Institutional Eligibility—Guidelines and Requirements
Institutions that are eligible to administer SSHRC funding include universities, colleges, and some not-for-profit organizations. Eligibility criteria and access to funding opportunities differ for the three types of institutions. For detailed criteria and a list of eligible institutions, see the following:
Federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government departments and for-profit organizations are not eligible to act as an administering organization for SSHRC funds.
Applying for Institutional Eligibility
Review Process
Satisfying Institutional Eligibility Requirements
Options for Not-For-Profit Organizations
Research Policies—Frequently Asked Questions
More Information
Applying for Institutional Eligibility
An institution that wishes to administer SSHRC grants, scholarships and fellowships must submit a written institutional eligibility request to SSHRC, signed by the institution’s president/principal/executive director or delegate. The institution must demonstrate that it meets all the requirements set out by SSHRC, which are detailed in the Checklists for Complete Institutional Eligibility Applications for universities, colleges and not-for-profit organizations.
The checklists include requirements related to:
- institutional status and governance;
- research function in the social sciences and humanities;
- financial stability and management; and
- management of the research environment.
An institution that is federated with, or affiliated to, or a constituent portion of another institution that is already eligible to authorize SSHRC grant applications will not normally be accorded its own independent authority. If you would like to discuss your institution’s specific situation, please contact the Corporate Secretariat by email.
An institution can submit a request at any time.
The written request, along with all the documentation itemized in the Checklists for Complete Institutional Eligibility Applications, should be sent to:
Corporate Secretariat
SSHRC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H5
Email: secretariat@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Review Process
An institution will be approved as eligible only when SSHRC has received and reviewed all the documentation and is satisfied that the institution meets all of the requirements.
Under no circumstances will an institution be recognized as conditionally eligible if, at the time of application, it has not fully met all the requirements. The institution can submit a request for eligibility indicating that it is still preparing certain documents. However, SSHRC will declare an institution eligible only when it has received and reviewed all the supporting documentation and is satisfied that the institution meets all the eligibility requirements.
The review can take as little as three months if the institution has submitted all the required documentation at the outset and has clearly demonstrated its full compliance with SSHRC’s policies on research. The review will take much longer if the submission is incomplete. Please use the Checklists for Complete Institutional Eligibility Applications before submitting an application.
Satisfying Institutional Eligibility Requirements
Once institutional eligibility is granted, the organization is invited to become a signatory to the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions, which entails a commitment by the organization to adhere to the high legal, ethical and financial standards set out in the MOU’s schedules, and ensure that the organization has the necessary structures and processes in place to achieve this objective.
Within one month of receiving the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions from SSHRC, the institution must sign it and return one signed copy to SSHRC. SSHRC will not release funding to an institution before receiving the signed MOU. In signing the MOU, an institution agrees to meet all requirements itemized in the MOU’s schedules.
Options for Not-For-Profit Organizations
Some SSHRC funding opportunities (see Community and Not-For-Profit Organizations) allow for a not-for-profit organization to be the lead research partner or applicant. However, the grant funding, once awarded, may only be administered by an eligible institution or organization that is a signatory to the MOU.
As virtually all universities and the majority of colleges in Canada are already full signatories to the MOU, and have the required policies and infrastructure in place to administer SSHRC funds, it is often useful to work out agreements whereby partners agree to have the postsecondary institution administer the grant. If this is not possible, the lead not-for-profit organization may apply for its own institutional eligibility with SSHRC. Note that:
- The organization must be able to meet the requirements itemized in the Checklist for a Complete Institutional Eligibility Application.
- Should an organization not be in a position to demonstrate full compliance with all of SSHRC’s policies and requirements at the time of application, the institutional eligibility application process can take up to one year or more to complete.
- SSHRC does not grant institutional eligibility to for-profit or non-Canadian organizations.
- Institutional eligibility granted to not-for-profit organizations is for specific funding opportunities only (full eligibility is not granted to not-for-profit organizations).
- Not-for-profit organizations are not eligible to receive funding for research administration via the federal Indirect Costs program.
Also note that, in the event that the administering institution or organization does not have a signed MOU in place at the time that an award is granted, it may significantly delay the start of research activity. SSHRC will not release grant funding to an institution or organization before the institution or organization becomes a signatory to the MOU.
For questions related to institutional eligibility for community-based organizations, please contact the Corporate Secretariat by email.
Research Policies — Frequently Asked Questions
- When applying for eligibility, to what policies must an institution adhere?
SSHRC recognizes the need for research to be conducted according to the highest ethical principles. Institutions that are eligible to receive SSHRC funds are required to adhere to those principles and ensure that they have the necessary structure and process in place to achieve this objective. The institution must adhere to:
- An institution is required to follow the TCPS 2 as a whole, for
all research conducted by the institution (i.e. the requirement extends to
research not being funded by SSHRC or the other Tri-Council Agencies).
- Is an institution required to develop a policy on research involving humans if the institution conducts no such research on its premises or under its jurisdiction?
Yes. In cases where an institution does not conduct any research involving humans (including research not funded by SSHRC) and does not have a policy involving humans that adheres to the TCPS 2 at the time of applying for institutional eligibility, the institution has up to one year from the date of signing the Agreement on the Administration of Agency Grants and Awards by Research Institutions to put in place a policy or a formal written agreement with another institution that adheres to the TCPS2. The institution must include a statement indicating:
- that none of the research currently conducted under the institution’s auspices or jurisdiction, or by its members, falls within the purview of the TCPS2; and
- that until the approved policy or written agreement is in place, the institution agrees that it will not allow the conduct of research involving humans under its auspices or jurisdiction or by its members, and will not submit any applications to SSHRC for research involving humans.
- If an institution conducts research using animals or if it uses animals for teaching and/or testing, are there requirements that the institution must meet?
Yes. The institution must include a statement confirming that it will adhere to the policies and guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC) and confirm that it holds a CCAC Certificate of Good Animal Practice (GAP).
More Information
Please address questions regarding SSHRC institutional eligibility to:
Corporate Secretariat
SSHRC
350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 1H5
Email: secretariat@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Other Contacts:
Ethics in research involving humans
Secretariat on Research Ethics
Tel.: 613-996-0072
Email: secretariat@pre.ethics.gc.ca
Management of SSHRC grants and awards
Rita Carrière
Manager, Awards Administration and Financial Monitoring
SSHRC
Tel.: 613-992-5596
E-mail: rita.carriere@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca