Deadline: 03-Nov-2025
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council has announced its Connection Grant Program to support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives.
Connection Grants fund a wide range of activities such as workshops, conferences, forums, summer institutes, and documentaries that promote collaboration and knowledge sharing. These initiatives foster exchanges across disciplines within the social sciences and humanities, encourage collaboration with other research fields, connect academia with public, private, and non-profit sectors, and support international partnerships among researchers, students, and non-academic participants.
Connection Grants supporting events are valued between $7,000 and $25,000 over one year, while those supporting outreach activities range from $7,000 to $50,000. SSHRC may consider higher requests with sufficient justification and evidence of project manageability within a one-year timeframe.
However, SSHRC will not cover the full project cost. Applicants must secure additional eligible cash and/or in-kind contributions equivalent to at least 50% of the amount requested, supported by letters from sponsoring organizations confirming their contributions.
Eligible sources of matching funds include Canadian and international institutions, philanthropic foundations, government agencies, crown corporations, private firms, not-for-profit and community organizations, professional associations, and labour organizations. External grant funds from tri-agency programs like CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC itself cannot be counted as contributions.
Grant funds cannot be used for salaries, stipends, conference registration fees, or research activities. However, up to $50,000 can be allocated to develop knowledge mobilization tools.
Connection Grants support short-term projects completed within 12 months, including events like conferences and workshops, as well as outreach activities that share knowledge with wider audiences through media, documentaries, performances, debates, or digital platforms. These projects may be held in Canada or internationally if applicants demonstrate their global importance.
Applicants must play an active and significant role in organizing and delivering the event or outreach activity. Ineligible activities include annual general meetings, association business sessions, book launches, receptions, and activities normally funded through association fees.
Only a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility can administer funds, though the intellectual leadership and governance of Connection Grant activities can come from within the research community and the not-for-profit sectors. SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research as well as those involving research-creation. The grants also support events and outreach activities related to research-creation and Indigenous research.
SSHRC partners with organizations across the not-for-profit, private, and public sectors to advance research, training, and knowledge-sharing initiatives aligned with its strategic goals.
Connection Grant applications can be submitted by eligible Canadian institutions, individual researchers affiliated with such institutions, or teams with co-applicants and collaborators. Not-for-profit organizations may also apply institutionally after obtaining SSHRC eligibility.
Federal scientists can apply only if their proposed activities fall outside their official duties. Postdoctoral researchers may apply if they secure an eligible institutional affiliation within three months of the grant start date.
The evaluation process is based on three main criteria: Challenge, which assesses the project’s originality, significance, and potential impact; Feasibility, which examines the quality of the plan, budget justification, and resource use; and Capability, which evaluates the applicant’s expertise, achievements, and contributions to knowledge sharing and mentorship.
All applications must be submitted electronically by the authorized research officer or equivalent representative. Applicants are encouraged to apply well before the proposed start date to ensure eligibility and proper evaluation.
The deadline for applications is 3 November 2025.
For more information, visit Government of Canada.
