Research on Research Joint Initiative

Eligibility

Subject matter

Proposals may be led by researchers from any discipline, and may involve any disciplines, thematic areas, approaches or subject areas, provided the primary discipline and objective of the proposal is metaresearch.

Projects whose primary objective is curriculum development, 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.

If proposed projects wish to include analysis of granting agency administrative data, data use agreements will need to be established with SSHRC, CIHR and/or the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council (NSERC). The agencies regularly contribute data to the Open Government portal. Applicants should first check the portal to determine whether the data they plan to request is available there. Otherwise, applicants must reach out to the agencies at least three weeks before the application deadline to confirm the feasibility of the proposed use of administrative data in advance of applying. Applicants wishing to inquire about Health Research BC data should contact Health Research BC directly. The agencies and Health Research BC cannot guarantee data can be made available. Should data be determined shareable, neither SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC nor Health Research BC will be considered a research partner or collaborator, and projects will still be assessed via merit review.

Email CIHR

Email SSHRC

Email NSERC

Email Health Research BC

Applicants

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

Applicants must be affiliated with a Canadian postsecondary institution that holds institutional eligibility at the time of application. Researchers who maintain an affiliation with a Canadian institution that holds institutional eligibility, but whose primary affiliation is with a non-Canadian postsecondary institution, are not eligible for applicant status. To be eligible for Health Research BC funding, applicants and/or co-applicants must be affiliated with a British Columbia-based institution eligible to receive Health Research BC funding.

Summary

Research on research, also known as metaresearch, is the application of rigorous methods and analysis to the practice of research itself—its methods, standards and evaluation (see expanded definition below). Founded in 2019, the Research on Research Institute (RoRI) is a consortium of research funders and institutes that undertakes projects that can support the work of funding organizations. RoRI gathers evidence and data; undertakes experiments; and develops tools to improve how research is funded, practiced, communicated and evaluated.

The three Canadian core partners of RoRI—SSHRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and Michael Smith Health Research BC—have together launched this joint initiative as part of ongoing efforts to support metaresearch in the Canadian context. The goal of this joint initiative is to enhance national capacity for metaresearch, and bring Canadian expertise and perspectives into the international dialogue on improving research funding practices. Metaresearch is a vital element of social sciences and humanities research, as well as multidisciplinary research, as it allows greater insight into the ways in which research is conducted, evaluated and supported.

For the purposes of this joint initiative, metaresearch (also known in different contexts as research on research, metascience or the science of science) is defined as a field of research that draws on old and new disciplinary and methodological approaches to test, evaluate and experiment with different aspects of research systems, cultures and decision-making. It aims to ensure the full potential of research can be realized in ways that are rigorous, transparent, fair and evidence-informed. Metaresearch can be conducted by researchers in any disciplinary field.

This joint initiative aims to:

• build knowledge and understanding on metaresearch, i.e., the application of rigorous methods and analysis to the practice of research itself—its methods, incentives, standards and evaluation—and the practices of how that research is funded, communicated, applied and evaluated
• produce data on metaresearch that may have impacts on research and innovation policy and funding practices in Canada and other jurisdictions
• take part in knowledge mobilization among Canadian and international researchers, including members of RoRI’s consortium, to contribute to the development of research and innovation policies and research funding practices;
• provide training for students and highly qualified personnel
• build collaborations among researchers working on metaresearch, both in Canada and internationally

Applications that align with RoRI priority areas as identified in the list of current RoRI projects (whether or not directly linked to those current RoRI projects) are welcome in this joint initiative, but the alignment is not mandatory. Applicants are invited to submit applications dealing with metaresearch in any disciplinary context. Possible research areas supported within the objectives of this joint initiative may include (but are not limited to):

• research on talent and professional development, including studying the effectiveness of interventions in: training and skills, talent retention, encouragement of entrepreneurship, and/or training and professional development assessment methods in research contexts
• research on allocation of research funding, including different peer review methodologies and different modes of funding (e.g., scholarships, fellowships, research grants), and their impacts on the distribution of research funds and associated research and career outcomes
• research integrity, including issues of reproducibility and the impact of interventions such as preregistration, open data, research data management, and reproducible code
• research on research infrastructure, including physical, digital and human infrastructures
• improving the dissemination of research outputs and their impact, including the role of technology transfer offices, varying publication practices, conferences and knowledge dissemination platforms
• understanding research impact, including improving the nuance with which the impact of research projects and programs can be defined and measured, and under what conditions various approaches to research facilitate meaningful use of evidence
• understanding the impacts of AI on the research ecosystem

SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation.

Submission Instructions:

1. Complete your application in the SSHRC Convergence Portal by following the instructions posted online. 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 February 15, 2025 at 12:00pm.       

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 Convergence system.
7. As an optional service, Research Services will perform a full detailed administrative review for any applications received by February 6, 2025 at 4:00pm.  The application must be received by RSO on both RMS and the SSHRC Convergence portal to initiate review.

Overhead

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.

RESOURCES 

Support for projects involving Indigenous Research: 

Support with the development of your grant application is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST). Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage. 

Support for Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA: 

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA),  writing a Most Significant Contributions statement for the CV and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team. Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca. For more information, please visit the KI team webpage. 

Support for Research Data Management: 

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca OR research.data@ucalgary.libanswers.com. 

Support for EDI in Research: 

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice. Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information. 

Support for Research Security: 

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC). Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.  

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with RSO units, the more help we can be! 

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application