The Faculty of Science is launching, based on a recommendation of the Science Equity and Institutional Climate Committee (SEICC), a pilot program to provide research funding to support tenure-track faculty members who take maternity and/or parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child.
Rationale
Eligible faculty members are entitled to take maternity and/or parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child. In most cases, the faculty member receives salary support through an indemnity from the University as well as governmental benefits payable through the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan (QPIP). Together these sources provide important support to faculty members who are new parents.
Despite this personal financial coverage, taking a parental leave may put pressure on a faculty member’s research program that could impact research progress. In addition, the demands of being a new parent do not end at the end of the official leave, and the goal of this additional support is to help avoid a lingering impact on research productivity and career trajectory.
Pilot program
To address this concern, the Faculty of Science is launching a pilot program that will provide a Parental Leave Research Allowance (PLRA) to all tenure-track faculty members taking eligible maternity and/or parental leaves. Funded through budget savings resulting from government salary support, the goal of this program is to minimize the impact of such a leave by providing flexible funding that will support the faculty member’s research program, for example by funding temporary research management personnel and/or ensuring general continuity of research funding. The pilot PLRA amounts are listed below.
| Duration of eligible leave | PLRA amount1 |
|---|---|
| 11 weeks to 20 weeks | $ 25,000 |
| ≥21 weeks | $ 50,000 |
Eligibility and terms
Any Faculty of Science tenure-track faculty member who takes an approved maternity leave, parental leave, or extended parental leave, consistent with the , will be eligible to receive a PLRA.
Term of funding: 2 years from the first day of the leave. Requests for extension will be considered with appropriate justification. Eligibility of expenditures will follow normal University guidelines for research grant funding, including dependent-care expenses during university-related travel.
How to receive the funding
Contact Nancy Secondo, Financial Officer (Research Funds), Faculty of Science. No application is necessary.
Other possible funding
NSERC also offers the possibility of a funded operating grant extension to faculty members on maternal or parental leave . In parallel with the PRLA process, Nancy Secondo will liaise with the Office of Sponsored Research to determine whether the faculty member is eligible for such an extension and will help facilitate the application process.
For additional information, contact julie.theriault [at] mcgill.ca (Julie Thériault), Senior Financial Officer, Faculty of Science and/or laura.nilson [at] mcgill.ca (Laura Nilson), Associate Dean (Graduate Education), Faculty of Science.
1 Amounts will be pro-rated for faculty members with a joint appointment outside of the Faculty of Science.