Institutional GBA Plus Capacity |
SSHRC has implemented some key elements to enable and sustain GBA Plus capacity within the organization:
- Governance:
SSHRC established an Executive Coordination Committee on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in 2020, with a mandate to guide SSHRC’s implementation of the Tri-agency EDI Action Plan (that is, a plan developed by the three federal research funding agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and SSHRC), endorse a SSHRC EDI implementation plan, and ensure alignment between external- and internal-facing GBA Plus and EDI initiatives. The committee is composed of seven SSHRC associate vice-presidents, executive directors and directors (or equivalent), representing SSHRC’s four directorates.
SSHRC also established its Working Group on EDI to reinforce effective cross-agency communication and coordination on GBA Plus and EDI issues and initiatives.
- GBA Plus training and awareness:
SSHRC has implemented mandatory GBA Plus training for all staff, supplementing it with complementary mandatory and optional training on GBA Plus and EDI topics for staff and executives, including training on privacy protocols for access to and use of the self-identification data that SSHRC collects.
SSHRC has also posted resources on GBA Plus for staff on the intranet.
- Program performance and evaluation:
SSHRC has integrated performance objectives and indicators relating to the participation of underrepresented and disadvantaged groups in Performance Information Profiles (at the program level) and in the Departmental Results Framework (at the organization level).
Further, SSHRC’s Evaluation Division has developed and integrated an EDI framework to be applied in all program evaluations. This ensures that program evaluations will include valuable information for GBA Plus analyses to inform future decision making.
In 2022-23, both the evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs Program and the horizontal tri-agency evaluation of funding for graduate student training will include information and analyses that will serve GBA Plus needs going forward.
- Collection of disaggregated data:
Fundamental to the capacity to undertake GBA Plus is the availability of disaggregated data describing the applicants to SSHRC funding opportunities and the broader research community. In 2018, SSHRC implemented a self-identification questionnaire to collect data from all direct participants in its programs. SSHRC publishes these data (aggregated by funding opportunity) in an EDI dashboard for SSHRC funding, as part of the program statistics for the Canada Research Chairs and through other channels.
- Internal and external engagement:
SSHRC has created a number of mechanisms for engagement with underrepresented and disadvantaged groups, as a means to better understand barriers and to collect input on program initiatives:
- Advisory Committee on Equity Diversity and Inclusion Policy (for Tri-agency Institutional Programs) (external)
- Advisory Committee to Address Anti-Black Racism (external)
- Employment Equity and Diversity Advisory Committee (internal)
- Anti-Black Racism Working Group (internal)
- Persons with Disabilities Network (internal)
These mechanisms strengthen the agency’s capacity to conduct GBA Plus analyses, and to understand differential outcomes and impacts of SSHRC programs.
In 2022-23, SSHRC will develop new capacity for GBA Plus through planned engagement of researchers and students with disabilities to inform the agency’s Accessibility Plan.
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Highlights of GBA Plus Results Reporting Capacity by Program |
Insight Research |
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire completed by applicants and merit review committee members, the Insight Research program collects sufficient data for monitoring and reporting the program’s impacts (i.e., application rates and award rates) by different identity factors.
- In 2022-23, a GBA Plus protocol will be used in the evaluation of two Insight Research programs (Canada Research Chairs and funding for graduate student training). This protocol includes standardized subquestions and data collection tools to identify any potential differential impacts of the programs with respect to research, research training and research careers. Also in 2022-23, SSHRC will develop new capacity for GBA Plus through the planned engagement of researchers and students with disabilities to inform the agency’s Accessibility Plan.
Canada Research Chairs Program
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire (which is a harmonized tri-agency form) given to nominees at the time of nomination, the program collects sufficient data for monitoring for potential biases in its merit review process (i.e., application rates and award rates) and to report on representation within the program in terms of participation of individuals from the four designated groups (women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities).
- An evaluation of the Canada Research Chairs Program is expected to be delivered in 2022-23. It will include data and analyses on differential impacts of the program and its performance against its EDI objectives. Further, a success rate analysis will be used to identify potential systemic barriers in the program’s policies and practices and further inform policy and program developments.
Canada Excellence Research Chairs and Canada 150 Research Chairs
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form), the programs collect sufficient data to monitor for potential biases in the two programs’ merit review processes (i.e., application rates and award rates) and to report on representation within the programs in terms of participation of individuals from the four designated groups (women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities). All nominees are required to complete the self-identification questionnaire as part of the application process. Core team members from each program (e.g., faculty, trainees, other highly qualified personnel and administrative staff) also complete the self-identification form as part of the annual progress reporting requirements for the two programs.
- The programs will expand their capacity to report on representation in 2022-23 by implementing the management action plan in response to the Canada Research Chairs fifth-year program evaluation (which also included an evaluation of the Canada 150 program). Among other actions, the latest launch of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program incorporates a stronger focus on EDI as a measure of excellence in both research design and the composition of the research teams.
Canada First Research Excellence Fund
- No—Although the program uses a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form) to collect data from participants (e.g., faculty, trainees, other highly qualified personnel and administrative staff) as part of its annual progress reporting requirements, the response rate of participants is below 70%. This does not provide sufficient data for the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) to effectively monitor for potential barriers in accessing the program and to report how funded teams include representation of individuals from the four designated groups (women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities). These data are used to monitor performance outcomes of CFREF’s Performance Measurement Strategy and the EDI Performance Measurement Framework of the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat.
- CFREF will expand the capacity to report on representation in the program in 2022-23 by implementing the management action plan in response to CFREF’s fifth-year program evaluation. CFREF’s latest launch incorporates a stronger focus on EDI as a measure of excellence in both research design and the composition of the research teams. In particular, all new CFREF applications require a CFREF-specific EDI action plan as of the 2022 CFREF competition. This will provide valuable information to the Tri-agency Institutional Programs Secretariat for monitoring representation within the program and will complement the annual collection of self-identification data from CFREF participants.
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Research Training and Talent Development |
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form), the program collects sufficient data for monitoring and reporting on its impacts (i.e., application rates and award rates) by gender and diversity (persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities).
- A horizontal tri-agency evaluation of funding for graduate student training will be conducted in 2022-23. It will include data and analyses on any differential impact of the program and its performance against its EDI objectives. Also in 2022-23, SSHRC will develop new capacity for GBA Plus through the planned engagement of researchers and students with disabilities to inform the agency’s Accessibility Plan.
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Research Partnerships |
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form), the Research Partnerships program collects sufficient data for monitoring and reporting impacts (i.e., application rates and award rates) of the program by gender and diversity (persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities).
- In 2022-23, SSHRC will develop new capacity for GBA Plus through the planned engagement of researchers and students with disabilities to inform the agency’s Accessibility Plan.
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New Frontiers in Research Fund |
- Yes—Through a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form), the New Frontiers in Research Fund collects sufficient data for monitoring for potential biases in its merit review process and reporting on representation of individuals from the four designated groups in the program (women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities).
- In 2022-23, SSHRC will develop new capacity for GBA Plus through the planned engagement of researchers and students with disabilities to inform the agency’s Accessibility Plan.
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Research Support Fund |
- No—Due to the nature of the program, self-identification data are not collected for the Research Support Fund (RSF).
- The RSF will implement a renewed reporting framework as part of the management response to the 15th-year evaluation of the RSF, which will take into account monitoring and reporting of the program’s contributions to implementing institutional objectives related to EDI in the research enterprise.
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Canada Biomedical Research Fund |
- No—This program is in the planning stages and has not started collecting data.
- The Canada Biomedical Research Fund, through a self-identification questionnaire (also a harmonized tri-agency form), plans to collect sufficient data on research participants and reviewers to monitor for potential biases in its merit review processes (i.e., application rates and award rates) and to report on representation within the program in terms of participation of individuals from the four designated groups (women, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of visible minorities) once the competition is launched. All applicants to the stage two competition will be required to complete the self-identification questionnaire as part of the application process.
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