Visiting Researchers Program – CNRS 2026-2027

The VRP-CNRS is designed to support existing and new research collaborations with CNRS researchers.  

• The applicant must hold a full-time tenure or tenure-track position at the uOttawa or hold an appointment at an affiliated hospital, and be an active member of APUO (Association of Professors of the University of Ottawa);
• The applicant must submit a joint proposal with a tenured researcher (faculty member or research scientist) or research engineer within a CNRS Unit (UMR);
• Only one application per faculty member is allowed; and
• Applicants who have previously received funding from IREX programs must explain how the proposed collaboration differs from their previously funded research projects. 

BUDGET

Successful applicants will receive an award of up to $12,000 CAD (around 8,000 €) depending on the duration of the research stay which could be between two and three months.  
 

This call is funded by uOttawa and the CNRS. The grant will be paid according to the following terms:
 

• 50% at uOttawa; and
• 50% at the invited person's affiliated laboratory (UMR or UAR)

The following rules apply to the use of funds:
 

• Funds must primarily cover travel expenses (round-trip economy-class airfare, local transportation, accommodation, and a living allowance for the duration of the stay in Ottawa);
• If necessary, up to 20% may be used for other eligible expenses (consumables, small equipment);
• The CNRS researcher’s salary is paid by their home institution. Under no circumstances may the visiting researcher receive an honorarium; and
• The rules for travel expenses as defined in the University of Ottawa’s Policy 21 apply

AWARD MANAGEMENT

The uOttawa applicant and the CNRS researcher are responsible for managing the VRP-CNRS award. No additional funds will be provided if actual costs are higher than estimated costs. Funding is not renewable or transferable.

• Any unused fund provided by uOttawa that are not spent must be reimbursed to the Office of the Vice-President of Research and Innovation (OVPRI) no later than three months after the visit. If, for unforeseen reasons, the visit cannot take place, the grant must be returned in full to the OVPRI. The grant is neither renewable nor transferable.
• The funds provided by the CNRS to the French laboratory must be committed by November 2027. Under no circumstances may they be carried over to the following year.

The uOttawa researcher, who is invited the CNRS researcher, is responsible for submitting the complete online application package (link available soon) .

The VRP-CNRS application form, completed online, describing:
 

• The research project of the partnership;
• The history of partnership;
• The complementary nature of their respective expertise;
• The planned activities, along with their implementation schedule;
• Itemized budget, accompanied by sufficient explanations and justifications.
• Short CV (no more than 3 pages) for the uOttawa applicant and for the CNRS researcher.
• RE form:It is the responsibility of the researcher to complete the RE Form via eAwards and to gather the required signatures. Please plan accordingly as this step can take several days.

The Selection Committee composed of experts from uOttawa and CNRS will evaluate the applications and rank them according to merit. 

• Quality and relevance of the research project (25%);
• Complementarity between the expertise of the two partners (25%);
•  Plan for the proposed research project (methodology, timeline) (25%);
•  Excellence of the duo’s application (e.g., publications, research funding, international recognition) (15%);
•  Justification of the budget and its alignment with the research stay (5%); and
•  Expected impact of the project on future research and related ideas, as well as its potential for publications, knowledge transfer, external funding, and international collaborations (5%)
   

The visit must take place between February 15, 2027, and December 31, 2027.

In addition to conducting research, visiting researchers are encouraged to offer the university community at least one seminar or public lecture, to be organized by the uOttawa researcher. Applicants and visiting researchers are strongly encouraged to use this opportunity to work on joint publications and develop grant applications that move the partnership forward. The researchers must submit a report to IREX and the CNRS describing the activities and results of the visit (a template will be provided). The support of the IREX and CNRS should be acknowledged whenever funds are used to organize public events or to publish relevant research results.

All uOttawa researchers and visiting scholars are subject to and must comply with the University's academic regulations and with policies, procedures, instructions, and directives (as may be amended from time to time):

• Responsible conduct of research and its related procedures;
• Ethics standards, regulations for research involving humans, animals, and animal care, as applicable;
• Training requirements (e.g. lab safety training, hazardous materials); and
• Applicable laws, government rules, and policies governing the conduct of research activities in Canada and the partner country.

Research security refers to the actions that safeguard the integrity of research domestically and internationally and that protect against threats to national and economic security. In alignment with the Canadian government, uOttawa maintains a collaborative approach to protect research and innovation. International research collaborators must have low-risk profiles and must not be affiliated with, obtain funding from, or receive in-kind support from an institute on the Named Research Organizations list. This list comprises universities, research institutions, and laboratories connected to military, national defence, or state security entities that the federal government has determined could pose a risk to Canada’s national security.