Connection Grants
Updated February 2013
The Connection Grants funding opportunity is temporarily on hold.
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| Overview |
| Value |
$7,000 to $50,000, with higher amounts considered on an exceptional basis |
| Duration |
1 year (no automatic extensions) |
| Application deadline |
Temporarily on hold |
| Results announced |
Normally within eight weeks from the date that SSHRC confirms receipt of the application |
| Apply |
Temporarily on hold |
Description
Value and Duration
Eligibility
Application Process
Evaluation and Adjudication
Administrative Regulations and Related Information
Contact Information
Description
Connection Grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and to engage on research issues of value to those participating. Events and outreach activities funded by a Connection Grant may often serve as a first step toward more comprehensive and longer-term projects potentially eligible for funding through other SSHRC funding opportunities.
Connection Grants proposals are expected to meet the objectives of the Connection program. The objectives of the Connection program are to:
- facilitate the multidirectional flow of social sciences and humanities knowledge among researchers and between the campus and the larger community, in order to enhance intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit, and impact;
- increase the accessibility and use of social sciences and humanities research knowledge among academic and non-academic audiences;
- support the building of reciprocal relationships among social sciences and humanities researchers, and between social sciences and humanities researchers and those in a position to either co-create or use research knowledge;
- support the development of social sciences and humanities research networks and tools designed to facilitate scholarly work; and
- make such networks and tools more accessible to non-academic audiences.
Connection Grants support workshops, colloquiums, conferences, forums, summer institutes or other events or outreach activities that facilitate:
- disciplinary and/or interdisciplinary exchanges in the humanities and social sciences;
- 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 humanities and social sciences and researchers and practitioners from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors; and/or
- international research collaboration and scholarly exchanges between researchers, students and non-academic partners from other countries.
Note: Particular importance will be placed on applications proposing open-access and open-source approaches to knowledge mobilization.
Proposals must also include a plan for the maintenance, lifespan, dissemination and preservation of any resulting digital data.
Proposed Events and Outreach Activities
Proposed events and outreach activities must generally take place within 12 months of the date indicated on the notification of award.
Unless clearly an activity to create new linkages or initiate collaborations, proposed events and outreach activities must produce a timely and concrete deliverable, such as conference proceedings or other knowledge products developed for traditional formats and/or employing digital and/or multimedia formats.
Proposed events and outreach activities may be one-time encounters or catalysts designed to lead to longer-term partnerships and/or sustained programs of scholarly research.
Events
Proposed events may be face-to-face or involve virtual interaction.
Face-to-face events, such as workshops and conferences, may be held in Canada or abroad. If a proposed event is to be held abroad, the applicant must adequately explain the event’s potential to mobilize Canadian research on an international level.
Events may be discipline-specific or may cross disciplines and sectors. Depending on the related objectives, proposed events may be open- or closed-invitation.
Outreach activities
Proposed outreach activities must be designed to engage the broader public in humanities and social sciences knowledge through one or a combination of the following: knowledge dissemination, transfer, brokering, translation, synthesis, exchange, networking or co-creation. Proposed activities may include, but are not limited to:
- adaptation of texts or presentations for different audiences (including translations into other languages, e.g., French, English or aboriginal languages);
- development of policy briefs, knowledge syntheses and scoping reviews;
- development of articles for print or online publication in newspapers or weekly or monthly magazines—whether specialized or general interest;
- virtual networking;
- media events (such as television/radio presentations);
- press conferences;
- public debates;
- artistic exhibits, performances or festivals;
- development/use of interactive technologies, audio-visual products or software; and/or
- development/use of educational aids, instruments or equipment.
Participants and Audiences
Participants or audiences, in Canada and abroad, for both event and outreach activities, may include, among others, any of the following:
- academic researchers;
- non-academic researchers;
- policy-makers;
- professional practitioners;
- representatives from organizations in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors;
- representatives from community-based, local or regional non-academic organizations; and/or
- students at all levels.
Note that SSHRC also welcomes applications involving research-creation.
Proposals for partnered research and/or knowledge mobilization initiatives should be submitted to the Partnership Development Grants or Partnership Grants funding opportunities.
Individuals and informal teams interested in carrying out research are encouraged to apply for Insight Development Grants or Insight Grants.
Value and Duration
The maximum value of a Connection Grant is typically $50,000 over one year. A minimum request of $7,000 is required. SSHRC expects that requests for Connection Grant support would typically be in the range of $15,000 to $50,000. Applications for amounts over $50,000 may be considered on an exceptional basis; such applications must provide satisfactory evidence that the entire award can be managed within the one-year timeframe (without extensions).
Applicants may draw on complementary funding from other research grants and/or other research agencies, but must make clear in their proposed budgets that there is no duplication of financial support for identical budget expenses.
SSHRC will not fund the full cost of any Connection event or outreach activity. Other SSHRC funds may be used in a complementary manner, but non-SSHRC funds and/or in-kind resources must be included in the proposed budget. (See the Cash and In-Kind Contributions Guidelines for more details.)
Eligibility
Subject Matter
Most SSHRC funding is awarded through open competitions. Connection Grant proposals may involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. Please see Subject Matter Eligibility for more information.
Applicants
Connection Grant applications may be submitted by institutions or individual applicants and teams:
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Institutional Connection Grants applications may be submitted by an institution to conduct an event or outreach activity, or series thereof, in order to attain strategic objectives relevant to the institution’s mission and mandate. Applications must be submitted by an eligible Canadian institution. The project director identified by the institution prepares the application on behalf of his/her institution (the applicant), and is responsible for the overall leadership of the project.
Note: The term “institution” in this description refers to both postsecondary institutions and not-for-profit organizations.
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Individual Connection Grants may be submitted by an individual applicant or by a team (consisting of an applicant [project director] plus one or more co-applicants and/or collaborators) to conduct an event or outreach activity, or series thereof, that primarily falls within the applicant’s domain of expertise and that will, ultimately, allow them to make a significant contribution to their field of research. In the case of a team approach, all team members must meet the eligibility criteria specific to their role.
Applicants (except postdoctoral fellows/researchers) must normally be affiliated with an eligible Canadian institution at the time of application. If they are not, they must contact SSHRC.
Note: Grant funding may only be administered by an eligible Canadian institution. However, the intellectual leadership and governance for Connection Grant activities may come from within the research community and/or from within the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors.
Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant or project director status with the Connection Grants funding opportunity.
Postdoctoral fellows/researchers are eligible to be an applicant or project director for a Connection Grant. However, in order for SSHRC to release grant funds, he/she must formally establish an affiliation with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution within three months of the grant start date, and maintain such an affiliation for the duration of the grant period.
Co-applicants
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.
Collaborators
Any individual who may make a significant contribution to the intellectual direction of the event or outreach activity is eligible to be a collaborator. Collaborators do not need to be affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution.
Note that individuals from the private sector or federal government may only participate as collaborators.
Students
Students are not eligible to apply for a Connection Grant. However, Connection Grant proposals led by students may be submitted, provided they involve both students and researchers and are submitted on behalf of the student by a faculty member at an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution.
Multiple applications
An applicant may apply for a maximum of two Connection Grants within the same calendar year. However, applicants may have only one Connection Grant application under review at SSHRC at one time; that is, the results of a first application must be received prior to the submission of a second. An applicant can hold up to two active Connection Grants at any one time.
Note that an applicant may not apply for or hold more than one Connection Grant for the same event or outreach activity. Please refer to SSHRC’s regulations regarding multiple applications for more information.
Individuals (applicants for individual Connection Grants, and project directors) who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit a final research report by the deadline specified in their Notice of Award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.
Institutions
Grant funds may only be administered by an eligible Canadian institution. Institutions proposing to administer any grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility.
Monitoring
Connection Grant holders will be expected to report on the use of grant funds, on events and outreach activities undertaken during the period of the grant, and on outcomes. Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving their Notice of Award.
Application Process
Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with the accompanying instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer, or equivalent, from the applicant’s institution.
Eligible postdoctoral researchers may submit their applications directly to SSHRC.
While there is continuous intake for Connection Grant applications, and thus no set application deadline, applicants are encouraged to submit their applications well in advance of the start date of the proposed event or outreach activity. It is particularly important to allow sufficient time for the merit review process, which may require applicants to provide further clarification on information included in their application.
Please note that SSHRC cannot award a grant retroactively for an event or outreach activity that has taken place prior to the final funding decision.
Evaluation and Adjudication
The Connection Grants funding opportunity normally provides applicants with decisions within eight weeks of receiving applications, to help them take advantage of short-term and targeted connection opportunities.
Connection Grant applications are adjudicated, and available funds are awarded, through a merit review process. The continuous intake model of applications is a unique feature of this funding opportunity; SSHRC uses multiple approaches to ensure that the merit review process is timely and that the funding decisions are delivered to applicants within a reasonable timeframe, with the understanding that proposed events and outreach activities are normally time sensitive. SSHRC may invite applicants to respond to feedback from external reviewers in order to address specific questions in a timely and effective manner, rather than requesting that applicants resubmit their application in its entirety.
SSHRC makes funding decisions based on merit review and on the funds available.
The adjudication of research-creation proposals may involve a more tailored adjudication, including evaluation by experts in research-creation, and collaboration with the Canada Council for the Arts.
Priority Areas
SSHRC continues to recognize the value of research and related activities throughout all of the social sciences and humanities, as well as in its current priority areas. Applicants are asked to indicate in their application form whether their connection activities fall within one of SSHRC’s priority areas. This information is gathered for reporting purposes and may also assist SSHRC in identifying applications for additional support, a more tailored adjudication, or both.
Please read the priority area descriptions carefully to determine whether your intended proposal is relevant to one of them. Applicants who, in their application, have identified their proposal as related to one or two of SSHRC’s priority areas must complete a Statement of Alignment describing the proposal’s relevance to the first priority area. The Statement of Alignment will be used to verify consistency with the priority area. While alignment with the priority area is not an evaluation criterion, the information contained in the Statement of Alignment remains an integral part of the application, and information contained therein may be used in evaluating the application in accordance with the evaluation criteria below.
If it is determined that a proposal is not aligned with the parameters of the priority area, the proposal will nevertheless remain eligible within the Connection Grants funding opportunity.
Evaluation Criteria and Scoring
The following criteria and scoring scheme are used to evaluate Connection Grant applications:
- Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (40%)
- expected contribution to the preservation of, access to and/or mobilization of research knowledge;
- appropriateness of the approach;
- evidence of the quality and significance of the research being mobilized;
- quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, and opportunities for them to contribute;
- potential influence and impact within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community; and
- potential for long-term viability and identification of progress indicators, where appropriate.
- Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence (30%)
- probability of effective and timely attainment of the proposal’s objectives;
- appropriateness of the requested budget, and justification of proposed costs;
- indications of other planned resources (time, human and financial), including leveraging of cash and in-kind support from the applicant’s institution and/or, where appropriate, from other sources;
- quality of knowledge mobilization plans, including for effective knowledge dissemination and exchange, and plans to engage within and/or beyond the research community; and
- strategies and timelines for the design and conduct of the activity/activities proposed.
- Capability—The expertise to succeed (30%)
- quality, quantity and significance of past experience and published and/or creative outputs of the applicant / project director and any team members relative to their roles in the event or activity and to their respective stages of career;
- evidence of contributions such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourses, public policies, products and services, development of talent, experience in collaboration, etc.; and
- potential to make future contributions.
Scoring table
Reviewers assign a score for each of the three criteria (challenge, feasibility, capability), based on the following scoring table. The appropriate weighting is then applied to arrive at a final score.
Applications must receive a score of 3.0 or higher for each of the three criteria in order to be recommended for funding.
| Score |
Descriptor |
| 5-6 |
Excellent |
| 4-4.9 |
Very good |
| 3-3.9 |
Good |
| Below 3 |
Not recommended for funding |
Administrative Regulations and Related Information
All applicants and grant holders must comply with the Regulations Governing Grant Applications and with the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide.
For descriptions of SSHRC terms, see Definitions of Terms.
Contact Information
For more information about the Connection Grants funding opportunity, please contact:
Email: connection@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Tel.: 613-943-1007