Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council 2018-19 Departmental Plan

Plans at glance

Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

SSHRC’s 2016–20 strategic plan, Advancing Knowledge for Canada’s Future, identifies three strategic objectives to guide its activities through to 2020. These strategic objectives provide the foundation from which SSHRC established its priorities for 2018–19 and they support the achievement of the planned results:

• Enable excellence in a changing research landscape

  In 2018–19, SSHRC will, in collaboration with other organizations, contribute to the government’s science and innovation agenda, including implementing key actions emerging from the government response to the Fundamental Science Review, such as hosting the secretariat for the newly created Canada Research Coordinating Committee and improving support for interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, international and risky research. SSHRC will also lead an initiative to develop a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities, including strategies to grow the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community.

• Create opportunities for research and training through collaborative initiatives

  In 2018–19, SSHRC and the Economic and Social Research Council in the United Kingdom will co-fund projects to address the topic of Canada-UK trade participation post-Brexit. SSHRC will also assess the possibility of developing a large funding initiative on the topic of housing with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation with the aim of connecting research with the policy-making community. Through key collaborations, SSHRC will continue to facilitate the mobilization of social sciences and humanities research and talent to inform decision-making and policy-making on emerging and key issues.

• Connect social sciences and humanities research with Canadians

  SSHRC will take advantage of its 40th anniversary to showcase the groundbreaking ideas and incredible diverse talent that the agency fosters through the research and scholarships it funds. As part of its Imagining Canada’s Future 2.0 initiative, SSHRC will undertake a foresight exercise with broad stakeholder engagement to identify challenges that may impact Canada’s future, in a global context, and where social sciences and humanities research may contribute knowledge and talent to inform decision- and policy-making. SSHRC will also contribute to the Government of Canada’s Open Science initiative through the development of a tri-agency policy on data management and the monitoring of open access to scholarly publications.

  SSHRC will continue to experiment with short-term, small-scale research partnership grants that are more responsive to the short-term needs of non-academic sectors through the Partnership Engage Grants, launched in 2017.

Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

The Research Support Fund helps postsecondary institutions ensure that their federally funded research projects are conducted in world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support available.

To address recommendations from the 2014 evaluation of the Research Support Fund program, a new Outcomes Report form has been introduced and rolled out in stages. Postsecondary institutions filled out a transitional version of the new form to report on fiscal years 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18. The validation and revision stage of the full Outcomes Report will begin in consultation with institutions during the next evaluation of the program to be conducted in 2018–19. The focus of this consultation will be to identify relevant areas and methods of data collection taking into consideration the growing complexity of the research landscape as well as the importance of balancing the administrative burden of data collection and reporting with the need to ensure that data collected can be used to draw system-wide conclusions.

Internal Services

Internal Services refers to the activities and resources that support Program delivery in the organization. In 2018–19, SSHRC will focus on: (1) continuing the implementation of its People Strategy Action Plan for 2016–20, (2) continuing the planning for the renewal of information technology support systems for grant application and management and engage with stakeholders to validate the needs of the research community and bring more efficient services to them, and (3) ensuring alignment to and compliance with Government of Canada priorities, policy requirements and transformative initiatives.

For more information on SSHRC’s plans, priorities and planned results, see the “Planned results” section of this report.

Planned results: what we want to achieve this year and beyond

Core Responsibilities

Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

Description

SSHRC, through grants, fellowships and scholarships, promotes and supports research and research training in the social sciences and humanities to develop talent, generate insights and build connections in pursuit of social, cultural and economic outcomes for Canadians.

Planning highlights

Implementation of SSHRC’s 2016–20 strategic plan, Advancing Knowledge for Canada’s Future^{Footnote i}, supports the achievement of the following departmental results: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive, Canada has a pool of highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities, and Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used. In the strategic plan, SSHRC outlined its goal of sustaining and positioning Canada as a global leader in social sciences and humanities research and research training. To realize this goal, SSHRC identified three strategic objectives to guide its activities through to 2020: enable excellence in a changing research landscape; create opportunities for research and training through collaborative initiatives; and connect social sciences and humanities research with Canadians. These strategic objectives provided the foundation from which SSHRC established its priorities and initiatives for 2018–19.

Enable excellence in a changing research landscape

SSHRC aims to contribute to a future research landscape that sees: more Canadian researchers and students successfully leveraging advances in new technologies; more researchers engaged in interdisciplinary research within and beyond the social sciences and humanities; more research conducted by and with Indigenous communities; and more research results made readily accessible to Canadians. Through this strategic objective, SSHRC will help ensure that Canada maintains and enhances its globally competitive position as a producer of high-calibre research, embracing new and diverse forms of research excellence.

SSHRC’s activities support the objectives of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, within which science and science talent development are key contributors to enhancing the economic and social well-being of Canadians. In 2018–19, SSHRC will, in collaboration with other organizations, contribute to the government’s science and innovation agenda, including implementing key actions emerging from the government response to the Fundamental Science Review. For example, SSHRC will host the secretariat that will support the work of the newly created Canada Research Coordinating Committee, which aims to improve collaboration, coordination and harmonization among the three federal research funding agencies and the Canada Foundation for Innovation to the benefit of researchers and students across the country. As announced in Budget 2018, SSHRC will administer, on behalf of the granting agencies, a new tri-agency fund to support research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and higher-risk, and to accelerate Canada’s transition to a more modern approach to research. SSHRC will also lead an initiative in collaboration with the other granting agencies and the First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities to develop a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities, including strategies to grow the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community.

SSHRC is committed to ensuring that its funding opportunities are accessible to the largest possible pool of qualified candidates as a means to support and advance excellence in Canadian research. As part of its Equity and Diversity for Research Excellence Implementation Plan (2015–16 to 2018–19), SSHRC will, in 2018–19, develop an approach to systematically include Gender-based analysis plus (defined in the Appendix) in program evaluations. SSHRC will continue working with the other granting agencies to develop plans to achieve greater diversity among research funding recipients, including improved support for women, underrepresented groups and early-career researchers. In addition, Budget 2018 proposes a new investment for the Canada Research Chairs Program to better support early-career researchers, while increasing diversity among nominated researchers, including increasing the number of women who are nominated for Canada Research Chairs.

Create opportunities for research and training through collaborative initiatives

Collaboration among research funders and other stakeholders can increase the scope, scale and impact of Canada’s research and training in the social sciences and humanities. Through these collaborations, SSHRC aims to: leverage greater investment in social sciences and humanities research from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors; strengthen social, cultural, economic and intellectual impact from SSHRC funding; and foster increased international collaboration to facilitate access to new ideas, talent and opportunities for researchers and students.

In 2018–19, SSHRC will continue to assess the possibility of developing a large funding initiative on the topic of housing with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation with the aim of connecting research with the policy-making community. Through key collaborations, SSHRC will continue to facilitate the mobilization of social sciences and humanities research and talent to inform decision-making and policy-making on emerging and key issues, via the identification of research experts, the organization of workshops, forums and roundtable discussions, as well as knowledge synthesis grants competitions.

Connect social sciences and humanities research with Canadians

SSHRC is committed to ensuring that the benefits of research and talent development are fully realized. SSHRC will advance opportunities to make the results of its funding—new ideas and trained people—more accessible to Canadian organizations in all sectors, to contribute to decision-making and innovation, and to help identify and address the challenges of today and tomorrow.

SSHRC’s 40_th anniversary offers an ideal opportunity to showcase the groundbreaking ideas and incredible diverse talent that the agency fosters through the research and scholarships it funds.

In 2018–19, SSHRC will work with government departments and other partners to facilitate access to SSHRC-funded students, researchers, research and data. To enhance the reach and the impact of partnered research, SSHRC will undertake outreach and engagement activities with key stakeholders in non-academic sectors. SSHRC will also contribute to the Government of Canada’s Open Science initiative, as described in the Third Biennial Plan to the Open Government Partnership^{Footnote ii}, through the development of a tri-agency policy on data management and the monitoring of open access to scholarly publications.

In 2018–19, SSHRC will continue to experiment with short-term, small-scale research partnership grants that are more responsive to the short-term needs of non-academic sectors. The Partnership Engage Grants^{Footnote iii}, which were piloted in 2017, provide flexibility and ease of use to non-academic organizations by virtue of their short duration (one year), quick turnaround time, simpler application form and multiple competitions per year. In 2018–19, SSHRC plans to dedicate approximately $2.5 million and 1.5 full-time equivalents to further develop this funding opportunity. SSHRC will assess whether this type of grant funding has increased partnerships and created sustainable relationships between the academic and the public, private or non-profit sectors.

In developing its priorities for 2018–19, SSHRC identified a small number of key risks that could affect the achievement of its planned results: the ability to effectively implement the changes needed to address evolving governance structures, new collaborations and partnerships, and new program directions; the ability to manage the expectations of diverse stakeholder groups; and the ability to effectively allocate its limited resources to respond to internal and external pressures, both ongoing and emerging. SSHRC has developed various strategies to mitigate these risks during the year, which are available on SSHRC’s website.^{Footnote iv}

Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

Description

SSHRC, on behalf of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, provides financial support to universities, colleges and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes to reimburse a portion of indirect costs associated with the funded research.

Planning highlights

The Research Support Fund program supports the achievement of SSHRC’s fourth departmental result: Canada’s university and college research environments are strong. Every year, the federal government invests in research excellence in the areas of health sciences, engineering, natural sciences, social sciences and humanities through its three federal research funding agencies. The Research Support Fund reinforces this research investment by helping institutions ensure that their federally funded research projects are conducted in world-class facilities with the best equipment and administrative support available. Budget 2018 included additional funding to the Research Support Fund to ensure that researchers are provided with the necessary space and support at postsecondary institutions to undertake high-quality multidisciplinary research.

The 2014 evaluation of the Research Support Fund program identified a need to revise its outcomes reporting structure to collect better performance information that can be used for ongoing program monitoring and to effectively support the needs of program evaluation in assessing the performance of the program. Over the last three years, the Research Support Fund program has responded to these recommendations by completing and implementing a new performance measurement strategy (2015). The program also introduced a new Outcomes Report^{Footnote v} form, which was rolled out in stages. Postsecondary institutions filled out a transitional version of the new form to report on fiscal years 2015–16, 2016–17 and 2017–18.

The validation and revision stage of the full Outcomes Report will begin in consultation with institutions during the next evaluation of the program to be conducted in 2018–19. The focus of this consultation will be to identify relevant areas and methods of data collection taking into consideration the growing complexity of the research landscape as well as the importance of balancing the administrative burden of data collection and reporting with the need to ensure that data collected can be used to draw system-wide conclusions. Since 2014, institutions have been required to report publicly on their accountability and public acknowledgment web pages^{Footnote vi} on how they use the funds to meet the program’s objectives.

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote vii}

Internal Services

Description

Internal Services are those groups of related activities and resources that the federal government considers to be services in support of programs and/or required to meet corporate obligations of an organization. Internal Services refers to the activities and resources of the 10 distinct service categories that support Program delivery in the organization, regardless of the Internal Services delivery model in a department. The 10 service categories are: Management and Oversight Services; Communications Services; Legal Services; Human Resources Management Services; Financial Management Services; Information Management Services; Information Technology Services; Real Property Services; Materiel Services; and Acquisition Services.

Planning highlights

Recognizing that achieving results depends on the organization’s skilled and dedicated staff, SSHRC will continue the implementation of its People Strategy Action Plan for 2016–20. This will include ongoing attention to issues of workplace wellness and mental health, as well as the results of the 2017 Public Service Employee Survey.

In 2018–19 SSHRC, in collaboration with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), will continue the planning for the renewal of information technology support systems for grant application and management and engage with stakeholders to validate the needs of the research community and bring more efficient services to them.

SSHRC will also ensure alignment to and compliance with Government of Canada priorities, policy requirements and transformative initiatives by developing an implementation plan for the migration to the new financial management system, to be implemented in 2020, and for the assessment of impacts and the implementation of changes related to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Policy Reset Initiative.

Spending and human resources

Planned spending

Many tri-agency grant programs, including Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) and Business-Led Networks of Centres of Excellence (BL-NCE), are paid out through SSHRC, NSERC and CIHR, as appropriate, based proportionately on the research areas addressed by the successful proposals. This proportional distribution to funded proposals results in fluctuations in SSHRC’s budget. In particular, in 2018–19, CECR and BL-NCE funding to awarded projects will decrease, while SSHRC funding as part of CFREF and the Canada 150 Research Chairs will increase.

The preceding graphs illustrate SSHRC’s actual and planned expenditures from 2015–16 to 2020–21. For the 2018–19 fiscal year, SSHRC plans to spend approximately $416.5 million for SSHRC programs and $369.6 million for the Research Support Fund, for a total of $786.1 million, to meet the expected results of its programs and to contribute to its strategic outcomes.

In the graphs, spending for 2015–16 and 2016–17 represent the total authorities disbursed as reflected in the Public Accounts of Canada. For 2017–18, the forecast spending amounts indicated on the graphs include all parliamentary appropriations: main estimates, supplementary estimates and carry-forward. For 2018–19 to 2020–21, planned spending consists of the figures listed in the 2018–19 Annual Reference Level Update.

Budget 2017 provided SSHRC with $117.6 million over eight fiscal years for the Canada 150 Research Chairs, a new grant program that has been created to attract top-tier international scholars and researchers who are among the top 5 to 10% in their fields and enhance Canada’s reputation as a global centre for innovation, science and research excellence. In addition, temporary funding allotted for a pilot project in social innovation ended in 2017–18.

Planned Spending figures do not include Budget 2018 announcements. More information will be provided in the 2018–19 Supplementary Estimates and Departmental Results Report, as applicable.

To meet the expected results of its programs and to contribute to its core responsibilities, in fiscal year 2018–19, SSHRC expenditures are expected to total $786.1 million, which includes $403.3 million for SSHRC programs; $369.6 million for the Research Support Fund (Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research); and $13.2 million for Internal Services. Significant budget variances from fiscal year 2017–18 to 2018–19 are due to an increase in CFREF, new funds for the new Canada 150 Research Chairs program, a decrease in the Community and College Social Innovation Fund, and a decrease in the BL-NCE.

Budget 2018 announced an additional investment of $215.5 million over five years to SSHRC for fundamental research in the social sciences and humanities. Budget 2018 also proposed to create a new tri-agency fund of $275 million over five years to support research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and higher-risk, to be administered by SSHRC on behalf of the federal research funding agencies. Additional investments over five years of $231.3 million for the Research Support Fund and $210 million for the Canada Research Chairs Program were also announced. Both programs are administered by SSHRC on behalf of the granting agencies. Finally, Budget 2018 provided SSHRC with $3.8 million for 2018–19 to develop a strategic plan that identifies new ways of doing research with Indigenous communities.

Planned human resources

Human resources planning summary for Core Responsibilities and Internal Services (full-time equivalents)

Core Responsibilities and Internal Services	2015–16 Actual	2016–17 Actual	2017–18 Forecast	2018–19 Planned	2019–20 Planned	2020–21 Planned
Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training	128	133	135	135	135	135
Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research	2	2	2	2	2	2
Subtotal	130	135	137	137	137	137
Internal Services	88	93	94	94	94	94
Total	218	228	231	231	231	231

The variance in full-time equivalents is due to the launch of the Canada 150 Research Chairs, for which additional funding was received for full-time equivalents.

Estimates by vote

For information on SSHRC’s organizational appropriations, consult the 2018–19 Main Estimates.^{Footnote viii}

Future-Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations

The Future Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations provides a general overview of SSHRC’s operations. The forecast of financial information on expenses and revenues is prepared on an accrual accounting basis to strengthen accountability and to improve transparency and financial management.

Because the Future Oriented Condensed Statement of Operations is prepared on an accrual accounting basis, and the forecast and planned spending amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan are prepared on an expenditure basis, amounts may differ.

A more detailed Future Oriented Statement of Operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations to the requested authorities, are available on SSHRC’s website.^{Footnote ix}

Total expenses are expected to increase by less than 1% ($976,038). The change is mainly attributable to the expected increase in transfer payments for CFREF and the Canada 150 Research Chairs, partially offset by lower transfer payments for the Community and College Social Innovation Fund.

Revenues are expected to remain steady in the next fiscal year.

Supplementary information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Raison d’être, mandate and role

“Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do” is available on SSHRC’s website.^{Footnote xi}

Operating context and key risks

Information on operating context and key risks is available on SSHRC’s website.^{Footnote xii}

Reporting framework

SSHRC’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2018–19 are shown below:

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in the GC InfoBase.^{Footnote xiii}

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on SSHRC’s website:^{Footnote xiv}

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
• Disclosure of transfer payment programs under $5 million
• Gender-based analysis plus (GBA+)
• Planned evaluation coverage over the next five fiscal years
• Upcoming internal audits for the coming fiscal year

Federal tax expenditures

The tax system can be used to achieve public policy objectives through the application of special measures such as low tax rates, exemptions, deductions, deferrals and credits. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for these measures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures^{Footnote xv}. This report also provides detailed background information on tax expenditures, including descriptions, objectives, historical information and references to related federal spending programs. The tax measures presented in this report are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance.

Organizational contact information

Appendix: definitions

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, organizations or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

Core Responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a Core Responsibility are reflected in one or more related Departmental Results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of appropriated departments over a three year period. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

Departmental Result (résultat ministériel)

Any change or changes that the department seeks to influence. A Departmental Result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by Program-level outcomes.

Departmental Result Indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A factor or variable that provides a valid and reliable means to measure or describe progress on a Departmental Result.

Departmental Results Framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

The department’s Core Responsibilities, Departmental Results and Departmental Result Indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on the actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

experimentation (expérimentation)

Activities that seek to explore, test and compare the effects and impacts of policies, interventions and approaches, to inform evidence-based decision-making, by learning what works and what does not.

full time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person year charge against a departmental budget. Full time equivalents are calculated as a ratio of assigned hours of work to scheduled hours of work. Scheduled hours of work are set out in collective agreements.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS+])

An analytical process used to help identify the potential impacts of policies, Programs and services on diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people. The “plus” acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences to consider multiple identity factors that intersect to make people who they are (such as race, ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability).

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2018–19 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities refers to those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2015 Speech from the Throne, namely: Growth for the Middle Class; Open and Transparent Government; A Clean Environment and a Strong Economy; Diversity is Canada’s Strength; and Security and Opportunity.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which two or more federal organizations, through an approved funding agreement, work toward achieving clearly defined shared outcomes, and which has been designated (by Cabinet, a central agency, etc.) as a horizontal initiative for managing and reporting purposes.

non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What an organization did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the organization intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an organization, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

performance reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

The process of communicating evidence based performance information. Performance reporting supports decision making, accountability and transparency.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in the Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how an organization intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead up to the expected result.

priority (priorité)

A plan or project that an organization has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired Departmental Results.

Program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

Program Alignment Architecture (architecture d’alignement des programmes)

A structured inventory of an organization’s programs depicting the hierarchical relationship between programs and the Strategic Outcome(s) to which they contribute.

result (résultat)

An external consequence attributed, in part, to an organization, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single organization, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the organization’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

Strategic Outcome (résultat stratégique)

A long term and enduring benefit to Canadians that is linked to the organization’s mandate, vision and core functions.

sunset program (programme temporisé)

A time limited program that does not have an ongoing funding and policy authority. When the program is set to expire, a decision must be made whether to continue the program. In the case of a renewal, the decision specifies the scope, funding level and duration.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that an organization, Program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an Appropriation Act. The Vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.