Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council 2024-25 Departmental plan

On this page

• From the Minister
• From the President
• Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services
  • Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
  • Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
  • Internal services
• Planned spending and human resources
  • Spending
  • Funding
  • Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
  • Human resources
• Corporate information
• Supplementary information tables
• Federal tax expenditures
• Definitions

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From the Minister

It is our pleasure to present the 2024-25 Departmental Plan for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), which lays out the key priorities the agency is working to advance for the benefit of all Canadians. 

In 2024-25, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada will continue working with its portfolio organizations and other federal partners to bolster Canadian innovation by fostering competitive, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

SSHRC promotes and supports social sciences and humanities research and research training to successfully develop talent, generate insights, build connections and advance knowledge that benefits all Canadians. In addition, it administers interdisciplinary, multi-agency programming that strengthens Canada’s overall research environment.

In collaboration with Canada’s other research funding agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, SSHRC is advancing the priorities of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee. This means strengthening the research ecosystem by promoting an equitable, diverse, and inclusive research environment, working with Indigenous communities to build new models to support Indigenous-led research and training, and developing a new training strategy to ensure Canada has the talent and discoveries needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Delivering the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies, SSHRC takes a lead role in enabling interdisciplinary, international, high-risk / high-reward, rapid-response research. SSHRC currently also leads the 2023 International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation, a funding opportunity offered under the International stream of the NFRF program. With its delivery of the tri-agency Canada Biomedical Research Fund, SSHRC is also directly fostering leading-edge research as part of Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy to grow a strong, responsive and competitive biomanufacturing and life sciences sector.

SSHRC continues to ensure the security of Canadian-led research, as prescribed in the federal government’s new Policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern. SSHRC works with federal partners and postsecondary institutions to promote best practices and tools for safeguarding research and funds research on cybersecurity, cyber resilience and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

We invite you to read this report to learn more about how ISED and its portfolio is working with Canadians of all backgrounds and in all regions—urban and rural—to position Canada as a leader in the global economy.

From the President

Through strategic investments in research, talent and knowledge mobilization, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) enables Canada's research community to help address the many challenges facing Canada and the world. SSHRC remains unwavering in its commitment to enabling the discoveries needed to tackle pressing social, environmental, economic and health issues, such as fostering the circular economy needed to preserve the planet’s resources and cut CO2 emissions, exploring governance systems that promote sustainability, and understanding the intersection between food, health and social justice to address food insecurity in some Canadian communities.

In addition to supporting the social sciences and humanities, SSHRC delivers several large-scale interdisciplinary initiatives on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies to support research and research talent. These include the innovative New Frontiers in Research Fund, the esteemed Canada Research Chairs Program, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, and the groundbreaking Canada Biomedical Research Fund, designed to help reinvigorate this country’s bioindustrial capacity. These programs help Canada attract and retain high-caliber researchers who use diverse and innovative approaches and conduct world leading research in areas of strategic importance to Canada.

SSHRC and the other Canada Research Coordinating Committee members collaborate on an array of initiatives. Putting the tri-agency equity, diversity and inclusion plan into action, we are addressing existing barriers within the research ecosystem, including in accessibility and official languages. Together, we are further harmonizing and modernizing our programs, research practices and policies, including on open access, improving our application and grants management systems, and coordinating our approaches to implementing federal budget reductions.

SSHRC continues to lead in supporting Indigenous research and talent. By implementing the tri-agency strategic plan Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada, the agencies are increasing access for Indigenous Peoples to agency programs and funding; and support for Indigenous research leadership, self-determination and capacity-building. This year, the agencies will also implement a new training strategy, to better support and prepare the diverse breadth of students and postdoctoral fellows for career paths demanding strong research skills, in all sectors of society.

SSHRC continues to partner on several large international collaborations. In 2024-2025, we will be working with partners to award grants through the Open Research Area competition and the Trans-Atlantic Platform call on Democracy, Governance, and Trust. After partnering last year in the US National Science Foundation’s inaugural Global Centers competition on climate change and green energy, SSHRC is joining the second call to fund research on the bioeconomy. We will also promote and support opportunities that arise through Canada’s new association in Horizon Europe, the European Union’s key funding program for research and innovation.

SSHRC’s own staff exemplify a culture of inclusion and innovation through mentoring and leadership programs, technological adaptation, collaboration, and a strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion, all in a highly accessible, hybrid, modern work environment.

I am pleased to present SSHRC’s 2024-25 Departmental Plan. By developing leading talent and economic, social and cultural insights, SSHRC will ensure top Canadian research and researchers can provide social, political and economic impact to improve the lives of Canadians.

Plans to deliver on core responsibilities and internal services

Core responsibilities and internal services:

• Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training
• Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research
• Internal services

Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

In this section

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Snapshot of planned resources in 2024-25
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Description

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (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.

Quality of life impacts

Considering the topics and application of the findings from funded research, SSHRC’s programs and activities have direct and indirect impacts on most Quality of Life indicators. This core responsibility contributes particularly to the “Prosperity” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and, more specifically, “Investment in in-house research and development” and “Postsecondary attainment” through all the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description. 

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) promotes research and research training in the social sciences and humanities and supports a research community, including over 23,700 full-time university professors, college professors, and more than 47,500 full-time graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, through grants, scholarships, fellowships and other funding opportunities. SSHRC also provides opportunities for researchers to work and collaborate with international researchers―overall, around 9% of co-applicants and 30% of collaborators on grants are researchers in other countries. Through its core programming, SSHRC will continue in 2024-25 to support training, investigator-led research, and research partnerships in the social sciences and humanities, and in interdisciplinary research, while also continuing to collaborate across the research ecosystem to foster initiatives that benefit and contribute to ensuring a better future for Canadians.

Departmental result 1: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research is internationally competitive.

SSHRC enhances the excellence of Canadian research through a variety of actions, such as by creating new opportunities for Canadian researchers to partner with colleagues around the world, by promoting targeted international joint initiatives, and by supporting interdisciplinary and priority-driven research on complex and global challenges.

Guided by its International Framework and Action Plan, SSHRC participates in several joint initiatives that enable multi-country partnerships. SSHRC will continue existing collaborations, such as the Open Research Area initiative―currently in its eighth iteration―which funds research projects in the social sciences and humanities involving researchers from at least three different countries. The results of the latest competition will be announced in 2024-25. SSHRC will also continue collaborating with international research funding organizations through the Trans-Atlantic Platform. The Platform, which brings together more than 15 countries from South America, North America, Europe and Africa, supports work to address major societal issues of today and tomorrow. The results of the latest call, Democracy, Governance and Trust, will be announced in 2024-25. In addition, SSHRC will continue to engage with the Research on Research Institute, an international consortium of research partners that examines how research is funded, practiced, communicated and evaluated. As part of this partnership, SSHRC and CIHR will launch a new funding opportunity to support Canadian researchers studying how research is conducted and supported to ultimately strengthen research practice. SSHRC will continue to engage its international partners, along with CIHR and NSERC, particularly to promote Canada’s associate membership with Horizon Europe, and specifically with NSERC on the second call of the US National Science Foundation’s Global Centers. This call will focus on the bioeconomy and will bring together an expanded group of partners, including Japan, Korea, Finland and the UK. Other international initiatives under consideration and development relate to artificial intelligence, French language, and mobility of talent, in alignment with Canadian policy priorities.

SSHRC also administers several tri-agency programs that strengthen Canada’s international competitiveness and create long-term social and economic benefits for Canadians. Of note, two major initiatives will be pursued in 2024-25. The Canada Biomedical Research Fund is a four-year program that will support the growth of a strong biomanufacturing and life sciences sector and enhance Canada’s ability to respond to future pandemics. Stage 1 of the competition resulted in the creation of five research hubs. Stage 2 of the competition funds research, talent development and infrastructure projects aligned with the hubs’ research program. Through the International Stream of the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), SSHRC is leading the International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation on behalf of the three federal research funding agencies. This initiative aims to further the design and implementation of co-produced adaptation and mitigation strategies for vulnerable groups—those groups currently most impacted by the effects of climate change because of both physical and socio-economic vulnerability. In addition, a new international research initiative on Sustainable Development of the Arctic, with research funding organizations from Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, will be delivered through NFRF.

Departmental result 2: Canada has a pool of diverse and highly skilled people in the social sciences and humanities.

World-class research requires a broad and diverse talent pool of highly qualified researchers and innovative thinkers. SSHRC is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive community of researchers across all career stages, in both official languages. As part of this commitment, SSHRC will continue to work with the other federal research funding agencies to implement the Tri-Agency Training Strategy, under the direction of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC). The Strategy will help students and postdoctoral researchers succeed in diverse career pathways. It will also guide the future of SSHRC’s Research Training and Talent Development program. Additionally, through renewed joint initiatives with government and not-for-profit partners, students and postdoctoral researchers will have further opportunities to develop career-ready skills and create networks within and beyond academia.

The federal research funding agencies are committed to fostering an equitable, diverse and inclusive research ecosystem. Through the Tri-Agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan, the agencies aim to ensure fair access to research support and equitable participation in the research system. In 2024-25, SSHRC will continue to implement the action plan in collaboration with NSERC and CIHR by promoting a broader understanding of research excellence and reducing barriers to participation in the research ecosystem. Additional measures to support SSHRC’s objectives in this area include new EDI requirements for small institutions participating in the Canada Research Chairs Program and the progressive implementation of SSHRC’s Accessibility Plan, which remains a key priority for SSHRC in 2024-25 as the agency responds to the recommendations of its Advisory Committee on Accessibility and Systemic Ableism, which released its final report in late 2023-24.

Addressing systemic anti-Black racism also remains a SSHRC priority. In 2024-25, SSHRC will continue to develop its action plan to address anti-Black racism in the Canadian social sciences and humanities research enterprise, informed by findings and recommendations contained in the 2023 report of the Advisory Committee to Address Anti-Black Racism in Research and Research Training. The Black Scholars initiative will also enter its second year. Offered through established scholarship programs, these designated awards will strengthen the research capacity of Black researchers and enrich Canadian research and innovation.

SSHRC remains committed to actively supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis research and research training, including by recognizing and respecting Indigenous knowledge systems. Now extended to 2026, the tri-agency strategic plan, Setting new directions to support Indigenous research and research training in Canada, is being implemented under the guidance of the Indigenous Leadership Circle in Research. With its counsel, SSHRC will continue to further build and strengthen relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples, support the research priorities of Indigenous Peoples, increase their access to the three agencies’ programs and funding, and champion Indigenous leadership, self-determination and capacity building in research. This work includes the development and implementation of the Tri-Agency Policy on Indigenous Citizenship and Membership Affirmation in key programs across the agencies and other key actions designed to better support Indigenous researchers at various career stages and through different funding opportunities. SSHRC’s commitment to support Indigenous students at the master’s level will also continue into 2024-25 through the Indigenous Scholars Award and Supplements Pilot Initiative. Furthermore, efforts to identify and address barriers to Indigenous participation in research are underway as part of the Strengthening Indigenous Research Capacity initiative, including initiatives to revise the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and the Research Ethics Framework. The goal is to better support indirect costs for Indigenous not-for-profit organizations conducting research and to secure additional funding for Indigenous research in Canada. As an extension of this work, the SSHRC Indigenous Advisory Circle, created in 2014, will continue to advise on aspects of implementation specific to SSHRC.

Departmental result 3: Canada’s social sciences and humanities research knowledge is used.

SSHRC is committed to increasing the discoverability and mobilization of knowledge resulting from the research it funds, as well as the use of knowledge drawn from Canadian research in the social sciences and humanities, locally and internationally. To maximize the impact of funded research, SSHRC relies on connections and collaborations between potential users, non-academic collaborators and knowledge producers. To further advance this objective, in 2024-25, SSHRC will develop a new framework to guide its activities in capturing and communicating the impacts of the research it funds and to better demonstrate the value of social sciences and humanities research.

SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative mobilizes social sciences and humanities research and talent to address future and emerging societal challenges for Canada and help guide decision-making across all sectors, often in partnership with federal government departments. The initiative accelerates the exchange and use of research knowledge to better inform policy and respond to emerging economic and social challenges for Canada. Knowledge Synthesis Grants (KSGs) support researchers in producing knowledge synthesis reports, which analyze existing knowledge on a specific question or issue and work to identify knowledge gaps. After researchers funded through KSGs complete their projects, they are invited to share their findings in national knowledge mobilization forums and in evidence briefs (available on SSHRC’s website). The forums bring together researchers, diverse stakeholders and cross-sectoral policy-makers to present and discuss the findings, while the evidence briefs ensure the knowledge is shared with the wider public. These activities enable evidence-based decision making, the adoption of best practices and the development of future research programs.

In 2024-25, SSHRC will continue to advance knowledge on the future global challenges identified in 2018 while also exploring new future challenge areas on which to focus for the next action plans. SSHRC will launch its next KSG competition “Envisioning Governance Systems that Work” and organize knowledge mobilization activities for this KSG as well as for previously launched funding opportunities on “Evolving Narratives of Cultures and Histories,” “Canada and the Circular Economy” and “Global Health and Wellness for the 21st Century.”

A robust culture of responsible stewardship of research data and open access strengthens the research enterprise. SSHRC’s Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative will continue to fund grants supporting the research community’s development, adoption and dissemination of research data management standards and practices. SSHRC will also continue to implement the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy in concert with CIHR and NSERC. This policy aims to support Canadian research excellence by promoting sound research data management and data stewardship practices. Additionally, SSHRC will continue working in collaboration with CIHR, NSERC, and with internal and external stakeholders, to revise the Tri-Agency Open Access Policy on Publication to promote the immediate open access of articles resulting from agency-funded research. At SSHRC, this will include support for new publishing models through the Aid to Scholarly Journals program.

While Canada’s research ecosystem should be as open as possible, some activities can pose risks to Canada’s national security and the integrity of its research enterprise. To address these risks, SSHRC will continue to develop and implement policies that support research security in a global context, in collaboration with other federal departments and agencies and in alignment with the new measures to protect Canadian research announced in January 2024.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25

• Planned spending: $726,456,649
• Planned full-time resources: 249

Related government priorities

Gender-based analysis plus

As part of SSHRC’s continued commitment to advancing EDI, several initiatives are planned for 2024-25 that integrate gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) and EDI perspectives to promote inclusive outcomes for Canadians.

SSHRC monitors the equity performance of its funding opportunities to identify and address inequities. Program participation and award rates will continue to be monitored by using standardized data collection tools and evaluation protocols that integrate GBA Plus and EDI components. In 2024-25, SSHRC will strengthen its capacity to collect disaggregated data by revising its self-identification questionnaire. SSHRC will work with NSERC and CIHR to revise the harmonized questionnaire in consideration of best practices and community stakeholder feedback. Additionally, a GBA Plus evaluation protocol will be used to pilot a study on SSHRC’s direct funding to graduate students who identify as having disabilities.

In 2023, SSHRC and other government departments and agencies sponsored an expert panel assessment by the Council of Canadian Academies on “Evidence-Based Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Practices for Impactful Change in the Post-Secondary Research Ecosystem.” The findings from the assessment, to be carried out in 2024-25, will inform the agencies' GBA Plus analysis and approaches to addressing EDI in their policies and programs. Additionally, in 2024-25, the Canada Research Chairs Program’s literature will be reviewed through an EDI lens, as the institutions participating in the program continue to work toward equity targets for their allocated chairs.

United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

SSHRC helps advance the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by delivering essential funding for research, training and knowledge mobilization through its core programs, as well as by developing and delivering innovative programs that often address complex global challenges. For instance, SSHRC partners in climate-related research initiatives, such as the International Joint Initiative for Research in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation being delivered through the New Frontiers in Research Fund, and the Sustainable agriculture research initiative in partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and NSERC. This latest initiative will support the transformative science needed to transition the agricultural sector to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050. Through this funding, the agencies will seek to catalyze multidisciplinary collaborations among university, college, government and non-academic partners in this area. The results of this competition will be announced in 2024-25.

More information on SSHRC’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in the agency’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Program inventory

Core Responsibility 1: Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training is supported by the following programs:

• Insight Research
• Research Training and Talent Development
• Research partnerships
• New Frontiers in Research Fund
• Canada Biomedical Research Fund

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research

In this section

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Snapshot of planned resources in 2024-25
• Program inventory

Description

To meet the Institutional Support for the Indirect Cost of Research responsibility, SSHRC, on behalf of CIHR, NSERC and SSHRC, 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.

Quality of life impacts

This core responsibility contributes to the “Prosperity” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada and, more specifically, “Investment in in-house research and development” and “Postsecondary attainment” through all the activities mentioned in the core responsibility description. 

Results and targets

The following table shows, for the departmental result related to Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024-25.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

The Research Support Fund (RSF) program, a tri-agency initiative administered by SSHRC, helps Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the indirect costs associated with managing the research supported by the three federal research funding agencies. The program provides institutions with an annual grant to help offset the costs of maintaining a world-class research environment with modern facilities, equipment and essential resources.

The Incremental Project Grants (IPG) funding opportunity is a stream of the RSF that provides eligible institutions with additional support for projects that focus on five priority areas:

• innovation and commercialization activities
• facilities renewal, including deferred maintenance
• information resources, including digital resources, open access and databases
• equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of EDI)
• research security.

In 2022-23, ongoing additional funding was provided to further help institutions implement the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships. Research security was added as an IPG priority area to support eligible institutions in building their capacity to identify, assess and mitigate potential research security risks that can compromise their research, innovation, collaborations and partnerships, both domestically and internationally.

In 2024-25, SSHRC will initiate the next evaluation of the RSF program. The approach and design of the RSF evaluation will be developed, along with the specific questions to be investigated. Evaluations of research funding programs typically examine questions related to relevance, effectiveness and efficiency of the program. Depending on needs, however, evaluations can also examine other units, themes and issues.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024–25

• Planned spending: $453,127,095
• Planned full-time resources: 6

Program inventory

Core Responsibility 2: Institutional Support for the Indirect Costs of Research is supported by the following program:

• Research Support Fund

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to SSHRC’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Internal services

In this section

• Description
• Plans to achieve results
• Snapshot of planned resources in 2024-25
• Related government priorities

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

To execute its mandate effectively and efficiently, SSHRC must remain a nimble, responsive and adaptive organization, one that ensures the well-being and productivity of its employees in a changing work environment. Focus for 2024-25 will continue to be placed on advancing areas of activities related to workplace, work tools and workforce dimensions. This focus will encompass the following initiatives:

Renewing the workplace

SSHRC will continue to facilitate the transition to the new hybrid work model by refining the design of its physical and virtual workspaces. As the organization establishes itself in its newly constructed, modern building, the focus will be placed on critical enhancements to support productivity, improve accessibility and support the technology infrastructure. This will include security enhancements, addressing accessibility barriers, ensuring continued efficient change management and technology support, and establishing sound partnerships with other Government of Canada service providers.

Strengthening work tools

SSHRC will continue to strengthen and maintain its work tools, particularly by providing support to the following initiatives:

Relocation of the data centre to a new hosting solution for increases in efficiency and to align with GoC direction. Advancement of the Tri-agency grants management solution (TGMS) initiative. SSHRC, in collaboration with CIHR and NSERC, will provide support to the finalization of the TGMS discovery phase and, pending confirmation of project authorities, start the project implementation phase. The aim is that, over time, existing grants management systems will be replaced with a modern solution that advances digital and client-centric service design and delivery—applicants will be able to use one platform to apply to any of the three agencies—and help remove systemic barriers affecting the research community.

Supporting SSHRC’s workforce

Guided by its People Strategy and its workplan, SSHRC will continue to nurture and sustain a safe, healthy and inclusive work culture that supports a talented and agile workforce. The priority areas include building its workforce for future success by promoting a safe, respectful and healthy work environment for all; enabling accessibility, diversity, bilingualism and inclusiveness at work; and modernizing policies and operations to support an agile, resilient and responsive workforce. These priorities will be achieved through initiatives, including the development of a Talent Management Framework, the reinforcement of the agency’s code of values and ethics, and the modernization of the staffing and recruitment processes.

Snapshot of planned resources in 2024-25

• Planned spending: $18,348,151
• Planned full-time resources: 123

Related government priorities

Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

SSHRC is committed to enhancing the involvement of Indigenous businesses in the realm of federal procurement, aligning with the objectives outlined in the Directive on the Management of Procurement. Within the framework of the recently introduced Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Businesses (PSIB), government departments and agencies are mandated to set a minimum target of 5% of federal contract values to be awarded to businesses owned and operated by Indigenous individuals. SSHRC aims to achieve this goal through a phased approach that is slated for full implementation by 2024-25.

In 2024-25, SSHRC remains committed to meeting the 5% target for the total value of contracts allocated to Indigenous businesses. SSHRC will also take tangible actions in line with the Government of Canada's substantial commitment to increasing Indigenous business participation in federal procurement. These actions include providing training, planning for early engagement in the PSIB initiative for procurement requests, creating a guide for internal stakeholders to optimize Indigenous involvement, and advocating for the use of the Indigenous Business Directory when assessing Indigenous capacity.

Planned spending and human resources

This section provides an overview of SSHRC’s planned spending and human resources for the next three fiscal years and compares planned spending for 2024–25 with actual spending from previous years.

In this section

• Spending
• Funding
• Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
• Human resources

Spending

Actual spending has increased over the last three years due to additional funding received for the following programs and initiatives:

• the creation of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund
• new awards for Black scholars
• to support research security capacity building and activities
• the Sustainable agriculture research initiative
• the 2022 competitions of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs and Canada First Research Excellence Fund
• the Race, gender and diversity initiative
• the transfer of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program’s funds to the New Frontiers in Research Fund.

Planned spending is higher in 2024-25 and 2025-26 compared to previous years due to additional funding received following the 2022 competitions of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs, as well as for the Canada Biomedical Research Fund. The planned spending is decreasing in 2026-27 due to the winding down of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund, scheduled to sunset in 2026-27 if not renewed, and the sunsetting of the Canada 150 Research Chairs in 2025-26.

Funding

This spending includes tri-agency funding that supports projects in social sciences and humanities disciplines as well as the entire budget for the New Frontiers in Research Fund, which supports projects across all disciplines but is included in SSHRC reference levels.

Spending in previous years and planned spending in 2024-25 is increasing due to additional funding received:

• from Budget 2021 for the Race, gender and diversity initiative and the new Canada Biomedical Research Fund
• from Budget 2022 to support research security capacity building and activities, and to provide research training awards for Black scholars
• following the 2022 competitions of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs.

Funding is decreasing in future years due to the winding down of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund, scheduled to sunset in 2026-27 if not renewed.

SSHRC received additional funding from Budget 2022 for the Research Support Fund to build capacity within postsecondary institutions to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks to research security.

Estimates by vote

Information on SSHRC’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.

Future-oriented condensed statement of operations

The future-oriented condensed statement of operations provides an overview of SSHRC’s operations for 2023–24 to 2024–25.

The forecast and planned amounts in this statement of operations were prepared on an accrual basis. The forecast and planned amounts presented in other sections of the Departmental Plan were prepared on an expenditure basis. Amounts may therefore differ.

A more detailed future-oriented statement of operations and associated notes, including a reconciliation of the net cost of operations with the requested authorities, are available on SSHRC’s website.

Total expenses are expected to increase by approximately 3.0% ($35.4 million). The increase is primarily attributable to an increase in funding following the 2022 competitions of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the Canada Excellence Research Chairs, as well as the ramp up of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund from Budget 2021 over the next two years.

Human resources

Actual FTEs increased over the last three years due to additional funding received for the following programs and initiatives:

• the creation of the Canada Biomedical Research Fund
• new awards for Black scholars
• to support research security capacity building and activities
• the Sustainable agriculture research initiative
• the 2022 competitions of the Canada Excellence Research Chairs and Canada First Research Excellence Fund
• the Race, gender and diversity initiative
• the transfer of the Networks of Centres of Excellence program’s funds to the New Frontiers in Research Fund.

Planned FTEs will decrease mainly because two temporary programs will conclude during this period: the Canada Biomedical Research Fund and the Canada 150 Research Chairs.

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Appropriate minister(s):

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, P.C., M.P., Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Institutional head:

Ted Hewitt, President

Ministerial portfolio:

Innovation, Science and Industry

Enabling instrument(s):

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act, R.S.C. 1985c. S-12

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1977

Organizational contact information

Mailing address
125 Zaida Eddy Private, 2nd floor
Ottawa ON, K1R 0E3
Canada

Telephone: 1-855-275-2861

Email: corporate-performance@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Website: www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Supplementary information tables

The following supplementary information tables are available on SSHRC’s website:

• Details on transfer payment programs
• Gender-based analysis plus

Information on SSHRC’s departmental sustainable development strategy can be found on SSHRC’s website.

Federal tax expenditures

SSHRC’s Departmental Plan does not include information on tax expenditures.

Tax expenditures are the responsibility of the Minister of Finance. The Department of Finance Canada publishes cost estimates and projections for government wide tax expenditures each year in the Report on Federal Tax Expenditures.

This report provides detailed information on tax expenditures, including objectives, historical background and references to related federal spending programs, as well as evaluations, research papers and gender-based analysis plus.

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 document that sets out a department’s priorities, programs, expected results and associated resource requirements, covering a three‑year period beginning with the year indicated in the title of the report. Departmental Plans are tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A change that a 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)

A framework that consists of the department’s core responsibilities, departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual performance in a fiscal year against its plans, priorities and expected results set out in its Departmental Plan for that year. Departmental Results Reports are usually tabled in Parliament each fall.

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 Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography, language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2024–25 Departmental Plan, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2021 Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fighter harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation and fighting for a secure, just, and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative in which two or more federal organizations are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Indigenous business

As defined on the Indigenous Services Canada website in accordance with the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses annually.

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.

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.

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.

program (programme)

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

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

An inventory of a department’s programs that describes how resources are organized to carry out the department’s core responsibilities and achieve its planned results.

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.

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.

Date modified:

2024-03-28