In order to better meet the expectations of Quebec graduate students in health research, and considering the urgent need to maintain quality research in future generations in this field, the FRQS board of directors created a Student Affairs Committee in 2002. This committee reports directly to the FRQS President and CEO.

Committee mandate: determine what the best strategies are to maintain student interest and support them in health research, and do so at each step of their student-researcher career.

Marie-Ève Major, M.Sc.
President and student member
Université du Québec à Montréal

May Shawi, M.Sc.
Vice-president and student member
McGill University

Marie Blanchette, M.Sc.
Student member
Université de Sherbrooke

Marie-Pierre Cossette, B.Sc.
Student member
Concordia University

Jessika Groleau, B.Sc.
Student member
Université de Montréal

Rémi Parenteau, M.Sc.
Student member
Université Laval

Sylvain Charbonneau, M.Sc., MBA
Representative and Program manager
Fonds de la recherche en santé du Québec

In 2010-2011, the Student Affairs Committee (Comité permanent des affaires étudiantes, CPAE) developed a guide for Ph.D. students and their supervisors that recommends the main points to address when establishing a research training framework. The document offers insights, springboards for discussion and practical starting points to foster quality training.

The CPAE also detailed the studies released this past year on the opportunities available to Ph.D. graduates and the reasons that drive their retention in Québec. An analysis of these studies is currently underway and will help determine means to increase the retention and attraction of a new generation of highly-skilled employees in Québec's health research sector.

To enhance its means of action and extend its reach among health research students in Québec, the CPAE compiled the contact information of active health research student associations in five Québec universities and of the management teams of the research centres funded by the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé. This information will help develop and consolidate links with the student community.

In addition, the CPAE drafted the first edition of a document on the integration of doctorate graduates into the labour market. It outlines the positions held by Ph.D. holders, mandatory job skills and the initiatives by Québec universities to reinforce the acquisition of the skills required in the students' future careers. Recommendations will be set out as a follow up to the document in order to ensure that students are adequately prepared and, by the same token, increase their value on the labour market.

Given its mandate to determine what the best strategies are to maintain student interest and support them in health research, and do so at each step of their student-researcher career, the goals of CPAE for 2011-2012 are to:

CPAE.sante@frq.gouv.qc.ca