SSHRC Partnership Grant (Stage 1)
*Please notify ewa.stewart@ontariotechu.ca by December 8, 2023, if you are interested in applying
Sponsor/Agency: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Program: Partnership Grant (Stage 1)
Description:
Partnership Grants provide support for new and existing formal partnerships over four to seven years to advance research, research training and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities. This is done through mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership, as well as through resources as shown by cash and/or in-kind contributions.
Partnership Grants are intended for large teams of postsecondary institutions and/or organizations of various types that work in formal collaboration. The quality of training, mentoring and employability plans for students and emerging scholars is an important part of the proposed initiative. The intellectual leadership and governance for a new or existing formal partnership can come from the research community and/or from partner organizations from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
The Partnership Grant program is highly competitive and only about 30% of projects are selected to move on to the Stage 2 application. Project Directors (Principal Investigator/Main Applicant) must be recognized leaders in their field and have experience managing large research projects, including multiple partner organizations. They must have a strong track record of impactful research contributions, and innovative knowledge mobilization, as well as made extensive contributions to student training.
Eligibility - Subject Matter:
Most SSHRC funding is awarded through open competitions. Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See the guidelines on subject matter eligibility for more information.
Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, preparation of teaching materials, program evaluation, digitization of a collection or creation of a database are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.
Applicants
Applications must be submitted by an eligible Canadian institution. The project director must be affiliated with the host institution (the applicant) and prepares the application on behalf of the host institution and the formal partnership. The term “institution” from this point on refers to both postsecondary institutions and not‑for‑profit organizations.
Project directors 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.
Co-directors and co-applicants
Individuals are eligible to be co-directors and co-applicants if they are formally affiliated with any of the following:
- Canadian eligible postsecondary institution; not-for-profit organization; philanthropic foundation; think tank; or municipal, territorial or provincial government.
- International postsecondary institution.
Partner organizations
Partner organizations can be Canadian or international institutions or organizations (public, private, not-for-profit) of any type.
Additional Information:
Types of partnerships
Two categories of partnerships can request support:
- existing partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are distinct from the partnership’s previous/ongoing partnership activities; and
- new partnerships to foster new research and/or research-related partnership activities that are undertaken by partnerships in their initial stages.
Please see the Program Guidelines for a full list of potential partnership approaches.
Value and duration
Partnership Grants undergo a two-stage merit review process. This funding opportunity description applies to Stage 1 applications. Only applicants successful in the Partnership Grants—Stage 1 process are invited to apply in Stage 2.
Stage 1: Applications successful in Stage 1 are awarded grants valued at up to $20,000. These funds help applicants prepare the Stage 2 application.
Stage 2 (by invitation only): Using the funds awarded in the successful Stage 1 application, Stage 2 applicants:
- further refine the question(s) to be addressed;
- establish partnership arrangements, a governance structure and/or an approach/methodology; and
- consolidate their collaborative activities.
Partnership Grants awarded in Stage 2 are valued at up to $500,000 per year over four to seven years, up to a total of $2.5 million.
Quality and commitment of formal partnerships
If invited to submit a Stage 2, applicants should include relevant documentation to allow informed evaluation of the quality and level of commitment of the proposed formal partnerships.
Applicants must include evidence of formal partnership in their application. Evidence can include, but is not limited to:
- governance frameworks;
- agreements (intellectual property, conflict resolution, etc.);
- strategic plans; and
- other relevant documentation.
Institutional and partner organization contributions
Stage 1
In Stage 1, applicants include a proposed plan to secure, over and above the budget requested from SSHRC, a minimum of 35% in additional cash and/or in-kind contributions from sources other than SSHRC during the term of the grant (four to seven years). For example, if $1 million is requested from SSHRC, a minimum of $350,000 in additional contributions must be secured from partner organizations, bringing the actual total project budget to $1.35 million. SSHRC recognizes that the project can grow beyond the original planned amount as additional partner organizations become involved over the duration of the grant.
Stage 2
Applicants invited to submit a Stage 2 application must show that they have already started to confirm the 35% minimum additional cash and/or in-kind contributions and indicate how they will secure the remaining resources during the term of the grant. The host institution must submit reports documenting both their partner organizations’ engagement and their progress in meeting the requirements for partner organization contributions. By the mid-term evaluation (halfway through the grant period), the 35% minimum additional cash and/or in-kind contribution must be confirmed for the rest of the grant period. If this amount is not secured by that time, SSHRC will withhold the remaining grant payments until it receives confirmation that the minimum additional contributions have been secured.
For more information, see SSHRC’s Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.
Institutional and partner organization contributions
Stage 1
In Stage 1, applicants include a proposed plan to secure, over and above the budget requested from SSHRC, a minimum of 35% in additional cash and/or in-kind contributions from sources other than SSHRC during the term of the grant (four to seven years). For example, if $1 million is requested from SSHRC, a minimum of $350,000 in additional contributions must be secured from partner organizations, bringing the actual total project budget to $1.35 million. SSHRC recognizes that the project can grow beyond the original planned amount as additional partner organizations become involved over the duration of the grant.
Stage 2
Applicants invited to submit a Stage 2 application must show that they have already started to confirm the 35% minimum additional cash and/or in-kind contributions and indicate how they will secure the remaining resources during the term of the grant. The host institution must submit reports documenting both their partner organizations’ engagement and their progress in meeting the requirements for partner organization contributions. By the mid-term evaluation (halfway through the grant period), the 35% minimum additional cash and/or in-kind contribution must be confirmed for the rest of the grant period. If this amount is not secured by that time, SSHRC will withhold the remaining grant payments until it receives confirmation that the minimum additional contributions have been secured.
For more information, see SSHRC’s Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions.
Deadlines:
Email Notice of Intent: December 8, 2023 (mandatory)
Comprehensive Review: January 15, 2024
Admin review: January 29, 2024 (mandatory)
SSHRC Deadline: February 12, 2024
Value:
Stage 1: up to $20,000
Stage 2: Up to $2.5 million
Please note: Cash/inkind contributions from partners must be worth at least 35% of SSHRC grant amount over the life of the grant
Duration:
4 to 7 years
How to Apply:
- Notify Ewa.Stewart@Ontariotechu.ca as soon as possible if you are interested in applying (mandatory email NOI by December 8, 2023).
- Following the email notification to apply, ORS will set up a meeting with you to discuss your proposed partnership and project to ensure that it is at an appropriate readiness level to apply for the SSHRC PG (and to suggest suitable alternative funding opportunities if it is not ready to apply for SSHRC PG).
- Work closely with ORS to develop your application.
- Prepare and submit an application through the SSHRC Online Portal following the application instructions.
- Only those applicants who are successful in Stage 1 will be invited to apply in Stage 2 (Due October 2024).
For More Information:
ORS Grants Officer
Contact ewa.stewart@ontariotechu.ca
SSHRC Program Officer
Email: partnershipgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Toll-free: 1-855-275-2861
Resources:
Partnership Grant Program GuidelinesApplication Instructions
SSHRC's Partnerships Tool-kit
Guidelines for Effective Research Training
Guide to Addressing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Considerations in Partnership Grant Applications
Guidelines for Effective Knowledge Mobilization
Guidelines for Support of Tools for Research and Related Activities
Guidelines for Cash and In-Kind Contributions
