SSHRC Institutional Grants—
Applicant Instructions

On this page

• Help
• Important links
• Application process
• Accommodations and accessibility
• Instructions for completing the data input table for full-time teaching staff
  • Completing the institutional plan for the use, distribution and governance of funds

Help

If you are having problems with the online application, contact the Online Services Helpdesk by email at websupport@convergence.gc.ca or by phone at 613-995-4273.

Important links

• Application deadline
• Regulations Governing Grant Applications
• Guidelines for Effective Research Training
• Definitions of terms used in the grant application process
• Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration

Application process

Creating an account and application on the Convergence Portal

Creating an account

If you are a new user, you need to create a Convergence Portal account and receive research grants officer (RGO) status from SSHRC before you can access the SSHRC Institutional Grants (SIG) application form:

• navigate to the Convergence Portal;
• select your preferred language;
• on the log-in page, select “Create my portal account;”
• follow the instructions on the site and in your confirmation email to finish creating your account; and
• email SIG@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca to request RGO status—once such access has been granted you will be able to access the SIG application form.

Creating an application

• Once you are logged in to the Convergence Portal, click on the ”Research administrator” tab at the top.
• Under “Institutional applications,” select the “Funding opportunities” tab.
• Find “SSHRC Institutional Grant.” Click “Create application.”
• Verify that the information prepopulated from your account profile is correct.
• Select the language of the application in the “Application details” section.
• In the “Organizational information” section, enter the name and contact information of your institution’s vice-president of research (or equivalent) and answer the two program eligibility questions.
• Note that answering “No” to any of the eligibility questions means that your institution is not eligible for this funding opportunity.
• Proceed to the “Supporting documents” section of the application and download a copy of the “Data input table for full-time teaching staff.”
• Read the instructions in the first tab of the Excel template you downloaded (the instructions are also available below) before proceeding to fill out the table.
• Once you have filled out all the relevant sections of the data input table, enter the total number of full-time teaching staff at your institution in the box provided in the “Organizational information” section of the application form. The number you enter should be the same as the grand total of full-time teaching staff in the Summary table found in the “Staff-main” tab of the data input table.
• Save the data input table Excel spreadsheet as a PDF file. If you have entered information in more than one tab of the spreadsheet, ensure you select all tabs before saving the file as a PDF.
• Proceed to upload the PDF version of the data input table and a PDF copy of the “Institutional plan for the use, distribution and governance of funds” in the “Supporting documents” section of the application. Detailed instructions for completing these documents are provided below.
• Proceed to the “Finalize and submit” section of the application form. You must preview all attachments you uploaded to ensure they have been uploaded correctly and the content is viewable. Corrupted or protected files that cannot be opened or viewed will not be accepted. You can review the whole application by clicking on the “PDF view” button in the top right-hand corner.
• Once you have verified the contents of your application form, click on “Submit.”
• Applications will remain available for download, via the Convergence Portal, for a period following the application deadline.

Accommodations and accessibility

If you need help completing online application forms due to circumstances arising from a disability, contact your institution (scholarship liaison officer, research grant office or other applicant support office) as early in the application process as possible to investigate available supports. If your institution cannot provide help, or needs SSHRC to collaborate on a solution, contact SSHRC at 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 appointments to clarify funding program information or the application process, or 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).

Instructions for completing the data input table for full-time teaching staff (mandatory)

Application format

The application attachment must be saved as a PDF file before it can be uploaded with your application.

Postsecondary institutions—Complete “Staff-main” tab

Indicate the number of full-time teaching staff, broken down by department, whose disciplines fall within the humanities and social sciences as of September 2021. Table 1 lists the disciplines eligible under SSHRC’s mandate.

Full-time teaching staff includes all academic staff within faculties who are teachers and/or senior academic staff (e.g., deans, chairpersons, directors), full-time research staff who have an academic rank and a salary scale similar to teaching staff, and staff appointed for a minimum of 12 months who are teaching a full load.

Do not include the following:

• non-teaching administrators (e.g., president, vice-president, registrar, comptroller);
• administrative assistants within faculties, colleges, schools, etc.;
• librarians;
• non-academic support staff both in faculties and other departments;
• markers, demonstrators, lab assistants, etc.;
• graduate teaching assistants;
• postdoctoral fellows; or
• academic staff within faculties who have been hired as researchers without academic rank and/or whose salary scales are different from teaching staff.

Feel free to add rows to the list of full-time teaching staff if you need more space than what has been provided.

Affiliated or federated institutions—Complete “Staff-affiliated” tab

To be eligible to apply directly to the SIG funding opportunity, affiliated or federated institutions must:

• be eligible to administer SSHRC funds;
• be independent of the government for the purposes of faculty employment; and
• independently grant degrees in the social sciences and humanities at the undergraduate level or beyond.

Indicate the name of the federated/affiliated institution as well as that of the parent institution.

Indicate the number of full-time teaching staff, broken down by department, according to the same instructions as above.

If you need to enter information for more than one federated/affiliated institution, create a new tab in the Excel file as follows:

• Copy the form in the “Staff-affiliated” tab and paste it into a new tab (use the Select All option to copy).
• Rename the new tab: “Staff-affiliated 2.”

Table 1

Completing the institutional plan for the use, distribution and governance of funds (mandatory)

Maximum three pages

Application format

The application attachment must be saved as a PDF file before it can be uploaded with your application. Ensure that the document matches these specifications:

• 8 1/2” x 11” (21.5 cm x 28 cm) page size;
• single-spaced, with no more than six lines of text per inch;
• body text in a minimum 12-point Times New Roman font;
• all margins set at a minimum of 3/4” (1.87 cm);
• name of the institution and application ID number positioned within the set margins at the top right corner of every page; and
• pages numbered sequentially.

Application content

Explain any acronyms and abbreviations used.

1. Institutional plan for the use of SIG funds

   Describe the institution’s plan to use the SIG funds to award SSHRC Explore and Exchange grants that will develop, maintain and/or enhance research in the social sciences and humanities.

   Outline the activities that will be undertaken and state how the initiatives pursued will meet the SIG objectives. In addition, describe how they will influence or otherwise have an impact on the social sciences and humanities and/or broader community.

   Note: Institutions eligible to receive a supplement must provide a separate plan for its use only if the funds are to be used for capacity-building projects that exceed $7,000 each. The separate plan for the supplement can be included as a subsection of the “Institutional plan for the use of SIG funds.”

2. Governance structure

   Using an organizational chart, outline the governance structure in relation to the administration and stewardship of SIG funds. Staff responsibility should be clearly identified.

3. Method of distribution of funds within the institution

   Describe how SIG funds are distributed at the institution (e.g., centrally, by faculty, by department) and why these distribution methods were chosen. Explain how decisions are made regarding the distribution of funds and how the institution monitors the grants and collects data on the research outputs resulting from the grant.

4. Merit review processes

   Describe the institution’s internal application processes and eligibility criteria. Provide details on the merit review process in place at the institution used to award SIG funding and how it is managed. Include information on the number of competitions held per year, how selection committees are structured, how members are chosen and how membership is renewed. Explain how the institution monitors the rigour and fairness of the processes.