Sponsor

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

Program

Connection Grants [2]

Description

Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives of the Research Partnerships program [3].

These grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization [4] initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and to engage with participants on research issues of value to them. Events and outreach activities funded by a Connection Grant can often serve as a first step toward more comprehensive and longer-term projects.

Connection Grants support workshops, colloquiums, conferences, forums, summer institutes, or other events or outreach activities that facilitate:

• disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary exchanges in the social sciences and humanities;
• scholarly exchanges between those working in the social sciences and humanities and those working in other research fields;
• intersectoral exchanges between academic researchers in the social sciences and humanities and researchers and practitioners from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors; and/or
• international research collaboration and scholarly exchanges with researchers, students and non-academic partners from other countries.

Only a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility [5] can administer funds. However, the intellectual leadership and governance for Connection Grant activities can come from within the research community and/or from within the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors.

SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research [6] as well as those involving research-creation [7].

Joint Initiatives: SSHRC collaborates with organizations from across the not-for-profit, private and public sectors to support and promote training, research and connection activities in the social sciences and humanities. SSHRC’s joint initiatives are designed to reflect its strategic objectives and mandate, inform decision-makers, and, in certain cases, address specific needs of its partners.

Learn more about joint initiatives [8].

For a complete list of available joint initiatives, consult SSHRC’s funding search tool [9].

Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative: Through this initiative, SSHRC will fund at least 10 meritorious Connection Grant proposals per competition to support the social sciences and humanities research community develop and adopt research data management standards, tools and skills. Learn more about the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative [10].

Unless otherwise indicated, there is no separate application process for most joint initiatives or for the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative. However, candidates must indicate that they wish to be considered for an initiative, and explain why, in their application form.

Future Challenges: SSHRC invites all applicants to review Imagining Canada’s Future [11]’s 16 future global challenges and to consider addressing one or more of these areas in their research proposal. This is not an evaluation criterion for merit review and does not offer additional or dedicated research funds for this funding opportunity.

Eligibility

Review Eligibility [12] criteria related to subject matter, proposed events and outreach activities, participants and audiences as well as applicant eligibility. 

Funding Availability

Value and Duration

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 time frame.

Matching Funds

SSHRC will not fund the full cost of any Connection Grant project. Additional support in the form of eligible cash and/or in-kind contributions (excluding registration fees) equivalent to a minimum of 50% of the amount requested from SSHRC must come from sponsoring organizations. For example, an applicant asking SSHRC for $10,000 in funding will have to demonstrate additional support equal to at least $5,000. SSHRC will consider only eligible funds stemming from sponsoring organizations in its calculations of matching funds; individual contributions will not be considered in the calculation of matching funds.

Applicants must demonstrate their ability to secure at least the minimum matching funding. Applicants must do so by including letters of support from sponsoring organizations that clearly confirm the amounts and types of contributions the organizations are providing for the proposed event or activity. A letter of support must be signed by someone with signing authority for the organization.

Only contributions from sponsoring organizations identified in signed letters of support will count toward the required 50% matching funds. Amounts appearing in letters of support from individuals will not be used in this calculation.

Applicants can draw on complementary funding from SSHRC research grants and/or other research funding agencies, but must make clear in their budget proposal that there is no duplication of financial support for the same budget expenses. While such funds can be used in this complementary way, these funds cannot be counted toward the 50% requirement for matching funds.

See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions [13] for more details.

Indirect Costs

There are no indirect costs on the funding provided directly by SSHRC. The external partner(s) funds are subject to the applicable indirect cost rate as specified in the Full Cost of Research Policy [1].

Special Notes

All applicants for SSHRC funding should consult the following guidelines while preparing their applications:

• SSHRC’s Definitions of Terms [14] for terms used in the grant application process;
• the Guidelines for Effective Research Training [15], which can also be useful to reviewers and postsecondary institutions;
• SSHRC’s Indigenous Research Statement of Principles [16] and its Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research [17] for applications involving Indigenous research [6];
• SSHRC’s definition of knowledge mobilization [4] and its Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization [18] for guidance on connecting with research users to create impact; and
• SSHRC’s Guidelines for Support of Tools for Research and Related Activities [19] for applicants requiring funding for research-related activities.

How to Apply

Connection Grant Application Instructions [22]

Information For Co-applicants

If you need to meet a deadline set by the lead institution for this opportunity, please ensure that you provide the Office of Research with at least five days in advance of the lead institution’s deadline to review the application, or your proposed component of the project. Please be in touch with the Office of Research (contact information below) ahead of the deadline if it looks like it will be difficult for you to submit all the required documentation on time (i.e. budget, proposal, OR-5 Form).