SSHRC Exchange

OVERVIEW
Value	$7,000
Duration	12 months
Application Deadline	Rolling intake
Notice of Decision	Approximately three months from receipt of application
Start date	Variable
ORIS Contact	Natasha Chaykowski (natasha.chaykowski@uleth.ca) or oris@uleth.ca

Description:

Through its SSHRC Institutional Grants (SIG) funding opportunity, SSHRC provides annual grants to help eligible Canadian postsecondary institutions fund, through their own merit review processes, small-scale research and research-related activities by their faculty and students in the social sciences and humanities. Complementary to, and in line with, SSHRC’s three main pillars of activities (Research training and talent development program, Insight research program and Research partnerships program), SIG funds are intended to support researchers to strengthen research excellence in the social sciences and humanities.

SSHRC Exchange Grants:

• Support the organization of small-scale knowledge mobilization activities, such as workshops and seminars, to encourage collaboration and the dissemination of research results both within and beyond the academic community; and
• Allow researchers to attend or present their research at scholarly conferences and other dissemination venues that align with SSHRC’s mandate in order to advance their careers and encourage the exchange of ideas and research results at the national and international level.

Awards to a single applicant or teams of applicants are limited to a maximum of $7,000.

Eligibility:

All University of Lethbridge members, as defined in the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association Collective Agreement, who hold continuing appointments may be eligible to apply. Other University of Lethbridge members may be eligible to apply, pending approval by the Dean in consultation with the Department Chair where Departments exist. Applicants may only apply once to the SSHRC Exchange program per fiscal year. Applicants cannot hold more than one SSHRC Exchange at a time. Applicants cannot receive multiple or consecutive SSHRC Exchange awards for the same project. Applicants also cannot simultaneously hold more than one award from internal funding sources, such as the ULRF, for the same project. Applicants are permitted, however, to hold a University of Lethbridge Travel Fund (ULTF) award concurrently with the SSHRC Exchange, if travel for ULTF is unrelated to any travel expenses for the SSHRC Exchange. Applicants can apply to the SSHRC Exchange program for a project that has been awarded external SSHRC funding.

Timeline:

This award has a rolling deadline; applications can be submitted at any time. Results and Notices of Award if applicable, will be communicated roughly three (3) months after submission.

Use of Funds:

It is the responsibility of the applicant(s) to adequately justify the expenditures included in the application. Funds can be requested in line with the following criteria:

• A grant may be directed toward costs associated with disseminating research, such as travel to attend conferences, events, or symposia;
• A grant may be directed toward costs associated with organizing knowledge mobilization events such as small-scale conferences or workshops;
• A grant may be directed toward costs associated with preparing or creating knowledge mobilization “products” such as publications, articles, podcasts, books, digital resources, websites, exhibitions, performances, festivals, media events, or reports;
• Other expenses necessary for knowledge mobilization may be considered for funding at the discretion of the Multidisciplinary Review SSHRC Sub-committee; and
• Projects requesting retroactive funding prior to the application deadline or requesting funding for teaching development will not be considered.

NOTE: Applicants can apply for a combination of the abovementioned eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $7,000 per annum.

How to Apply:

General Guidelines:

Submissions for the current competition are accepted on a rolling basis.

An application consists of a document attached 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.   

NOTE: Do not complete the online form until your attachment is complete and ready to be uploaded, as you cannot save the online form for completion at a later date.

Complete applications require the following components:

• Completion of the online application form available through the BRIDGE using the Internal Grant Application Form; and
• The upload of the following elements as a single attachment:
  • Abstract and Key Words (max 1 page);
  • Proposal (max 2 pages);
  • CV (max 5 pages);
  • Budget with justification (max 2 pages); and
  • Reviewer information (optional) (max 1 page).

Application Attachment Instructions:

Applicants must complete the online Internal Grant Application Form available through the BRIDGE and include the required attachment. For the attachment, use font size of 12 point, black type. Maximum of six lines per inch. No condensed/narrow fonts, type, or spacing. Insert a margin of 2 cm (3/4 inch) minimum around the page.

The application should be clear and concise and justify the use of all funding and provide all requested information.

1. Abstract and Key Words (max 1 page):  Provide a succinct project description written so that a non-expert in the field of study can understand the proposed activities, the 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: At the end of your Abstract, provide a list of up to 10 key words which describe your project. These words can include: themes; areas of research or creative activity; objectives; methods/approaches; study populations/experimental systems; and outcomes, among others. The Key Words will assist the Multidisciplinary Review SSHRC Sub-committee in gauging their level of expertise in reviewing your proposal. 
2. Dissemination Proposal (max 2 pages): Organize the detailed narrative under the following headlines:
   • Background: Define the research undertaken that relates to the knowledge mobilization activities, 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 knowledge mobilization. Indicate which research program the proposed knowledge mobilization falls in.
   • Significance and Dissemination: Include statements of the potential significance, future use, relevance or application of the results. Explain how the proposed dissemination is situated within the PI’s larger research plan.
3. 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. An applicant should indicate if they wish to be considered an Emerging Scholar if not obvious from the CV documents and provide justification. 
4. Budget and Justification (max 2 pages): Applicants must provide a breakdown of the expenses equalling the total amount requested. Applicants must provide information on other sources of funding for the project if the proposed costs exceed the maximum provided by this fund. Provide a concise justification for each budget item under the headlines below, where applicable. 
5. Reviewer Information (optional) (max 1 page): If desired, applicants can include an additional page with the names of suggested (internal) reviewers, and any reviewers who should be excluded due to Conflict of Interest.

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 mobilization 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 activities.
• 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: List any other costs associated with the knowledge mobilization activities.

Conditions of the Award:

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 Exchange 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. Reports: A final report on the work funded by the SSHRC Exchange 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.
4. Equipment & Library Acquisitions: Equipment or library materials acquired with grant funds remain as property of the UofL in accordance with university policy.
5. Research assistants: Research assistant employed with grant funds are not regular University employees and are not covered by the provisions of the collective agreement with support staff.