SSHRC Impact Awards

2024 Competition

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• Webinars
• Description
• Gold Medal
• Talent Award
• Insight Award
• Connection Award
• Partnership Award
• Nomination process
• Regulations, policies and related information
• Contact information

Webinars

Description

SSHRC Impact Awards are designed to build on and sustain Canada’s research-based knowledge culture in all research areas of the social sciences and humanities. The awards recognize outstanding researchers and celebrate their research achievements, research training, knowledge mobilization and outreach activities funded partially or entirely by SSHRC. Past recipients of SSHRC funding are listed in the Awards Search Engine.

Impact Award recipients are to use award funds for activities that promote and further develop the work being honoured. In recognition of the crucial role postsecondary institutions play in mobilizing research knowledge, at least 10% of each award must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements. Individual recipients and their institutions can choose to devote additional funds, including a higher percentage of the award funds, to these activities.

A multidisciplinary jury made up of distinguished individuals from academia, as well as the public, private and not-for-profit sectors from Canada and abroad, will select award recipients according to the selection criteria associated with each of the five awards.

Before announcing the names of the award winners and finalists, SSHRC will share competition results through the SSHRC Extranet for Applicants.

Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for the:

• Gold Medal ($100,000)
• Talent Award ($50,000)
• Insight Award ($50,000)
• Connection Award ($50,000)
• Partnership Award ($50,000)

Gold Medal ($100,000)

The Gold Medal is SSHRC’s highest research honour. It is awarded to an individual whose sustained leadership, dedication and originality of thought have inspired both students and colleagues.

The recipient’s achievements must have significantly advanced understanding in their respective fields of research in the social sciences and humanities. The exceptional quality and impact of the recipient’s research, and their ongoing efforts to share the results of this work, must have greatly enriched Canadian society, and contributed to intellectual, cultural, social and/or economic life in Canada and/or internationally.

Gold Medal funds must be used within one year for research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities. At least 10% of the award must be used to promote the impact and outcomes of the recipient’s research achievements.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   • originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   • evidence of the sustained quality, impact and influence of the nominee’s research achievements within and/or beyond the academic community;
   • level of the nominee’s engagement with, and the quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level;
   • nominee’s national and/or international stature;
   • nominee’s commitment, creativity and successes in sharing research knowledge within and/or beyond the academic community; and
   • nominee’s overall contribution to knowledge.

Talent Award ($50,000)

The Talent Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who, on April 1, 2024, holds a SSHRC doctoral scholarship or fellowship or postdoctoral fellowship. This includes, but is not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.

The Talent Award is given to an individual who maintains academic excellence, has a talent for research and knowledge mobilization, and has demonstrated clear potential to be a future leader within and/or outside the academic sector.

The Talent Award can either be:

• taken up as a fellowship to fund the recipient’s doctoral or postdoctoral research over a one-year period; or
• used within one year of receiving the award as a grant to support research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities.

At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   • originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   • originality and significance of the nominee’s body of academic achievement and research, including quality of publications relative to stage of career;
   • evidence of impact of the nominee’s work within their fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
   • the nominee’s ability and commitment to communicate research results within and/or beyond the academic community;
   • level of the nominee’s engagement with, and the quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   • the nominee’s demonstrated potential for leadership and societal contributions within and/or beyond the academic community.

Insight Award ($50,000)

The Insight Award recognizes outstanding achievement arising from a single or multiple SSHRC-funded initiatives. It is given to an individual or a team of six people maximum (including the nominee) whose initiative(s) have significantly contributed to knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world. The research outcomes must have led to demonstrable impact within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.

In the case of a team initiative(s), the nominee must be the principal investigator. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the team.

The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.

Insight Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the initiative(s) being recognized, through research, knowledge mobilization or other research-related activities. A minimum of 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   • originality and significance of the body of work within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   • evidence of contributions within the nominee’s fields of research, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature, and other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
   • level of the nominee’s engagement with, and the quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   • evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.

Connection Award ($50,000)

The Connection Award recognizes an outstanding SSHRC-funded initiative that facilitates the flow and exchange of research knowledge within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community. It is given to an individual or a team of six people maximum (including the nominee) whose initiative has engaged the campus and/or wider community, and has generated intellectual, cultural, social and/or economic impacts.

In the case of a team initiative, the nominee must be the initiative’s applicant/project director. If successful, this person will receive the award on behalf of the team.

The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.

Connection Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the knowledge mobilization activity being recognized, or to support other research-related activities. At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   • originality and significance of the initiative within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   • effectiveness of research knowledge dissemination/exchange within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
   • evidence of contributions, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature and other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
   • level of the nominee’s engagement with, and the quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   • evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.

Partnership Award ($50,000)

The Partnership Award recognizes a SSHRC‑funded formal partnership for its outstanding achievement in advancing research, research training or knowledge mobilization, or developing a new partnership approach to research and/or related activities. It is awarded to a formal partnership that, through mutual co-operation and shared intellectual leadership and resources, has demonstrated impact and influence within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.

While the Partnership Award recognizes a formal partnership, one project lead must be designated as the nominee to administer the award. However, up to two project co-leads from the winning partnership can be invited to accept the award on behalf of the partnership at the Impact Awards ceremony.

The nomination package must include the nominee’s SSHRC CV and those of any team members (up to five), if applicable.

Partnership Award funds must be used within one year to further develop the research, knowledge mobilization or research-related activities being recognized. At least 10% of the award funds must be used to promote the recipient’s research achievements.

Selection criteria

1. Challenge—ambition and importance (25%):
   • originality and significance of the partnership within the nominee’s fields of research.
2. Achievements—impact and outcomes (75%):
   • evidence of mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership and resources within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community;
   • quality of partnership, including shared engagement and ownership;
   • evidence of contributions, including, but not limited to, scholarly literature, and/or other knowledge mobilization contributions, such as commissioned reports, professional practice, public discourse, public policies, products and services, experience in collaboration, etc.;
   • level of the nominee’s engagement with, and the quality of training and mentoring provided to, students, emerging scholars  and participants, relative to the nominee’s career level; and
   • evidence of influence and impact on research and/or societal outcomes.

Nomination process

Eligible institutions are invited to put forward nominations for all SSHRC Impact Award categories. Each institution can submit only one nomination for each award in a given year, up to a maximum of five SSHRC Impact Award nominations. Institutions must provide the name and contact information of a person to whom SSHRC will send all questions and correspondence, including results.

Eligibility

A nominee must:

• be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, or a “protected person” under subsection 95(2) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, by the nomination deadline;
• be an active social sciences and humanities researcher or student;
• hold or have held SSHRC funding relevant to the award category;
• be in good standing with SSHRC;
• be affiliated with an institution that meets the institutional eligibility requirements; and
• maintain affiliation with an eligible institution for the duration of the Impact Award.

Nominees:

• cannot nominate themselves;
• can be nominated in two sequential years for the same award, following which two years must pass before they can be nominated in the same category;
• can be nominated in only one category in any year;
• can be nominated in a subsequent year for a different SSHRC Impact Award; and
• cannot be a current member of SSHRC’s governing council, a previous Gold Medal winner or a SSHRC Impact Awards jury member.

To be eligible to administer an award, the institution affiliated with an Impact Award winner must provide SSHRC with a promotion strategy (two pages maximum) outlining a proposed approach for promoting and celebrating the impact and outcomes of the award winner’s research initiative.

Institutions affiliated with an Impact award winner are invited to contact SSHRC for help in developing this strategy, and to collaborate with SSHRC’s Communications Division in promoting its winners and/or finalists.

Communication of results

SSHRC will share competition results with institutions through the SSHRC Extranet for Applicants. Winners will be contacted by SSHRC directly.

Monitoring

Award recipients will be informed of reporting requirements on receiving their award.

Regulations, policies and related information

The nominee or project director must assume responsibility for the award funds.

All nominees and recipients must follow SSHRC policies, regulations and guidelines.

Talent Award nominees and recipients must follow the regulations governing scholarships and fellowships and the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Research Training Award Holder’s Guide or the regulations governing grants and the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration, as appropriate.

All other nominees and recipients must follow the regulations governing grants and the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Each SSHRC Impact Award nominee must have signed the Consent to Disclosure of Nomination Content for Promotional Purposes form allowing SSHRC to use their name, photograph, and any and all submitted materials to promote the awards and other SSHRC initiatives. By agreeing to be nominated, nominees also agree to participate in promotional award activities, including media interviews, ceremonies, receptions and other related events, should they be named a finalist or winner.

Contact information

For more information, contact:

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

Date modified:

2024-01-24