Application for a Grant
Partnership Development Grants
Instructions (Web)

Introduction

Before applying, applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Partnership Development Grants funding opportunity description, the Insight and/or Connection program descriptions, the Institutional Eligibility—Guidelines and Requirements, and the Regulations Governing Grant Applications. For detailed information on eligible and ineligible expenses, you should also consult the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.

We suggest that you print and consult this document and Help with Online Forms for reference while you are completing your online grant application. You may also refer to this document by clicking "Instructions" at any time within a screen. This button will link you directly to the instructions for the screen you are completing.

Application Process and Deadline

The applicant must complete and verify the online Partnership Development Grants application form and his/her SSHRC web-based curriculum vitae (CV). The complete application, including the electronic attachments (uploads) and the CVs (applicant/project director and co-applicants), can be viewed and printed, but must be submitted electronically to the postsecondary institution's research administrator or the financial administrator at the not-for-profit organization.

Follow these steps:

Complete all mandatory fields (boldfaced labels).
Attach all mandatory electronic uploads (application).
Ensure that all co-applicants and collaborators have submitted their "Accept Invitation Form" and have included all relevant attachments (see Participants).
Ensure that invited partner organizations have submitted their "Partner Invitation Form."
Verify and correct the data until the Verification Report indicates successful verification.
Click "Submit" (Submit to Research Administrator) for institutional approval.

The research administrator at the applicant's institution or the financial administrator at the not-for-profit organization will review the application and, if approved, will forward it to SSHRC. If changes are required, the research or financial administrator will send a message to the applicant using the Message Centre function. The applicant can access the Message Centre by clicking "Messages" in the top navigation bar of his/her Portfolio. Research/financial administrators will be able to forward applications until 8 p.m. (eastern), November 15, 2018. After 8 p.m., the "Submit" (Submit to Research Administrator) button will disappear from the applicant's Portfolio, the "Forward" (Forward to SSHRC) button will disappear from the research/financial administrator's Portfolio and no further changes and submissions will be possible.

*Note: If a deadline falls on a weekend or a Canadian public holiday, the online application system will remain open until 8 p.m. (eastern time) on the next business day.

Most institutions and organizations have an internal deadline date that is earlier than SSHRC’s deadline date. Make sure you allow enough time to obtain feedback from your administrator before the application deadline.

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Applications

After SSHRC receives your completed application form, the data provided in your application and CVs are transferred to SSHRC's corporate database. SSHRC will acknowledge receipt of your electronic application form, and will assign you an application number. Please cite this number in all correspondence with us.

Electronic Submission and Approval

Even though the electronic submission process includes appropriate controls and checks to ensure validation of the information by an institution's or organization's administrator before it is submitted to SSHRC, note that applicants will have to follow the internal approval process in place at their institution or organization, as specified by the relevant authorities.

By clicking "Submit", the applicant (project director) confirms that he/she:

has read and understands the eligibility requirements of the funding opportunity;
has provided complete and accurate information in the funding application and related documents, and has represented himself/herself and his/her research and accomplishments in a manner consistent with the norms of the relevant field;
has ensured that any team members and partner organizations listed in the application have agreed to be included therein;
is not currently ineligible to apply for or receive funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, SSHRC, or the Canadian Institutes of Health Research or any other research or research funding organization by reason of a breach of an ethical, integrity or financial policy or requirement, and that if at any time he/she becomes ineligible, he/she will advise his/her institution’s research grants office and SSHRC immediately in writing;
will inform SSHRC and his/her institution’s research grants office immediately of any change in the nature of the research that may have an impact on certification or approvals;
will inform SSHRC and his/her institution’s research grants office immediately in writing in the event of any change in eligibility status, and hereby authorizes the institution with which he/she is employed or affiliated to provide SSHRC with his/her personal information for the purpose of verifying eligibility to receive funds from SSHRC;
agrees that, if awarded funding, the applicant will use this funding only for the purpose for which it was awarded and will comply with all relevant SSHRC requirements as set out in SSHRC’s respective policies, procedures and manuals;
has read, understands and agrees to comply with the policies of SSHRC, including the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, both in the submission of the application and in carrying out research funded by SSHRC;
is aware that, should he/she be found to have made a serious breach of agency policy, SSHRC, in accordance with the Tri-Agency Framework: Responsible Conduct of Research, may publicly disclose any information relevant to the breach that is in the public interest, including his/her name, the nature of the breach, the institution with which he/she was employed at the time of the breach, the institution where he / she is currently employed (if any), and the recourse imposed against him/her, and accepts this as a condition of applying for or receiving agency funding and consents to such a disclosure;
in instances where he/she is or has been at any time during the past 12 months a federal public servant, has complied with and will continue to respect the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector;
if from a non-eligible organization, has read, understands and agrees to the conditions and policies found in SSHRC’s Institutional Eligibility—Guidelines and Requirements, and has begun the institutional eligibility process;
agrees to SSHRC's use of the one-page proposal summary for publicity purposes if a grant is awarded.

Privacy notice
The applicant (or project director, where applicable) also confirms that he/she understands that:

all personal information provided to SSHRC is used, disclosed and safeguarded in accordance with the Privacy Act, the Access to Information Act, and relevant Treasury Board policies (personal information is collected pursuant to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act).
applications are provided to selection and merit review committees for adjudication, and, possibly, to third-party expert assessors for evaluation;
applications may be shared with other government organizations or public research funding bodies, if that organization will co-fund the application and has signed a memorandum of understanding with SSHRC;
information related to applications and awards will be shared with authorized officials at the applicant’s institution;
SSHRC may disseminate award holder names and summaries of successful research proposals for publicity purposes, or in response to an access to information request, without consent;
SSHRC will use personal information for the uses and consistent uses outlined on Info Source;
SSHRC will obtain consent prior to using or disclosing personal information in a manner not outlined above or on Info Source;
SSHRC uses personal information to identify prospective committee members and expert reviewers for applications;
personal information is used by SSHRC for program planning, evaluation, reviews, audits and statistics generation;
failure to provide personal information will result in an application being declared ineligible;
SSHRC does not regularly update personal information; it is the applicant’s (or project director’s, where applicable) or award holder’s responsibility to contact SSHRC’s ATIP Coordinator to correct or update personal information; and
applicants (or project directors, where applicable) and award holders have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner regarding SSHRC’s handling of their personal information.

When co-applicants accept an invitation to participate on an application, it certifies that they:

also agree to the above; and
agree that the applicant will administer the grant on behalf of the team.

By clicking "Forward" (Forward to SSHRC), the research or financial administrator (institutional approval) certifies that:

the applicant (project director):

is affiliated with the institution or organization;
has the necessary time and facilities to carry out the activity; and
will notify SSHRC of any changes during the tenure of the grant, including changes in the composition of the partnership, such as the addition of new co-applicants, collaborators, partner organizations, etc.; and

the postsecondary institution or not-for-profit organization:

is willing to administer any grant received according to SSHRC policies;
agrees to take the necessary steps to ensure that machine-readable files or computer databases are preserved and accessible under conditions agreed to by the institution and the researcher;
will release funds to the successful candidate once all necessary certification requirements and conditions have been met;
will notify SSHRC of any change in the grant holder's status during the tenure of the grant; and
has verified that the budgetary estimates are in accordance with its rates and policies.

Attaching a Document

Many modules in your application will require you to attach, or upload, a PDF document.

You must follow the specified requirements for margins and font size (12-point Times New Roman) or your application will be rendered ineligible.

Scan the document and save it as a PDF file (.pdf extension), locate it on your computer by clicking "Browse," and attach it to the application by clicking "Attach." An error message will appear if the file you are trying to attach does not meet the required specifications for page length and page size. Once you have successfully attached the electronic file, we recommend you click the "View attached file" to ensure you have the proper file.

Identification (mandatory)

Where required, provide the information requested using the "List..." button. Select your answer from the drop-down list that appears. If the appropriate information is not listed, select "Other" from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Program name
Based on the objectives put forward in the Insight and Connection program descriptions, indicate and rank, in descending order of relevance, the program(s) related to your proposal.

Application title
Provide a short, descriptive title for your proposal in non-technical terms. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., UN, NATO, NAFTA). Use uppercase for only the first word of the title, proper nouns and acronyms. Your application title will automatically be included in the Activity Details screen.

Type of partnership
Indicate whether this is a new or existing partnership. A new partnership is one that was developed for the purposes of submitting an application to this funding opportunity.

Joint or special initiative
If you want your project to be considered for one of the following initiatives, select it from the drop-down list.

Note: By indicating that you want to be considered for any of the above initiatives, you agree to allow SSHRC to share your application information with the relevant partner organization. If you have selected any initiatives, follow the link provided to ensure your compliance with all related instructions or guidelines.

Research-creation proposals
SSHRC strongly suggests that, before you select “Yes,” you refer to the definition of research-creation for more information and examples of fields involving research-creation.

If you select "Yes," please refer to Research Contributions and the Guidelines for Research-Creation Support Materials for instructions regarding creative outputs and support material.

Does your proposal involve Indigenous research, as defined by SSHRC?
Select “Yes” if you wish to signal to the adjudication committee that your application should be reviewed in the context of SSHRC’s definition of Indigenous research and its Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research.

Applicant (Project Director)

The information listed in this section has automatically been transferred from your CV.

Names and Initials
In order to change your family name or given name, you must contact webgrant@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. To change your initials, you must return to the “My Account” section of your Portfolio and update the information.

Organization
The “Organization” has automatically been transferred from the “Current Position” screen of your CV. If you wish to have a different affiliation on record for this application, click “List…” and make the necessary selections.

Administering Organization

Enter complete information about the organization that will administer the funds.

Grant funds may only be administered by an eligible Canadian institution. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility. Please see SSHRC’s list of eligible institutions.

Indigenous not-for-profit organizations wanting to administer the grant funds of Partnership Development Grants, Partnership Grants, and/or Connection Grants should apply for institutional eligibility, and are highly recommended to begin the institutional eligibility application process at least four months prior to the funding opportunity’s application deadline.

Other not-for-profit organizations that require institutional eligibility must begin the institutional eligibility application process at least five business days prior to the application deadline.

Organization Information (not-for-profit organizations only)—maximum two pages

When a not-for-profit organization is the administering organization and proposes to manage the funds, you must include the following information in a PDF document:

the mandate of the organization;
descriptions of the staff position(s) assigned to the proposed project and the qualifications of individuals in these positions;
an overview of the organization's outcomes and, if applicable, specific outcomes related to research;
discussion of research protocols, including the freedom to conduct research and publish findings;
proof of incorporation; and
the organization’s website address.

Activity Details (mandatory)

Ethics
State whether or not your proposal involves human beings as research subjects. If it does, select "Yes" and consult the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and submit your proposal to your organization's research ethics board.

Environmental Impact
Appendix A (Environmental Information) must be completed and submitted with the grant application ONLY if at least one of the following situations, per the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 (CEAA 2012) applies to your research or research-related activities: (A) any phase constitutes a physical activity carried out on federal lands in Canada, as defined in section 2(1), in relation to a physical work and that is not a designated project; (B) any phase constitutes a physical activity carried out outside of Canada in relation to a physical work and that is not a designated project; (C) (i) the grant funds will permit a designated project (listed in the CEAA 2012 Regulations Designating Physical Activities (RDPA)) to be carried out in whole or in part; or (C) (ii) any phase of the proposed research will depend on a designated project (listed in the RDPA) that is, or will be, carried out by a third party. If none of these situations apply to your proposed research activities, then no Appendix A is required.

Partnership Approaches
Partnership arrangements are defined by the nature of the activity/activities to be carried out. Select one or more possible formal partnership approaches from the drop-down menu. If your approach is not listed, select "other" from the list and type your approach in the box provided.

Approaches available include, but are not limited to, the following, or a combination thereof:

cross-sector co-creation of knowledge and understanding
disciplinary and interdisciplinary research partnerships
networks for research and/or related activities
partnered knowledge mobilization

Keywords
List keywords, separated by semicolons, that best describe your proposal.

Disciplines
Indicate and rank disciplines relevant to your proposal, with Entry 1 the most relevant and the last entry the least relevant. If an applicable discipline is not listed, you may select an entry such as "Other (relevant discipline)" (e.g., Other Psychology, Other Anthropology, Other Sociology) from the list, and provide the information in the box provided. You may only choose "Other (relevant discipline)" once. For instance, you cannot choose "Other Psychology" in Entry 2 and choose it again in Entry 3.

Example:

Entry 1	Sociology
Entry 2	Other Psychology
Entry 3	Other Anthropology
Entry 4	Other Education
Entry 5	Other Archaeology

Areas of Research
Indicate and rank up to three areas of research related to your proposal, with #1 the most important and #3 the least important.

Temporal Periods
If applicable, indicate up to two historical periods covered by your proposal.

Geographical Regions
If applicable, indicate and rank up to three geographical regions covered by or related to your proposal, with #1 the most important and #3 the least important.

Countries
If applicable, indicate and rank up to five countries covered by or related to your proposal, with #1 the most important and #5 the least important.

Previous SSHRC Funding (if applicable)—maximum one page

If the proposed partnership activities are the result of previous SSHRC-funded activities, please explain how they differ from those previously financed through SSHRC grants. Describe the results and impacts of past SSHRC-funded activities, and explain how these could influence the new activities offered in your proposal. Describe any potential or perceived overlaps with, as well as value added for, other continued SSHRC funding. Also describe any links developed with the partner organizations as part of previous SSHRC-funded activities.

Participants

For information regarding co-applicant and collaborator eligibility, see Eligibility. If applicable, enter information for each co-applicant and collaborator who will take part in the intellectual direction of the project. Do not include research assistants, students or consultants.

Co-applicants may be individuals from any of the following:

Canadian: Postsecondary institutions; not-for-profit organizations; philanthropic foundations; think tanks; and municipal, territorial or provincial governments.
International: Postsecondary institutions

Select the role that each participant will play, by choosing "Co-applicant" or "Collaborator." Indicate if these participants are from the academic or non-academic community. Enter the family name and the email address of the participant. After the data are saved, the system will automatically display the data alphabetically by family name, along with the status of the invitation and a "Clear Entry" button for each participant. The system will also generate an email to each person, inviting them to participate in the application. It is the responsibility of each invited person to complete, verify and submit their Accept Invitation form.

If the participant has not accepted the invitation, the status will remain "Invitation not yet accepted."

If the participant deletes the system-generated email requesting his/her participation, the status will remain “Invitation not yet accepted”. The applicant can click “Resend E-mail” to send the invitation again.

If the participant declines the invitation by deleting the Accept Invitation form from his/her portfolio, you will be notified by email and must remove the person from the application by clicking "Clear entry."

If the co-applicant accepts the invitation, the status will change to "Invitation accepted" and a copy of his/her CV (co-applicants only) will be attached to the Accept Invitation form upon creation. You will then be able to view each co-applicant's CV.

If the collaborator accepts the invitation, the status will change to "Invitation accepted" and the Accept Invitation form will be created. You will then be able to view each form. CVs are not accepted for collaborators.

If you incorrectly type in a participant’s family name, you will receive the following error message: "Must be identical to family name above." The system will recognize the discrepancy only after the co-applicant or collaborator has accepted the invitation. In order for your application to be successfully verified, the participant’s family name must be identical to the family name found in our database.

Your application will not be "Verified Successfully" until each participant you invited has successfully completed and verified their invitation.

If you require additional information on the invitation process, consult the instructions under "Accepted Invitations" on the "Portfolio" screen.

SSHRC CV
Co-applicants must do the following:

Co-applicants affiliated with a postsecondary institution must submit a full SSHRC CV.
Co-applicants from a non-academic organization have the option of submitting a full SSHRC CV or only completing the following, mandatory fields:
- Identification module — Correspondence language
- Identification module — Permanent postal code
- Current Position module — Organization, department, start date
- Current Position module — Address
- Current Position module — Primary phone number
- Research Expertise module — Keywords
- Research Expertise module — Discipline #1

A copy of the co-applicant’s CV will be attached to the Accept Invitation form upon creation. The applicant will then be able to view each co-applicant's CV.

Research Contributions and Relevant Experience attachments (as applicable)
In addition to meeting the CV requirements above, some co-applicants must also provide PDF attachments describing their research contributions and relevant experience.

The following table indicates which participants must provide Research Contributions and Relevant Experience attachments:

Co-applicants affiliated with a postsecondary institution

Research Contributions

Relevant Experience

Mandatory

Mandatory

Co-applicants affiliated with a non-academic organization

Research Contributions

Relevant Experience

Optional

Mandatory

Invited Partner Organizations (mandatory)

Prior to filling out this section, see SSHRC’s definitions of partner organization and formal partnership.

For each partner organization, list the family name, given name and email address of the partner organization contact. After the data are saved, the system will automatically generate an email to this person, inviting him or her to complete a Partner Organization Form. It is the responsibility of the project director to ensure that the invited person verifies and completes the form in advance of the application deadline.

You will be notified by email if the partner organization contact is unable to complete the form. The status will also change to "Partner organization contact declined invitation to participate in this application." You can then remove the person from the application by clicking "Clear entry." You may then add a new partner organization contact.

If the partner organization contact deletes the system-generated email by error, the applicant can click "Resend email," and the same invitation will be sent again.

If the partner organization contact accepts the invitation, the status will change to "Partner organization form started. Please be advised that when the partner organization contact has accepted, the contact will be able to view an electronic version of your application form. Once the partner organization contact has completed the form (and the status, therefore, becomes “Partner form completed”), it will be attached electronically to your application once your application has been submitted to SSHRC.

Note: You will not be able to view the partner form at the time you complete and submit your application.

It is the responsibility of each invited partner organization contact to complete, verify and submit their Accept Invitation form, including their Letter of Engagement. Each letter should be written on official letterhead and include the following:

a statement that the partner organization has read and agrees in principle with the objective(s) of the proposal;
the relevance and significance of the project objectives for the partner organization;
the exact nature of the involvement of the partner organization during the lifespan of the project;
precise details on the financial and/or in-kind contributions to be provided by the partner; and
the expected outcomes that the partner organization wishes to achieve.

Note: If the organization with which the applicant is affiliated wishes to participate as a partner organization, the applicant must follow the same process for inviting a partner organization as outlined above, and the Letter of Engagement must be signed by the appropriate official(s) (e.g., department chair, non-governmental organization executive).

List of Potential Partner Organizations and Other Contributors—maximum two pages (mandatory)

Prior to filling out this section, see SSHRC’s definitions of partner organization and formal partnership and the exclusions in the Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.

Attach a PDF copy of a list of potential partner organizations and other contributors you plan to engage during the lifetime of your grant. Include email addresses and website links, if available.

The list should be divided into the following categories:

Potential partner organizations
Indicate whether each partner organization listed has been invited to participate.

Other contributors
Other contributors include organizations (e.g., philanthropic foundations, private sector organizations) or individuals who are not invited partner organizations, but who are likely to provide cash and/or in-kind contributions during the lifetime of your grant.

Summary of Proposal (mandatory)

Provide a summary of your proposal written in clear, plain language. It should be written in non-technical terms and be clearly understood by a range of audiences with varied areas of expertise. Clearly indicate the following:

the challenges or issues to be addressed;
the overall goal and objectives of the proposed partnership; and
the breadth of the partnership, and the meaningful engagement of the partner organizations involved.

Note: If your proposal is funded, this summary will be used for promotional purposes outside the research community to inform politicians, the media and members of the public who request information about research funded by SSHRC.

Type your text directly into the box, or cut and paste it from a document prepared using a word processor. You may enter only plain, unformatted text, not bold type, italics, script, underscoring, formulas or special characters. Your text must not exceed one page on the PDF copy. Text that exceeds the capacity of the text box will not be displayed when printed. Click “Save” and then “Preview” to ensure your text will appear on the form.

Expected Outcomes (mandatory)

The expected outcomes of the project are essential information for the adjudication of the proposal and are part of the Challenge evaluation criterion.

In this section, elaborate on the potential benefits and/or outcomes of your proposed project. You will have the opportunity, via follow-up research reports, to share how your outcomes have evolved.

Research outcomes
Research outcomes include enhanced curriculum and teaching material, as well as graduate student supervision, enriched public discourse, improved public policies, enhanced business strategies, and innovations in every sector of society. Research outcomes, which are facilitated by the effective mobilization of knowledge, then permeate daily life in the form of new thinking and behaviour that lead to improvements in our economic, social, cultural and intellectual well-being. See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization for information about outcomes.

Scholarly benefits
Indicate and rank up to three scholarly benefits of the proposed activity, with #1 the most relevant and #3 the least relevant. If the information is not listed, select "Other" from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Social benefits
Indicate and rank up to three social benefits relevant to the proposed activity, with #1 the most relevant and #3 the least relevant. If the information is not listed, select "Other" from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Audiences
Indicate and rank up to five potential target audiences relevant to the proposed activity, with #1 the most relevant and #5 the least relevant. If the information is not listed, select "Other" from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Expected outcomes summary
Describe the potential benefits/outcomes (e.g., evolution, effects, potential learning, implications) that could emerge from the proposed project.

Type your text directly into the box, or cut and paste it from a document. You may enter only plain, unformatted text—not bold type, italics, script, underscoring, formulas or special characters. Your text must not exceed one page on the PDF copy. Text that exceeds the capacity of the text box will not be displayed when printed. Click “Save" and then "Preview” to ensure your text will appear on the form.

Goal and Project Description—maximum five pages (mandatory)

Attach a PDF copy of your Goal and Project Description. Before writing your proposal, consult the evaluation criteria in the funding opportunity description. Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Avoid jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms. SSHRC encourages the use of tables and charts, as they are often the most effective and efficient way to capture the proposed structure and co-ordination of formal partnerships and activities. Within your description, provide the following information:

State the overall goal and specific objectives that the partnership will address and demonstrate the relevance and significance of these objectives for the partner organization.
Describe the originality, significance (social, economic, cultural, intellectual) and expected contribution to knowledge in the social sciences and/or humanities of the proposed project.
Demonstrate the appropriateness of the theoretical and methodological approaches that will be chosen to meet the stated objectives. Include a literature review. SSHRC encourages applicants to, if applicable, discuss how research data arising from the project will be managed, including collection, preservation and sharing.
Address the appropriateness of the duration (one to three years) chosen to achieve the objectives.

Description of Formal Partnerships—maximum four pages (mandatory)

Prior to filling out this section, see SSHRC’s definitions of partner organization and formal partnership and the exclusions in the Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.

Attach a PDF document that defines and fully describes the partnership, so committee members clearly understand that your proposal is a genuine formal partnership. In this document, explain:

why a partnership approach is appropriate for the proposed activities, and demonstrate, specifically, how such a partnership adds value beyond what could be achieved through other approaches;
the governance structure of the partnership, clearly demonstrating the involvement of key partner organizations in the decision-making process and explaining the conditions, if any, under which they are participating (you may wish to include a diagram to illustrate the governance structure);
how the partner organizations will participate in the intellectual leadership of the partnership;
the anticipated challenges in building the partnership, and how these will be addressed;
how partner organizations will benefit from their participation in the partnership; and
how your application integrates the expertise of all partner organizations in order to conduct the activities.

Contributions Plan—maximum one page (mandatory)

Prior to filling out this section, see the exclusions in the Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.

In a PDF attachment, detail your plan to secure cash and/or in-kind contributions. The plan must describe:

the confirmed contributions of the applicant’s institution/organization;
the confirmed or proposed contributions from partner organizations and/or other sources;
how you will continue to seek and to secure cash and/or in-kind support during the life of the grant (one to three years); and
how the support will benefit the partnership.

Participants Involvement—maximum two pages (mandatory)

Explain the different types of expertise needed to ensure the success of the partnership. Describe the roles, responsibilities and contributions of the applicant and key co-applicants and/or collaborators. Clearly indicate, where appropriate, whether they are from an academic or non-academic sector (e.g., not-for-profit organization, philanthropic foundation, public or private sector organization), and how the activities and expertise of each member will support and enhance the proposed partnership.

Training and Mentoring—maximum one page (mandatory)

It is expected that students, emerging scholars (e.g., postdoctoral researchers and other scholars in similar situations) and/or other highly qualified personnel (e.g., practitioners, subject matter experts, Indigenous elders, etc.) will meaningfully participate in the proposed initiatives. Attach a PDF document that clearly describes the specific roles and responsibilities of students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel, indicating the work they will be undertaking.

Consult the Guidelines for Effective Research Training in preparing this section of the application. These guidelines will also be provided to reviewers.

Include:

the nature and extent of training, mentoring and employability activities;
the capacity of the applicant and team members to provide the proposed training, mentoring and employability activities;
the anticipated number (#) of students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel (where applicable, indicate the level of study—i.e., undergraduate, master’s or doctoral) to be trained and mentored;
the nature and level of specialized skills that the students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel will develop as a result of their participation; and
any career development opportunities for students, emerging scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel.

If you selected “Mitacs Accelerate internships” as a "Joint or special initiative" under Identification, provide summary information about the proposed internship or internships, such as the objectives, expected deliverables, benefits to interns, percentage of time to be spent onsite with the partner organization, and planned activities.

This funding opportunity’s recipients are automatically preapproved for Mitacs Accelerate internships. Interested grant holders must submit a completed Mitacs Accelerate application form to Mitacs after SSHRC competition results have been announced. To access the Accelerate application form, contact a Mitacs business development representative.

Mitacs internships cannot be the only mechanism for training included in a research project, and must be cofunded by partner contributions separate from the partner funding contributions made toward the SSHRC grant.

Knowledge Mobilization Plan—maximum two pages (mandatory)

Applicants are encouraged to consult SSHRC’s definition of knowledge mobilization and SSHRC’s Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization.

In planning your research project, it may also be useful to consider the ways in which merit reviewers assess knowledge mobilization activities. For example, reviewers are advised to evaluate, under the Feasibility criterion, the "quality and appropriateness of knowledge mobilization plans, including effective dissemination, exchange and engagement with stakeholders within and/or beyond the research community, where applicable."

SSHRC encourages funding recipients to disseminate research knowledge in both official languages, whenever feasible and/or appropriate.

In your attachment, include a plan to increase knowledge uptake by target audiences, and anticipated outputs, outcomes and/or impacts of social sciences and humanities knowledge among various appropriate audiences or participants (academic and/or non-academic), including:

methodologies and approaches to engage appropriate target audiences or participants, including, as applicable, diverse groups of researchers, policy-makers, business leaders, community groups, educators, media, international audiences, practitioners, decision-makers and the general public;
timeframes or a schedule for the intended knowledge mobilization activities; and
justifications for how the above two points fit within the project’s particular knowledge mobilization objectives;

Open Access and Data Management
To the extent possible, and in keeping with SSHRC’s endorsement of open access forms of knowledge dissemination, research results should be made openly available, through, for example, open access publications, websites, publicly accessible databases and/or institutional repositories. Grant holders must comply with the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publications. To learn more, consult SSHRC’s Open Access overview.

Further to SSHRC's Research Data Archiving Policy, SSHRC also encourages researchers to manage and share data arising from their research in accordance with community standards and best practices. All research data collected with the use of SSHRC funds should be preserved for use by others within a reasonable period of time.

Research-Creation Support Material (if applicable)—maximum one page

If in the Identification you have self-identified yours as a “research-creation” project, you must include a website link to provide samples of work that best illustrate the qualifications of the team and/or the nature of the proposed research-creation.

Reasonable efforts will be made to view or listen to support material; however, due to technical challenges, SSHRC cannot guarantee that the samples will be accessed. Please consider that reviewers will have very limited time per application to view, read or listen to samples of work. Note that only links provided in the support material attachment will be used by merit reviewers.

If including a website link, please follow these instructions:

Provide the complete and exact URL and indicate the path to access the intended support material on the website.
Include a list of up to three works or excerpts of works to which you would like to direct the reviewers (e.g., images, audio, video, written material, etc.). Please provide titles, dates of creation/production and a brief context for the works presented. Explain why you are including these items and how they relate to your proposed project.
Ensure that the website and all links involved will be operational up to six months after the application deadline.
Specify the browser and version that should be used.

Note: SSHRC assumes no responsibility in cases where links provided are broken or the server is unavailable during the adjudication period.

See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Research-Creation Support Materials for more information.

Evidence of Formal Partnership—maximum of 15 pages (mandatory)

Applicants for Partnership Development Grants are required to provide evidence that demonstrates the quality and level of commitment of the proposed formal partnership.

As SSHRC recognizes that partnerships under development can take a variety of forms and be at various phases of development, the quality and quantity of evidence to be submitted in support of the application must accurately reflect the current stage of the partnership (i.e., new or existing).

Evidence of formal partnership may include, but is not limited to, either final or draft versions of:

governance frameworks;
agreements (intellectual property, conflict resolution, etc.);
strategic plans; and/or
other relevant documentation.

Do not provide letters of engagement from partner organizations in this section, as these will already be included elsewhere in your application.

Note: Any information provided in this section that is not documentary evidence of formal partnership may be removed from your application prior to its evaluation.

Funds Requested from SSHRC (mandatory)

Depending on the duration of the grant requested (one to three years), estimate as accurately as possible the costs that you are asking SSHRC to fund through a Partnership Development Grant. All budget costs must conform to the rates and regulations of the applicant's institution or not-for-profit organization, and must be fully justified in terms of the needs of the project, including costs for organizing and integrating team activities and for communicating results to audiences, stakeholders and the general public. The budget will be adjudicated according to the appropriateness of the requested budget, and to the justification of other planned resources (time, human and financial), including cash and in-kind support already secured, or to be secured, from partner organizations.

Note: SSHRC provides the following guidelines to committee members regarding the adjudication of the budget subcriterion of the overall Feasibility score:

Committees may consider failing a project on the Feasibility criterion if they deem that 30 per cent or more of the overall budget request is insufficiently justified and/or not appropriate to the proposed objectives or outcomes of the project.
Committees will use the principle of minimum essential funding to guide their discussions of project budgets.
Committees may recommend minor budget reductions in cases where they determine that the request is inadequately justified and/or not appropriate as described above, and where they judge that savings could be achieved without jeopardizing the project objectives.

The Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide allows for data management and open access-related expenses. The guide should be consulted for detailed information on all eligible and ineligible expenses.

Enter amounts rounded to the nearest dollar without any spaces or commas (e.g., 2000). For blank entries, leave in the "0" value. When entering an amount, highlight the "0" and type the dollar value in the box provided.

Personnel Costs

For each of the categories below, enter the number (#) of students and non-students you plan to hire, whether as salaried employees or as recipients of stipends.

Student and non-student salaries and benefits
For each applicable category, enter, for each budget year, the number (#) of students and non-students to be hired. Specify the total amounts.

Note: When students are paid by wage, the amounts should be determined in accordance with the university's collective agreement or policy. No SSHRC maximums apply when paying students by salary.

Student stipends
You may request stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Stipends must be justified in terms of the research, research training and/or research-related objectives. The work performed by stipend recipients should be an integral part of the project.

Stipend rates are set by the institution concerned.

Other—Salary research allowance
Salary research allowances are an eligible expense. These stipends cover up to 50 per cent of the cost of temporarily replacing an employee from a Canadian not-for-profit organization who will be devoting his or her time as a project director or co-applicant on a SSHRC-funded research project. The request for a salary research allowance must be justified in the proposal.

Salary research allowances can only be used by not-for-profit organizations that have project directors or co-applicants listed on their Notice of Award. Researchers holding an academic position at a postsecondary institution and government employees are not eligible for salary research allowances.

Note that a salary research allowance is not a salary for the project director or co-applicant, but is paid to the Canadian not-for-profit organization in order to offset the costs of replacing its employee.

For further information, please consult SSHRC’s Salary Research Allowances policy.

Travel and subsistence costs
Enter, by budget year, the total amounts requested for travel abroad and within Canada for both the research team and student personnel. Project directors must obtain the lowest possible travel fares. Car rental is an eligible expense only if it is essential to the research.

Subsistence costs must be based on rates approved by the institution or organization that will manage and administer the funds.

Other Expenses

Professional/technical services
Consulting fees for professional and technical services are eligible expenditures only if it is demonstrated in the Budget Justification that expert advice is needed. If a grant is awarded and you have planned to contract consultants for amounts in excess of $25,000, two independent cost quotations will be required.

Supplies
You may include other supply items (e.g., software, stationery, postage, telephone calls) only if they relate directly to the research.

Non-disposable equipment—Computer hardware
Purchase or rental of computers and associated hardware is allowable only if these are not accessible through the postsecondary institution or employer.

Other non-disposable equipment
Purchase or rental of equipment (e.g., audio or video equipment) is allowable only if it is not accessible through the postsecondary institution or employer.

Other expenses
Specify other research and/or related expenses not already included.

Funds from Other Sources

Prior to filling out this section, see SSHRC’s definitions of partner organization and formal partnership, and the exclusions in the Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.

List all contributors (e.g., individuals, not-for-profit, philanthropic foundations, private sector organizations) that are providing cash and/or in-kind contributions for the proposal. You must also indicate whether or not these funds have been confirmed. Note that contributions from partner organizations should not be included in this section.

Note: Contributions from partner organizations should not be included in this section.

If a funding source is not listed, select "Other/Unknown" using the "List..." button. Type in the source name and amount and identify the contribution type.

If you have received, from a single funding source, more than one contribution of the same type (i.e., cash, in-kind) and same confirmation status, you must combine these into one entry (e.g., two $20,000 confirmed cash contributions from a university become one $40,000 confirmed cash contribution). Enter amounts rounded off to the nearest dollar without spaces or commas (e.g., 2000). For blank entries, leave in the "0" value. When entering an amount, highlight the "0" in the box provided and type the dollar value.

Note: All contributions must be indicated in Canadian currency.

When you save the data, five new blank entry lines will be added to the screen to allow you to enter additional funding entries.

Total Project Cost

Each partner organization will complete a Contributions from Partner Organization page (budget) indicating whether each budget item has been confirmed. When all Contributions from Partner Organization pages have been submitted, the amounts from each budget item will be automatically totalled. After the data are saved, the system will automatically display these totals in the PDF version of this page of the application form.

A. Total of all partner organizations’ contributions
The system will total the values entered for “Cash” and "In-kind."

B. Total funds from other sources
Once you complete the "Funds from Other Sources" screen and save the data, the system will display the totals on line B.

C. Total funds requested from SSHRC
For each year, the amounts from "Student salaries and benefits / Stipends" to "Other expenses (specify)" will be automatically totalled. After the data are saved, the system will automatically display the totals on line C.

Total cost of project (A + B + C)
The system will automatically add lines A., B. and C.

Budget Justification—maximum two pages (mandatory)

Attach a PDF copy of your budget justification. Using the categories listed on the Funds Requested from SSHRC page, explain how you will use the funds in each budget category to achieve the objectives of the proposed project. For example, under the Student and Non-student salaries categories, explain why these people need to be hired to meet the project’s objectives. Applicants are reminded of SSHRC's mandate to provide training opportunities for students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel. Note that budget costs for research assistants or associates who are not students must be fully justified in terms of the needs of the research and/or related activities. Justify any funds that appear in the category "Other."

Please be sure that your budget requests are in accordance with the level of funding that is essential to complete the proposed activities. Note that the adjudication committee may deem your application less competitive if it finds that you are requesting non-essential funding. Committees will use the principle of minimum essential funding to guide their discussions of project budgets.

Note: In reviewing the funding you have requested, committee members take into account the quality of your overall financial planning, your justification of the proposed expenditures, and the institutional and partner organization funding that you have secured. It is also important to indicate how the budget requested from SSHRC and the partners' contributions will complement each other and benefit the objectives of the partnership.

Exclusion of Potential Reviewers (if applicable)—maximum one page

Applicants may attach a one-page PDF document naming potential reviewers who, in their opinion, would be unlikely to provide an impartial review. This document must provide a justification for excluding potential reviewers (e.g., experts with whom you or members of your research team have had serious disputes). While SSHRC cannot be bound by this information, it will take it into consideration in the selection of external reviewers.

This information will be held in strictest confidence and will not be provided to external reviewers or members of the adjudication committee. Any exclusion (if still relevant) should be renewed with any subsequent applications.

List of References—maximum 10 pages (mandatory)

Attach a PDF copy of all references cited in your proposal.

Environmental Impact—Appendix A

If you have selected "Yes" to at least one of the questions in the Environmental Impact section on the Activity Details screen, you must complete an Environmental Information Form (Appendix A) and upload it to the Environmental Impact page.

Research Contributions—maximum four pages (mandatory)

Project directors must attach a PDF of their Research Contributions presented in this order:

Relevant Research Contributions Over the Last Six Years
Other Research Contributions
Most Significant Career Research Contributions
Career Interruptions and Special Circumstances
Contributions to Training

1. Relevant Research Contributions Over the Last Six Years
Outline your research contributions within the last six years. In the case of those candidates claiming career interruptions (see 4. Career Interruptions and Special Circumstances below), you may include publications drawn from your most recent periods of research activity, to an overall total of six years.

Provide details, as appropriate, on the contributions you listed, as follows:

In the left margin, identify with an asterisk (*) research contributions that resulted from previous SSHRC support.
Specify your role in co-authored publications.
For published contributions, provide complete bibliographic notices (including co-authors, title, publisher, journal, volume, date of publication, number of pages, etc.) as they appear in the original publication.
For publications in languages other than French or English, provide a translation of the title and the name of the publication.
For recent graduates, list theses.

Group your contributions by category in the following order, listing your most recent contributions first:

Refereed contributions
Examples include books (where applicable, subdivide according to those that are single-authored, co-authored and edited works), monographs, book chapters, articles in scholarly refereed journals, conference proceedings, etc.

When listing refereed works, be aware that a "refereed work" involves its assessment:

in its entirety—not merely an abstract or extract;
before publication; and
by appropriately independent, anonymous, qualified experts ("independent" in this context means at arm's length from the author).

Other refereed contributions
Examples include papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, articles in professional or trade journals, etc.

Non-refereed contributions
Examples include book reviews, published reviews of your work, research reports, policy papers, public lectures, etc. See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization for examples of other contributions.

Forthcoming contributions
Indicate one of the following statuses—"submitted," "revised and submitted," "accepted" or "in press." Provide the name of the journal or book publisher and the number of pages. Contributions not yet submitted should not be listed.

Creative outputs
List your most recent and significant achievements, grouping them by category. Creative outputs will be evaluated according to established disciplinary standards, as well as creative and/or artistic merit. Examples of creative outputs may include, for example, exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, film, video, audio recordings, etc.

If applicable, you may include a website link. SSHRC cannot guarantee that links will be accessed.

2. Other Research Contributions
Describe any other contributions to research and the advancement of knowledge within the last six years, including your research contributions to non-academic audiences (e.g., general public, policy-makers, private sector, not-for-profit organizations, etc.). See SSHRC’s Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization for examples of other contributions.

3. Most Significant Career Research Contributions
List and rank up to five of your most significant contributions over your entire career. In this case, the six-year rule does not apply. Therefore, contributions listed here may differ from those listed in other sections of your CV. Please ensure that you explain briefly the significance of the contributions listed.

4. Career Interruptions and Special Circumstances
SSHRC asks its adjudication committees to take into consideration both career interruptions and special circumstances that may have affected the record of research achievement of candidates in the last six years. In doing so, adjudication committee members will be able to more accurately estimate the productivity of each researcher, independent of any career interruptions or special circumstances. Previous productivity is one element that may predict the success of the proposed project.

Career interruptions occur when, for health, administrative, family or other reasons, a researcher is taken away from his or her research work for an extended period of time. In these cases, as explained above in relation to 1. Relevant Research Contributions Over the Last Six Years, the researcher should explain the absence(s) and ask that an equivalent period of research activity prior (but as near as possible) to the present day and leading to a total of six years be taken into consideration by the adjudication committee.

Special circumstances involve slowdowns in research productivity created by health, administrative, family or other reasons (i.e., the researcher was not taken completely away from his or her work).

5. Contributions to Training
Provide the following information on students you have helped train within the last six years:

Indicate your role in supervising or co-supervising ongoing and/or completed theses, listing these by the student's level of studies.
Describe contributions you have made to involve students (e.g., doctoral, master’s, undergraduate) in your research activities.
Specify if your opportunities for such contributions have been limited because your university does not have graduate degree programs in your field or discipline.

Relevant Experience—maximum four pages (mandatory)

Describe your experience in engaging in and/or leading formal partnerships, and any previous experience related to the objectives of the partnership application. Please justify how this experience will aid you in the proposed activity. Examples of relevant experience include: working within or with communities and/or organizations (e.g., not-for-profit organizations, philanthropic foundations, think tanks, private sector organizations), non-academic career information, or voluntary work. Include:

your experience in engaging in and/or leading formal partnerships;
a brief description of the nature of the work you performed;
an explanation of how this work has prepared you for your role in the project; and
a description of the skills you developed (e.g., training, mentoring, analysis, networking).

The following tables indicate which applicants must provide Research Contributions (see Research Contributions instructions above) and Relevant Experience attachments:

Applicants affiliated with a postsecondary institution

Research Contributions

Relevant Experience

Mandatory Mandatory

Applicants affiliated with a not-for-profit organization

Research Contributions

Relevant Experience

Optional* Mandatory

* For applicants affiliated with a not-for-profit organization only, the Research Contributions section of the application is optional. If you choose not to complete this section, you will, for technical reasons, be required to attach a PDF file entitled "Not applicable" to your application. Otherwise, your application cannot be submitted and will not be processed.

Date modified: 2018-08-02

Application for a Grant Partnership Development Grants Instructions (Web)