International Call for Projects Québec-Korea

PRIMA Québec-NATIONAL RESEARCH FONDATION (NRF) OF KOREA JOINT RESEARCH PROGRAM

PRIMA Québec and the National Research Foundation of Korea signed a MOU. Both organizations aim at forging new and strengthening existing research collaboration between Korea and Québec through the involvement of academic and industrial partners for both sides.

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Support and implement international research and innovation initiatives between universities, colleges, institutions and industries. Specifically, this program aims at both forging new and strengthening existing research collaboration between Korea and the Province of Québec through the involvement of academic and industrial partners, from both sides.

Targeted Results

Increased research collaboration between universities and industry, along with greater international, inter-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration;
Greater visibility for Québec researchers and their institutions at the national and international levels;
Greater development for researchers seeking to improve their competitive positioning in Québec’s future markets through R&D projects.
The PRIMA QUÉBEC-NRF 2025 joint project call will fund two projects for a maximum of 2 years with a maximum of public funding contributions from the Québec side at $160,000/year and KRW 150 million/year for the Korean side.

ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

In keeping with its strategic plan, PRIMA Québec recommends the submission of projects dealing with the development of advanced materials applied to key sectors in Québec like transportation and infrastructure, energy, environment, electronics, health, chemistry and critical and strategic minerals. However, it must concern one of the themes of one of the four innovation zones.
All research projects with technological maturity levels (TRL 1-9) are eligible.
The funding recipients shall be universities, research institutions and industries (particularly small and medium-sized enterprises) based in Korea and the Province of Quebec. Eligible for funding are consortia composed of at least four partners (2+2), two partners from the Korean side and two from the Quebec side. For each side, these consortia should include at least one university or research institution AND at least one enterprise; but the coordinator for each consortium should be from university or research institution.
The projects must demonstrate a balanced participation of Québec and the foreign parties throughout their development; a financial contribution in cash totalling at least 20% of the eligible expenses in Québec is required from the Québec tenant community and a contribution in cash or in kind totalling at least 30% of the overall expenses of the Québec – Korea consortium project is required for all of the project’s foreign partners.
The financial assistance from the ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie (MEIE) will take the form of a non-repayable and non-recurring contribution of up to 50% of the eligible expenses of the Quebec part with a total of Quebec’s public financing of 160 000 $CAD/Year (Complementary funding, PRIMA Fund, Indirect Cost of Research (ICR), MEIE management fees).
The maximum duration of the project will be two years.

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS

English version:

The Instructions Guide
The Letter of Intent
The Application Form
The Funding Calculation Help Table (in french only)

French version:

Le Guide de présentation
La Lettre d’intention (en anglais seulement)
Le Formulaire de demande (en anglais seulement)
Le Tableau d’aide au calcul du financement

SCHEDULE

Opening of the call for proposals: March 7, 2025
Letter of Intent Deadline: April 4, 2025
Deadline for submitting proposals: May 16, 2025 (noon, Montréal Time for Canada / 18:00, Seoul Time for Korea)
Final Decision: September 2025