Applying to SSHRC – How to Support an Application and Tips for Administrators

1. Applying to SSHRC – How to Support an Application and Tips for Administrators Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation Office of Research Services 10 May 2011

2. What does SSHRC support? • SSHRC promotes and supports university-based research and training in the humanities and social sciences • Research vs. teaching or other university-based activities • Public sector and not-for-profit vs. private sector activities • No infrastructure funding

3. SSHRC priority areas • Aboriginal Research • Canadian Environmental Issues • Digital Media • Innovation, Leadership and Prosperity • Northern Communities – Towards Social and Economic Prosperity • Applications in all SS&H disciplines are encouraged.

4. Eligibility to apply • Generally, no students. • Formal affiliation to a Canadian university required. • University agrees by applying, to administer the grant. • There are regulations governing what grants a researcher can hold in parallel. • Generally, you need to have reported on existing grants before applying to the same program again. • What about post-docs?

5. Eligible expenses • Personnel costs • Student salaries and benefits/Stipends • Non-student salaries and benefits/Stipends • Travel and subsistence costs • Research Team – Canadian and Foreign • Student – Canadian and Foreign • Other • Professional/Technical services • Supplies* • Non-disposable equipment • Computer hardware • Other • Other expenses (specify) – 3 lines • *Please see SSHRC guidelines on the ineligibility of general supplies.

6. Ineligible expenses • Examples include: • Alcohol • Furniture or other infrastructure costs • General supplies • Business class airfare or other first class travel • Monthly telephone packages on university phones • iPads and iPods • Each competition may have specific guidelines about eligible expenses. • Please see the SSHRC website for more detail.

10. ORUs within an application • Financial administration • Workshop and conference services • General grant administration • Internal peer review processes • Liaison with ORS, Research Accounting, Procurement, etc. • Web and social media support • Reporting to funders

11. Common errors • Common errors include: • Not addressing the evaluation criteria • Using highly technical writing for a multidisciplinary committee • Budgeting for ineligible expenses • Imbalances in budget categories • Submitting poor budget justifications • Not following formatting requirements • e.g., semicolons, font, margins • Typos and spelling mistakes • Attachments referring to more than the past 6 years • “Career interruptions” are not well justified

12. Strategies for success • Read the instructions • Create your own on-line form as a resource • Know your adjudication audience • Focus writing on the reader of the application

13. Strategies for success con’t • Contact colleagues who have put applications together before • Justify the budget, justify the budget, justify the budget • Use the pages provided/space available • Show benefit to Canada and Canadians where appropriate • Have the application reviewed internally/externally by staff and faculty

14. Support services for staff and applicants • Faculty-based Research Officers • Sr. Research Officer, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation • Associate Deans Research • Associate Vice-President, Social Sciences & Humanities • Office of Research Services • Michelle Galloro, Research Applications Coordinator • Mala Thakoor, Information Officer

15. Submitting an application through York • Office of Research Services (ORS) review available 10 working days before deadline • Complete the application and hit “submit/complete” • All applications must be submitted through ORS • All applications must be accompanied by an ORS Checklist • Due: 12noon on deadline date (Partnership Grant competition excepted) • ORS submits the application electronically to SSHRC

16. Documents and other resources • Websites: • SSHRC Website: www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca • York University Research Website: www.yorku.ca/research • Documents: • Internal • Research Costs Table • Letter of Support Form • ORS Checklist • External • Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide

17. Contact • Sarah Whitaker • Sr. Research Officer, VPRI • sarahw@yorku.ca • Joan Broussard • Associate Director, Research Grants, ORS • joanb@yorku.ca • Michelle Galloro • Research Applications Coordinator, ORS • mgalloro@yorku.ca • Mala Thakoor • Information Officer, ORS • mthakoor@yorku.ca