Departmental Results Report 2019-20

The Honourable Navdeep Bains, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada,
represented by the Minister of Industry, 2020

Cat. No. CR1-16E-PDF
ISSN 2561-1895

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Departmental Results Report 2019-20

(PDF, 328KB)

Minister’s message

It is my pleasure to present the 2019–20 Departmental Results Report for the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). As the Department continues to mobilize industry and the research community to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the various organizations in the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Portfolio have coordinated their efforts to position Canada as a global innovation leader and shape an inclusive economy for all Canadians.

In support of funding social sciences research and training, Budget 2019 investments in the Canada Graduate Scholarships program benefited master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers through an expanded number of SSHRC scholarships and fellowships. Ensuring equitable access to SSHRC’s programs continues to put a focus on equity, diversity and inclusion in SSHRC’s activities.

The Canada Research Coordinating Committee continued reinvigorating Canada’s support for science to meet the current and future needs of the country’s scientists, scholars and students. Initiatives include the three program streams of the SSHRC-administered New Frontiers in Research Fund, the release of the co-developed interagency strategic plan to strengthen Indigenous research capacity and the launch of the Incremental Project Grants funding opportunity to complement Research Support Fund grants.

These are just a few examples of SSHRC’s work on behalf of Canadians, regardless of their background, region or generation. I invite you to read this report to learn more about how SSHRC is working with and for Canadians to build an innovation nation by promoting and supporting postsecondary-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences.

President’s message

I am pleased to present SSHRC’s 2019–20 Departmental Results Report.

Significant federal research investments over the past two years have enabled SSHRC to greatly expand its impact in Canada and internationally through broadening existing research programs, creating new opportunities for research and training, and connecting Canadians with groundbreaking social sciences and humanities research and discovery.

SSHRC’s operations were successfully mobilized to address the unprecedented challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure smooth delivery of its programs and program-related activities.

In 2019, master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers benefited from new Budget 2019 investments in the tri-agency Canada Graduate Scholarships program. SSHRC also reached a significant milestone in 2019 in terms of harmonizing the Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral Program across the tri-agencies.

Over the past year, SSHRC collaborated on several initiatives with both Canadian and international partners. For example, SSHRC launched the Canada-UK AI Initiative with UK Research and Innovation. SSHRC also partnered with CIHR and NSERC to launch a Knowledge Synthesis Grant competition on “Living Within the Earth’s Caring Capacity”, and the rapid delivery of funding for multidisciplinary research to combat the coronavirus and evolving societal impacts. SSHRC supported multiple projects, through the Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research Funding Opportunity.

SSHRC introduced new measures in support of equity, diversity and inclusion across its funding programs. In 2019, SSHRC released a new interactive equity, diversity and inclusion dashboard, which so far presents two years of self-identification data from applicants and merit reviewers for the majority of SSHRC funding opportunities. Further, in 2019, SSHRC, on behalf of the tri-agencies, launched the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Agreement for the Canada Research Chairs Program.

On behalf of the tri-agencies and the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC), SSHRC administered the full suite of three program streams for the New Frontiers in Research Fund: Exploration, Transformation and International. Through the Research Support Fund, SSHRC also launched the Incremental Project Grants funding opportunity, which complements the Research Support Fund.

SSHRC led efforts on behalf of the tri-agencies and the CRCC to strengthen relationships with Indigenous peoples through the co-development of a research capacity building and training model that contributes to reconciliation. Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada was shaped through extensive engagement with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

I am exceptionally proud of the efforts and dedication of SSHRC employees in unreservedly tackling the major challenges brought on by the pandemic to ensure continued support to the research community. The contributions SSHRC-funded researchers are making to advance world-leading social sciences and humanities research will help Canada better navigate the global challenges of today and the future

Ted Hewitt, PhD

Results at a glance and operating context

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 the pursuit of social, cultural and economic outcomes for Canadians. In 2019–20, SSHRC pursued its departmental results focusing on two core responsibilities: (1) funding social sciences and humanities research and training; and (2) institutional support for the indirect costs of research.

Funding Social Sciences and Humanities Research and Training

In 2019–20, SSHRC invested more than $123.4 million to support over 4,670 students directly through scholarships and fellowships, and invested $371.8 million more to support more than 21,600 researchers directly and approximately 4,300 additional students indirectly through grants at postsecondary institutions across Canada.

SSHRC helped Canada sustain and enhance its globally competitive position as a producer of high-calibre research and supported training across the research enterprise. SSHRC’s support to social sciences and humanities research and training also involves significant collaborations with other disciplines. The following key results were achieved in 2019–20:

• Of SSHRC-funded research, 68% involved international collaborations.
• The New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) launched two inaugural streams, the Transformation stream to build strength and leadership in interdisciplinary and transformative research in Canada, and the International stream to enhance opportunities for Canadian researchers to participate in research with international partners.
• The Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral Program was harmonized across the tri-agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and SSHRC—including harmonized competition timelines and program description, as well as common eligibility and evaluation criteria.
• SSHRC launched the tri-agency strategic plan Setting New Directions to Support Indigenous Research and Research Training in Canada.

SSHRC also participated in a number of collaborative initiatives that bring social sciences and humanities research to bear on issues impacting Canadians. For example:

• The Canadian 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Rapid Research funding opportunity: SSHRC invested more than $7.8 million in this tri-agency collaboration, as part of the global response to the COVID-19 outbreak and to strengthen understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals and communities.
• The Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research: A partnership with Canadian Heritage, this initiative supports researchers, postdoctoral scholars and students conducting research related to online disinformation and other online harms, as well as their impact in the Canadian context. In 2019–20, funding for this initiative was awarded under SSHRC’s Insight Grant, Connection Grant, Postdoctoral Fellowship and Doctoral Award funding opportunities.
• The Mitacs Elevate Research Management Training Initiative: In 2019–20, 25 SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship holders were selected to participate in this initiative that helps postdoctoral fellows obtain professional skills relevant to research and the development of careers.

Through its core funding programs and others, SSHRC continued to seek opportunities to make the results of its funding accessible to Canadians and to organizations in all sectors, thus contributing to decision-making, policy-making and innovation, and helping to identify and address the challenges of today and tomorrow. SSHRC achieved the following key results in 2019–20:

• Overall, 869 non-academic partners were involved in 315 research projects and contributed more than $41 million in research funding, a 17% increase in the number of partners from the previous year.
• Socioeconomic outcomes for Canadians were reported for 78% of funded projects.
• Through its Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, SSHRC launched two Knowledge Synthesis Grant funding opportunities in 2019–20 that focused on identifying knowledge and data gaps and knowledge mobilization opportunities: “Informing Best Practices in Environmental and Impact Assessments” and “Living Within the Earth’s Carrying Capacity.”

Institutional support for the Indirect Costs of Research

The Research Support Fund (RSF) reinforces the federal government’s 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 enabled the creation of a new funding stream under the RSF, the Incremental Project Grants, which were awarded to 31 institutions in 2019–20 for an investment of $38.1 million.

Operating context

Information on operating context is available on SSHRC’s website.

For more information on SSHRC’s plans, priorities and results achieved, see the “Results: what we achieved” section of this report.

Results: what we achieved

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.

Results

For this core responsibility, SSHRC has continued to aim to improve support for the next generation of scientists and scholars, supporting excellence and enabling partnerships, while advancing equity and diversity in research and increasing the capacity of Indigenous communities to conduct research and partner with the broader research community. Through independent merit review, SSHRC awarded more than 5,200 new grants, scholarships and fellowships to support research and research training.

Gender-based analysis plus

SSHRC strengthens its impact by integrating a gender-based analysis plus (GBA+) lens into program and policy decision-making. The guiding framework for GBA+—and EDI more broadly—is the Tri-agency Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (2018-2025). Its main objectives are to ensure fair access to tri-agency research support, and promote equitable participation in the research ecosystem (see box).

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

In 2019–20, SSHRC used two indicators to measure its achievement of this result:

• 68% of SSHRC-funded research involved international collaborations (target minimum 65%)
• Canada ranked 19th among Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations on the citation score of social sciences and humanities research publications (target in the top 10)

The second indicator measures the strength of Canada’s social sciences and humanities research ecosystem overall and not just that resulting from SSHRC funding. While Canada dropped seven spots in ranking from 2018–19 and SSHRC did not meet its target of being in the top 10, preliminary analysis indicates that the lower ranking is linked to an increase in citations for several other countries, despite Canada’s citation numbers increasing.

International collaborations

The frequency of collaborations between Canadian and international researchers is a proxy for Canada’s reputation for research and training. In 2019–20, 68% of SSHRC-funded research involved international collaborations, surpassing the target by 3 percentage points. SSHRCalso supports dedicated funding partnerships with international funding agencies. In 2019–20, one such collaboration was the Canada-UK Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative, a partnership between Canada’s tri-agencies—the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and SSHRC—and four UK Research and Innovation agencies. This funding opportunity seeks to promote international, interdisciplinary research in responsible AI. In 2019–20, four research projects were funded or co-funded by SSHRC for a total investment exceeding $1.6 million.

New Frontiers in Research Fund

In 2019–20, three competitions were launched under the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF), a tri-agency program administered by SSHRC on behalf of the tri-agencies and the Canada Research Coordinating Committee. NFRF focuses on research that is international, interdisciplinary, high-risk and fast-breaking.

• The Exploration stream, which focuses on high-risk, high-reward and interdisciplinary research, awarded 186 grants with a total value of $46 million over two years.
• The inaugural Transformation stream was launched. This stream supports large-scale, world-leading, Canadian-led interdisciplinary research projects that address a major challenge with the potential to realize real and lasting change. Owing to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the first grants will be awarded in 2021.
• In January 2020, the International stream also had its inaugural launch to support Canadian researchers partnering on large international projects supported through Horizon 2020.

In addition to these three streams, NFRF and other SSHRC funding opportunities also supported fast-breaking, rapid-response research related to COVID-19. The CIHR-led Government of Canada rapid research response, in partnership with several organizations, identified 17 projects that together were awarded $7.8 million in funding.

NFRF also experimented with innovative review processes. A double-blind merit review process was introduced in the 2019 Exploration competition to reduce the potential for bias. In a double-blind review, the external reviewer does not know the identity of the applicant, and applicants do not learn the identity of the external reviewer. Feedback from the multidisciplinary review panel members and co-chairs supported continued use of the double-blind process for external reviews.

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

In 2019–20, SSHRC used three indicators to measure its achievement of this result:

• 61% of award holders self-identified as women (target minimum 51%)
• 9,778 research trainees were supported (target minimum 5,000)
• 59% of research trainees went on to work in a research position (target minimum 50%)

Equity, diversity and inclusion

The result for award holders who are underrepresented individuals, currently defined as only those who self-identify as a woman, was 61%, while the target was a minimum of 51%. SSHRC is currently seeking approval to expand this indicator to include underrepresented groups besides women, such as members of visible minorities, Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities. SSHRC was already collecting self-identification information from funding applicants and merit reviewers, which continued in 2019–20. Respondents are asked for their gender and age range, and whether they identify as a member of a visible minority group, as Indigenous and/or as a person with a disability. These equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data permit the agencies to monitor for systemic barriers in SSHRC’s funding programs, which can lead to designing new measures to help ensure that SSHRC supports a diverse and inclusive research community. These data are reported annually in an interactive dashboard launched in 2019–20 on SSHRC’s website, and in the annual report of the Canada Research Coordinating Committee (CRCC).

The collection and analysis of self-identification information is an important element of the Tri-Agency EDI Action Plan, which provides a framework to help the funding agencies coordinate their efforts to advance EDI within the research ecosystem. In September 2019, the federal granting agencies published the Tri-Agency Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. In January 2020, they developed a training plan to further develop the EDI competencies of their staff to better understand and implement EDI objectives within programs and policies. Furthermore, the tri-agencies increased paid parental leave from six to 12 months for graduate and postdoctoral researchers supported by the agencies to provide more flexibility to address family responsibilities during research training.

The Tri-Agency Institutional Programs Secretariat, housed at SSHRC, continued to implement the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan for the Canada Research Chairs Program and launched the 2019 Addendum to the 2006 Canadian Human Rights Agreement for the same program. The action plan focuses on improving the governance, transparency and monitoring of EDI within the program, and supports the broader goal of increasing EDI in the research ecosystem. The 2019 Addendum includes EDI measures to address longstanding systemic barriers in the program and to help meet the objectives of attracting and retaining a diverse cadre of world-class researchers to reinforce academic research and training excellence in Canada.

Early career researchers and research trainees

SSHRC continued to work alongside its tri-agency partners to identify the best methods to support early career researchers (ECRs), in terms of both training and access to grant funding. This included developing a common tri-agency definition for an ECR—which is a researcher within five years of their first research appointment, not including any eligible leaves—and supporting the CRCC’s ECR action plan to help ECRs succeed in the research enterprise. Through SSHRC’s core insight funding opportunities, 68% of funding was awarded to ECRs in 2019–20. In the NFRF Exploration competition, 38% of the pool of applications was ECR-led proposals and all were awarded grants in 2019–20.

In addition, the number of supported research trainees (master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers) involved in research projects demonstrates the impacts of SSHRC’s investments in building the research capacity of the next generation of research talent. In 2019–20, 9,778 research trainees were supported indirectly through grants, surpassing the minimum target of 5,000. Supported research trainees acquire skills in conducting research in the social sciences and humanities, and thus contribute to the pool of highly skilled people in Canada.

SSHRC also provides direct training support through scholarships and fellowships to research trainees. In 2019–20, 59% of research trainees reported going on to work in a research position, above the target of a minimum of 50%. This demonstrates that funded trainees use the skills acquired through SSHRC funding, thereby increasing the capacity of highly qualified personnel in the workforce. SSHRC also worked with its tri-agency counterparts to streamline the Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral Program by harmonizing competition timelines, the program description, and eligibility and evaluation criteria. New Budget 2019 investments in the tri-agency Canada Graduate Scholarships program expanded the number of SSHRC scholarships and fellowships across all social sciences and humanities disciplines, benefiting master’s and doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers.

Strengthening Indigenous research capacity

In support of the CRCC’s priority to co-develop with Indigenous peoples an interdisciplinary research and research training model that contributes to reconciliation, the CRCC approved a strategic plan in 2019 to strengthen Indigenous research capacity (see box).

Innovation and Skills Plan

SSHRC’s results are also aligned with the objectives of Canada’s Innovation and Skills Plan, presented in Building a Nation of Innovators. The plan’s People and Skills pillar supports Canadians throughout their lifetimes, ensuring firms have the talent they need to grow. From inspiring youth to pursue careers in coding to lifelong skills development, the plan’s interconnected suite of programs use partnerships to build a resilient and skilled workforce for the future.

The Innovation and Skills Plan was introduced as a vehicle to foster new partnerships to leverage Canada's innovation strengths to bridge the gaps from science, to commercialization, to investment and scale up.

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

In 2019–20, SSHRC used three indicators to measure its achievement of this result:

• Partner funding for research projects was $41.4 million (target $24 million)
• 869 partners collaborated on research projects (target minimum 460)
• 78% of funded projects reported socioeconomic outcomes for Canadians (target minimum 70%)

Participation and investment of partner organizations from non-academic sectors facilitates the co-creation of knowledge and the use of SSHRC-funded research knowledge in other sectors. The extent to which potential users of research are investing funds in collaborative projects demonstrates that they are engaged in training, and the production and mobilization of knowledge in the social sciences and humanities. Partner funding in 2019–20 not only surpassed the target but also increased by more than $6 million from 2018–19 levels.

Imagining Canada’s Future

Through its Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, SSHRC mobilizes social sciences and humanities research to identify emerging economic, societal and knowledge needs for Canada, to identify knowledge gaps and opportunities, and to help guide decision-making across all sectors toward a better future. SSHRC launched two Knowledge Synthesis Grant funding opportunities in 2019–20 through this initiative:

• “Informing Best Practices in Environmental and Impact Assessments”was organized in partnership with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada; 13 grants totalling close to $400,000 were awarded. The resulting synthesis reports will be discussed at a convening forum with cross-sectoral stakeholders scheduled to take place in fall 2020.
• “Living Within the Earth’s Carrying Capacity” was organized in partnership with CIHR and NSERC; 31 grants totalling almost $1.5 million were awarded to interdisciplinary research teams.

Joint initiatives and partnerships

SSHRC also advanced Canada’s social sciences and humanities through joint initiatives and partnerships. These provide additional support for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to enhance their professional skills, contribute their expertise across the knowledge-based economy, and develop policy-relevant research in areas related to digital citizenship and literacy, housing, and defence and security. SSHRC also works with government departments and other partners to facilitate access to SSHRC-funded students, researchers, research and data. Some collaborative initiatives and partnerships include the following:

• The Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research and the Mitacs Elevate Research Management Training Initiative opened up opportunities to support researchers, students, and postdoctoral fellows in conducting research and obtaining professional skills relevant to research.
• SSHRC continued to offer the Housing Research Training Awards Program, with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, and the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security Scholarship Initiative, with the Department of National Defence, which also includes a dedicated funding stream for Indigenous master’s students.
• The first series of the Imagining Canada’s Future Evidence Briefs, from the Understanding the Future of Canada-UK Trade Relations, were made publicly available in 2019; these briefs highlight policy implications and facilitate access to Knowledge Synthesis Grant findings.
• The 4th annual International Policy Ideas Challenge, with Global Affairs Canada, invites graduate students and early career scholars to submit policy briefs on one of the department’s policy priority areas.
• With the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and Research Impact Canada network, SSHRC supported the development of expert papers from national and international scholars on the Futures of Knowledge Mobilization, fulfilling a key pillar of SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future to explore futures in research and scholarship.

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

Institutional support for the Indirect Costs of Research

Description

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.

Results

The Research Support Fund program supports the achievement of SSHRC’s fourth departmental result: Canada’s university and college research environments are strong. The RSF reinforces the investment made by the federal government to support research in engineering and the natural sciences, health sciences, social sciences and humanities by helping institutions maintain the equipment, facilities and administrative support needed to foster a world-class research environment. Meanwhile, the new Incremental Project Grant (IPG) funding stream, while aligning with the RSF’s objectives, directs funds to projects that focus on a set of priorities, including:

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

By assisting Canadian postsecondary institutions and their affiliated research hospitals and institutes with the expenses associated with managing the research funded by the tri-agencies and by directing funds to specific investments, the RSF and IPG facilitate tracking and reporting to better demonstrate the impact of these investments.

• The total investment of the RSF, including the IPG stream for 2019–20, was $407.1 million. Grants to postsecondary institutions from the RSF equalled $369.4 million. This funding provided support to 149 institutions to offset part of the indirect costs that institutions incur when managing research funded by the three federal research funding agencies. Grants to postsecondary institutions from the IPG stream of the RSF program equalled $38.1 million in 2019–20. This funding provided additional support to 116 projects at 31 institutions.
• Applications to the 2019–20 RSF grant cycle, including the IPG stream, showed the intended use of funds across all five eligible expenditure categories as follows: intellectual property and knowledge mobilization, 7%; research facilities, 31%; research resources, 22%; management and administration of the institution’s research enterprise, 32%; and regulatory requirements and accreditation, 8%.
• Applications to the 2019–20 IPG stream reflected the following distribution across the four eligible priority areas: innovation and commercialization activities, 21%; facilities renewal, 41%; information resources, 27%; and equity, diversity and faculty renewal (in the context of EDI), 10%.
• Delivery of the IPG stream was revised for the 2019–20 grant cycle, including aligning the IPG deadline with the RSF’s yearly timelines and updating the application form to include more detailed project information, performance indicators and expected results of proposed projects. SSHRC also began to develop an annual outcomes report.
• The 15th-year program evaluation of the RSF was finalized in 2019–20. To implement the recommendations of the report, development of the management response and action plan began in late 2019–20.

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase.

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:

• Acquisition Management Services
• Communication Services
• Financial Management Services
• Human Resources Management Services
• Information Management Services
• Information Technology Services
• Legal Services
• Material Management Services
• Management and Oversight Services
• Real Property Management Services

Results

Results highlights from 2019–20 include the following:

• SSHRC made substantial progress in its workplace renewal project, preparing and equipping employees for the organization’s transition to GC Workplace at the new office location (expected for 2021). For example, SSHRC rolled out mobile work tools and processes, giving employees the technology needed to work remotely, which allowed for a nimble response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• SSHRC extended its People Strategy action plans (Employment Equity, Official Languages, and Mental Health and Well-Being plans) to ensure continuity while the human resources strategy was being developed.
• Results of the 2019 Public Service Employee Survey showed SSHRC’s continued strengths in employee engagement, quality supervision, respectful workplace, bilingualism and support for work-life balance. Actions with regard to workplace harassment included mandatory training on civility and respect for all employees, launching an action plan to prevent harassment and violence, and targeted measures put in place for any units of concern.
• SSHRC continued to plan for several key Treasury Board Secretariat requirements, including migration to the mandated financial management system, updates to the Policy on Transfer Payments, and revised human resources policies and directives.
• In collaboration with CIHR and NSERC, SSHRC launched a comprehensive data strategy to improve the quality, availability, usability and usage of data.

Analysis of trends in spending and human resources

Actual expenditures

SSHRC authorities are increasing year over year due to increases in program funding from Budget 2018 and Budget 2019.

During 2019–20, SSHRC’s total authorities available for use increased by $12.3 million over the 2019–20 Main Estimates largely due to the implementation of Budget 2018 items:

• $4.6 million for the College and Community Innovation Program;
• $3.4 million for the Canada Research Chairs Program;
• $2.1 million for the Canada First Research Excellence Fund; and
• $2.2 million contributed by other government departments for joint initiatives in social sciences and humanities research.

Actual human resources

Expenditures by vote

For information on SSHRC’s organizational voted and statutory expenditures, consult the Public Accounts of Canada 2019–2020.

Government of Canada spending and activities

Information on the alignment of SSHRC’s spending with the Government of Canada’s spending and activities is available in GC InfoBase.

Financial statements and financial statements highlights

Financial statements

SSHRC’s financial statements (unaudited) for the year ended March 31, 2020, are available on the SSHRC website.

Financial statement highlights

The increase in total expenses over the previous year is mainly due to variances in transfer payments for the following initiatives:

• from Budget 2018:
  • an increase of $34.0 million to support the New Frontiers in Research Fund;
  • an increase of $9.4 million to support the Research Support Fund;
  • an increase of $2.6 million to support the Canada Research Chairs Program; and
  • an increase of $1.2 million to support the Canada Excellence Research Chairs Program; and
• from Budget 2019:
  • an increase of $12.7 million to support investigator-led research;
  • an increase in funding for paid parental leave coverage; and
  • an increase of $6.6 million to support the Canada Graduate Scholarships program.

The increase in net liabilities and net financial assets is mainly due to grants and scholarships recorded at the end of 2019–20 but paid in 2020–21.

The decrease in non-financial assets is mainly due to the decrease in SSHRC’s net tangible capital assets, where depreciation exceeded investment during 2019–20.

Additional information

Corporate information

Organizational profile

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

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

Reporting Framework

SSHRC’s Departmental Results Framework and Program Inventory of record for 2019–20 are shown below.

Supporting information on the Program Inventory

Financial, human resources and performance information for SSHRC’s Program Inventory is available in GC InfoBase

Supplementary information tables

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

• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more
• Gender-based analysis plus

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. 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

Mailing address:

350 Albert Street
Ottawa, ON K1P 6G4
Canada

Telephone: 613-992-0691
Email: corporate-performance@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

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 an appropriated department over a three‑year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department 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.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. 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 quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

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

experimentation (expérimentation)

The conducting of activities that seek to first explore, then test and compare the effects and impacts of policies and interventions in order to inform evidence-based decision-making, and improve outcomes for Canadians, by learning what works, for whom and in what circumstances. Experimentation is related to, but distinct from innovation (the trying of new things), because it involves a rigorous comparison of results. For example, using a new website to communicate with Canadians can be an innovation; systematically testing the new website against existing outreach tools or an old website to see which one leads to more engagement, is experimentation.

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. For a particular position, the full‑time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

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

An analytical process used to assess how diverse groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and services based on multiple factors including race ethnicity, religion, age, and mental or physical disability.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2019–20 Departmental Results Report, those high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the 2019 Speech from the Throne, namely: Fighting climate change; Strengthening the Middle Class; Walking the road of reconciliation; Keeping Canadians safe and healthy; and Positioning Canada for success in an uncertain world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

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

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 reporting (production de rapports sur le rendement)

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

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 to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in 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 the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A 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:

2020-12-07