How to Apply to SSHRC

1
How to Apply to SSHRCs New Partnerships Funding
Opportunities

• Gail Zboch, Senior Program Officer
• Strategic Programs and Joint Initiatives

2
Purpose of Presentation

• Provide information on the first two funding
  opportunities launched within SSHRCs renewed
  program architecture, under the Insight and
  Connection programs
• Insight/Connection Partnership Development
  Grants Application deadline November 25, 2010
• Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Letter of
  Intent Application deadline January 31, 2011

3
Format of Presentation

• Insight/Connection Partnership Development Grants
• Insight/Connection Partnership Grants
• Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Changes to
  the CV Process
• Insight/Connection Partnership Opportunities New
  Guidelines and Procedures
• Characteristics of a Successful Application

4
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants

• Key features
• Purpose/objectives
• Formal partnerships suggested approaches
• Optional priority areas
• Requirements
• Eligibility institutional and participants
• Evaluation process and criteria
• Application process
• Attachments
• Other sources

5
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Key Features

• Applicant Principal investigator
• Duration 1 to 3 years
• Value Typically 75,000 to 200,000, with
  requests for lower or higher amounts considered
• Institutional and partner contributions Secure
  cash and/or in-kind contributions during life of
  grant. While there is no minimum contribution,
  applicant and partners are expected to
  demonstrate a formal partnership exists or will
  be de developed.
• Application process One-stage application
• Next deadline November 25, 2010

6
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Purpose

• Develop research and related activities in
  SSHincluding knowledge mobilization and the
  meaningful involvement of students and new
  scholarsby fostering new research partnership
  activities involving existing and/or potential
  partners or
• Design and test new partnership approaches for
  research and/or related activities that may
  result in best practices or models that either
  can be adapted by others or have potential to be
  scaled up at a regional, national or
  international level

7
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Program Objectives

• Proposal must meet one or more program
  objectives, or a combination of objectives
  between the two
• Insightbuild knowledge and understanding about
  people, societies and the world by supporting
  research excellence in all subject areas eligible
  for SSHRC funding
• Connectionrealize the potential of SSH research
  for intellectual, cultural, social and economic
  influence, benefit and impact on and beyond the
  campus by supporting specific activities and
  tools that facilitate the multidirectional flow
  of research knowledge

8
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Definition of Formal Partnership

• A bilateral or multilateral formal collaboration
  agreement between an applicant and one or more
  partners. Partners agree and commit to work
  collaboratively to achieve shared goals for
  mutual benefit.
• Evidence of commitment may include an
  agreed-upon governance and/or management
  structure, mutually determined methodological
  approach with established roles and
  responsibilities, memorandum of understanding, or
  other evidence endorsed by the partnerse.g.,
  sharing in intellectual leadership, providing
  expertise, and providing cash and/or in-kind
  contributions.
• While the formality of partnerships may vary, a
  formal partnership is grounded in trust and
  mutual respect, with partners contributing in a
  meaningful way to the success of the endeavour.

9
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Examples of Partnership Approaches

• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary partnerships
• Cross-sector co-creation of knowledge and
  understanding
• Networks for research and/or related activities
• Partnered knowledge mobilization
• A Creative Open Space
• Any other approach and any combination of the
  above is possible!

10
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Optional Priority Areas

• Most SSHRC funding, including Partnership
  Development Grants, is awarded through open
  competitions accessible to all disciplines,
  areas, themes and approaches
• The following priority areas are available
• Aboriginal Research
• Canadian Environmental Issues
• Digital Media
• Innovation, Leadership and Prosperity
• Northern CommunitiesTowards Social and Economic
  Prosperity
• Applicants requesting funding under one of these
  should, in their application, identify their
  Partnership Development Grant proposal as related
  a SSHRC priority area.
• Applicants are not obligated to choose a priority
  area.

11
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Requirements

• Quality and commitment of formal partnerships
• Applicants must include relevant documentation to
  allow an informed evaluation of the quality and
  level of commitment of the proposed formal
  partnership. Documentation may include, but is
  not limited to
• governance frameworks
• strategic plans
• memorandums of understanding
• intellectual property agreements and/or
• letters of participation and engagement.

• Institutional and partner contributions
• Applicants must secure cash and/or in-kind
  contributions during the life of their grant.
  While there is no minimum requirement, partners
  and institutions are expected to contribute
  during the life of the grant.

12
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Eligibility Requirements

• Applications must be submitted by the applicant
  (principal investigator / project director) on
  behalf of the formal partnership partners.
• The applicant must be affiliated with a Canadian
  postsecondary institution or not-for-profit
  organization.
• Partnership Development Grants are open to
  universities, colleges and not-for-profit organiza
  tions.
• Any postsecondary institution or not-for-profit
  organization that does not currently have
  institutional eligibility and wishes to
  administer SSHRC grants must apply for, and be
  granted, institutional eligibility.
• For institutional eligibility questions, or to
  receive an institutional eligibility application
  package, contact SSHRC's Corporate Secretariat,
  at secretariat_at_sshrc-crsh.gc.ca.

13
Note Team Composition

• A research team within a Partnerships
  Development Grant or a Partnerships Grant can be
  composed of the following participants
• A Principal Investigator/ Organizational Contact
  for an institution
• Co-applicants
• Collaborators
• Partners
• Other contributors

14
Insight/Connections Partnership Development
Grants Eligibility Requirements (Participants)

• There are two categories of individual
  participant for Partnership Development Grants
  co-applicant and collaborator.
• Co-applicants may be individuals from any of the
  following postsecondary institutions
  not-for-profit organizations philanthropic
  foundations think tanks international
  postsecondary institutions or municipal,
  territorial or provincial governments.
• Collaborators may be individuals from any of the
  following postsecondary institutions
  not-for-profit organizations public sector or
  private sector organizations philanthropic
  foundations think tanks international
  postsecondary institutions or municipal,
  territorial, provincial or federal governments.

Note Individuals from the private sector or
federal government may only participate as
collaborators.
15
Insight/Connection Partnership Opportunities New
Guidelines and Procedures (New Partner
Definition)

• Partner
• An organization that participates actively in a
  formal partnership and contributes in a
  meaningful way to the success of the endeavour
• Partners are expected to support the activities
  of the formal partnership by sharing in
  intellectual leadership or providing expertise.
  The partner is also expected to provide cash
  and/or in-kind contributions
• A partner must be an organization, not an
  individual

16
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Evaluation Process

• Adjudication Partnership Development Grants are
  adjudicated by multidisciplinary committees that
  include relevant expertise from the academic
  community, as well as research expertise from the
  public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors
• Priority areas If an applicant identifies their
  proposal as related to one of SSHRCs priority
  areas, the application will also undergo a
  relevance review by an existing or specially
  constituted committee to verify alignment with
  the priority area
• Feedback All applicants will receive, together
  with their SSHRC notice of decision, a summary of
  the adjudication committee's comments

17
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Evaluation Process (Criteria)

• ChallengeAim and importance of endeavour (50)
  
• originality, significance and expected
  contribution to knowledge in the social sciences
  and/or humanities
• appropriateness of the theoretical approach or
  framework
• appropriateness of the methodologies or
  approaches (including for the co-creation of
  knowledge across sectors)
• quality of training and mentoring to be provided
  to students, emerging scholars and other highly
  qualified personnel, and opportunities for them
  to contribute and
• likelihood of influence and impact within and/or
  beyond the social sciences and humanities
  research community.

18
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Evaluation Process (Criteria)

• FeasibilityThe plan to achieve excellence (20)
  
• feasibility to meet the objectives of the Insight
  and/or Connection programs, the Partnership
  Development Grants funding opportunity and, where
  appropriate, expected outcomes of a priority
  area
• strategies and timelines for the design and
  conduct of the research and/or related
  activities
• appropriateness of the requested budget,
  justification of proposed costs, and indications
  of other planned resources (time, human and
  financial), including cash and in-kind support
  already secured, or to be secured, from the host
  institution and/or from partners
• quality of the knowledge mobilization plans,
  including for effective dissemination, exchange,
  and engagement within and/or beyond the research
  community, where appropriate
• quality and genuineness of the formal partnership
  and associated management and governance
  arrangements and leadership, including evidence
  of genuine involvement of partners and others in
  the design and conduct of the research and/or
  related activities and
• potential for long-term viability and for
  progress indicators.

19
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Evaluation Process (Criteria)

• CapabilityThe expertise to succeed (30)
• quality, quantity and significance of past
  experience and published outputs of principal
  team members relative to their role in the
  partnership, and to the stage of their career
• evidence of contributions through, e.g.,
  publications (such as commissioned reports,
  etc.) professional practice and contributions
  to public discourses, public policies, products
  and services, and the development of talent
• experience with collaboration and formal
  partnerships and
• potential to make future contributions.

20
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Evaluation Process (Criteria)

• Scoring Scheme
• Adjudication committee members assign a score for
  each of the three criteria based on the following
  scheme
• 56 Excellent
• 44.9 Very good
• 33.9 Good
• Below 3 Not recommended for funding

21
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process

• Insight/Connection Partnership Development
  Grants and Partnership Grants applications will
  be fully electronic submissions
• Similar system was used in Standard Research
  Grants 2009 competition
• No paper copies required
• Institutional signatures no longer required
• CVs of research team members attached
  electronically to application
• Decreased margin of error (reduced number of
  ineligible files in 2009-10 SRG competition)

22
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (Partners)

• Innovative online form engages partners in
  application process.
• Applicants will identify partners and partners
  contact persons to invite on the project.
• System will automatically send an email to each
  potential partner contact person, inviting them
  to participate in the application.
• Partners will fill out engagement forms to be
  attached to applicaton. Forms include
  Identification, Cash and/or In-Kind
  Contributions, and Letter of Engagement.

23
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (PartnersLetters of
Engagement)

• Each invited and confirmed partner should, to the
  extent possible, provide a letter, written on
  official letterhead, with the following
  information
• a statement that the partner has read and agrees
  in principle with the objective(s) of the
  proposal
• the exact nature of the involvement of the
  partner
• the nature of the partners participation in the
  governance structure of the partnership, if
  appropriate
• what the partner intends to contribute to the
  partnership
• precise details on the financial and/or in-kind
  contributions to be provided by the partner and
• what the partner expects from participating in
  the partnership. 

24
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (Participants)

• An innovative online form also engages
  participants in the application process.
• Applicants identify co-applicants and
  co-applicant contact persons to invite on the
  project.
• System will automatically send an email to each
  potential co-applicant contact person, inviting
  them to participate in the application.

25
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (Attachments)

• Statement of Relevance (if applicable)
• Summary of Proposed Partnership and Activity
• Intended Outcomes of Proposed Activity
• Description of Activity (maximum 5 pages)
• Description of Participants Involvement (maximum
  2 pages)
• Description of Formal Partnership(s) and
  Partners Contribution (maximum 5 pages)
• Evidence of Formal Partnershipno page limit

26
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (AttachmentsDescripti
on of Activity)

• Description (max. 5 pages) should clearly
  contextualize proposal within the stated program
  objectives (Insight and/or Connection) and
  partnership approaches, address all the program
  evaluation criteria, and describe
• overall goal and specific objectives the
  partnership has set for itself.
• originality, significance (social, economic,
  cultural) and expected contribution to knowledge
  in SSH of the proposed research and/or other
  partnership activities, as well as the
  appropriateness of the theoretical and
  methodological approaches chosen to meet the
  stated objectives.
• relevance and significance of these objectives
  for all the partners in the partnership.
• appropriateness of the duration (1 to 3 years)
  chosen to achieve the objectives.
• anticipated challenges in managing the project
  and organizing the activities.
• involvement of students, new scholars, emerging
  scholars and/or other highly qualified personnel.
  
• contributions the project is expected to make to
  the creation or mobilization of new knowledge.
  Identify expected outputs, potential outcomes and
  long-term impacts the partnership may generate.

27
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (Attachments)

• Training and Mentoring (maximum 1 page)
• Knowledge Mobilization Plan (maximum 2 pages)
• List of References (maximum 10 pages)
• Budget Justification (maximum 4 pages)
• Competitive Quotes (if applicable)

28
Insight/Connection Partnership Development
Grants Application Process (Other Sources of
Funding/Other Contributors)

• Other contributors include organizations (e.g.,
  philanthropic foundations, private sector
  organizations) or individuals who are not invited
  partners but are likely to contribute cash and/or
  in-kind contributions during the life of the
  grant.
• Their contributions should go into the Other
  Sources of Funding section of the form.

29
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants
30
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Key
Features

• Applicant Institution
• Duration 4 to 7 years
• Value Typically 500,000 to 2.5 million, with
  requests for lower or higher amounts considered
• Minimum contributions Minimum 35 per cent cash
  and/or in-kind contributions above and beyond
  SSHRC funding during life of grant
• Two-stage application process
• Letter of Intent (next deadline January 31,
  2011)
• Formal Application (fall 2011)

31
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Purpose

• Provide support for new and existing formal
  partnerships over 4 to 7 years
• Advance research and/or knowledge mobilization in
  the SSH through mutual co-operation and sharing
  of intellectual leadership, as well as through
  resources as evidenced by cash and/or in-kind
  contributions

32
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Program
Objectives

• Proposal must meet one or more of the following
  program objectives
• Insightbuild knowledge and understanding about
  people, societies and the world by supporting
  research excellence in all subject areas eligible
  for SSHRC funding
• Connectionrealize the potential of SSH research
  for intellectual, cultural, social and economic
  influence, benefit and impact on and beyond the
  campus by supporting specific activities and
  tools that facilitate the multidirectional flow
  of research knowledge

33
Insight/Connection Partnership GrantsExamples
of Partnership Approaches

• Disciplinary and interdisciplinary partnerships
• Cross-sector co-creation of knowledge and
  understanding
• Networks for research and/or related activities
• Partnered knowledge mobilization
• Partnered Chairs (different from PDG)
• Partnered Research Centres (different from PDG)
• A Creative Open Space
• Any other approach and any combination of the
  above is possible!

34
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Optional
Priority Areas

• Most SSHRC funding, including Partnership Grants,
  is awarded through open competitions accessible
  to all disciplines, areas, themes and approaches
• The following priority areas are available
• Aboriginal Research
• Canadian Environmental Issues
• Digital Media
• Innovation, Leadership and Prosperity
• Northern CommunitiesTowards Social and Economic
  Prosperity
• Applicants requesting funding under one of these
  should, in their application, identify their
  Partnership Grant proposal as related to one of
  SSHRCs priority areas
• Applicants are not obligated to choose a priority
  area.

35
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants
Requirements and Eligibility

• Same as for Partnership Development Grants, with
  the addition of the following increased
  requirements for securing cash and/or in-kind
  contributions
• Stage 1LOI Applicants are expected to include a
  plan to secure, over and above the budget
  requested from SSHRC, a minimum of 35 per cent in
  additional resources from sources other than
  SSHRC during the life of the grant (4 to 7
  years).
• Stage 2Formal Application Applicants are
  required to demonstrate they have already begun
  to confirm the 35 per cent or more in additional
  cash and/or in-kind contributions, and indicate
  how they will secure the remaining resources
  during the life of the grant. A minimum
  contribution of 35 per cent must be confirmed by
  the mid-term evaluation of the project.

36
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Evaluation
Process (LOI Stage)

• Adjudication Letter of Intent applications are
  adjudicated by multidisciplinary committees that
  include relevant expertise from the academic
  community, as well as research expertise from the
  public, private and/or not-for-profit sectors
• Assessments No external assessments
• Feedback All applicants will receive, together
  with their SSHRC notice of decision, a summary of
  the adjudication committee's comments
• Priority areas At both stages, if an applicant
  identifies their proposal as related to one of
  SSHRCs priority areas, the application will
  undergo a relevance review by an existing or
  specially constituted committee to verify
  alignment with the priority area

37
Insight/Connection Partnership GrantsEvaluation
Process (Formal Application)

• Adjudication Full proposals are adjudicated by
  multidisciplinary committees that include
  relevant expertise from the academic community,
  as well as research expertise from the public,
  private and/or not-for-profit sectors.
• External assessments A minimum of 3 external
  assessments are obtained before adjudication at
  the committee meeting. For proposals requesting
  more than 2 million, up to 6 external
  assessments are obtained before adjudication, and
  a formal interview process is required.
• Feedback All applicants will receive, together
  with their SSHRC notice of decision, a copy of
  the external assessments obtained, and a summary
  of the adjudication committee's comments.

38
Insight/Connection Partnership GrantsEvaluation
Process (Criteria)

• The evaluation criteria and scoring scheme are
  the same as for Partnership Development Grants,
  except for the weighting of the criteria

• ChallengeThe aim and importance of the endeavour
  (40)
• FeasibilityThe plan to achieve excellence (30)
• CapabilityThe expertise to succeed (30)

39
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants Partnered
Chairs

• Partnered Chairs must contribute directly to the
  objectives of the Insight and/or Connection
  program(s)
• Chair partners pool financial resources and
  suggest an amount of funds required from SSHRC
• Partnered Chairs may be created in collaboration
  with other organizations and institutions
• Host institution will be responsible for managing
  the funds and for overall partnered chair
  arrangements
• See published guidelines for more details

40
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants
Application Process

• Still in development
• Will also be online
• Will also engage partners and participants in
  application process
• Will incorporate invited partners contributions
  and other contributors
• Will use similiar attachments as the Partnership
  Development Grants application

41
Insight/Connection Partnership GrantsChanges to
the CV Process
42
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants CV Process

• All participants from postsecondary institutions
  must electronically submit verified SSHRC
  web-based CVs. These assist the committee in
  evaluating the qualifications of the team to
  carry out the proposed research
• Participants must now also include both of the
  following CV attachments
• Research Contributions and
• Relevant Work Experience

43
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants CV
Process (Minimum Requirements)

• Participants not affiliated with a postsecondary
  institution may submit the full SSHRC CV or only
  complete the following mandatory fields
• Discipline of expertise
• Primary affiliation, with end dates
• Primary affiliation and department
• Permanent postal address
• Correspondence language

44
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants CV
Process (Attachments)

• Research Contributions
• Research contributions over the last 6 years
• Other research contributions
• Most significant career research contributions
  (for regular scholars)
• Career interruptions and special circumstances
• Contributions to training

45
Insight/Connection Partnership Grants CV
Process (Attachments)

• Relevant Experience
• Explain your experience in engaging in and/or
  leading formal partnerships, and any previous
  experience related to the objectives of the
  partnership application. Include
• your experience in engaging in and/or leading
  formal partnerships
• a brief description of the nature of the work you
  performed
• an explanation of how this work has prepared you
  for your role in the project and
• a description of the skills you developed (e.g.,
  training, mentoring, analysis, networking).
• Examples of relevant experience include working
  within or with communities and/or organizations
  (e.g., not-forprofit organizations,
  philanthropic foundations, think tanks, private
  sector organizations), non-academic career
  information, or voluntary work.

46
Insight/Connection Partnership Opportunities New
Guidelines and Procedures
47
Insight/Connection Partnership Opportunities
Guidelines and Procedures (Institutional
Eligibility)

• Institutions eligible to apply for and receive
  SSHRC funding include universities, colleges,
  and some not-for-profit organizations.
• An institution must demonstrate it meets all the
  requirements
• Institutional status and governance
• Research function in SSH
• Financial stability and management
• Management of the research environment

48
Insight/Connection Partnership Opportunities
Guidelines and Procedures (Securing
Institutional EligibilityProcess)

• If your organization is not on SSHRCs eligible
  institution list, you must email SSHRCs
  Corporate Secretariat, at secretariat_at_sshrc-crsh.g
  c.ca, to begin the eligibility process.
• If you do not contact SSHRC, your institution
  will not be added to the list of eligible
  institutions and you will not be able to complete
  your application.

49
Characteristics of a Successful Application
50
Characteristics of a Successful Application

• Complete all mandatory fields (boldfaced labels).
• Attach all mandatory electronic uploads
  (application).
• Ensure all co-applicants and collaborators (i.e.,
  participants with SSHRC CVs) have submitted their
  "Accept Invitation Form."
• Ensure confirmed partners have submitted their
  "Accept Invitation Form."
• Verify and correct data until the Verification
  Report indicates successful verification.
• Click on the "Submit" button (Submit to Research
  Administrator) for institutional approval.

51
Characteristics of a Successful Application

• Clarity application is well written, well
  organized and error-free
• Originality application is challenging,
  interesting, and ambitious yet feasible
• Projects significance is clear
• Potential impact is stated convincingly
• Presented confidently, not boastfully

52
Thank you / Merci
Email partnershipgrants_at_sshrc-crsh.gc.caTel.
613-943-1007