How much funding can be received?

The Ministerial Initiative for Incentive Internships in Veterinary Medicine in the Bio-Food Sector provides up to $12,180 per year to full-time undergraduate veterinary students at the Université de Montréal. This financial support aims to encourage veterinary practice in Quebec’s bio-food sector by funding eligible internships focused on public veterinary health, disease control, animal care, diagnostics, and research involving food-producing animals.

Financing terms and conditions

Financial assistance per internship varies by year of study: $2,700 (1st year), $3,000 (2nd year), $3,200 (3rd year), $3,400 (4th year).
Maximum number of eligible internships per student per year: 2 (1st and 2nd year), 3 (3rd and 4th year).
Annual aid cap per student: $6,510 (1st year), $7,200 (2nd year), $11,490 (3rd year), $12,180 (4th year).
A 15% bonus to the base amount is granted if the internship occurs in a designated region.
Lump sum of $150 per internship for travel expenses, subject to eligibility conditions.
Financial support is disbursed in two installments: 70% after signing the funding agreement, 30% after completion and submission of required end-of-internship documents.

Eligible projects & activities

Internships in veterinary clinical practice within bio-food sectors, including farm settings and provincial slaughterhouses.
Internships focused on public veterinary health, disease prevention and control, animal care, laboratory diagnostics or pathology, and research.
Hands-on learning experiences involving direct observation, participation in veterinary tasks, and application of academic knowledge to real-world bio-food challenges.
Veterinary laboratory internships focused on diagnostic analysis, pathology, and research led by practicing researchers or veterinarians.

Eligibility criteria of the Ministerial initiative for incentive internships in veterinary medicine in the bio-food sector program

The applicant must be a full-time student enrolled in the undergraduate doctorate program in veterinary medicine at the Université de Montréal (Saint-Hyacinthe or Rimouski campus).
The proposed internship must focus on bio-food sector veterinary practices in areas such as public veterinary health, disease prevention and control, animal care, laboratory work (diagnostics or pathology), or research.
The internship must exclusively concern one or more of the following animal species: dairy cattle, beef cattle, pigs, poultry, or small ruminants (sheep and goats).
The internship must be supervised by a member in good standing of the Ordre des médecins vétérinaires du Québec with at least two years of practice in the bio-food field.
The internship must be conducted at an eligible site within Quebec: a veterinary establishment, provincially regulated abattoir, or the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Université de Montréal.

Who is eligible?

Full-time students enrolled in the undergraduate doctoral program in veterinary medicine at the Université de Montréal (campus of Saint-Hyacinthe or Rimouski)

Eligible expenses

Flat-rate travel expenses of $150 per internship, granted if the distance between the student's place of residence and the internship site exceeds 175 km.

Eligible geographic areas

Quebec
Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Capitale-Nationale
Côte-Nord
Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine
Laurentides
Outaouais

Eligibility criteria of the Ministerial initiative for incentive internships in veterinary medicine in the bio-food sector program

Quality of the applicant's academic record, based on the cumulative average of completed course sessions.
Priority given if the applicant belongs to the 'farm animal practice profile' category.
Priority if the applicant has submitted a placement agreement for an internship in a designated region.
If the budget is insufficient to fund all applications received, these prioritization criteria will determine selection.

How to apply to the Ministerial initiative for incentive internships in veterinary medicine in the bio-food sector program

Read complete initiative document

Review the full text of the initiative to understand all conditions and requirements

Submit student registration form

Send the student registration form to the authorized representative
Attach your most recent transcript and proof of full-time enrolment
Receive an acknowledgment of receipt

Identify and confirm internship site

Find a suitable internship site meeting initiative criteria
Use the internship agreement appendix to establish an agreement with the supervisor

Submit internship agreement appendix

Submit the completed and signed internship agreement appendix to the authorized representative
Receive a confirmation of eligibility if the information is complete

Submit financial aid application

By March 15 of the internship year, submit the complete financial aid request via the secure document sharing platform (PSD)
Include the financial aid application form and the signed internship agreement appendix
Receive a letter of offer and the financial aid agreement confirming the funding, or a refusal letter if not selected

Sign agreement and receive first payment

Sign and return the financial aid agreement through the PSD platform by the specified deadline
Optionally, sign and submit the direct deposit enrolment form to the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital, for payments
Receive the first disbursement (70% of the grant amount)

Complete the internship

Complete the internship as agreed in the documents
Adhere to all requirements and deadlines specified

Submit completion declaration and receive final payment

Within 30 days of completing the internship(s), submit the internship completion declaration and the attendance sheet through the PSD platform
Receive the final disbursement (30% of the grant amount) after validation

Additional information

The Initiative operates on an annual call for candidates, with updated guidelines and deadlines each year.
The Ministry may audit or review documents and information related to the internship for five years after completion.
Beneficiaries may be required to participate in follow-up surveys or interviews to measure program outcomes.
The Initiative may be modified or terminated by the Ministry without prior notice.