Open Research Area 7th Call for Proposals

On this page

• Overview
• Value and duration
• Eligibility and requirements
• Application process
• Regulations, policies and related information
• Webinars for potential applicants
• Contact information

Overview

The seventh round of Open Research Area (ORA) for the Social Sciences is based on an agreement among the ANR, France; the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany; the Economic and Social Research Council of UK Research and Innovation (ESRC), UK; and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Canada.

With the goals of funding high-quality research within their own countries and strengthening international co-operation by working with some of the best researchers internationally, ANR, DFG, ESRC and SSHRC are launching a seventh ORA call for proposals in order to fund the best joint research projects. The scheme will provide funding for integrated projects by researchers coming from at least three of the four subscribing countries.

Proposals may involve any of the disciplines, thematic areas or approaches eligible for SSHRC funding. However, the disciplinary coverage varies according to the involvement of the national agencies. Applicants who are uncertain of whether their proposal would be eligible should contact the relevant national agencies for clarification.

There is also a special opportunity for co-operation with projects in Japan. With the aim of strengthening co-operation between researchers in Japan and ORA partners, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), as the national funding organization of Japan, offers a funding scheme to support projects associated with ORA. For details on the Japanese call, please visit the JPSP’s website.

ORA 7 will have a new format as compared to earlier ORA funding opportunities. This competition will follow a one-stage, one-application process consisting of a full proposal with a deadline date of November 17, 2021.

National funding agencies will fund proposals according to their respective policies and regulations and the affiliation of the researchers. Canadian teams participating in successful ORA 7 international projects will be funded by SSHRC based on the funding request outlined in the SSHRC National Financial Form.

Value and duration

When an ORA 7 proposal submitted by an international team is selected for funding, its national sub-teams will receive a grant from their respective national funding agencies. Funding agencies will fund successful proposals according to their respective policies and regulations, via the identified eligible applicant.

For Canadian teams, projects will be funded based on the funding request outlined in the SSHRC National Financial Form, which must be submitted as an attachment to the ORA 7 proposal (see Application process below). The SSHRC National Financial Form contains an itemized budget in Canadian dollars.

Canadian applicants can request up to $135,000 per year for a maximum of $400,000 over two to three years.

Salary research allowance

Co-applicants from eligible not-for-profit organizations may request a salary research allowance to partially release them from duties to their organization.

Eligibility and requirements

Subject matter

Proposals may involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. Please see Subject Matter Eligibility for more information. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the proposed project complies with SSHRC’s subject matter eligibility. SSHRC reserves the right to declare the project ineligible, which will effectively make the whole international project ineligible.

Roles

Here is the equivalency between ORA 7 and SSHRC roles of various project participants:

Applicants

Applications may be submitted by a team of researchers consisting of one applicant and one or more co-applicants and/or collaborators.

To apply for the SSHRC funding component of the larger ORA 7 funding opportunity, the applicant must be affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution at the time of application. Applicants are required to ensure that they comply with all SSHRC policies and regulations and complete the necessary SSHRC-specific documents for submission (see Application process below).

In addition to the required documents for the larger ORA 7 call, the applicant must also submit the SSHRC National Financial Form and the SSHRC Terms and Conditions for Applying documents (submission details under Application process below).

Applicants who have received a SSHRC grant of any type but have failed to submit an achievement report by the deadline specified in their Notice of Award are not eligible to apply for another SSHRC grant until they have submitted the report.

Federal scientists who are affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution must demonstrate that their proposed research or research-related activity is not related to the mandate of their employer nor to the normal duties for which they receive payment from that employer.

If the proposal falls within the mandate of the federal government and the research or research-related activity is performed in government facilities, funding can be allocated for student salaries or stipends and travel costs only.

Institutions

SSHRC invites applications for grants from researchers affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution. Please see SSHRC’s list of eligible postsecondary institutions. Researchers who are not affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution should contact SSHRC well in advance of the deadline.

Postsecondary institutions must contact Corporate Strategy and Performance  to inquire about institutional eligibility with SSHRC or to begin the institutional eligibility application process.

Co-applicants

Individuals are eligible to be co-applicants if they are formally affiliated with any of the following:

• Canadian: Eligible postsecondary institutions; not-for-profit organizations; philanthropic foundations; think tanks; or municipal, territorial or provincial governments
• International: Postsecondary institutions

Collaborators

Any individual who makes a significant contribution to the project is eligible to be a collaborator. Collaborators do not need to be affiliated with an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution.

Individuals from the private sector or employees of the federal government who are not affiliated with a postsecondary institution can only participate as collaborators.

Monitoring

Grant holders will be expected to report on the use of grant funds, on funded activities undertaken during the grant period, and on outcomes. Successful applicants will be informed of reporting requirements upon receiving their Notice of Award.

Application process

The ORA 7 call follows a one-stage, one-application procedure consisting of a full proposal. Full proposals for ORA 7 should be submitted through the ANR’s electronic submission system, SIM. Detailed guidance on how to submit a proposal through ANR’s SIM is available on the ANR website.

The ANR is running the ORA 7 competition in English. However, competition materials are available in French upon request, and SSHRC-eligible applicants can submit their proposals through the ANR’s SIM in English or French. Applicants who wish to write their proposal in French must contact SSHRC in advance (see Contact information below).

In addition to completing the required documents for the larger ORA 7 call, the SSHRC applicant must:

• complete the SSHRC National Financial Form and ensure that the ORA 7 main applicant submits it as an attachment to the ORA 7 proposal on SIM;
• complete and sign the SSHRC Terms and Conditions for Applying (including the list of participants in the Canadian sub-team); and
• ensure that the research grants office at their institution completes and signs the SSHRC Terms and Conditions for Applying and emails it to SSHRC before the deadline.

The deadline for the submission of proposals is November 17, 2021, 4:00 p.m. Central European Time (10:00 a.m. eastern). Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

Regulations, policies and related information

SSHRC reserves the right to determine the eligibility of applications based on the information provided. SSHRC also reserves the right to interpret the regulations and policies governing its funding opportunities.

All applicants and grant holders must comply with the Regulations Governing Grant Applications and with the regulations set out in the Tri-Agency Guide on Financial Administration.

Privacy notice

All applications must be submitted to the ANR’s SIM application system and are subject to the privacy policies governing the ANR. The ANR will share application information with other funding agencies involved in this funding opportunity, including SSHRC. The personal information contained in the application will be disclosed to, and may be viewed by, any or all of the participating granting agencies, external peer reviewers, and adjudication committee members.

The collection, use, disclosure, retention and disposal of your personal information are in accordance with the Canadian Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. Your information will be managed in accordance with Treasury Board Secretariat policies, directives and guidelines on information management and protection of personal information, and with the agencies’ retention and disposition schedules.

Any personal information that you provide to SSHRC for the purpose of applying to this funding competition is collected under the authority of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Act. Personal information provided to SSHRC is stored in the personal information bank PPU 055, as described in SSHRC’s Info Source chapter. Only the information needed to deliver, administer and promote the ORA 7 competition and awards is collected by SSHRC indirectly via the ANR. Failure to provide the personal information required in the application will result in the application being declared ineligible.

SSHRC is committed to the protection of the personal information under its control and does not take responsibility for the privacy practices of any other ORA 7 partner organizations. SSHRC will only share personal information with the agencies named in this webpage as required with respect to the ORA 7 funding opportunity. Your information may also be used for program operations and planning, performance measurement and monitoring, evaluation and audits and in aggregate to report to government or to the public.

If you believe your personal information has been mishandled or have concerns about agency privacy practices, you have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. For more information about your rights under the Privacy Act, about our privacy practices or to access or correct your personal information, contact SSHRC’s ATIP Co-ordinator.

By submitting your application, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice and agree to provide your personal information in accordance with it.

Exemption

For the ORA 7 funding opportunity, SSHRC’s appeals policy will not be applicable because of the international nature of the initiative.

Webinars for potential applicants

SSHRC will hold two webinars in English and one in French for potential applicants to this funding opportunity. We strongly encourage you to participate in one of them. The webinars will provide information and guidance from the funders on the requirements of the call, as well as an opportunity for questions and answers. The two English webinars will be open to participants from around the world and the French webinar will be open to participants from Canada. To allow for different time zones, the English webinars (identical in nature) will be held on September 22, 2021, at 7:00 a.m. (eastern) and 2:00 p.m. (eastern). The French webinar will be held on September 23, 2021, at 1:00 p.m. (eastern). Each webinar will last about one hour.

Links to the webinars will be posted on SSHRC’s Upcoming webinars page.

Contact information

For more information, contact:
Email: partnerships@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Date modified:

2022-09-16