Peer Review
The highest standard of expert adjudication has been and will remain at the
heart of the granting process at SSHRC. SSHRC research grants and fellowships
are awarded through an independent peer review process designed to ensure the
highest standards of excellence and objectivity. Peer review is universally
recognized as the most objective and effective way to allocate public research
funds.
Principles for SSHRC Peer Review
Selection Committees
Acclaimed Peer Review System
Principles for SSHRC Peer Review
Publish the criteria for assessing proposals,
as well as details of the review process, defining how the assessment
process will operate and be managed, before applicants submit proposals.
Use a peer review process that is appropriate to the type
of proposed research and in proportion with the investment and complexity
of the work.
Ask all participants to declare interests when carrying
out review activities, so that any conflicts can be identified and managed.
Treat proposals in confidence, and ask those who advise us
to do the same.
Use appropriate expert reviewers to assess the individual
merit of all proposals against the published criteria.
Separate the peer review of proposals against the assessment
criteria from the making of funding decisions. Those acting as peers will
not also be responsible for authorizing the funding decision, responsibility
for which lies with SSHRC.
Avoid assessing the merit of the same proposal more than once.
Selection Committees
Each year volunteer selection committees
made up of Canadian and international
scholars and experts evaluate thousands of research proposals and, based on academic
excellence and other selection criteria, make recommendations about which projects
to fund. In addition, over 5,000 other Canadian and international experts provide
written assessments of proposals to assist the selection committees in their
decision-making in some competitions.
Acclaimed Peer Review System
In 2008, as part of its commitment to continuous improvement, SSHRC commissioned a panel of
high-profile, internationally respected experts in peer review to assess the quality of
the organization’s peer review practices. The panel’s final report,
Promoting Excellence
in Research—An International Blue Ribbon Panel Assessment of Peer Review Practices at the
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (PDF document, 1.62MB), concluded that SSHRC’s peer
review system is “up to the best practices and highest international standards.”
The expertise within the panel’s membership and the very positive findings were an
invaluable endorsement of SSHRC’s peer review practices, while, at the same time, the
assessment offered constructive recommendations to the Council.