Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council: Connection Grants in Canada

Deadline: 1-Feb-23

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is accepting applications for its Connection Grants.

Goal

The goal of the Connection program is to realize the potential of social sciences and humanities research for intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, and benefit and impact on and beyond the campus, by supporting specific activities and tools that facilitate the flow and exchange of research knowledge.

Objectives

The objectives of the Connection program are to:
- enable the multidirectional flow of social sciences and humanities research knowledge among researchers, and across academia and society as a whole, 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 the 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 enable scholarly work; and
- Make such networks and tools more accessible to non-academic audiences.

Funding Information

Connection Grants supporting events are valued at $7,000 to $25,000 over 1 year.
Connection Grants supporting outreach activities are valued at $7,000 to $50,000 over 1 year.
A minimum request of $7,000 is required.
SSHRC is willing to consider amounts higher than $50,000, although such applications must satisfactorily justify the need for the higher amount, as well as provide evidence the entire award can be managed within the one-year timeframe.

Eligible Activities

Proposed outreach activities must be designed to engage a broader public in social sciences and humanities knowledge through one or a combination of the following: knowledge dissemination, transfer, brokering, translation, synthesis, exchange, networking or co-creation beyond what would typically be achieved through an event. Proposed activities can include, but are not limited to:
- Adaptation (including translation, for example, into French, English or Indigenous languages) of texts or presentations for the purpose of broader knowledge mobilization to different audiences;
- Development of policy briefs, knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews;
- Development of articles for print or online publication in newspapers or weekly or monthly magazines—whether specialized or general interest;
- Virtual networking;
- Media events (such as television/radio presentations);
- Summer schools/institutes;
- Speaker series;
- Public debates;
- Artistic exhibits, performances or festivals;
- Development/use of interactive technologies, audiovisual products or software; and/or
- Development/use of educational aids, instruments or equipment.
- Projects can occur in Canada or abroad. If a proposed project is to occur abroad, the applicant must justify the project’s potential to mobilize Canadian research on an international stage, and why the project must happen outside Canada.
- Connection Grants are intended to support applicants and project directors who are running a knowledge mobilization event or outreach activity. Applicants must provide evidence that they are playing an active and significant role in the organization and delivery of the event or outreach activity.

Ineligible Activities

Although applicants can apply for Connection Grants to support eligible events and outreach activities organized by academic associations, the following association activities are not eligible for funding:
- Annual general meetings or any other activity directly related to an association’s business meetings;
- Book launches or similar report dissemination;
- Receptions for association members; and
- Any activities normally paid for by the association’s operating fees.

Eligibility Criteria

Projects whose primary objective is to conduct research activities (e.g., literature reviews, field work, data collection, interviews) or to develop stand-alone volumes are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.
Participants or audiences, in Canada and abroad, for both events and outreach activities, can include, among others:
- Academic researchers;
- Non-academic researchers;
- Policy-makers;
- Professional practitioners;
- Representatives from public, private or not-for-profit organizations;
- Representatives from community-based, local or regional non-academic organizations; and/or
- Students at all levels.
Applicants
- Applications can be submitted by institutions or by individual applicants and teams (consisting of one applicant or project director and one or more co-applicants and/or collaborators).
- Institutional Connection Grant applications must be submitted by a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility to conduct an event, outreach activity or a combination of the two that allows the institution to achieve strategic objectives relevant to its mission and mandate. The project director must be affiliated with the host institution (the applicant), prepare the application on behalf of the host institution and be responsible for the overall leadership of the project. The term “institution” from this point on in this description refers to both postsecondary institutions and not‑for‑profit organizations.
- Individual Connection Grant applicants (except postdoctoral researchers) must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility at the time of application. Applicants conduct an event, outreach activity or a combination of the two that primarily falls in their areas of expertise and will allow them to make a significant contribution to their field of research. In the case of a team approach, all team members must meet the eligibility criteria specific to their role.
- Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant or project director status.
- Applicants or project directors who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit an achievement report by the deadline specified in their notice of award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.
- Postdoctoral researchers are eligible to be applicants or project directors if they have formally established an affiliation with an institution that holds institutional eligibility within three months of the grant start date, and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period.
- Students enrolled in a program of study are not eligible to apply.
- Connection Grant proposals led by students can be submitted, provided the proposals involve both students and researchers and are submitted on behalf of the student by a faculty member at an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution. Students can be collaborators, but not co-applicants. Students who are collaborators on a project team cannot be paid a stipend or wage by the grant.
- Federal scientists who are affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution must demonstrate that their proposed research or research-related activity is not related to either the mandate of their employer or the normal duties for which they receive payment from that employer.
- If the proposal falls within the mandate of the federal government and the research or research-related activity is performed in government facilities, funding can be allocated for student salaries or stipends and travel costs only.
Co-applicants
- Individuals (including postdoctoral researchers) are eligible to be co-applicants if they are formally affiliated with any of the following:
- Canadian eligible postsecondary institutions; not-for-profit organizations; philanthropic foundations; think tanks; or municipal, territorial or provincial governments; or
- International postsecondary institutions.