Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is the federal agency that promotes and supports university-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences. Through its programs and policies, SSHRC enables the highest levels of research excellence in Canada, and facilitates knowledge-sharing and collaboration across research disciplines, universities and all sectors of society.

SSHRC supported research in the social sciences and humanities enhances our understanding of modern social, cultural, technological, environmental, economic and wellness issues. The work SSHRC supports encourages the deepest levels of inquiry. It spurs innovative researchers to learn from one another's disciplines, delve into multiparty collaborations and achieve common goals for the betterment of Canadian society. Research outcomes are shared with communities, businesses and governments, who use this new knowledge to innovate and improve people's lives.

SSHRC is one of the Tri-Council Agencies, along with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The Tri-Council Agencies are a major source of research funding for post-secondary institutions in Canada. All research that is funded by the Tri-Council Agencies must be in accordance with the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions. This agreement describes the basic requirements for obtaining and maintaining institutional eligibility to administer research funds.

Applications for RSO review and approval must be submitted via the Researcher Home Page during RSO's core business hour.

However, final application versions must be submitted in the SSHRC portal by 10am on the SSHRC deadline date.

RSO imposes a minimum internal deadline of eight (8) business days prior to the SSHRC deadline on Insight Grant competition due to its high volume.

Competition Deadlines
Funding Program RSO Deadline** Final version Submisison in Research Portal SSHRC Application Deadline Applications available online
Aid to Scholarly Journals Sept 3, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day Sept 10, 2021 Closed
Connection Grants Jan 25, Apr 24, July 25, & Oct 26 By 10am of the application submission day Feb 1, May 1, Aug 1, & Nov 1 Ongoing
Connection Grants: Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative Oct 26, 2020
Feb 22, 2021
Apr 25, 2021
July 26, 2021

By 10am of the application submission day

Nov 1, 2020
Feb 1, 2021
May 1, 2021
Aug 1, 2021

 Application process
Insight Development Grants Jan 26, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day
 Feb 2, 2021 Closed
Insight Grants  Sept 20, 2021 By 10am of Sept 29th Oct 1, 2021 Open
Partnership Grants - Stage 1 Feb 3, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day Feb 10, 2021 Closed
Partnership Grants - Stage 2 (by invitation only) Oct 22, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day Oct 29, 2021 Open
Partnership Development Grant Nov 5, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day Nov 15, 2021 Open
Partnership Engage Grants Mar 8, Jun 10, Sep 10 & Dec 1 By 10am of the application submission day Mar 15, Jun 15, Sep 15* & Dec 15* Ongoing
Knowledge Synthesis Grants - Emerging Asocial Society Dec 10, 2021 By 10am of the application submission day Dec 17, 2021 Open

*Note: If a deadline falls on a weekend or a Canadian public holiday, the online application system will remain open until the next business day.

**Note: Your faculty may have additional internal submission deadline requirements. Please contact your research facilitator for more info.

Note: For a list of all upcoming deadlines please visit SSHRC's upcoming deadlines.

Launch of new Connection Grants - Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative

To help the Canadian social sciences and humanities research community better understand data management and incorporate data management considerations into research practices, SSHRC's Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative offers Connection Grants to support the research community's development, adoption and dissemination of research data management standards, practices, tools and skills appropriate to their field.

SSHRC will accept applications for the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative at the following Connection Grants deadlines:

  • November 1st, 2020;
  • February 1st, 2021;
  • May 1st, 2021;
  • August 1st, 2021

Research data management supports the effective and responsible conduct of research and increases the ability to store, find and reuse research data. A strong culture of data management will serve Canadian research excellence and support the development of social sciences and humanities insights. It will also benefit Canadian researchers working in international partnerships and collaborations as funders around the globe implement and strengthen data management requirements.

Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative applications are subject to the Connection Grants evaluation criteria and scoring. In addition, as part of its assessment of the proposal's relevance to the objectives of the Connection program, under the Connection Grants Challenge criteria, the merit review committee will evaluate the degree to which applications respond to one or more of the following objectives:

  • develop and/or adopt data management standards, practices, tools and skills within and across disciplines and institutions, with a focus on the social sciences and humanities;
  • connect researchers or students with data management professionals and service providers (e.g., librarians, programmers, specialists in research ethics, etc.), and other stakeholders (e.g., research subjects and users) to increase knowledge of data management;
  • share and develop knowledge and skills relating to data collection and storage, metadata, preservation, retention, sharing, credit and citation;
  • share and develop knowledge and skills related to the responsible ownership, control, access and possession of data used or created in the context of Indigenous research (e.g., the application of OCAP® principles); and
  • through other activities, enable the social sciences and humanities research community to strengthen its ability to fulfill the roles and responsibilities indicated in the Tri-Agency Statement of Principles on Digital Data Management, and the requirements proposed in the draft tri-agency research data management policy.

For more information about this initiative, or for advice on preparing your application, please contact:
Connection Grants
Tel.: 613-943-1007
Email: connection@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

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