The Quebec Sleep Research Network is pleased to present the SomnNova Award each year during its scientific conference, Somnosciences Québec. This award, valued at $750, recognizes student excellence and innovation in research in the field of sleep, circadian rhythms, and dreams.

ntended to students at all levels (bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral), the SomnoNova Award recognizes a student who is the first author of a scientific article. The article must be published or officially accepted for publication in a scientific journal before February 1, 2026. Articles published before April 1, 2024, will not be accepted.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate program, or be a postdoctoral fellow at a Quebec university at the time of submission or publication of the scientific article.
• The person submitting the application is supervised by a principal investigator that is affiliated with a managing institution in Quebec (according to FRQ rules), meets the criteria of the Fonds de recherche du Québec, and is a member of the Sleep Network. To become a member of the Sleep Network, click here.
• The candidate must be the first author of the scientific article.
• The scientific article concerns a project on sleep, circadian rhythms, or dreams.
• Date of publication/acceptance of the scientific article: April 1, 2024 – January 31, 2026
  • The next edition of this award will cover scientific articles published/accepted between February 1, 2026, and January 31, 2027.

How to submit an application

To submit an application for this award, you must complete the application form by clicking here.

Once the application form has been completed, three documents are required and must be sent in a single PDF file to: info@reseausommeil.ca. The three documents submitted must be sent in a single PDF file, in the following order:

• Proof of publication or acceptance of the scientific article;
• Copy of the scientific article published or officially accepted;
• Application letter (maximum 1 page, excluding references; single-spaced, 2.5 cm margins, standard fonts, 12 point) including the following sections:
  • Summary of your scientific article
  • Explanation of the importance and impact of the scientific article on the field of sleep, circadian rhythms, or dreams.

Evaluation criteria

In addition to eligibility, the following priorities will be considered when evaluating applications:

• Scientific quality of the article (methodological rigor, clarity, and soundness of results)
• Impact of the scientific journal in which the article was published or accepted, as well as its impact on the field of research covered by the article
• Current and/or potential impact of the article on advancing knowledge in the field of sleep, circadian rhythms, or dreams.

Timeline of the competition

• December 15, 2025 : Launch of the competition
• February 13, 2026 : Submission deadline
• February 20, 2026 : Announcement of the winner
• March 27, 2026 : Presentation of the winner at Somnosciences Québec 2026.

Commitment

The winner of the SomnoNova Award will be invited to present their research project at the Sleep Network's scientific day, Somnosciences Québec 2026.

This page was last edited on January 29, 2026, at 4:45 p.m. (Eastern Time).