Initiatives

The main and long term objective of the Bridge is to foster collaboration between researchers in Quebec and their counterparts in Palestine (especially early-career researchers) through staff/ faculty exchange, and other mobility programs. These programs will provide an opportunity to integrate Palestinian researchers into FRQ-funded research projects and its network of national and international partners, and their research funding programs, which will allow them to carry out their scientific research projects in collaboration with researchers in Quebec.

A periodic call is issued by the FRQ to all universities and research centers in Quebec. The call seeks to identify Canadian researchers who are interested in engaging in collaborative research with Palestinian counterparts. They are requested to propose preferred research themes/topics. A call is issued for Palestinian university faculty inviting them to reach out for the relevant potential Canadian counterpart. They are expected to develop a joint research roadmap that would be considered for support by the PQSB. The selection process is undertaken by a scientific committee and is overseen by the Steering committee.

Faculty 18 will serve as an institutional and academic platform to raise awareness about the Palestinian people, as well as a permanent link with the Palestinian university system, starting with the three public universities in the Gaza Strip (Islamic University of Gaza, Al-Azhar University, Al-Aqsa University). It will also act as an institutional umbrella for all the actions already being carried out, such as the UB Refugi programme, the BASE project and others within the framework of the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED). The initiative is being promoted in coordination with the municipal government.

Architects for Gaza is a global volunteer collective of built-environment professionals, architects, and academics focused on spatial justice, community-led reconstruction, and urban resilience in Gaza. Core initiatives include: Supporting community ownership so residents can rebuild homes and neighborhoods using local and cultural skills rather than relying solely on top-down international agency shelters; the Gaza Global University – A hybrid virtual and physical academic initiative offering free, credit-bearing courses and lectures in architecture, IT, and medicine for displaced Palestinian students; Organisation of reconstruction design competitions, material-recycling experimental labs, and international advocacy campaigns.

The aim is to preserve and advance Palestinian research, scholarship, and academic freedom while countering scholasticide and censorship. Based on mutual aid and mutual learning, the project pairs Gazan scholars with international scholars who share overlapping research interests. Partnerships last for an initial period of six months, focusing on the specific priorities, plans, and goals defined by the Gazan participants.

Services and open access resources from the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford to support scholars and students from Palestinian Universities in, or displaced from, Gaza and the West Bank.

The aim of NorPal is to mobilize and coordinate academic resources in Norway in support of higher education and research in Palestina. The consortium includes also cooperation with universities and higher education institutions on the West Bank, with the aim of contributing to a robust and stable higher education sector in Palestine.

The PAUSE Programme is a French government-supported initiative that helps researchers, academicsand artists who are at risk in their home countries continue their work in France. It was established in 2017and is managed by the Collège de France.

Scholars at Risk works with an international university network to seek temporary research and teaching positions for academics whose lives, freedom, or academic work are threatened.

The ACSS supports social science and humanities research across the Arab region, and its official records include Palestinian researchers and Palestine-focused research projects among its grant recipients.
1. Small Grants Program (SGP)
Deadline: 1 November 2026- Funding: Up to US$3,000.
– Who: Individual researchers up to three years after their PhD, and PhD students in advanced stages of their studies.
– Focus: Social sciences and humanities research on the Arab region, under the current theme Constantine Zurayk: Nation, Identity, and History.
Palestinian researchers may be eligible, subject to the full criteria. This is a regional grant, not a Palestine-only scheme.
2. Research Grants Program (RGP)
– Who: Established researchers from the Arab region.
– Focus: Larger interdisciplinary research projects addressing major regional issues.
– Palestinian participation: Previous recipients include Palestinian researchers and teams conducting research on Palestine.
3. Scholars Collaborative Grants Program
This program supports researchers with a PhD and an established research record. Its eligibility criteria explicitly include Arab citizens, certain refugees and stateless people from Arab countries, and people originally from Arab countries who hold another passport