SSHRC Insight Grants (IG) - October 2023

Eligibility

Eligible Proposals

Proposals can involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas eligible for SSHRC funding. See subject matter eligibility for more information.

Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, program evaluation, preparation of teaching materials, organization of a conference or workshop, digitization of a collection, or creation of a database are not eligible for funding under this funding opportunity.

An application will be declared ineligible if it is determined 30% or more of the requested budget has been allocated to ineligible expenses.

Eligible Applicants

Applications can be submitted by an individual researcher or a team of researchers (consisting of one applicant and one or more co-applicants and/or collaborators).

Applicants (except postdoctoral fellows and PhD students) must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility at the time of application and before funding can be released. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian postsecondary institution, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant status.

Eligible PhD students and postdoctoral fellows are encouraged to make inquiries with the Research Grants Office of the eligible institution(s) at which they will be seeking affiliation early in the process.

Eligible Institutions

Grant funds can only be administered by an eligible Canadian postsecondary institution. Institutions proposing to administer a grant awarded under this funding opportunity must hold or obtain institutional eligibility.

Summary

Insight Grants (IG) support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Funding is available to both emerging scholars and established scholars for research initiatives of two to five years. Insight Grants (IG) offer support for long-term research initiatives central to advancing knowledge. It enables scholars to address complex issues about individuals and societies, and to further our collective understanding. Insight Grant (IG) research initiatives can be undertaken by an individual researcher or a team of researchers working in collaboration. SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation.

Applicants choose from one of two streams, depending on the amount of funding required. Both streams will be adjudicated by the same committees, and will receive the same rigorous level of merit review. The deadlines and application process are identical for both; however, the targeted success rate for Stream A is higher than for Stream B.

Future Challenge Areas

SSHRC invites all applicants to review Imagining Canada’s Future’s 16 future global challenges and to consider addressing one or more of these areas in their research proposal.

Application Process

Applicants must complete the application form in accordance with accompanying instructions. Applications must be submitted electronically by an authorized research grants officer, or equivalent, from the applicant’s institution.

Eligible PhD students and postdoctoral fellows can submit their applications directly to SSHRC.

Applicants needing help while preparing their application should communicate with SSHRC well in advance of the application deadline.

Application Merit Review

Applications are reviewed, and available funds awarded, through a competitive merit review process using the evaluation criteria. 

Two groups of individuals will be involved in the evaluation of Insight Grant applications:

• External assessors; and
• Members of the Insight Grant merit review committees.

Communication of Results

SSHRC makes competition results available to applicants (via the SSHRC Extranet for Applicants) and institutions (via the Grants and Scholarships Administration Portal).

All applicants will be provided, in addition to SSHRC’s notice of decision, any external assessments received and a summary of the merit review committee’s evaluation of their proposal, where applicable.

Additional Resources

Application Instructions

Web CV / Application

Insight Grants (IG) Contact: insightgrants@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca

Slides from SSHRC Insight Grant webinar

Overhead

N/A (Not Applicable)

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

SSHRC will organize two webinars for applicants and research administrators to provide information concerning the upcoming Internal Grants (IG) October 2023 competition via WebEx, including a question-and-answer session. Advance registration is not required. Detailed information of the webinars is below:

August 17, 2023 - 8:00-9:30 AM (MT) 

Les opportunités de financement des Subventions Savoir (French)

August 17, 2023 - 11:00 AM -12:30 PM (MT)

Insight Grants Funding Opportunities (English)

Further, the pilot Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review (TAIPR) Committee has been extended for another year. More details, including on eligibility and how to apply, can be found on the TAIPR landing page.

Submission Instructions:

1. Complete your application in the SSHRC online system.  When it is complete, verify and submit so that it advances to the Research Services Office. ***PLEASE NOTE: The SSHRC portal redirects the application to the University of Calgary Research Services; pressing "submit" does not submit the application to SSHRC.
2. To initiate internal approvals, complete the pre-award/application record in RMS (https://research.ucalgary.ca/conduct-research/additional-resources/research-management-system-rms), and attach a download of your complete and final application from the SSHRC online portal.  Please do not attach drafts, Word documents, etc.  Also attach any other relevant documents, including letters confirming financial or in-kind support if applicable.
3. Once complete, click "Save and set status", then select "submitted for approvals", and then select "Save and progress" in order to obtain approvals from your department head and/or faculty Associate Dean (Research). 

   Important: when submitting in RMS, please ensure that you allow time for academic approvals prior to the Research Services review deadline of September 28, 2023 at 12:00pm.       *** This has been updated to September 29, 2023 at noon

4. Once these approvals are obtained, RMS will automatically forward the application record to Research Services for institutional review and approval.
5. Research Services will review and provide feedback (by email and via RMS), as necessary. 
6.  Once the application has undergone review and is in its final state, Research Services will obtain Institutional Approval and submit for adjudication by SSHRC through the SSHRC online system.
7. As an optional service, Research Services will perform a full detailed administrative review for any applications received by September 19, 2023 at 4:00pm.  The application must be received by RSO on both RMS and the SSHRC portal to initiate review.