SSHRC Doctoral Awards—
Applicant Instructions

Documents to read before applying

• Doctoral awards funding opportunity descriptions:
  • The Canada Graduate Scholarships—Doctoral Program (CGS D)
  • The SSHRC Doctoral Fellowships
• Definitions of terms SSHRC uses in the application process
• Regulations Governing Fellowship and Scholarship Applications
• Tri-agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide
• General Guidelines for the Eligibility of Subject Matter at SSHRC
• Guidelines for the Merit Review of Indigenous Research (if applicable)
• Guide to Including Diversity Considerations in Research Design for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Award Applicants
• Guidelines for Effective Research Training
• Guidelines for Research-Creation Support Materials (if applicable)
• Letter of Appraisal form—Instructions for referees

Application process and deadlines

Accommodations and accessibility

If you need help completing online application forms because of a disability, contact your institution (scholarship liaison officer, research grant office or other applicant support office) as early as possible in the application process to investigate available supports. If your institution cannot help, or needs SSHRC to collaborate on a solution, contact accessibility-accessibilite@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca. You can also contact SSHRC if you have questions or are seeking specific adaptation arrangements. You do not need to share your medical or sensitive personal information and, to protect your privacy, should avoid doing so.

Frequently requested accommodations include, but are not limited to:

• one-on-one phone or video appointment to clarify funding program information or the application process, or to receive technical support;
• alternative formats of online materials to enable access using assistive technology; and
• submission of the application (in full or part) through alternate means or format (e.g., hard copy, voice recording, or data entry by SSHRC staff on the applicant’s behalf).

Applicant responsibilities

You must complete and verify the online SSHRC doctoral awards application form and your SSHRC web-based curriculum vitae (SSHRC web CV).

You must click “Preview” and “Verify” for each page of your application as you complete it, well in advance of the deadline. SSHRC’s online system will not accept incomplete applications (i.e., that contain unverified sections). If you make changes to a page, you must click “Verify” again to confirm that SSHRC’s online system will accept the new information. The criteria for final verification of the entire application can be stricter than for individual modules. You might, therefore, need to adjust previously verified sections of the application. Verification only confirms that mandatory sections (including uploads and letters) have been completed; it does not verify the application content.

It is your responsibility to:

• verify content;
• ensure all required application components are completed, that is
  • the SSHRC web CV is verified;
  • the two Letter of Appraisal forms are completed by your referees; and
  • all PDF attachments are uploaded; and
• submit your complete application through the correct channel (either through a Canadian institution with a quota or directly to SSHRC).

For complete details on where to apply, refer to Where should I submit my application? (PDF document, 146 KB).

Ensure that you have followed the instructions and accurately provided all required information. SSHRC cannot accept additional information after the application deadline, nor can it confirm the completeness of applications.

For applicants submitting directly to SSHRC

The complete application, including the PDF attachments (uploads) and the SSHRC web CV, can be viewed and printed, but must be submitted electronically using SSHRC’s online system before the application deadline, 8 p.m. (eastern) on October 17. If a deadline falls on a weekend or a public holiday observed in Ontario, where SSHRC's offices are, the online application system will remain open until 8 p.m. (eastern) on the next business day. No changes or updates can be made to an application once it has been submitted, either before or after the deadline.

For applicants submitting through a Canadian institution with a doctoral awards quota

Most Canadian degree-granting institutions receive a quota for the number of SSHRC doctoral award applications they can submit to SSHRC’s national competition. If you are submitting through one of the Canadian institutions with a doctoral awards quota, you must submit your application by the date set by your institution, which may be well in advance of SSHRC’s deadline. The institution will coordinate a review of the application and, if recommended, the scholarship liaison officer (SLO) will forward it to SSHRC’s national competition. If changes are required, the SLO will return the application to you.

SLOs will be able to forward applications to SSHRC until 8 p.m. (eastern), November 21. If a deadline falls on a weekend or public holiday observed in Ontario, where SSHRC’s offices are, the online application system will remain open until 8 p.m. (eastern) on the next business day.

Attaching a document

Many modules in your application will require you to attach a PDF file. You must follow the specified requirements for margins and font size or your application may be deemed ineligible. An error message will appear if the file you are trying to attach does not meet the required specifications for page length and file size. Once you have attached the electronic file, we recommend you click “View attached file” to ensure you have the proper file and it is not corrupted.

Acknowledgement of receipt of applications

After SSHRC receives your verified and completed application form, the data provided in your application and SSHRC web CV are transferred to SSHRC’s corporate database. SSHRC will acknowledge receipt of your electronic application form once it has been processed and will assign you an application number. Cite this number in all correspondence with us. This acknowledgement refers only to the receipt of your application, not its completeness or its eligibility in the competition.

The email acknowledging receipt will be sent to your primary email address as entered in the SSHRC web CV, four to six weeks after the deadline date. If you do not receive an email from the Research Training Portfolio six weeks after the deadline date, contact us at fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

Application profile

Application title

Provide a short, descriptive title for your research proposal using non-technical terms. Restrict use of acronyms (e.g., UN, NATO). Use upper case only for the first word of the title, proper nouns and acronyms. Your application title will automatically be included in the “Activity details” screen.

Preferred selection committee

Based on the subject and discipline(s) of your proposed research, choose the most appropriate committee using the “List…” button.

The disciplines represented by each committee are:

If your main discipline is women’s studies, choose the committee appropriate to the aspect of women’s studies you are working on. For example, if your research involves women’s literature, you should choose Committee 1.

If your main discipline is interdisciplinary studies, choose the committee appropriate to your principal research subject. Committees are composed of experts in the disciplines listed. As SSHRC cannot guarantee expertise in each discipline, select the committee most relevant to your research proposal and career trajectory. Applicants are solely responsible for choosing the relevant review committee.

Supplemental awards

If you wish to be considered for a supplemental award, and meet the eligibility criteria, select the supplement from the drop-down menu. For each supplement selected, provide a maximum one-page justification. Successful applicants will be notified.

Joint or special initiative

If you wish to be considered for a joint or special initiative, and meet the eligibility criteria, select the initiative from the drop-down menu. For each initiative, provide a maximum one-page justification or other required information or form, as applicable. Successful applicants will be notified in the months following the competition results.

Option for self-identified Indigenous applicants

If you select this option, you choose to have your doctoral application considered for submission beyond your institution’s doctoral awards quota. Applications from self-identified Indigenous applicants who are required to submit directly to SSHRC are automatically evaluated in the national competition.

For more information, consult SSHRC’s Indigenous Talent Measures.

Program information

Select the appropriate option below:

1. You are currently registered in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a quota.
2. You are not currently registered in a degree program but were registered at any other time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a quota.
3. You are currently registered at an institution without a quota (Canadian or foreign).
4. You were not registered at any time during the calendar year of application in a degree program at a Canadian institution with a quota.

Organization at time of application

If you selected option A or B, indicate the name of the institution and department. Your application will be sent to this institution for an internal merit review process and, if recommended, will be forwarded to SSHRC’s national competition.

Degree sought through this application

Type in the degree name (e.g., PhD, DPhil, SJD) and select the institution and the department/division that will award the degree. If the institution or department/division is not listed, select “Other” from the list and type the information in the box provided.

Indicate the date you started or expect to start the program for which you seek support.

Support requested

Expected start date of the award

Indicate when you propose to take up your award should you be successful in the current competition. The award can begin only on the first of May, September or January and should align with the start date of your program. You must not select a start date for the award that precedes the beginning of your program.

Number of months of doctoral studies

In evaluating your eligibility and eligible periods of support, SSHRC will consider all studies counted toward the graduate degree for which funding is requested, whether completed at the degree-granting institution or from previous studies.

Since SSHRC assumes that all studies were full time and uninterrupted (e.g., the beginning of September 2020 to the end of December 2021 means 16 months of study), you must take any approved leaves of absence and periods of part-time study into account and deduct those when calculating the number of months of studies you have completed.

Specify the number of months of full-time and/or part-time doctoral studies, including summer months, that you will have completed by December 31 of the calendar year of application. You must include all previous doctoral-level studies (full-time and part-time) that were credited to the degree for which funding is requested, including studies completed before you were officially registered in your doctoral program.

If you studied on a part-time basis or interrupted your studies with your institution’s official approval, you must append an official letter from the institution’s registrar (or assigned designate) to your application, specifying the dates of the change of registration status in your doctoral program.

To determine the period of support applicable, total your full-time months of study and one half of the part-time months of study: for example, eight months of full-time study plus 12 months of part-time study is 14 months of study (8 + 6 = 14).

Use the following table to calculate how much support you are eligible for depending on how many months you will have already completed of your doctoral (or equivalent) studies.

Languages

Specify the language(s) required to carry out your proposed research and indicate your current proficiency in each.

Areas of study

The information provided in this section refers to your research/study.

Ethics

State whether or not your proposed research/study will involve human beings as research subjects. If it does, select “Yes,” and consult the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans and submit your proposal to the research ethics board of the institution where you will undertake your research. If applicable, you must also ensure that an ethics review is conducted in the host country (as per article 8.3 of the policy). You do not need to submit your proposal to the research ethics board before submitting your doctoral award application.

Keywords

List keywords, separated by semicolons, that best describe your research/study disciplines.

Select appropriate entries under each of the sections below using the “List…” button. Duplicate entries are not permitted.

Disciplines

Indicate and rank up to three disciplines relevant to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 the most relevant and Entry 3 the least relevant. Entry 1 must be a main discipline (main discipline codes end in 00). Entry 1 cannot be “Health.” “Health” is available as an option only for Entry 2 and Entry 3. For entries 2 and 3, if the applicable discipline is not listed, you can select an entry such as “Other (relevant discipline)” (e.g., other psychology, other anthropology, other sociology) from the list, and provide the information in the box provided.

You can choose “Other (relevant discipline)” only once. For instance, you cannot choose “Other psychology” in Entry 2 and choose it again in Entry 3. Also, you can only choose “Other” (with an explanation) once.

Example:

Areas of research

Indicate and rank up to two areas of research related to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 the most important and Entry 2 the next most important.

Temporal period

If applicable, indicate the historical period covered by your proposed research/study.

Geographical regions

If applicable, indicate and rank up to two geographical regions covered by or related to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 the most important and Entry 2 the next most important.

Countries

If applicable, indicate and rank up to five countries covered by or related to your proposed research/study, with Entry 1 the most important and Entry 5 the least important.

Research proposal

Maximum two pages

Attach a PDF copy of your research proposal. Write your proposal in clear, plain language. Avoid discipline-specific jargon, acronyms and highly technical terms. Your application will be reviewed by members of a multidisciplinary selection committee, not all of whom will be familiar with your area of research.

Ensure that your text includes the following required elements, especially with respect to your research proposal.

If you are not currently enroled in a doctoral degree program:

• clearly state your current level of study;
• give the title and a brief description of your master’s thesis or research project, if applicable;
• identify the degree program you will pursue, including any relevant courses, and explain why you chose this program; and
• provide an outline of your doctoral thesis or research project, including the research question(s), context, objectives, methodology, significance and expected contribution to advancing knowledge, as well as your special interests in the proposed research area.

If you are currently enroled in a doctoral degree program:

• clearly state your current level of graduate study;
• indicate at what stage you are in your thesis/research project;
• provide the name of your supervisor of doctoral studies, if known;
• provide an outline of your thesis or research project, including, for example, the research question(s), context, objectives, methodology, significance and expected contributions to advancing knowledge; and
• describe what you hope to accomplish during the award tenure and what will remain for you to complete to obtain your degree.

Bibliography and citations

Maximum five pages

Attach a PDF file of:

• a bibliography for your proposed research (do not upload publications or include endnotes); and
• bibliographic details for all citations included in your research proposal (ensure that these are clear and complete to allow reviewers to locate the sources easily).

SSHRC recognizes and allows the use of different referencing styles.

Diversity considerations in research design module

After you’ve answered “yes” or “no” to the question “Do diversity considerations apply to your proposed research design?”, indicate in the text box how diversity considerations are applicable or not to your research proposal (maximum 1,700 characters).

Before completing this module, read the Guide to Including Diversity Considerations in Research Design for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Award Applicants.

Transcripts

Include up-to-date official transcripts of all your undergraduate and graduate studies in the application. Retain the paper copy of any uploaded transcripts, as you could be asked to provide it for verification purposes.

Up-to-date official transcripts are defined as transcripts issued by the registrar’s office and dated or issued in the fall session of the year of application (if currently registered) or after the last term completed (if not currently registered).

New for fall 2023: If you are applying through an eligible Canadian institution, you must confirm directly with your institution their policy on official transcripts and whether or not unofficial transcripts will be accepted as part of their internal review process.

For the review process at SSHRC, applications submitted with unofficial transcripts will not be rejected.

Official letter to confirm part-time study and/or leave of absence (if applicable)

Maximum one page

If applicable, combine this official letter with the PDF of your transcripts.

In calculating the value and duration of awards, SSHRC assumes that all doctoral studies were full-time and uninterrupted. If, as part of your doctoral studies, you studied part-time, or interrupted your studies with your institution’s official approval, you must upload an official letter from the institution’s registrar (or assigned designate) confirming the change of registration status in your doctoral program (including dates and duration). No deduction of months of study will be made unless you include an official letter with your application.

Allowable inclusions (if applicable)

Maximum one page

If applicable, attach a PDF document indicating your allowable inclusions.

SSHRC asks its selection committees to consider special circumstances that could have affected applicants’ research, professional career, record of academic or research achievement, or completion of degrees. Relevant circumstances could include administrative responsibilities, maternity/parental leave, child-rearing, illness, disability, cultural or community responsibilities, socio-economic context, health-related family responsibilities, trauma and loss, or the COVID-19 pandemic. Specify the dates for any delays or interruptions.

As part of the Indigenous Talent Measures, Indigenous applicants are encouraged to use the “Allowable inclusions” section of their application to describe special circumstances that could have affected their academic or career paths.

All information provided to SSHRC is subject to the Privacy Act. Applicants are reminded that the information included in the “Allowable inclusions” section of their application will be shared with selection committee members for consideration as part of their application. SSHRC merit reviewers cannot share this information outside the merit review process, which is subject to the Tri-Agency Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Policy. For more information, see the principles for SSHRC merit review.

Research contributions, relevant experience and activities

Maximum two pages

Attach a PDF copy of your research contributions, including any knowledge translation outputs, as well as a description of your relevant experience and activities.

Given the page limits, be selective and summarize information where appropriate. Provide information in the two sections listed below. You can only use a maximum of two pages for both sections combined.

Part I—Research contributions

Provide details, as appropriate, on the contributions you list, as follows:

• Identify refereed publications with an “R” in the left margin. A refereed work is assessed:
  • in its entirety—not merely an abstract or extract;
  • before publication; and
  • by independent, anonymous, qualified experts (“independent” in this context means at arm’s length from the author).
• Specify your role in co-authored publications.
• For published contributions, provide complete bibliographic details as they appear in the original publication (including co-authors, title, publisher, journal, volume, date of publication, page numbers, number of pages, etc.).
• For publications in languages other than English or French, provide a translation of the title and the name of the publication.

Include all relevant information in the application package. Do not refer members to URLs or other publications for supplemental information, except for examples of your research-creation achievements.

Group your contributions by category in the following order, listing your most recent contributions first:

Refereed contributions

Examples include books (where applicable, subdivide according to those that are single-authored, co-authored and edited works), monographs, book chapters, articles in scholarly refereed journals, conference proceedings, etc.

Other refereed contributions

Examples include papers presented at scholarly meetings or conferences, articles in professional or trade journals, etc.

Non-refereed contributions

Examples include book reviews, published reviews of your work, research reports, policy papers, public lectures, posters, community products, etc.

Forthcoming contributions

Indicate one of the following statuses: “submitted,” “revised and submitted,” “accepted” or “in press.” Provide the name of the journal or book publisher and the number of pages. Contributions not yet submitted should not be listed.

Creative outputs

Applicants whose research outputs include an artistic creation can list their most significant achievements, starting with the most recent, in a separate category: “Creative outputs.” Examples of creative outputs can include exhibitions, performances, publications, presentations, and film, video and audio recordings.

Although it is possible to list research contributions, SSHRC recognizes that some applicants might not yet have publications or other research contributions to list.

Part II—Applicant’s statement

In this section, group your comments under the following headings:

Relevant experience

Describe the research abilities you have gained through your past research experience, including special projects, honours/master’s thesis, co-op reports, etc. If you have relevant work experience, discuss its relevance to your proposed field of study/research and any benefits you gained from it.

This section can also be used to describe any training relevant to your proposed research, such as knowledge gained through lived experience and traditional teachings.

Relevant activities

Describe your participation in relevant professional, academic and extracurricular activities, as well as collaborations with supervisors, colleagues, peers, students and community members, such as:

• teaching, mentoring, supervising and/or coaching;
• managing projects;
• participating in science and/or research promotion;
• community outreach, volunteer work and/or civic engagement;
• chairing committees and/or organizing conferences and meetings; and
• participating in departmental or institutional organizations, associations, societies and/or clubs.

Supplement justification (if applicable)

Provide a maximum one-page justification for each supplement selected in the “Application profile” section indicating how your research proposal responds to the supplement’s objectives.

Aileen D. Ross Fellowship

• A $10,000 supplement is awarded annually to a SSHRC doctoral award recipient conducting poverty-related research in sociology.

Queen’s Fellowship

• A $10,000 supplement is awarded annually to a SSHRC doctoral award recipient entering a program in Canadian studies at a Canadian institution. At the time of application, SSHRC considers eligible candidates who intend to enrol in or are registered in the first year of such a program.

Successful candidates will be notified.

Joint or special initiatives justification (if applicable)

Provide a maximum one-page justification per initiative selected in the “Application profile” section, indicating how your proposed research responds to the initiative’s objectives.

Department of National Defence MINDS Scholarship Initiative

SSHRC and the Department of National Defence (DND) partner to offer doctoral awards to individuals conducting social sciences and humanities research in areas related to the Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) Policy Challenges and/or Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged. The MINDS Initiative Doctoral Awards are valued at $35,000 per year and are tenable for up to 36 months. Learn more about the MINDS Scholarship Initiative.

To be considered for this initiative, you must:

• select the “MINDS Scholarships Initiative” option from the drop-down menu in your application form; and
• use the “MINDS—Justification” section in the form’s left-hand menu to explain how your proposed research project is related to one or more of the MINDS Policy Challenges and/or Canada’s defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged.

Initiative for Digital Citizen Research

Through the Initiative for Digital Citizen Research, Canadian Heritage and SSHRC partner to offer doctoral award supplements, valued at $10,000, to individuals who are conducting research related to online disinformation, as well as its impact in the Canadian context. Comparative approaches to these themes that extend beyond, the Canadian context are also eligible for supplementary funding.

To be considered for funding under this initiative, you must:

• select the “Initiative for Digital Citizen Research” option from the drop-down menu in your application form; and
• use the “Initiative for Digital Citizen Research” justification section in the form’s left-hand menu to explain how your proposed research project addresses one or more of the specific areas of research listed under the “Eligible projects” section of the Joint Initiative for Digital Citizen Research webpage

To be offered a doctoral award supplement under this initiative, you must first be successful in the SSHRC doctoral awards competition, and you must be affiliated with a SSHRC eligible Canadian postsecondary institution during your award tenure.

Sport Participation Research Initiative

SSHRC partners with Canadian Heritage through the Sport Participation Research Initiative to provide doctoral award supplements.

To be considered for funding under this initiative, you must:

• select the “Sport Participation Research Initiative” option in your application form; and
• use the “Sport Participation” justification section in the form’s left-hand menu to explain how your research meets the Sport Participation Research Initiative’s objectives.

Successful applicants will be notified.

Mitacs Training

As part of a joint initiative with Mitacs, SSHRC offers access to Mitacs Training for SSHRC Doctoral Award holders. The curriculum is designed to build competencies in five key areas recognized as vital to professional success: professional and career fundamentals; interpersonal skills; communication; leadership and management; and intrapreneuralism.

SSHRC Doctoral Award holders will be provided instructions for accessing Mitacs Training as part of their results package.

Referees

Instructions for requesting letters of appraisal

Enter the family name, given name and email address of each referee. These fields will be used to autopopulate the referee form.

After the data are saved, the system will automatically generate an email to each person, inviting them to complete a Letter of Appraisal form.

Inform your referees that they will receive an email with the subject line “Invitation to provide a letter of appraisal—Invitation à fournir une lettre d’appréciation.”

It is your responsibility to ensure that each invited person completes and verifies the form before the application deadline. Note that the application deadline for candidates applying directly to SSHRC is October 17. Applicants applying through a Canadian institution with a quota should consult with their graduate studies office to confirm their institution’s internal application deadline.

Your application cannot be successfully verified and submitted until each referee form has been completed.

Contact information

For help with technical difficulties, contact the helpdesk:

Phone: 613-995-4273
Email: webgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

If you have additional questions, contact:

SSHRC Doctoral Awards

Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861
Email: fellowships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca