Funding Opportunities
Partnership Grants
| Application deadlines
| Value
| Duration
| Results announced
| Apply |
January 31, 2011 |
Stage 1:
Letter of Intent: Up to $20,000 |
4 to 7 years |
Spring 2011 |
Application form not available
Web CV and instructions
|
Fall 2011 |
Stage 2:
Formal Application (by invitation only)
Requests for support from SSHRC would typically be in the range of $500,000 to $2.5 million over four to seven years, with requests for lower or higher amounts considered |
Description
Value and Duration
Eligibility
Application Process
Evaluation and Adjudication
Administrative Regulations
More Information
Description
Partnership Grants provide support for new and existing formal partnerships over four to seven years.
Partnerships must advance research and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities through mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership, as well as through resources as evidenced by cash and/or in-kind contributions. The proposals must meet the objectives put forward in one of the following programs or a combination thereof:
- Insight—To build knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world by supporting research excellence in all subject areas eligible for funding from SSHRC
- Connection—To realize the potential of social sciences and humanities research for intellectual, cultural, social and economic influence, benefit and impact on and beyond the campus by supporting specific activities and tools that facilitate the multidirectional flow of research knowledge
A formal partnership is a bilateral or multilateral formal collaboration agreement between an applicant and one or more partners. These partners agree and commit to work collaboratively to achieve shared goals for mutual benefit. Partners must provide evidence attesting to the commitment that has been agreed upon. For more information, see the definitions for
formal partnership and partner.
It is expected that students and new scholars will meaningfully participate in proposed initiatives. The quality of training, mentoring and employability plans for students and emerging scholars will be evaluated as an important part of the proposed initiative.
SSHRC invites applicants
and their partners who wish to propose formal disciplinary, interdisciplinary, interinstitutional, international and/or cross-sector partnership arrangements to apply for support through this funding opportunity. Funds are available to support a variety of formal partnership initiatives in all of the disciplines and themes
eligible for funding at SSHRC.
The intellectual leadership and governance for a new or existing formal partnership may come from within the research community and/or from partners from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. However, the grant funding, once awarded, may only be administered by an eligible institution (see information on eligibility below).
Following is a list of possible formal partnership approaches. Applicants are in no way limited to these approaches, and are welcome to combine some of the features described.
Disciplinary and interdisciplinary research partnerships: Disciplinary and interdisciplinary interinstitutional research initiatives designed to make a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and understanding in the humanities and/or social sciences. While SSHRC welcomes proposals for interdisciplinary research partnerships involving natural sciences, engineering and/or health partners, proposed partnerships of this nature must adhere to SSHRC’s policy regarding the eligibility of subject matter.
Cross-sector co-creation of knowledge and understanding: Partnerships between postsecondary institution(s) and non-academic sector partner(s) designed to foster innovative research, training and the co-creation of new knowledge on critical issues of intellectual, social, economic and cultural significance through a process of ongoing collaboration and mutual learning.
Networks for research and/or related activities: Networks between scholars, academic institutions and/or other partners (e.g., private sector partners, foundations, think tanks, etc.) designed to advance the innovative co-creation of knowledge, as well as training and mobilization of research, on critical issues of intellectual, social, economic and cultural significance.
Partnered knowledge mobilization: Partnerships designed to synthesize, apply and mobilize new and existing social sciences research knowledge in accessible ways in order to build institutional capacity and to increase the national and international impact and stature of Canadian research.
Partnered chairs: Partnerships between academic institutions and non-academic partners (e.g., private sector partner, foundation, government partner, etc.), or between two or more academic institutions, to nominate research chairs designed to advance research and/or related activities in a specific area in the social sciences and/or humanities. Chair partners pool financial resources and suggest an amount of funds required from SSHRC. Proposals must demonstrate that a formal agreement exists between the partners to maintain the chair position for a minimum period of four years. Proposals must include the name of the proposed chairholder. For more information, please see the Guidelines for Partnered Chairs.
Partnered research centres: Partnerships between an academic institution and non-academic partners (e.g., private sector partner, foundation, etc.) or between two or more institutions to create or support a research centre designed to advance research and/or related activities in a specific area in the social sciences and/or humanities. Partners pool financial resources and suggest an amount of funds required from SSHRC. Proposals must demonstrate that a formal agreement exists between the partners to maintain the centre for a minimum period of four years.
SSHRC does not provide research infrastructure funding. Applicants requiring infrastructure funding to support their research may be eligible for support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s Leaders Opportunity Fund. For more information, please contact:
Laurent Messier
Manager, Leaders Opportunity Fund
Tel.: 613-996-3107
Fax: 613-943-0923
Email: laurent.messier@innovation.ca
Priority areas
Most SSHRC funding is awarded through open competitions accessible to all disciplines, areas, themes and approaches. In certain cases, priorities have been identified for either additional support and/or a more tailored adjudication.
Please read the following descriptions carefully to determine whether one of SSHRC’s current priority areas is relevant to your proposal:
Applicants requesting funding under one of these priority areas should identify their Partnership Grant proposal as being related to one of SSHRC’s priority areas. Opportunity to do so will be available in the application.
Value and Duration
Partnership Grants undergo a two-stage adjudication process, involving a letter of intent and a formal application. Only applicants successful at the letter of intent stage will be invited to submit a formal application.
The competition budget is approximately $28 million over seven years. This budget may be adjusted subject to the volume and quality of applications received in the competition. These, along with the size of the budgets requested and awarded, will determine the number of new Letter of Intent grants funded in 2011-12 and the number of new Partnership Grants funded in 2012-13.
Stage 1: Letter of Intent
Applicants successful at the letter of intent stage will be offered a grant worth up to $20,000 to help in the preparation of the formal application—i.e., to further refine their research question(s); to establish partnership arrangements, governance structure and/or research methodology; and to consolidate their collaborative activities. At the letter of intent stage, eligible expenses are limited to travel, workshops, meetings, administrative support, and communication and dissemination activities.
Stage 2: Formal Application
Partnership Grants are typically valued at $500,000 to $2.5 million over four to seven years. Requests outside this range will also be considered.
Salary Replacement Stipend
Partnership Grants applicants and co-applicants from eligible not-for-profit organizations may request a
salary replacement stipend
to release them from duties to their organization.
Eligibility
Subject Matter
All thematic areas and approaches are eligible for consideration, and proposals are welcome from all subject areas eligible for funding at SSHRC. Please see
Eligibility of Subject Matter for more information.
Applicants
Applications must be submitted by a postsecondary institution or a not-for-profit organization. The applicant prepares the application in collaboration with, and on behalf of, the
partners.
Grant funds may only be administered by an eligible postsecondary institution or an eligible not-for-profit organization.
Any postsecondary institution or not-for-profit organization that does not currently have institutional eligibility and wishes to administer SSHRC grants must apply for, and be granted, institutional eligibility. Once eligibility is granted, the organization is invited to become a signatory to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Roles and Responsibilities in the Management of Federal Grants and Awards, 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 ensures that the organization has the necessary structures and processes in place to achieve this objective. Please note that SSHRC will not release funding to an organization before it becomes a signatory of the MOU.
For questions related to institutional eligibility, or to receive an institutional eligibility application package, please contact SSHRC's Corporate Secretariat at secretariat@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.
Participants
There are two categories of individual participants for Partnership Grants:
Co-applicants may be individuals from any of the following types of organizations: postsecondary institutions; not-for-profit organizations; philanthropic foundations; think tanks; international postsecondary institutions; or municipal, territorial or provincial governments.
Collaborators may be individuals from any of the following types of organizations: postsecondary institutions; not-for-profit organizations; public sector or private sector organizations; philanthropic foundations; think tanks; international postsecondary institutions; or municipal, territorial, provincial or federal governments.
Note that individuals from the private sector or federal government may only participate as collaborators.
Partners
Organizations eligible to be partners may be any of the following: Canadian or foreign: postsecondary institutions, government departments (federal, provincial, territorial, municipal), for-profit or not-for-profit organizations, or foundations.
Monitoring
Partnership Grant holders will be expected to report on the use of grant funds, on research and related activities undertaken during the period of the grants, and on outcomes. Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving their notice of decision.
Application Process
Stage One: Letter of Intent
Applicants and partners must complete and submit the application form (available under Apply once the Partnerships Grants letter of intent stage competition opens), with all required signatures and supporting material, and follow the accompanying instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer from the applicant’s institution. Incomplete or late applications will be declared ineligible.
Applicants requesting funding under one of these priority areas should identify their Partnership Grant proposal as being related to one of SSHRC’s priority areas. Opportunity to do so will be available in the application form.
Stage Two: Formal Application
Only those applicants who are successful at the letter of intent stage will be invited to submit a formal application. These invited candidates will be provided with the required application information and instructions for completing their proposals. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer from the applicant’s institution. Incomplete or late applications will be considered ineligible.
Requirements
Applicants for Partnership Grants must demonstrate the following within their application:
- Quality and commitment of formal partnerships
Applicants will be expected to include relevant documentation to allow for an informed evaluation of the quality and level of commitment of the proposed formal partnerships.
Documentation may include, but is not limited to:
- governance frameworks;
- strategic plans;
- memorandums of understanding;
- intellectual property agreements; and/or
- letters of participation and engagement.
- Institutional and partner contributions
Applicants will be expected to secure contributions for their initiative through cash and/or in-kind contributions from partners. Potential sources of cash and/or in-kind contributions include, but are not limited to: partners (whether academic institutions, public, private or not-for-profit organizations and/or foundations), international contributors and other funding agencies (excluding the Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council). For more information, please see the Guidelines for Cash and In-kind Contributions: Partnership Development Grants and Partnership Grants.
Applicants invited to submit a formal application are required to demonstrate that they have already begun to confirm cash and/or in-kind contributions, and must indicate how they will secure the remaining amounts during the duration of the grant.
Evaluation and Adjudication
Review Process
Partnership Grant applications are adjudicated, and available funds are awarded, through a competitive process. For general information on SSHRC’s adjudication process, see the Peer Review section of SSHRC’s website.
Applications for Partnership Grants are adjudicated as follows:
- Letter of intent applications are adjudicated by multidisciplinary committees that include relevant expertise from the academic community, as well as research expertise from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors.
- Applications successful at the letter of intent stage are awarded a grant of up to $20,000 for the period during which the full proposal is prepared.
- Full proposals are adjudicated by multidisciplinary committees that include relevant expertise from the academic community, as well as research expertise from the public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors. A minimum of three external assessments are obtained before adjudication at the committee meeting.
- For proposals requesting more than $2 million, up to six external assessments are obtained before adjudication, and a formal interview process is required.
If an applicant identifies their Partnership Grant proposal as being related to one of SSHRC’s priority areas, the application will undergo a relevance review by an existing or specially constituted committee to verify alignment with the priority area.
SSHRC makes funding decisions based on the recommendations of the adjudication committee and on the funds available.
Evaluation Criteria and Scoring
The following criteria and scoring scheme are used by the adjudication committees to evaluate Partnership Grant applications at both the letter of intent and formal application stage:
- Challenge—The aim and importance of the endeavour (40%):
- originality, significance and expected contribution to knowledge in the social sciences and/or humanities;
- appropriateness of the theoretical approach or framework;
- quality of training and mentoring to be provided to students, emerging scholars and other highly qualified personnel, and opportunities for them to contribute;
- appropriateness of the methodologies or approaches (including for the co-creation of knowledge across sectors, where appropriate); and
- likelihood of influence and impact within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.
- Feasibility—The plan to achieve excellence (30%):
- feasibility to meet the objectives of the Insight and/or Connection program, the Partnership Grants funding opportunity and, where appropriate, expected outcomes of a
priority area;
- strategies and timelines for the design and conduct of the research and/or related activities;
- appropriateness of the requested budget, justification of proposed costs, and indications of other planned resources (time, human and financial), including cash and in-kind support already secured, or to be secured, from the host institution and/or from partners;
- quality of the knowledge mobilization plans, including for effective dissemination, exchange, and engagement within and/or beyond the research community, where appropriate;
- quality and genuineness of the formal partnership and associated management and governance arrangements and leadership, including evidence of genuine involvement of partners and others in the design and conduct of the research and/or related activities; and
- potential for long-term viability and for progress indicators.
- Capability—The expertise to succeed (30%):
- quality, quantity and significance of past experience and published outputs of principal team members relative to their role in the partnership, and to the stage of their career;
- evidence of contributions through, for example, publications (such as commissioned reports, etc.); professional practice; and contributions to public discourses, public policies, products and services, and the development of talent;
- experience with collaboration and formal partnerships; and
- potential to make future contributions.
Scoring table
Adjudication committee members assign a score for each of the three criteria based on the scoring table below. The appropriate weighting is then applied.
| Score |
Descriptor |
5-6 |
Excellent |
4-4.9 |
Very good |
3-3.9 |
Good |
Below 3 |
Not recommended for funding |
All applicants will receive, together with their SSHRC notice of decision, a copy of the external assessments obtained and a summary of the adjudication committee's comments.
Administrative Regulations
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.
More Information
For more information about this funding opportunity, or for advice on how to prepare your application, please contact:
Email: partnershipgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Tel.: 613-943-1007