below, or a related research question. You must prioritize the study of Quebec within the Canadian federation or propose a comparative approach. 

Theme 1 : Constitutional autonomy of federated states: tools for affirming the Quebec nation’s model of living together (collective rights, linguistic rights, integration models)

Context: Federated states have several tools at their disposal to assert their constitutional autonomy and their choices regarding public policies.

Questions

• What forms do these tools take?

• What means exist to assert collective rights and choices such as linguistic rights or integration models?

Theme 2: Decentralized fiscal federalism: defense and expansion of the areas of competence of the federated states (federal spending power, tax points)

Context: The ability of federated states to act within their areas of competence and their full responsibility within those areas of competence depend on their fiscal resources.

Questions

• What happens when legislative capabilities are bypassed by the “spending power” of one level of government?

• What models of decentralized fiscal federalism should be explored?

• What approaches or strategies should be prioritized?

Theme 3: Towards a new federal economic paradigm: major projects of national interest and the autonomy of the federated states

Context: Over time, crises have often resulted in a centralization of major economic and industrial policies, particularly in federations.

Questions

• How does the current geopolitical and tariff crisis promote the emergence of a new national economic model ( One Canadian Economy ) and what are the consequences for Quebec and the other federated states?

• How can Quebec take full advantage of the new economic context of the Canadian domestic market?

• How can Quebec promote and defend its economic interests in a difficult tariff environment?

Eligibility of applications

Your projects must meet the requirements of the Research Support Program and span one or two fiscal years. 

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.