UOIT SSHRC Small Research Grants(SSRG) Program 2016

UOIT SSHRC Small Research Grants (SSRG) – 2016 Guidelines Deadline: 4:30 pm on June 15, 2016

Notice of Funding Opportunity

UOIT SSHRC Small Research Grants(SSRG) Program– 2016

ORS Deadline:4:30 pm on June 15, 2016

On behalf of UOIT, the Office of Research Services applied for,and received funds, from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Institutional Grant program. These funds are intended to support research activities undertaken by SSHRC-eligible researchers with the goal of strengthening research capacity in the social sciences and humanities.

More specifically, these funds will be used to support research activities that will enhance the research programs and expertise of UOIT researchers, leading to the development of competitive applications to SSHRC programs.Applicants must demonstrate how the activities they wish to pursue with these funds will directly support and improve an application to a specific SSHRC program, as well as how their proposed research aligns with UOIT’s Strategic Research Plan priorities (

To this end, applicants must provide a detailed timeline indicating how this funding will directly support the creation of an application to SSHRC and identify the specific SSHRC program to which they will be applying. A list of SSHRC programs and deadlines is available here:

The 2016 competition will be an open call for proposals, with preference given to applications from emerging scholars, as defined by SSHRC (see below).

Approximately 3-8 awards will be available in the range of $2,000-$10,000 (subject to availability of funds).

Research activities that are part of seed/pilot projects can include any of the following:

• Student training: Funds to support undergraduate and graduate student research assistantships;
• Partnership building: Activities related to collaborative research and the development of partnerships;
• Travel: Activities related to gathering data, meeting with partners and/or dissemination;
• Other: Purchase of small equipment, software required to support the research activities

Budget requests must also comply with the Tri-Council use of funds guidelines available here:

Please note: These funds are intended to support research activities that will enable UOIT scholars to submit competitive applications to a SSHRC grant program. All funds must be used by the end date of the grant. Any remaining funds will be returned to the Office of Research Services to be used in subsequent SSRG competitions.

Grant holders will be required to fill out a one-page report due one month after the end date of the grant to explain how the funding strengthened their project and will enable them to prepare a competitive application to an external SSHRC program. Such reports will be useful to ORS when applying for future institutional funding from SSHRC.

The 2016 program is open to SSHRC eligible researchers in accordance with SSHRC eligibility guidelines: Only UOIT researchers meeting the SSHRC eligibility requirements are eligible to receive funds through this program.

EXCLUSIONS:

• Visiting fellows and scholars are not eligible, nor are the costs incurred for their travel and residency; however, postdoctoral fellows affiliated with the institution are eligible to receive support provided they meet the other eligibility criteria;
• Students are not eligible to hold their own award;
• Those who have received funds through this program within the last two years are not eligible to apply as PI for this competition, however they are eligible as a co-applicant.

Preference will be given to applications from emerging scholars, as defined by SSHRC. According to SSHRC:

An emerging scholar is someone who has not yet had the opportunity to establish an extensive record of research achievement, but is in the process of building one.An applicant identifying him/herself as an emerging scholar must demonstrate that they have not applied successfully, as principal investigator or project director, for a grant through any of SSHRC’s funding opportunities.

In addition, they must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• have completed their highest degree no more than five years before the competition deadline (SSHRC considers only the date of completion of the first doctorate); or
• have held a tenured or tenure-track university appointment for less than five years; or
• have held a university appointment, but never a tenure-track position (in the case of institutions that offer tenure-track positions); or
• have had their careers significantly interrupted or delayed for family reasons.

1. Complete the Application Cover Sheet and obtain required signatures.

2. Prepare the following attachments:

a)Research Proposal(3 pages) must include:

• Project description (2 pages):

• Briefly describe the research activities to be undertaken during the term of the award
• Briefly describe how the research to be undertaken falls within SSHRC’s legislated mandate:
• Describe how your research aligns with UOIT’s Strategic Research Plan and the strategic priorities:
• Discuss the potential impact of your research
• Indicate which SSHRC program you plan to apply to, the competition date, and how these funds will enable you to create a strong proposal for this program
• If there is more than one applicant, explain why this is necessary and what role each will have in the project

• Work plan with timeline (1 page): Provide a timeline detailing your research activities including plans for submitting a grant proposal to SSHRC according to the deadline of the specific SSHRC program you indicated in your project description. (Note: the award term will be from July 2016-April 2017)

b)Budget and Justification (1 page): Include a detailed budget breakdown (table) with justification for each item requested. Explain how you will use the funds and why they are needed. If the budget required for the project is above the maximum amount awarded through this grant, explain how you will obtain additional funds.

c)References (1 page)

d)CV (no page limit)

• SSHRC CV, or CCV format preferred, but not required.
• Include list of research funds currently held as well as those applied for (pending). If funds are currently held, indicate why additional funds are needed.
• Each co-applicant must provide a CV.

Prepare your documents following the requirements below:

1. Explain any acronyms and abbreviations fully;
2. Pages must be 8 ½" x 11";
3. Pages must be single-spaced, with no more than sixlines of type per inch;
4. All text must be in 12 pt font;
5. Margins must be set at a minimum of ¾";
6. Your name and project title must appear outside the set margins of the page, at the top of every page;
7. Pages must be numbered sequentially.

3.Save the application cover sheet and attachments into ONE pdf file: [last name]_SSRG_2016.pdf

4. Submit application by email to by the deadline: 4:30 pm on June 15, 2016.

The purpose of this internal funding program is to help UOIT faculty members build their research program so that they will be in a position to put forward competitive applications to a SSHRC funding program. Selection Committee members will be asked to determine the degree to which each candidate demonstrates both a clear, feasible research project which can be carried out successfully in the time indicated, as well as adequately demonstrating their need for the funds requested and how the use of these funds will directly support the creation of their application to a SSHRC program.

Applicationswill be evaluated based on:

• Excellence of the researcher (CV)
• Stage of career and quality/expertise of the researcher

• Merit of the proposed research (project description and work plan)
• Merit of the proposed research activities and demonstrated potential to develop a strong SSHRC proposal; the importance and potential impact of the proposed research is clear; the research program would fall under SSHRC’s mandate; activities considered appropriate and a good use of funds (Project description)
• Feasibility of work plan: activities are deemed feasible given the timeline provided and the expertise of the applicant; timeline/work plan provided is realistic and includes plans to submit an application to a specific SSHRC grant program
• Alignment of the research with UOIT strategic research priorities

• Need for funds (budget justification)
• Demonstrated need for funds and suitable proposed use of funds: adequate funds not held or funds held but cannot be used to support the activities described for specified reason; reasonable items requested

• Applications will be reviewed by a Selection Committee comprised of (at a minimum) the following representatives:
• 2 faculty members in SSHRC-related disciplines
• 1 faculty member at-large
• Office of Research Services representatives (non-voting)
• Notification of results will be sent to all applicants once decisions have been finalized

Julia Armstrong

Grants Officer, Office of Research Services

Office of the VP Research, Innovation and International

905-721-8668 x5307

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