Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

Research Security Update

There are new Tri-Agency and Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) research security requirements in place that could impact your research funding application. You can check out the requirements and next steps in the new SRO tool or talk to someone on our team at safegrd@ualberta.ca or by requesting support to find out what these requirements could mean for you.

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) hosts a variety of funding competitions for researchers operating both individually and in teams or groups, with deadlines occurring throughout the year. For more information on upcoming deadlines, please review the Annual, and Episodic deadlines tables below, or consult SSHRC’s Upcoming Deadlines page. Please note that barring very few exceptions, grant applications require a 'new project request' in your Researcher Home Page, and the RAS institutional review team's internal deadline standard is five (5) to eight (8) business days prior to the external deadline, depending on the volume of applications to be processed.

Annual, recurring SSHRC deadlines, at a glance

Annual, recurring SSHRC deadlines, at a glance
Funding Program Internal Peer Review Request Deadline Internal Peer Review Submission Deadline RAS Deadline** Final version Submission in Research Portal SSHRC Application Deadline
Aid to Scholarly Journals N/A N/A TBA By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline TBA
Connection Grants  N/A N/A

Jan. 25, 2024

April 24, 2024

July 25, 2024

Oct. 25, 2024

4:30 p.m. MST

By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline

Feb. 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

Aug. 1, 2024

Nov. 1, 2024 

6 p.m. MST

Insight Development Grants Contact Director, Office of Research, CSSH Jan. 4, 2024 Jan. 23, 2024 By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline Feb. 2, 2024   
Insight Grants

Aug. 15, 2024
12 MST

TBA Sept. 19, 2024 
3:30 p.m. MST
By 10 am on the business day prior to the SSHRC application submission deadline Oct. 1, 2024  
6 p.m. MST
Partnership Grants - Stage 1 Jan. 4, 2024
12 p.m. MST
Jan. 13, 2024
12 p.m. MST
Feb. 3, 2024
3:30 p.m. MST
By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline Feb. 10, 2024
6 p.m. MST
Partnership Grants - Stage 2 (by invitation only) TBA TBA

Oct. 22, 2024
3:30 p.m. MST

By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline Oct. 29, 2024
6 p.m. MST 
Partnership Development Grant TBA TBA Nov. 7, 2024 
3:30 p.m. MST
By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline Nov. 15, 2024
6 p.m. MST
Partnership Engage Grants N/A N/A

Feb. 8, 2024

June 7, 2024

Sept. 6, 2024

Dec. 6, 2024

By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline

Mar. 15, 2024

June 15, 2024

Sept. 15, 2024

Dec. 15, 2024

Knowledge Synthesis - Envisioning Governance Systems that Work N/A N/A Dec. 5, 2024
3:30 p.m. MST
By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline

Dec. 12, 2024
6 p.m. MST

SSHRC Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy

TBA.
See here.
TBA Oct. 12, 2023
3:30 p.m. MST

By 10 a.m. MST on May 8, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
Oct. 20, 2023, 6 p.m. MST

NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative

Full project funding
Sept 2023; Register here TBA Nov. 1, 2023

By 10 a.m. MST on Nov. 8, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
Nov. 8, 2023

Unique, episodic grants of relevance to SSH researchers

Unique, episodic grants of relevance to SSH researchers
Funding Program Internal Peer Review Request Deadline Internal Peer Review Submission Deadline RAS Deadline** Final version Submission in Research Portal SSHRC Application Deadline
Connection Grant-Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative N/A N/A

Jan. 25, 2024

April 24, 2024

July 25, 2024

Oct. 25, 2024

4:30 p.m. MST

By 10 a.m. of the SSHRC application submission deadline

Feb. 1, 2024

May 1, 2024

Aug. 1, 2024

Nov. 1 2024

6 p.m. MST

SSHRC Research Network on Sustainable Agriculture in a Net-Zero Economy

TBA.
See here.
TBA Oct. 12, 2023
3:30 p.m. MST

By 10 a.m. MST on May 8, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via their  online system
Oct. 20, 2023, 6 p.m. MST

NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative

Sept. 2023; Register here TBA Nov. 1, 2023

By 10 a.m. MST on Nov. 8, 2023

Submit final application to the NSERC via their online system.
Nov. 8, 2023

NFRF Competitions

TBA TBA TBA

TBA

TBA

Important Notes

Note that applications for RAS review and approval must be submitted via the Researcher Home Page during RAS' core business hours (8:00-4:30 pm MST, Monday-Friday). Once you receive RAS approval, you must submit your final application version in the SSHRC portal by 10:00 am on the SSHRC deadline date.

If a deadline falls on a weekend or a Canadian public holiday, the online application system will remain open until the next business day.

For more info,

Contact your Research Partner

Funding Research Tools

Check out the SSHRC's full roster of grant opportunities. UAlberta's Funding Opportunities Database lists grants from a wide range of sponsors in addition to SSHRC".

Who Can Help Me?

The University of Alberta’s Research Partner Network (RPNet) and the VPRI's various Centres of Expertise offer proposal development assistance to UofA researchers interested in applying for SSHRC grants. In addition, the College of Social Sciences and Humanities' Office of Research, and your varous faculty Associate Deans of Research provide a range of targeted supports.  
For more information about the specific assistance programs available to you, please contact your Research Partner. They provide the expertise you need to succeed, and will connect you to college and faculty-based supports as well. For SSHRC researchers, the research partners available to you are:

  • Sylvia Ijeoma Madueke PhD, Research Partner, Business, Law, and Francophonie.
    • Ask her about the Insight Development and Partnership Engage Grants. Key contact for Alberta School of Business, Faculty of Law, Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, et quiconque préfère communiquer en français.
  • Ayantika Mukherjee, MA, AbD, Research Partner, Creative and Community-Engaged Research.
    • Ask her about Connection and Alberta Foundation for the Arts grants. Key contact for Art & Design, Digital Humanities, English & Film Studies, Media and Technology Studies, and Music.
  • Craig Taylor PhD. Research Partner, Humanities & Social Sciences Research (major competitions).
    • Ask him about the Insight and Partnership research opportunities. Key contact for the Faculty of Education, and most of the Faculty of Arts (except those in Madueke's or Mukerjee's portfolios). 

Research Development Supports Available for SSHRC Competitions

The University of Alberta’s RPNet and Centres of Expertise offer various supports and services to help you with your SSHRC funding competition applications, including, but not limited to:

  • Workshops, bootcamps, and retreats
  • Expert advice and hands on support for SSHRC competitions
  • In-depth review of applications before institutional sign-off
  • Proprietary grant excellence support materials 
  • Curated Successful Grants Library

Several online resources are also available to researchers interested in applying to SSHRC grants, including an SSHRC Resource Bank, workshop materials, video recordings, tip sheets, curated grants-crafting readings, and a Successful Grants Library. New supports, such as the Research Whisperer Hour and grant-specific proposal development or revision sessions, such as the Lemons-to-Lemonade ReVision Retreat, or Forensic Reviews of unsuccessful applications, are also now available. Please contact a Research Partner and subscribe to < sshrcUofA> Research Forum for the latest information.

In collaboration with the Research Partners, the team in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities offers a range of supports, including four research coordinators to assist with grant-related needs, quick video tips for success from an experienced SSHRC committee member, and the all-important peer review of applications to SSHRC competitions. Peer review is conducted by members of the Panel of SSHRC Peer Reviewers, and is available to anyone applying to SSHRC, regardless of their home faculty. 

This calendar of activities convened by the Research Partner Network will help you plan your application preparation activities. Please note this list is not exhaustive. Check the Research Partner Network's Events & Deadlines page for details and dates on these and more recent additions:
 calendar of ssuports offered, by month

Stay Informed

The following means of communication are the best ways to stay up-to-date on SSHRC grants and related research support activities:

SSHRC Merit Review

SSHRC's merit review system is internationally acclaimed. SSHRC is always seeking volunteer expert reviewers. Faculty members are encouraged to serve by contacting SSHRC. Merit review committee membership is protected during the competition, but are public the year after the adjudication. You can review past committees here, and search competition statistics here. Following public announcement of results by the federal government, SSHRC posts competition results here. In the interim, SSHRC will inform Research Administrative Services of the competition results, and they will share that information with faculty members as quickly as possible. While most merit review is aligned to disciplines, multidisciplinary (humanities or social sciences) and even tri-agency interdisciplinary review is possible for IDG and IG competitions. Applicants considering a multi- or interdisciplinary review are advised to confer with a Research Partner well in advance of starting to write the proposal.

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