Research & Innovation Services

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is the federal agency that promotes and supports postsecondary-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.Created by an act of Canada’s Parliament in 1977, SSHRC is governed by a council that reports to Parliament through the Minister of Industry.

SSHRC-supported research in the social sciences and humanities enhances our understanding of modern social, cultural, technological, environmental, economic and wellness issues. It raises profound questions about who we are as human beings, what we need in order to thrive in complex and challenging times, and where we are headed in the new millennium.    

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.

The Insight program aims to support and foster excellence in social sciences and humanities research intended to deepen, widen and increase our collective understanding of individuals and societies, as well as to inform the search for solutions to societal challenges. 

The objectives of the Insight program are to:

• build knowledge and understanding from disciplinary, interdisciplinary and/or cross-sector perspectives through support for the best researchers;
• support new approaches to research on complex and important topics, including those that transcend the capacity of any one scholar, institution or discipline;
• provide a high-quality research training experience for students;
• fund research expertise that relates to societal challenges and opportunities; and
• mobilize research knowledge, to and from academic and non-academic audiences, with the potential to lead to intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact.

Funding opportunities through the Insight Program include the Insight Development Grant, the Insight Grant, the Partnership Development Grant and the Partnership Grant.

The Connection Program aims to support knowledge mobilization activities—such as networking, disseminating, exchanging and co-creating research-based knowledge—as an important element of publicly engaged scholarship, and as a means of strengthening research agendas. SSHRC also recognizes that rapidly evolving information and communications technologies provide new opportunities to engage a variety of audiences with an interest and/or involvement in social sciences and humanities scholarship.

The objectives of the Connection program are to:

• facilitate the multidirectional flow of social sciences and humanities knowledge among researchers and between the campus and the larger community, in order to enhance intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit, and impact;
• increase the accessibility and use of social sciences and humanities research knowledge among academic and non-academic audiences;
• support the building of reciprocal relationships among social sciences and humanities researchers, and between social sciences and humanities researchers and those in a position to either co-create or use research knowledge;
• support the development of social sciences and humanities research networks and tools designed to facilitate scholarly work; and
• make such networks and tools more accessible to non-academic audiences.

Connection Grants support workshops, colloquiums, conferences, forums, summer institutes or other events or outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and to engage on research issues of value to those participating.

These grants are typically valued at $7,000 to $50,000 over one year, with higher amounts considered on an exceptional basis.

Over the past three years, SSHRC has awarded an average of $6 million per year to support the types of events and outreach activities expected to be proposed and funded through this opportunity. The budget available for new awards in 2012-13 will be updated and announced as needed. Support for tools for research and research-related activities is under review, to be announced in summer 2012.

For more information:

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Homepage
• SSHRC Funding Search Engine
• SSHRC's Knowledge Mobilization Strategy
• SSHRC CV Research Contributions Instructions.doc
• Webinar IG English (REV'd - for circ - Sept 2011).pdf

NEW APPLICATION REQUIREMENT FOR 2012 INSIGHT GRANT PROGRAM!

Click on the following link to read more:

The Notification of Intent.doc