SSHRC Explore

Description

SSHRC Explore Grants support social sciences and humanities researchers with modest research funding requirements at any stage of their career; allow for small-scale innovation and experimentation by providing funding to develop a research project or to conduct pilot work; and enable researchers to hire students at any level to participate in their research projects, thereby contributing to the students’ professional development. All projects must be eligible for funding from SSHRC.  

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following criteria:

• Hold a full-time faculty appointment (tenured or tenure-track) or postdoctoral affiliation at the U of L and the appointment does not end within 12 months from the date of application.
  • If you hold a limited-term appointment or are a postdoctoral fellow, you must maintain your affiliation for the grant period. Please note that while postdoctoral researchers may apply, their supervisor must be listed as the co-applicant and funds will be held in their supervisor’s name.
• Conduct research in a discipline supported by SSHRC.
• Do not hold an active Explore or Exchange grant as of the application date and have held no more than 2 SSHRC Exchange or Explore grants in the last 3 fiscal years.

Eligible Expenses

• Research assistants: Research assistant costs must include each employee’s title and type of work to be performed, the estimated number of hours/months to be worked, and the rate of pay per hour/month plus 12% benefits.
• Contract Personnel: Costs associated with hiring external experts (i.e. designers, editors, technicians, etc.) are eligible, but must include cost breakdown such as hourly rate and anticipated scope of contract.
• Materials and Supplies: Requests for materials and supplies must clearly indicate their purpose in the proposed activities.
• Equipment: A descriptive statement of each item of equipment must be included in the justification of the budget. Applicants are reminded that all equipment purchased with research grants remains the property of the UofL in accordance with university policy. Applications for computer equipment will need to provide a particularly strong justification, establishing the specific need of the item for the proposed research.
• Travel: Travel costs must include the purpose of the travel for each destination, mode of travel, cost of meals and lodging, and the number of days of the travel.
• Knowledge mobilization/dissemination: costs associated with knowledge mobilization/dissemination are not eligible. Please see UL SSHRC Exchange for information about funding for knowledge mobilization.

Conditions on Internal Funding

Regardless of the project, applicants can only hold one of the following grants at any given time: University of Lethbridge Research Fund, SSHRC Explore, or a SSHRC Exchange.

How to Apply

A complete application consists of an application form and attachments appended to the Internal Grant Application Form found under the Research Services tab in the BRIDGE system. The attachment must be prepared in accordance with the instructions found here.

Complete applications require the following components:

1. Application Form - SSHRC Explore Form
2. Abstract and Key Words (max 1 page): Provide a succinct project description so that a non-expert in the field of study can understand the proposed activities, scope and objectives of the project. Also, outline the potential significance of the knowledge mobilization to the University, discipline, researcher, students, and/or society at large. Key words: provide a list of up to 10 key words which describe the project.
3. Research Proposal (max 5 pages): Organize the detailed narrative under the following headlines:
   • Background: Define the problem clearly and concisely, providing any background information essential to understanding the importance of the work.
   • Theoretical Framework, Methodology and Proposed Outcomes: Outline the theoretical framework governing the work proposed, the methodologies to be undertaken and the proposed outcomes. For collaborative applications with multiple applicants, indicate the unique role that each applicant brings to ensuring the proposed outcomes. Describe how the anticipated outcomes will serve to contribute to each applicant’s program of research. Indicate if the proposed research falls in a new or existing research program.
   • Significance and Dissemination: Discuss the potential significance, future use, relevance or application of the results. Explain how the proposed project is situated within the PI’s larger research plan. Explain how the results will be disseminated.
4. References (max 2 pages): Include references, where appropriate, to work cited or related work. Indicate if the field is largely untouched.
5. Publications and Prior Research (max 5 pages): Provide an Academic CV (any format) including only recent (last six years) and/or relevant publications, and prior research activity.
6. Student Training (max 1 page): Describe plans for involving student research assistants. If the project does not include student training, please explain why.
7. Follow-up Funding (max 1 page): If you are awarded an Explore Grant, you must commit to submitting an external SSHRC application within 24 months of the award's end date. Outline what follow up funding you will pursue. Provide the grant program, amount, and date of the anticipated application (PDFs are exempt from this requirement).    

Terms and Conditions

1. Use of Funds: Expenditures may be made only for those cost elements identified in the application or as limited in the Request for New Fund Form. Special conditions may include human subject research or animal welfare approval, expenditure limitations, etc. Minor transfers of funds from one budget category to another are permitted. Expenditures included in the application budget may be eligible if incurred between the application deadline and the Notice of Decision of the SSHRC Explore Competition if prior approval is granted by ORIS. Major transfers or the use of funds for a previously unspecified expense or a new budget item requires approval by ORIS.
2. Term: The term of an award is twelve (12) months or less, in accordance with the applicant's request. Requests for extensions should be submitted to ORIS thirty (30) days prior to the end date.
3. SSHRC Application: Recipients must commit to submitting a SSHRC grant application within 24 months of the end date of the SSHRC Explore grant.
4. Reports: A final report on the work funded by the SSHRC Explore must be submitted within six months of the termination date. Subsequent applications can be considered only after receipt of satisfactory final reports and/or progress reports for previous or existing grants.
5. Equipment & Library Acquisitions: Equipment or library materials acquired with grant funds remain as property of the UofL in accordance with university policy.
6. Research assistants: Research assistants employed with grant funds are not regular University employees and are not covered by the provisions of the collective agreement with support staff.

Application Evaluation

1. Assessment of the Application (pass/fail): This is an overall rating for the proposal package.
2. Quality and Originality of Proposal (40%) including the clarity of purpose/objectives; potential significance of proposed research; suitability of research methods/strategies; relationship/importance to research program; and suitability of proposed timetable.
3. Research/Scholarly/Creative Achievements of Applicant (40%) including significance of previous work and level of research activity, taking into account the scholar's stage of career.
4. Justification of Proposed Budget (20%). It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to provide adequate information and justification for activities and expenditures included in the application package.